ORDER (sequel to Trouble) [TWD]

the calm

"When you talked about it.. What made you decide?" Sakiko asks, running her thumb over Maggie's ultrasound.

"Glenn was afraid. But, I talked him into it," Maggie smiles, nostalgic.

"Why'd you talk him into it, though? What's the point of kids?"

"Future. Plus.. It wasn't easy for me growing up. I lost my mom pretty young and my daddy remarried Beth's mom. There was.. a lot wrong in the house. Glenn's parents.. They were separated, too. His sisters and him- they didn't get along because of that."

"Broken homes make broken kids," Sakiko sighs, relating a little too hard.

"But, we want to right those wrongs. We said that once we had our kids.. We'd make it right from our childhood."

"Things aren't the same.."

"No, far from it, really," Maggie agrees, "But.. We wanted to right those wrongs, too."

The world fucking sucked.

Sakiko knew that. Hell, she's always known that.

But, Ryan made her life suck a little less. And when they were together.. Things hardly sucked. 

A kid. A little snotty, loud, needy, clingy kid. But, a kid that was piece of her and piece of the person she loved the most. A kid that they had the rights over. That they could teach.

To give and receive the unconditional love she didn't have growing up.

Maybe it wasn't that bad of an idea after all.

Maggie smiles like she could read Sakiko's mind.

--

Carl nearly gagged as he took a puff of the joint.

"Your dad is gonna kill me. Why did you talk me into letting you try it, oh my God," Nanami whines, hiding his face in his hands.

"I'm a grown man, I can make my own decisions," Carl sends him a glare.

"Your dad is gonna kill me."

"I think you need a hit to calm yourself down," Carl laughs, handing him the roll.

Nanami takes the joint, eyeing it carefully. Shinsuke never liked weed, like Nanami had told Abraham. But, he remembers Merle talking about planting some in Woodbury. It always helped Merle unwind after a hard day.

"Come on," Carl teases, scooting closer to Nanami.

Nanami gives him a look, taking the joint. He smokes it easily, though the flavor was so.. so much better than a cigarette.

"Oh, shit," Nanami exhales, "That's.. really good."

He could feel his muscles relaxing with every hit. Cigarettes helped when he was high strung. But, this? This was other worldly.

"I could so get used to this," Nanami sighs happily.

"Don't hog it," Carl pinches his side, stealing it back.

Nanami could almost feel his heart in his eyes and stomach as Carl smiled so freely. He hasn't seen that smile in awhile.. he missed it.

--

"I'm thinking brownies for dessert," Ryan picks through the cabinets.

"Ooh, what's the special occasion? Is it our anniversary?" Sakiko laughs, wrapping her arms around Ryan from behind.

"Might as well be. I don't know what day it is."

"Treat every day like an anniversary.. I like the sounds of that. But, you know that that means you have to spoil me every day from here on out, right?"