We Belong Together

Chapter 20

Beth sat nervously in her chair, patting Jayden as she waited for Daryl to come out. Beth had received a call from Rick that Daryl's bond hearing was this morning. She waited to find out if he would be released and if so, how much she would have to post bond. Since getting out of the hospital a couple of days ago, it seemed as if everything was happening at once. Daryl was in jail, she had a newborn to care for and then there were her late husband's affairs to settle. Since Zach was dead she could immediately take possession of the house again, if she wanted. Then there were the arrangements on what to do with the body. She and Zach had no will and really never had discussed what would happen to their mortal remains should any one of them die suddenly. She was still in the hospital when Maggie came to see her and asked what she wanted to do with Zach's body. The coroner was done with the autopsy and the body was being released to the family that afternoon. Technically, since she was still legally married to Zach so she was the person to take primary ownership. "I know this is a sensitive subject, but what do you want to do?" Maggie asked. "I don't feel it's up to me anymore since we were separated so I think I'm going to let Zach's family make arrangements. I don't really feel that it's my place to have anything to do with that." Later that day she made a phone call to Zach's mother, Carla, to ask if she would be willing to take over the funeral. Instead, she was met with hostility. "You killed him just as he was killed by your boyfriend", Carla yelled at her over the phone. "You're his wife. I can't believe you are being so callous with this but then again, I didn't figure you would cheat on him, whore!" Beth felt like she was just smacked in her face. Carla's words stung her. At least she was trying to do the right thing by Zach, even if she hadn't while he was alive. "Carla, I'm sorry you feel that way. I have enough things on my plate right now than to deal with all of this so I was just wondering if you wouldn't mind taking over the arrangements." Beth tried to plead her case but Carla remained hostile. "Don't try to play the woe is me card, girly." Carla spat. "You need to own up to this and do what is right by my son. Besides, I'm too upset to do anything and don't be calling Marissa either. She don't want to deal with your nonsense." Beth sighed. Carla had poisoned everyone on Zach's side of the family. Including Marissa, Zach's sister. Ending the phone call, Beth looked over at Maggie. "Zach's family is still mad at me and I don't know what to do. "I'll take care of it. Like you said, you have enough on your plate. You don't be needing to worry about a funeral. Just worry about getting Daryl out and taking care of that baby." Maggie didn't need to do anything it turned out. Carla changed her mind and decided that she would oversee arrangements for her son. The only stipulation was for Beth to stay away from the funeral and she wasn't allowed at the funeral home. That suited Beth just fine. She didn't want to be somewhere that people were going to treat her mean so she agreed to the terms. Even though she did feel bad about Zach and what happened, she realized that Zach wasn't completely innocent in all of this either. He had tried to woo her back and tried to undermine her relationship with Daryl. With the Zach situation resolved she could turn her attention back to the baby and getting Daryl out of jail. So, here she sat in the waiting room of the county jail to see if he would be released. 

In an hour she had her answer. Daryl would be released on $100,000 bond. Andrea tried to get it lowered but the judge wouldn't acquiesce. That meant Beth had to come up with $10,000. Herschel said that he would be able to help her get the bond money and that afternoon, the bond was paid and Daryl was let out of jail. Beth was so excited to see her man that she ran up to him and gave him a hug as he came out of the door to where they held the prisoners. "Oh, I've missed you. I thought I'd never get to do this again," she said as she threw her arms around him. "S'ok, Beth, everything's gonna be ok," Daryl said to her as he gently stroked her blonde hair. Beth reached up and gave him a small kiss on the lips as he held her close. "Are you ok? How's our son?" Daryl questioned her. "I'm ok," she said as she bent down to unfasten the sleeping baby from the car seat carrier. Daryl, meet our son, Jayden Michael Dixon," she said and picked up the baby out of the carrier beside her on the floor. Daryl was speechless. He took the sleeping infant from Beth's arms and held him for what seemed like hours but it was just minutes. His eyes ran over each inch of the precious bundle in awe. This was his son! He was a father! It didn't seem real to him. He looked over at Beth who stood back observing Daryl's reaction. She wasn't sure what Daryl would do but seeing the two of them together she had no doubts that he would be a wonderful father and he wouldn't run. "Hey, little guy, I'm your daddy," he said to his son. The baby didn't move or make a sound. Just moved his mouth a little like he was eating in his sleep. A little bit of crusted milk on the corners of his tiny mouth remained after Beth had fed him not too long ago. Daryl looked over at Beth with pride and love. No matter what happened everything would be ok. He had his son and the love of his life. Nothing else mattered. 

Beth and Daryl didn't go back to the apartment. Instead, they stayed at the farmhouse with Herschel for a little while. The cops ransacked their home and made a total mess. Beth was too distraught to go back there to clean it up and she had just had a baby so she was extremely exhausted. Maggie, Glenn and Patricia, a family friend, volunteered to go over and clean it so that they could go back home. Herschel had suggested that they could move back into the house he had bought for her and Zach but the idea of being in a place where a murder happened wasn't Beth's idea of home. She decided that she would sell that house and use it towards another that would be just hers and Daryl's. Beth talked with Daryl and they both agreed that they would stay there with Herschel, with his blessing of course, until the apartment got cleaned. Afterwards, they would move back in and begin to look for a place of their own. Beth was surprised at how well Daryl adjusted to being a father. He would take the baby at night, after Beth pumped her milk to put into a bottle, to feed the baby and to allow her to get some rest. He would give the baby a bath, hold him, rock him to sleep and even change diapers. Changing diapers were a new thing to Daryl and the first time he did it, he put it on wrong and the diaper slipped right off. After Beth showed him a couple times though, he got the hang of it and was now an expert. He was very attentive and took to taking care of his son like a fish to water. He didn't want to be away from his boy or his blonde haired angel. He would stare at them when they were sleeping and he was sitting in the rocker glider that Beth had bought before she had the baby. How had his life changed in just a short time? He wondered. Never did the thought cross his mind, this time last year, that he would have Beth laying beside him peacefully sleeping along with their son curled up against his chest. What a difference a year makes. The only obstacle facing him now was getting out of being sent to jail for a crime he didn't commit. As his thoughts were on Beth and the baby now, this motivated him to figure out what he was going to do. He needed to do something. He didn't want to leave Beth and his son alone. As he sat in the chair, clutching one of the things in this whole world that mattered the most to him, he decided that he would have to go out on a limb and talk to his brother. Maybe he could help him figure out who the real murderer was so that he could stay with his woman and son.