Who We Are | TWD

.025

Cole couldn't imagine what she'd been through. He couldn't imagine going through it with one of his own children.

Milo sat on the ground beside Beth, a book of animals set out on the floor in front of the two. Cole saw each of Milo's exclamations at each animal he recognized, which caused Beth to let out a small giggle. The innocent pleasantries of society could only be sourced from children, with their mild laughs and mindless smiles.

Milo had been doing fairly good lately. There had only been a handful of instances that he asked for his mother. It hurt Cole more than anything to tell him that he wouldn't be able bring her to him, but it was better than lying to the child all together.

Emmie had been different. She knew all too well where her mother was and had seemingly picked up all the pieces after a quick week of grieving. There was no definite track one was to follow, with a laid out plan and steps to ensure that the grieving process were to be fully completed, but Cole knew that she couldn't have buried those feelings so quickly. In fact, this almost seemed to worry Cole more. In the span of a few days, she had gone from barely being able to take a single bite from any of her meals to helping Milo eat all of his before digging into her own plate. She sang to him or read her little brother a book to get him to sleep, just as Hilary always had, and then tried to convince Cole that she didn't need any tucking in when she rolled onto her side and clutched the sleeping bag to her cheek.

None of it was normal.

It was the day that Emmie finally said, "I miss her, but I know she'd want us to move on," that hurt Cole the most. It felt like a knife to the chest, puncturing his heart and twisting as any feeling he had left was emptied from his open wound. While he struggled to grapple his own emotions, the twelve-year-old girl beside him apparently had everything figured out. However, this act only fooled Cole for a moment before he realized Emmie's true goal of having to keep up moral and knowing the poor girl had that weight of making everything better on her shoulders was unbearable for him.

"Lori, Cole and I are going for a quick walk." His wife nodded, taking a glance at the two. Cole watched the twisting of her ring, the silver glistening in the glowing light.

"Beth, I'd be grateful if you wouldn't mind keeping an eye on Milo for me. If not, just-"

"I'd love to," the soft spoken girl grinned, diverting her attention back to the book after answering. Cole looked at Milo for a second, seeing him completely engrossed in the book, and was satisfied enough with her answer.

With that, Cole and Rick proceeded out the door.

The early onsets of evening have begun to take effect across the farm. The sun had fallen considerably lower with the sky itself turning a deep shade of orange, which was dotted in swirls of yellow and purple. It was almost like a watercolor painting, colors poking out, but also blending in neat washes and swipes. The bustle around the area had settled for the day, which was relieving for those who were exhausted of the constant labor.

Cole thought about how Carol would not be one of those calm people tonight, and couldn't stop the weakness accumulating in his stomach.

"It's a nice night," Cole spoke as the two walked up the driveway. The stones beneath their shows grimes against one another as they walked.

"It is," Rick replied simply. The gravel shifted underneath Cole's feet as they continued forward. It was silent for a moment as they turned, heading in the direction where the wooden posts and wire of a fence enclosed a field to the right of the dirt path they treaded on. There was something so calming about the scene - so serene. It reminded Cole of his youth - riding bikes down dirt road until the late fall, when the days grew shorter and dusk ensued much earlier.