Today was the day. No crying baby. No excitable kids. No distractions.
Maggie lay still, relishing the morning air drifting through the window, spreading her legs and arms across the mattress in an attempt at taking advantage of the rare space blessed upon her this morning. This was a rarity, usually by now the bed would be full, at least one of her body parts dangling off the bed as two small children creeped their way in between her and Glenn. The term 'creeped', used as an understatement to the actual morning routine of Children flying into the bedding, burying themselves under mountains of blankets and wriggling up to smirk at their parents. 6:00 am every morning. Hershel and Beth would be first, the sound of children scattering down the hall, heard from the next house. Hershel always being the one to peep his head around the door first and muffle a giggle before running to the bed, Beth closely following. Then the baby would wake, little Annie would scream from her cot across the room until one of her parents finally extracted themselves from the heaped mass of blankets and children.
Hershel was the oldest, being six, he considered himself the leader, always bossing his sister, Beth around. His Raven black hair identical to his fathers and he prided himself on the fact that he was practically the spitting image of Glenn. His attitude was stubborn and bossy, (not always being a bad thing), however he definitely acquired these traits from his mother.
Beth, the middle child, a four year old with her mothers looks, her vibrant green eyes told everyone that Maggie was her mother but her soft and gentle personality had been an attribute Glenn had seemed to gift her with, a follower of her brother but still a strong leader, often referring to herself as "Hershey's assistant in saving the world."
Then there was Annie, at six months old, she was the newest member of the family and everyone dotted on her, including Daryl from time to time, finding the time to bottle feed her or bounce her around. Annie loved the attention of her family, smiling gleefully at all the faces admiring her, however at night the faces changed. The once happy laughter of the child would shift to screams of attention, resulting in zero sleep for anyone in the house.
But not that night, the screams were gone and the excited children were not bombarding them. At first Maggie was reluctant into letting Carl and Enid take them for the night, not only because she didn't want to be away from them but also because she knew how little sleep the young couple would get. However Hershel was jumping on the spot and Beth was close to tears at the thought of her parents saying no, because she had never had a sleep over before and it was easy to say that she looked up to Enid, always following her around Alexandria. So Maggie and Glenn said yes and after handing Carl the formula for the baby and packing up their children's clothes, they were gone. Although, now Maggie couldn't say she minded her children being away from her, she knew they were safe and cared for and she definitely loved this space, and this rare lie in.
She slipped on her boots, quietly tying the laces and making her way through the morning lit room, the rays of sunlight, slipped through the thin curtains, bathing the room in a warm orange glow. Her eyes shifted to Glenn, smiling sweetly in his sleep, arms and legs tightly curled into himself as if waiting for the impact of children flying into the bed. She smiled to herself, watching her husband sleep for a minute before walking over to him and kissing his forehead. She scrawled a note quickly, leaving it on her side of the bed before leaving the house into the fresh morning air.
Morning, just out for a walk, hope you slept well xx -Maggie
The air was freezing and in her hast she forgot to put on her thick coat, so instead, she pulled her cardigan tightly around her pjs and continued walking. She liked going for morning walks, she did it all the time on the farm, watching as life slowly woke from slumber was something that fascinated her then and continued to now.
She peered slightly to her right and a bird flew from a branch into the sky and then the still water of the lake glistened at her as she strode towards it, taking in the beauty of the clear water, making visible the rocks below.
She could stay out here forever. That was one up to the very big down of the apocalypse, she had time to properly admire nature, without the human world destroying it completely. She enjoyed teaching Hershel how to plant new flowers and seeds and she even taught Beth how to care for an injured frog when she saw it at the side of the lake.
The only other people out at this time were the watch guards, silently scouting the perimeter, never questioning her as she walked by their ladders.
Her breath blew a frozen mist through the winter sky and she smiled as her feet gently stood on the dewy grass.
She wandered through this wonderland, a place much different during the day, for around an hour before the usual bustle of people joined her on the streets.
"Hey Mags." It was Glenn, beaming at her and giggling slightly at what she was wearing, "aren't you cold?" With that being said he wrapped her up in a jacket, "saw you left it behind... Don't want you freezing now do we?"
Maggie didn't reply, only taking his had ever so gently and leading him towards the lake, "look..." Glenn watched in delight as Maggie's face lit up with pure happiness, never had he realised the true beauty of the world they lived in. All he saw was the dead, the rotting trees and survival... But Maggie... She seemed to see beyond all that and helped him notice that this world wasn't all bad. She was his rock.
