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i had just come downstairs from carol's house, finally putting judith to sleep after me, her, and carl went on a walk around the neighborhood with her little stroller that she loved riding in.
"that little munchkin finally asleep?" carol asks with a small laugh as she places her casserole in the oven. i chuckle, leaning against the marble counter with my hands gripping the edge, "yeah, finally though. took me almost an hour."
carol nods in understanding, starting the timer for her dish, "it always took me hours to put sophia to sleep—ed would always get mad at me like it was my fault." she says with a neutral expression on her face, as if the traumatic memories had no longer fazed her.
she looks up at me, "but i mean now they're in a better place now." she pauses, "judith'll be strong when she grows up—i can see it, you're doing good raising her i hope you know that."
i send her a caring smile, "thank you." but something else popped into my mind, something i was curious about that i needed to ask one of the people that has known me and almost rick the longest, "hey carol, i have a question. before me and rick actually got together, could you tell it was already gonna happen?"
she just smirks, and gives a neutral blunt answer, "yup."
i jerked my head back as i was shocked by her answer, "was it really that obvious?" i question curiously.
carol nods with a simple hum, "yeah, it was sweetie. during that one winter when we were out on the road after the farm, since you were mad at him, all he would do was watch you, your every move. it's like he wanted to, needed to. you did the same thing but it wasn't 'til after we found the prison and he apologized."
"even when you started ignoring him again after we took in the people of woodbury, i could tell it had to associate with you having feelings for him. but honey, he had caught feelings way before you did, so yes, i knew. but i didn't know how it would play out with lori still being alive."
i took in what she said pretty quickly, i never realized rick used to do what she said. it makes me think a lot about how much he actually loves and cares for me. i guess our story was meant to play out like that after all. "huh, that's funny."
carol was about to reply when something in the corner of her eye caught her attention. i didn't question it and looked somewhere else, that was until i heard her gasp, "oh my god."
curious to what it was, i raced to the window and joined her side, where i saw a fellow woman of alexandria getting stabbed to death in her front yard by a grungy, tall man. my heart surged with panic and adrenaline in a span of a second, the first thing that came to mind, was lola. she's back at the house, and i gotta bring her back here.
me and carol share a look of panic before nodding, we knew what we had to do. me and her race towards the stairs where we met carl halfway, "i saw them too, they're coming in from every direction."
carol grabs her small revolver from her holster, racing toward her front door, "you have to stay here and keep judith safe—i'll be right back."
when she slammed the door shut behind her i turned towards carl, "exactly what she said—before this gets any worse i have to go and get lola."
"but—"
"no buts!" i cut in sternly, grabbing my black pistol off the marble counter, i look back at carl, "i would never forgive myself if i lost her and didn't even try to get her. i'll be back, stay here son, do you understand me?"
carl gulped, but finally caved in on agreement with a nod, "go get my sister."
i chuckle with a nod, running up the first flight of stairs to plant a kiss on his forehead, "i promise." i proceeded to exit the house with my head hung low, i heard screams and shouts of others that i couldn't exactly detect where, i just know i gotta get to the house and bring lola back here. protect, love, but don't shield.
