The summer sun was high in the sky and Rick's shirt was damp with sweat but he didn't mind. The hard work was cathartic for him, in a way. His backyard garden was modest but he took pride in the corn, green beans, peppers, tomatoes, and squash that he grew for his family.

This sunny Saturday afternoon found Rick busy weeding, a job that never seemed to end. Rick was so absorbed in his work that he didn't hear the back door of the house swing open.

"Hey babe," a sweet voice called.

Rick dropped his spade and got up, brushing the dirt off his knees and went to greet Michonne with a smile. She held out a large glass of ice water.

"Thank you, my love," Rick leaned over to kiss her as he took the cup.

Rick had been out in the sun much longer than he'd realized and he gulped down the cold water. Feeling refreshed, paused to take in his wife's appearance.

"You weren't wearing that earlier, we you?" he asked, certain that he would have noticed the soft cotton sundress that fit her perfectly.

"No, I decided to change," Michonne said, adding, "It's gotta be about a hundred degrees out here. Why don't you come inside and cool down a bit?"

Rick shrugged off her concern, "Nah, I'm alright. I want to finish up these last few rows..."

He trailed off, confused by Michonne's expression.

Michonne tried again, "Are you sure? I just put the little ones down for a nap and Carl is over at Patrick's until dinner."

"Ahhh," Rick smiled mischievously, "I think you're right. Maybe we should go...cool down."

Michonne laughed at his abrupt change of tune. She draped her arms around her husband's neck and let him close the small distance between their lips, closing her eyes to savor the kiss.