WORLD PAINTED BLOOD ||Daryl Dixon|| #Wattys2020

11

*The silence was agonizing. Daryl stood there, his blue eyes wide and staring off into space, his body completely frozen. He stayed like that for several minutes and Mia didn’t want to break the silence. But at the same time, Mia was filled with anxiety. Daryl’s mouth kept opening and closing but still, he said nothing.

“Uh, Daryl?”

Mia murmured, reaching out to touch his arm, “A-are you okay?”

“I just uh…”

Daryl whispered, “Wasn’t expecting…ya know…that.”

“It’s a shock to me too,”

Mia said, “But it’s not for sure yet. I haven’t taken the test yet.”

Daryl frowned, “Ya didn’t? Why not?”

“I was going to when I was with Jessie but then I couldn’t because I just felt like you should be there,”

Mia explained, “Jessie’s husband must’ve heard us in the bathroom. I didn’t even know he was home and I sure as hell didn’t know he had said anything about it to Spencer. I never intended for anyone but you and Jessie to know right now.”

“I get it,”

Daryl said, “So, you wanna take this test now or what?”

Mia nodded, “Yeah. Let’s do this right now.”

The two of them went back upstairs and Mia opened the bathroom door, stopping halfway through the door and grabbing Daryl’s hand, “You’ll wait here for minute?”

“Sure,”

Daryl grunted, tucking his hands under his arms. He leaned against the wall as Mia shut the door. It was quiet after that except for the tearing of a box in the bathroom. Another few seconds passed and Mia opened the door again. Daryl looked over her shoulder at the test she’d just taken sitting on the counter.

“It’ll be a few minutes,”

Mia said, “Try to relax.”

“How can I relax?”

Daryl muttered, “This shit is huge.”

“You think I don’t know that?”

Mia retorted, “I’m terrified, Daryl. I don’t even know how to handle this right now.”

Daryl sighed, watching Mia slide down the wall until she was sitting on the floor. He sat down with her, grabbing her hand that was rested on her lap, “It’ll be fine.”

“You think so?”

“I do.”

“Because, if this becomes too much for you, I’d understand if you wanted out,” she mumbled.

“Is that what Dylan’s dad did?”

Daryl inquired, “He ran off?”

“No, James didn’t even know I was pregnant,”

Mia explained, “He didn’t find out until after the baby had died. If I’d told him, he would’ve been supportive I’m sure.”

“Why the hell wouldn’t you tell him that he was having a baby?”

Daryl said, “If you knew he’d be supportive, why wouldn’t you take his help?”

“I was going to but then he got a new girlfriend and it didn’t feel right dropping this bomb on him like that,”