"It's beautiful."
"It-" Maggie was cut off as she felt a small mount collide with her legs, toppling her and Glenn backwards into the lake.
"Uh Oh! Sorry Mama!" Hershel stood watching them from the side, a scared expression on his face as Maggie and Glenn slowly stood up, shaking the water from themselves.
"Oh god! Maggie, Glenn I'm so sorry... I err told him not to run off!" Carl ran his hand through his hair as he continued, Enid running up behind him, "he was just so excited..."
"Right." Glenn held his hands out to Maggie as they waded back through the shallow water.
"Daddy! Me and Enid made a show!"
"Oh really? Well if you hadn't pushed mummy then maybe we could've watched it sooner."
"Sorry daddy... And mummy." Hershel looked down, almost ashamed... Almost. His small lips still held a trace of a smile.
"Hersh, why don't you set it all up and me and daddy will be over when we're all cleaned up... Hmm?"
"Ok..." And with that Hershel was off running once more, Carl muttering yet another apology before he took off running behind the destructive six year old with Enid by his side.
"Better get back then huh?"
"I guess so." The couple walked back through Alexandria, getting a few stares and chuckles when they walked passed groups of people.
Once at their house they extracted their sodden shoes, tipping the water out the front door and carefully making their way upstairs, not wanting to tread any water into the carpet.
Glenn grabbed a towel and started rubbing Maggie's hair, laughing at the way he was just tangling it up and then laughing even more at her disapproving face.
"At least it's dry."
"Yeah yeah whatever." Her smirk soon shone through as Glenn grabbed a hair brush and attempted to comb through the knots he had just matted into his wife's hair. "Ow Glenn... Be more careful!"
"Sorry, sorry..." He gently bit his lip while steadily pulling the hairbrush down, happy he was getting less annoyed moans.
"There!" He smiled at his work before pecking Maggie softly on the forehead, "whoever said I was a bad husband?"
"Certainly not me." She leant in, bringing her lips close to his and whispering, "you're perfect," before putting her lips firmly against his.
"I think Hershy is gonna get impatient." Glen reluctantly said, pulling a hoodie on over his head and throwing another to Maggie.
"Yeah... Probably..."
The two of them walked across the road to Enid and Carl's house, surprised at the amount of people walking into the house as well as them. The curtains had been pulled shut in the living and Carl was in the process of lighting a couple candles, three large crates were stretched across the front of the living room with a large plank of wood behind it painted with the words: 'Hershel and Enid's pantomime!!!'
Maggie peered around the space, noticing the area had been cleared of all tables and in their place chairs sat cramped into the room. Many of the chairs were already taken up by other members of the community. Hershel ran out from the next room.
"You are just in time!" He motioned towards two chairs at the front, reservation signs sat on them, both reading: 'reserved for mummy/daddy'.
They both took their seats as Beth came up to them, "here!" She thrust a piece of paper into their hands before jumping up onto Glenn's lap and sticking her thumb into her mouth.
Inside, the program that Beth had handed out read:
Cast:
Hershel
Enid
Carl
Judith
Annie
Ron
Sam
Artist:
Beth
(Carl helped a bit)
Maggie smiled, tucking the piece of paper into her hoodie pocket before softly stroking Beth's hair.
Everyone went quite as the panto began, Hershel coming out on stage first, his hair spiked up at the top and his clothes replaced by a Knights uniform. Judith had clearly attempted doing his makeup as well.
Enid then strode on beside him, carrying a small baby in her arms.
Then the crying started, Annie's screams could be heard across the room as the audience tried to smother their laughter.
"Make her stop!" Hershel protested, clearly getting angry that his play may be going badly, "she's ruining the play."
Enid suddenly had an idea though, patting Hershel on the head and crouching down to whisper her idea to him.
"Fineeeee!" He sighed, "if it'll make her stop." And with that he jumped down off the stage and grabbed Maggie by the wrist, "mummy... You're now in the play." Enid handed her the baby, and sure enough the crying stopped. Maggie bounced her daughter around as she listened to what her son told her to do.
"Can we now get back on with my pantomime?"
...................
A/N
Sorry I've barely been updating 😬 I'll try to do better and update my other story as well soon, I hope you enjoyed it, sorry if it's too long :/ oh well
Please like and comment :) it means a lot when people do 💚💚💚