"Michaela, don't go," Elijah begged, sniffling back his urge to cry.
"Elijah, bud, it's okay," I reassured. "I gotta go. It's not because I don't like livin' here anymore, but Harper and I just need a bigger place; she's gettin' too big for us to share a room and I can't keep lettin' you and MJ share a room. You're twelve-years-old, don't ya want a room to yourself for once?"
"I'd rather share a room if it meant having you here." I gently rapped my arms around him and kissed the top of his head.
"Keep talkin' like that and you'll win all the ladies over," I teased and gently tousled his hair. "It ain't goodbye, Elijah, I swear it ain't. Another reason why I'm wantin' to go is to try and get Michonne back on board with allowin' our communities to visit more often. I had to literally beg 'er to let me train people over there how to hunt."
"Why is she being like this?" Elijah scoffed. "Just because her friend tried to kill her?"
"No, it's because her friend, someone she loved and cared about, kidnapped the children. She turned those kids into murderers, Elijah, she had to kill a bunch of kids to save not only you, but Judith and Gracie, too. I get her pessimism in lettin' new people come into the fold, but keepin' us from seein' one another? It's too much."
"Someone's gotta do the job," Elijah nodded. "Why is it always you?"
"I dunno, maybe people think I can be a great judge of character. That or I have a way of lookin' at things at a different perspective. She wasn't happy about the new people we brought back to Alexandra, but she listened to my reasoning and, for now, that's enough. Baby steps all the way. She'll get there one day, Elijah."
"And when she does, you'll move back?"
"When she does, we'll be able to see each other more often." Elijah lowered his head. "I'm still gonna come over, Elijah, I just won't live here anymore. No matter what happens, you're still my nephew."
"And you'll always be my aunt," Elijah gave me a reassuring smile and embraced me in one last hug.
"Got everythin'?" MJ asked.
"Sure do," I nodded as I pulled out of Elijah's hug. "Bed's made up, room's clean, ready for ya to move in and give Elijah his own space."
"It sucks seein' ya go."
"Ya like to watch me leave, " I teased.
"Yeah, I do enjoy that permanent waddle ya got from bein' pregnant, makes ya look like a damn penguin."
"I don't waddle!"
"Whatever ya say, shorty." MJ laughed and gave me a gentle hug. "Don't ever be a stranger, Michaela. I mean it. You're family no matter what happens."
"Thanks, MJ." I pulled away and turned to Harper. "Well, ya ready to go?"
"Where are we going?" Harper asked.
"Out there."
"Out there?"
"That's right, Harper," I smiled and pointed towards the gates. "Out there." Harper stared at the gate for what seemed like forever, even when I lifted her into the cart, she couldn't stop staring. "Tammy walked over to the cart and said her final emotional goodbyes and then, we were off. Harper's eyes lit up with wonder as we made our way down the dirt road. We stopped the cart once in a while so I could let her get down and explore the surroundings. We picked wild blackberries and some spring flowers for the house and I even made her a little crown of dandelions. As we got closer to Alexandria, a nervous feeling overwhelmed my stomach. We were turning over a new leaf in our lives, starting a new chapter, but how did it start? Was it the move, or was it the decisions that followed?
"Harper?" I softly spoke.
"Yeah?"
"You're six years old now, you're gettin' to that age where ya can start makin' some decisions for yourself."
"I can?"
"Yeah. Like, what ya want for dinner, bein' one of 'em."
"I want fish sticks," Harper smiled.
"Alright," I chuckled. "Fish sticks it is." The cart fell silent. "Harper, where we're goin', there's a man there who is in jail. Ya remember what I told ya about 'em, right?"
"He—He did bad things?"
"That's right. Thing is, he's been dyin' to see ya, but I've been keepin' ya from 'em because, well, he's not your daddy. Plus, your daddy didn't want 'em to have anythin' to do with ya."
"But Daddy is gone."
"I know. See, I know the man in jail real well and I know he's gonna see ya at some point while we're livin' there. He's not as bad as people make 'em out to be, he just did bad things...but so have I."
"You have?"
"Everyone has."
"Even me?"
"Well, not at first, but the day ya let the chickens out to pet 'em was a bad thing, so that added ya to the list of people who've done bad things," I chuckled.
"I'm sorry,"
"Don't be. The point is that ya learned from it, didn't ya?" Harper nodded. "Good."
"Mommy?"
"Yeah?"
"Has the bad man learned?"
"I'm not sure, but I'm not the one who locked 'em up." I turned and looked at Harper. "The point I'm tryin' to get to is that that man is gonna see ya from his window and he's gonna bug the ever livin' shit outta me about seein' ya."
"Do I need to see him?"
"No, Harper, ya don't," I softly smiled. "That's what I'm tryin' to tell ya. You're old enough to make those decisions on your own and I want ya to tell me if ya wanna meet 'em or not." Harper fell silent. "Ya don't gotta decide now if ya don't want, but it's somethin' I want ya to think about, okay?"
"Okay," Harper nodded. "Mommy?"
"Yeah?"
"Will he hurt me?"
"No, baby," I gently wrapped my arm around her. "He would never hurt ya. He's known ya since ya were in Mommy's tummy with JoeJoe."
"He has?"
"That's right."
"Then why have I not seen him before?"
"Well...I agreed to let 'em meet ya and spend time with ya, but after JoeJoe died, I had a problem with copin' and I took back our agreement."
"But you said we should keep our promises."
"We should, but this is different, Harper. I thought long and hard about it over the years and decided that when you were old enough, I'd let ya make that decision for yourself."
"Why?"
"Because it ain't right to make important decisions like this without consultin—eh, talkin' to ya. It's your life, Harper, so the decision is yours."
"I wanna meet him." My stomach lurched with surprise and yet nervousness.
