Chapter 18 ~ Don't Worry, I Invited Myself
I sighed as I stepped out of the shower and slipped on a silky light blue robe. My stomach poke out considerably in it, making it even more noticeable. I frowned at how fat I felt and grabbed a towel, wrapping up my wet hair and positioning it on my head. Walking over to the sink, I quickly brushed my teeth before spitting out the toothpaste. Another sigh emitted from my lips when I noticed the toothpaste tube. It was nearly empty.
The sound of 80's music drifted up to me and I snickered. Looks like Rick was getting in touch with his teenage years...again. I made my way downstairs then, leaving wet footprints as I did and followed the sound of music and thumping. It was coming from the living room and I could hear Judith cooing from her perch on the floor. Stepping in the doorway, I leaned against the frame and smiled down at her. She was playing with some red Solo cups she got from who-knows-where.
Girgling happily, she picked one up in her tiny hand and gazed up at Rick who stood across from her. She was so adorable! If I had a girl, I hoped it would be as as sweet as her. Rick grabbed his belt off the table and began to put it on.
"Do you have any toothpaste left?" I asked him, making sure the towel wrapped around my hair stayed up.
"No. 'Cause someone's been borrowing it every day for two weeks," he shot back playfully and I rolled my brown eyes just as another thump came from the other room.
"Carl!" I groaned loudly.
"What?!" he huffed in response, "Denise says it's PT,"
"I can't hear you. Come on out!" Rick called to him but his eyes were glued to me.
I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks and I avoided those ocean-blue eyes of his.
"What?" Carl asked again in an annoyed tone as he walked up beside me, a yellow tennis-ball in his hand.
"Denise says this is PT," him and Rick said at the same time and I laughed at them.
Carl stopped a moment, the bandage over his eye slipping slightly as he began to smile.
"You heard me," he grumbled to his dad.
"Yeah," Rick laughed.
I turned to Carl and his ice-blue eye bored into me.
"It's time to change your bandage," I reminded him, "And I need to borrow some toothpaste,"
He tossed the ball from hand to hand, that eye still on me.
"Okay, but I'm out of toothpaste." he shrugged, tossing the ball to Rick then.
"Do you eat the stuff?!" I complained to which I earned a slight laugh from him.
As Carl said goodbye to Rick, I climbed back up the stairs to my room and quickly slipped on a simple black maternity top and some faded jeans paired with combat boots Maggie had given me. As I pulled on a plaid over-shirt, my mind thought back to when I met her just last week. She'd been so excited to find out I was pregnant too. She hadn't met anyone else that had been during this whole apocalypse. Except one. She told me her name was Lori and she had been Rick's wife.
As well as Judith and Carl's mom. But from what I gathered, she hadn't been worth meeting anyway. Apparently, she'd cheated on Rick with his best friend, Shane. My heart broke for Rick when Maggie had told me that. He didn't deserve that kind of pain in his life. No one did.
Quickly, I ran a hairbrush through my wet hair, the dark strands slick. I pulled it up into a ponytail after that before tucking my pistol into the pocket on my belt. My footsteps were loud as I tromped down the stairs and out the door after Rick. I made my way over to the vehicle that awaited Rick, Daryl and I. Up ahead, I could see Daryl talking to Denise.
"Okay, good, 'cause it's not important. I should've said so instead of just drawing a line," she babbled to him.
I almost laughed at the look on his face as he walked off and called over his shoulder, "Got it."
I grinned, rolling my eyes at him as I walked up to Denise.
"Hey, girl!" I greeted her, placing a hand on my hip.
She smiled back, "Hey, Angel. You're going on the supply run, too?"
I nodded.
"Yeah. After what happened the last time, Rick didn't say no when I asked to go," I laughed.
"Okay, well, you just make sure you take care of yourself, alright? Because we don't want anything happening to you and junior," she said, gesturing to my baby bump.
I giggled, briefly placing a hand on my stomach, "Junior? Is that what we're calling it now?"
"For lack of a name at all," she challenged, stifling a laugh.
"Oh, is that so?" I mocked her, grinning.
I patted her on the shoulder as I turned to go, "See you later, Denise,"
"Bye." she called back, smiling.
Walking over to the navy-blue car, I opened the back door and hopped in. Shutting the door behind me, I sighed. I leaned back against the soft cushion seat just as Rick and Daryl got in as well. Starting up the engine, Rick began to drive down the road. Houses and townspeople passed by as I gazed out the car window. Just then, the 'In Our Memory' wall passed by.
I frowned slightly as my eyes scanned the names, landing on Owen's. I'd put it there some time ago now although I'd lost track of just when. Rick had allowed me to write his name there once he found out my connection to Daryl. I guess being a Dixon had its perks. As the car pulled on down the road, we stopped briefly so Euguene could open the gate for us. He walked around the car then to lean in on Daryl's side.
"I mapped out some of the agricultural supply places in the area. Even if they've been cleaned out, my bet is that the sorghum would be untouched, " he started telling Daryl, handing him a piece of paper through the window, "Now, that there is a criminally underrated grain that could change the game with our food situation from scary to hunky-dunky,"
Euguene nodded to himself and Daryl just stared at him like he was crazy. I snorted and quickly covered my mouth. Rick grinned at me through the mirror and I had to look away or I would've started laughing.
"I'm talking standability, drought tolerance, grain-to-stover ratio that is the envy of all corns. Think about it." he pressed him.
After a second or two, Daryl finally spoke, "Thanks."
Rick pulled up then, driving through the gate as finally, my giggles burst free and I was laughing uncontrollably in the backseat, the both of them joining in.
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