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ACT ONE
(palm reading and secret sharing)

RORY HUMMED in content. As he shoveled another bite of food into his mouth he turned to his mom, who was sitting at the "grown-up" table. "This is amazing, Ma."

"Yeah, don't thank me—thank Ms. Carol, she did all the heavy lifting."

"Don't flatter me.. I couldn't have washed the vegetables without you." Carol said timidly, smiling a little before another awkward silence filled the air.

The silence seemed to drag on before Glenn spoke up. "So, does anyone know how to play guitar?—Dale found a cool one.." Glenn paused feeling a little awkward with the looks he was getting. "Somebody's gotta know how to play."

"Otis did." Patricia spoke, barely above a whisper.

Hershel nodded along. "Yes. He was very good."

After Hershel's words, another brief silence passed before Aiden raised his hand. "I know how.. Kinda."

At his words, Glenn smiled widely nodding before he looked to his lap abruptly, seeming to notice something. After he looked down he moved his hand, appearing to grab whatever it was with a smirk before turning back to the "kid table".

Veroníca raised an eyebrow at his strange movements before shrugging it off.

The woman continued eating for awhile until the awkward atmosphere became too much, making her turn to Carol, who sat beside her. "Should we take some food to Daryl?"

Carol just nodded at her words, timidly smiling when Veroníca grabbed her hand, pulling her to the kitchen.

The women made Daryl's plate in comfortable silence, which was eventually broken by Veroníca. "This has got to be on America's Top Most Awkward Dinners." Veroníca whispered, smiling when Carol laughed.

"You're right about that." She nodded, urging her friend to follow behind her. Which she did.

When the duo reached Daryl's room. Carol lightly knocked while Veroníca threw open the door.

When the pair walked in fully, Carol was the first to talk. "How do you feel?"

"Not as good as I look." Daryl mumbled. Veroníca them bit her tongue, holding back the urge to sarcastically reply to the man.

"We brought you some dinner. You must be starving." At the woman's words, Daryl looked back, examining the dinner before turning around. Making Carol speak up again. "Veroníca, do you mind giving us a moment?"

Veroníca quickly nodded, turning to Daryl before leaving. "I hope you feel better, Thank the Lord that Andrea is a terrible shot." She joked, going into the hallway as she hummed.

She didn't know how long she was waiting in the hallway. What she did know is she eventually got bored, shrugging her shoulders she made her way down the stairs.

When she reached the kitchen she wasn't shocked to see the women cleaning up, after all thats all the men expected the women to do. "Womanly tasks" which Veroníca knew was a way of being sexist without being outright about it.

"Need any help?" Veroníca asked, smiling at Lori who scrubbed a plate.

Lori then looked up at the woman, glancing around for a moment before shaking her head. "I'll let you know if I think of something." At her words, Veroníca nodded before heading to Carl's room. Knowing Rory would be there.

Her assumptions proved to be right, making her signal the boy to follow her. Which he immediately did.

The duo went into the living room as she pulled her son on the couch, grabbing his hand. "Did I ever tell you i'm a self-taught palm reader?"

"No." Rory shook his head, watching intently as she examined his palm. "Did you know, Aristotle said that 'Lines are not in hands without reason.'"

Veroníca widened her eyes at his fact before speaking up. "I did not know that actually."

"..So, what does it say about me?"

Veroníca continued examining, gasping dramatically as she answered. "It says.. you're too smart for your own good."

"No it doesn't." Rory brushed off, rolling his eyes as he pulled his hand away.

"Yes it does! It's right here." Veroníca said, re-grabbing his hand as she pointed to a line on his hand.

"No. no. That line clearly says—" Rory paused, squinting as he read the invisible line. "Your mom."

At his terrible joke, his mother pushed his head away before making a mocking laugh. "Ha. Ha."

Rory was too busy giggling at his joke to realize anyone walked in, so when his uncle randomly spoke he jumped a little. "What's with all the laughing?" Aiden questioned, leaning on the doorway with a small smile.

"Ma's a palm reader."

"Certified." Veroníca nodded proudly, not being shocked when Aiden sat beside her. Giving her his palm.

As she examined his palm he waved his over hand in the air. "Before you start, i'm just stating before hand that i'm not stupid. I know this is probably a trick. This cancels that out."

Veroníca waved him off, rolling her eyes before speaking. "Do you want to know what it says or not?"

"Proceed."

"It says.. you're an asshole and that you didn't cancel it out." Veroníca smiled, laughing as Aiden yanked his hand away.

"I knew it was a trick! I knew it. I mean—palm reader? You've never been that interesting." Aiden spoke, a cheeky smile when his sister glared at him.

"What the hell?" Veroníca then turned to Rory, sending him their secret signal.

Before Aiden could process, his nephew was on him. Hitting him with a nearby pillow. "What the—Rory?"

Rory just laughed at his uncle, laughing louder when he began tickling him.

As the young boy shrieked with laughter, he dramatically reached for his mom.

Before the woman could jokingly save him, Rick coming in made the trio instantly quiet down. "Don't stop on my account.." He lightly laughed before continuing. "We should all be makin' our way out of the house. You have ten minutes. Tops."

The three nodded at his words, staying silent until he was fully gone. "Hear that, Rory? We gotta go." Aiden spoke, he then grabbed the boy, flipping him upside down before carrying him out the door. Still holding onto his legs as he laughed loudly.

Veroníca smiled to herself for a brief moment before following the pair.

When the trio got into the tent, Veroníca was a little shocked at just how spacious it was. It wasn't massive but it was more room then they needed, which she was grateful for.

Just as the woman stopped looking around the tent in shock, Aiden spoke up. "I'm sharing a tent with Glenny-boy. If you need anything you know where i'll be.. Got it, Rory? Ronnie?" the mother-son duo nodded making him lightly nod aswell. "Great, night losers."

When the man left, zipping the tent up after him, Veroníca immediately started tucking in her son.

The two spoke for awhile until the boy began dozing off, smiling ever so lightly at the sound of Veroníca humming you are my sunshine.

After seeing he was fully asleep, Veroníca jumped onto her sleeping bag. She then pulled the sleepbag closer to her face before dozing off.

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It felt like Veroníca was asleep for approximately two seconds when she was being roughly shoved awake.

The woman groaned, rubbing her eyes before staring at the man who woke her up. "Glenn? It's like—two A.M or something." She mumbled, trying to keep herself from falling back to sleep.

"I know. I know.. I can't sleep.. I just—I don't know who els—Uh—this was a bad idea. I'll just tell Dale."

As the man anxiously rubbed his neck, Veroníca used her elbows to prop herself up. "You already woke me up, might as well tell me the new hot gossip." The woman joked, letting out a yawn.

"Okay.. Uh—Well.. Uh—"

"Any day now, pal."

"There's walkers in the barn."

At his confession, Veroníca sat up abruptly, now fully awake. Pointing to the ground she whispered. "Like right now?"

"Obviously right now." Glenn snapped, eyes widening before he apologized. "Sorry.. Yeah, in the barn—I—I just found out."

Veroníca's mouth dropped open, she then glanced at Rory who was sound asleep before pondering for a moment on what to do.

Due to the tense silence in the tent, Veroníca opted to make a joke. Hoping to clear the air. "Damn, anything else? I fee—"

"Lori's pregnant."

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