Tomorrow Will Be Kinder {IHOFIL Sequel}

Chapter 18: "Deadly Deserving"

Rick would’ve immediately guessed Maggie as the survivor of the bunch if he’d been asked after meeting them.

“Mr. Grimes?”

He can still hear Beth’s young voice in his ears, how sweet and kind she was and how despite her scars and maturity, she still somehow manages to maintain her youthfulness, something he’s been wanting to recover from a dying fire.

“Morning,” she says, offering a sweet smile as she approaches, the wood bundled in her arms crashing to the floor. “Tara and Michonne should be back soon, I just caught ‘em with their pants down.”

There’s an air of teasing in her words but they’re anything but.

“They were totally making out,” she continues, wiping her hands on her jeans. “I can’t say I’m not happy for them. It’s sweet; I was starting to think new love didn’t exist in this world anymore. After all we’ve been through...”

She grows quiet, staring down at the small fire infront of her.

“I thought that maybe we didn’t get to fall in love. Not after losing Aislynn, that was the last straw. After that, I thought maybe- just maybe- we were done. It was just a matter of time before we all died, withered away to nothing and became like those at Terminus. I mean, we’re better than that, aren’t we?”

“We are,” he confirms.

“Sometimes you’ve gotta remind me,” she whispers, hugging herself with her arms. “I forget about it sometimes, you know? The deaths, that sadness is a part of this world. I told Brie that I don’t know how anyone could forget but it’s been thirteen days since we lost Aislynn and I just don’t think about death anymore. I forget- a stupid part of me forgot that we might die tomorrow.”

Her blue flannel shirt moved in the wind, howling through their ears. Rick wanted to move and hold her, comfort her but they didn’t get that anymore. They were all so numb, all just shells pretending to be human.

“And then Nevaeh got sick and she’s not doing too well and I wanted to scream, to tear my hair out and do something because she’s all I have left, you know? She looks just like Maggie. Every time I look at her, I see my sister. And Glenn. I see Glenn. It’s not fair.”

“It’s so we don’t forget them.”

“Like I could,” she scoffs, flicking apologetic eyes up to meet Rick’s afterwards. “I didn’t mean that, I just meant that—To hell with what I meant, okay?”

The blonde tucks a string of blonde hair behind her ear, exhaling a deep breath. “I thought that Maggie would be the one standing here and Aislynn would be where Brie is and Judith would be here instead of Nevaeh. There was a small part of me that wishes that’s how it was. That my sister was here and your friend and Carl’s friend and your daughter. I’ve taken everything from you.”

“Beth-”

“Aislynn killed Judith, she suffocated her. She lied to you,” the young girl admitted, biting her cheek, words bitter. “They told her to pick between herself and the child and she grabbed Judith and held a hand over her mouth. She wasn’t who you thought she was. I just thought that maybe I should tell you. How she could look you in the eye after that, kiss you, do God knows what with you without seeing Judy’s lifeless eyes, it’s beyond me.”