"Ya do?"
"You promised, Mommy. You told me I have to keep my promises, so do you."
"I told ya that this was different. This was a decision I decided to let ya make, not me. I didn't break my promise, I just delayed its delivery."
"You gotta keep your promise, Mommy." I let out a sigh and nodded.
"Alright, ya can see 'em, but I want ya to promise me somethin', alright?" Harper nodded. "If ya change your mind, if ya decide that ya don't wanna see 'em no more, ya gotta let me know. Ya won't be in trouble, I jut don't want ya to feel like once ya made your decision that ya can't take it back. Okay?"
"Okay." We finally arrived at Alexandria and I pulled the horse's reins, making the cart come to a complete stop. The gate didn't budge. "Mommy, are we going in?"
"Yeah, they probably just didn't hear us come up," I informed and slowly rose to my feet.
"What are you doing?"
"Havin' a lil' fun," I smirked and turned back towards the gate. "But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks?" I gently placed my hand over my heart and belted out the few words I memorized from reading Harper Shakespeare. "It is the east, and Juliet is the sun! Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief, that thou her maid art far more fair than she—" Eugene's head suddenly popped up over the barricade and looked down at us.
"Michaela?" Eugene called out. "What on earth are ya doin'?"
"She speaks," I continued with a smile plastered across mine and Eugene's faces. "O, speak again, bright angel! For thou art as glorious to this night, being o'er my head as is a winged messenger of heaven unto the white-upturned wondering eyes of mortals that fall back to gaze on him..." I let my hand drop down to my side. "Alright, I forgot the damn rest," I laughed. "Let us in!"
"I'll be right down, Romeo," Eugene teased and climbed down the barricade. A few moments later, the gates were open and we rode into town. Eugene radioed ahead to Scott and Laura about our arrival and we met them at the house to help us unload.
"Welcome home, Harper." Harper looked up at the house, her eyes twinkling with astonishment.
"Is this our house?"
"Yeah, baby, this is ours. We don't gotta share it with no one. Ya get your own room, our own bathrooms, our own kitchen, we've got it all." Harper quickly ran inside and looked the bottom floor over. I made my way inside and watched as she bolted down the hall, going from one room to the next, finally stopping right in front of me. "What do ya think?"
"It's huge!"
"Already better than Hilltop, ain't it? Plus ya got Gracie here and RJ and Judith, too."
"When can we go see him?"
"Him?" Michonne asked as she entered the front door. "You're letting her see him?"
"It was her decision, not mine," I shrugged.
"You're the parent—"
"And she's old enough to make this decision on 'er own. I laid it all out for 'er and she chose to meet 'em, but agreed to let me know if she doesn't wanna see 'em anymore."
"Daryl wouldn't want this."
"Daryl has no say on how I raise my daughter anymore, he lost that the day he walked out."
"So, this is what your plan is? Let her get to know him and get back with him?"
"Don't patronize me, Rick," I scoffed. "I haven't dated anyone in five years and still have no interest in datin' anyone. If the right man comes along, sure, but that right man sure as fuck ain't him."
"Okay," Michonne nodded in defeat. "I just worry about you. The new people and now this? I had to voice my concern."
"I appreciate it, I really do, but I'm fine. Alright?"
"Alright."
"When is the meetin'?"
"A couple of hours. Should give you time to do what you need to do." I gave Michonne a nod and watched as she got down onto her knees and looked Harper in the eyes. "I'm glad you came to live with us, Harper. All the little ones can't wait to play with you." Harper didn't respond.
"Harper, mind your manners."
"Thank you, Michonne," Harper bowed her head.
"Don't be nervous, you'll love it here."
"Can we go now?" Harper asked, taking my prosthetic hand into her's.
"Yeah," Michonne sighed. "I won't keep you two." Michonne stood up and looked me in the eyes. "I just hope you know what you're doing."
"I do," I nodded. "In case ya haven't noticed, Harper is advanced lil' girl, very mature for her age. She can make her own decision on this and I'll trust her judgment."
"Okay," Michonne nodded. "I'll see you at the meeting." Michonne handed me the keys and we watched as she exited the house and disappeared down the street.
"You ready, Harper?" I looked down at Harper and watched her nod. "Okay...let's go." Harper and I slowly made our way down the street and over to the jail house. I slowly unlocked the door and opened it, stopping to look at Harper. "Do as I tell ya, alright?"
"Okay," Harper nodded once more." I took the lead and Harper followed a few steps behind me. I motioned for her to wait in the stairwell and entered the room. I looked around for a moment before finally seeing Negan's mass on the bed, fast asleep.
"Well, at least they gave ya a decent haircut," I chuckled. Negan's eyes quickly opened and met my own. A small smile crept onto his face as he slowly sat up.
"Back again?" Negan asked. "So soon?"
"Yeah, well, I kinda miss it here."
"In jail?"
"In Alexandria."
"Not much to miss, it's pretty quiet here."
"Yeah, well, it's gonna get a whole lot busier."
"What, more new people?" I looked back towards the door and smiled.
"Ya could say that." Harper slowly climbed down the steps and nervously entered the room. Negan's eyes instantly lit up before his bottom lip began to quiver and his eyes filled with tears.
"I-Is—Is that—" I gently nodded. "No," Negan whimpered. "No..."
"She made the decision herself, wanted to meet ya." I gently rested my hand on Harper's back. "It's okay, honey." Harper slowly walked over to the bars, matching Negan's own pace as he slowly crept towards her, only to collapse to his knees right in front of her.
"Harper..." Harper looked back at me and I gave her a nod. She slowly turned back to Negan and, without missing a beat, she smiled and uttered the words Negan had been longing to hear for six years.
"Hi, Negan."