"MOMMY!" Judith cried, running with her little arms outstretched.

Michonne barely had time to put her keys and purse down before the toddler was at her feet. She scooped her up and Judith wrapped her arms around Michonne's neck, sniffling.

"She's had a rough day," Rick explained, coming over to give Michonne a kiss.

"What happened?" Michonne asked, following him into the kitchen where he was preparing dinner.

"Apparently after you dropped her off at preschool today another kid tried to tell Judy that you weren't her real mom because you don't look like her," Rick spoke in a low voice so that Judith wouldn't get upset all over again.

"Our Lil' Asskicker got into her first schoolyard fight," Rick concluded with a small smirk, then more seriously, "She was practically distraught when I picked her up. I think she could really use some reassurance."

"Poor thing," Michonne stroked Judith's blonde curls.

"I'll talk to her," she decided and Rick leaned over to kiss her cheek.

Michonne stopped by the living room to find Andre and Carl sprawled out on the couch, completely absorbed in their comic books.

"Hey," Carl greeted her, barely looking up.

"Hey Mom," Andre mimicked him.

Normally Andre would come running to her like Judith but he was currently in a phase where he had to do everything just like Carl.

"Hey there, pumpkin," she ruffled his hair before continuing down the hall to the nursery.

Once inside she turned on the zoo animal mobile and sat in the rocking chair, holding Judith on her lap. Judith looked up at her uncertainly.

"What's on your mind, sweetheart?" Michonne asked gently.

Judith hesitated, then rubbed her little hand along Michonne's arm, asking, "Mommy, why don't I look like you?"

"Do you remember what Daddy told you, about how I became your mom?" Michonne asked carefully.

She and Rick had talked to her and Andre about all this before and she'd thought Judith was old enough to understand, but it was hard to know how much had stuck. Judith tilted her head to the side, a sign that she was thinking hard.

"You and Carl have the same birth mother. Do remember Carl showed you pictures of her?"

Judith nodded hesitantly, "Yeah, I remember."

"And how your mom passed away when you were only a baby, and then I met your dad and we fell in love? I married your dad so that makes me your stepmother," Michonne explained carefully.

"But I don't even remember my first mom..." Judith said, looking up at Michonne with wide eyes, "I want you to be my real mom!"

"Little Bug, I may not have carried you in my belly like Andre but I am very definitely your real mama!" Michonne declared, "And I love you very very much. If anyone ever asks, that's what you can tell them!"

"Okay," Judith finally broke into a smile.

"What, that's it? Just 'okay'?" Michonne teased, tickling Judith's belly.

"I love you too!" she exclaimed between giggles, all her earlier distress forgotten, "Very very much!"

Michonne smiled and place a kiss on the little girl's forehead before sending her off to wash up for dinner.