Consumed | 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐲𝐥 𝐃𝐢𝐱𝐨𝐧

eighteen.

"You like that?" Daryl asks the baby, "Huh? Little ass-kicker? Right?" He looks up for approval from everyone and we all smile some of us even laugh. "That's a good name, right?" He smiles down at the new born. "Little ass-kicker. You like that, sweetheart?" His smile widens as he stares at the baby. My heart swells as I watch him interact with her. Daryl was an asshole msot of the time but he does have his moments that make me swoon.

"Okay, okay." I stretch my arms out, "Stop hogging my little rascal." Daryl gently transfers her to me and I cover her up with the flannel more as he does. He holds the bottle to her mouth as I adjust her in my arms then he transfers it to my hand. Rocking her gently, I admire her little face as she rapidly feeds. She was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. She really was Lori's double, But you could tell now that she wasn't Rick's just by looking at her. My dread sets in. She'll never know her biological parents. She'll never meet Lori. My heart skips a beat as I try to push the negative thoughts out my head.

Soon after she settles down, I pass her to Beth who has been brooding to have a hold of her. Charlie admires her from afar as Beth cradles the small baby in her arms.

–

I stand over the three graves outside in the field. A cherokee rose lay beside one makeshift cross. I bend down and hold it in my hands for a few minutes before placing it back down. There was no point in even wondering who's grave this was and who put that flower there. This showed he cared a lot even though he didn't show it. He cared. Three great people died yesterday all because of that long haired, cock-juggling thundercunt. Maybe they didn't have long left but we could've had more time with them.

Carol was sweet and compassionate but she was also on her way to becoming a complete badass woman. Daryl told me back at their first camp Carol had an abusive husband who didn't let her do shit. Thankfully he was dead now so he couldn't hold her back or hurt her anymore. She was a power of nature that women. Her love for CEO boss love novels were immaculate. You'd never think this woman would love those hardcore porn books. On the surface, she looks like a lamb but she had something more violent underneath.

T-Dog was a great man. He would always be the one in the room to make people laugh. He was compassionate. He cared about us all and even in his last moments he put others first. Glenn shared a story about him when this all went to shit and I hadn't been more touched by a story in a while. At the start, he drove his church van to every near old people's home just to see if they needed a ride. More T-Dogs were to be needed in this world. The life of the party was gone.

And Lori. I couldn't say much about Lori. I never quite knew her as much as I should've. But I did know was that she cared for her kids and she did whatever she had to keep them safe. Yes Carl did get lost out of her sight quite often but that kid was like a ninja so there was no down points for that one. The way she dealt with Beth while she had a lack of hope back at the farm was how I wanted my Mother to treat me. She was everything I would've wished for in a Mom. She cared, she nurtured and loved her kids unlike what my Mother was like. She should've gotten more time with her daughter. She would've been the best Mom for her.

I sit with the graves for a while as the morning sun shines over me. I pick at the grass beside them as I watch the clouds in the sky move around. Despite everything that happens to us, the world still spins regardless of who dies and who lives. Georgian summers would be beautiful if I could actually enjoy the sun. Nothing beats a cold beer in the summer while you're sat on your lawn chair and getting silly tan marks. Miles used to love the summer. I used to set up the sprinkler to the neighbours outdoor house, unknown to them, and let him enjoy the refreshing coldness of it. This was before the neighbour realised that we were running up his water bill and had a few words with my Mother over it. But she was too high to even care what she had to say.