Ellie Dixon

Just Have Faith

Me and Sophia were sitting on the outside pathway that was apparently called the catwalk. We'd all set up wooden planks and the tabletops from the cafeteria along the wire mesh in case the Governor and his people came back with guns. We were throwing the ball back and forth. Glenn hadn't taught me basketball yet because it was too dangerous to go out into the yard. Rick, my dad and Hershel had gone to meet up with the Governor to talk truce. Andrea had set it up.

"Truth or dare." Sophia said in the silence.

I hummed. "Truth."

"Bore." Sophia laughed.

"Can you actually think of a dare that won't risk my life?" I questioned.

"Good point." Sophia nodded, catching the ball before chucking it at me again. "How do you feel about your uncle Merle coming back?"

"We had an interesting conversation when we went back to my old neighbourhood... But if he makes my dad happy and doesn't get in the way then I don't mind." I responded. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth." Sophia replied.

"Are you okay? With this whole... Possibly going to war if this truce doesn't work out situation?" I asked.

"People are going to die. Whether it's ours or theirs... Or both. I don't want anyone to get hurt. Apart from the Governor. I hope nobody ever runs into him again. I hope he goes far away and never comes back." Sophia responded, staring at the ball as we chucked it back and forth.

"Do you wish he was dead?" I asked. She looked up to me, holding onto the ball and unable to say anything. "It's okay if you do. I wish he was dead. It would do everyone a lot of good."

"You shouldn't wish death on people, Ellie. God's listening." Sophia reminded me, throwing the ball again.

"Oh, don't tell me the Greene's have converted you to that Jesus crap." I complained, throwing her the ball again.

Sophia smiled at me. "It's not crap, Ellie. It's good to have faith."

"Whatever helps you get up in the morning." I shook my head.

"Maybe you should try praying sometime. Might do ya some good, ya never know." Sophia grinned.

I let a small laugh past my lips. "Okay, but how's the dude three people at the same time? He gave the world himself, to sacrifice himself to himself to make himself forgive the people that he made in his own image. And not mention he's some ghost dude, the holy Casper or whatever."

"The holy spirit, Ellie. And it's not for us to understand. It's bigger than us, bigger than people, bigger than the world." Sophia smiled softly.

I let a scoff escape my lips. "I'm glad you have faith. I'm glad the others have faith, someone or something to believe in whatever. It's just not for me." I shrugged. "Praying's never done me any good."

My dad, Rick and Hershel had come back from talking to the Governor. "So, I met this Governor." Rick stated as we all stood around the cells room.

"Charming fella, ain't he." I commented, sarcastically. 

Rick let a small laugh escape his lips as he nodded. "I sat with him for quite a while."

"Just the two of you?" Merle questioned. Rick nodded, so Merle turned to Glenn before saying. "Should've gone when we had the chance, bro."

Rick ignored Merle's encounter with Glenn. "He wants the prison. He wants us gone. Dead. He wants us dead... For what we did to Woodbury... We're going to war." Rick said, looking around the room before walking out. I bit my bottom lip nervously before glancing at Sophia who was staring at the ground and hugging her middle, I looked to Carl who just looked generally pissed all the time before I looked over to dad who was already looking at me. Dad's face was unreadable pretty much all the time but I did see something in his eyes that I didn't see very often. Fear.

The next day, me and Sophia were playing with Teddy and Dolly in the table room when suddenly dad and Carol walked in. Me and Sophia had been sitting opposite each other, so dad and Carol sat on the two spare seats on either side of the table. Dad was holding an A4 sheet of paper and a sharpie. He cleared his throat before reading the document. "This official Government document clearly states that Ed Peletier is no longer the legal father of Sophia and Jacob Peletier. Daryl Dixon is now the legal father of the twins. It also states that Isabella Gomez is no longer the legal mother of Ellie Dixon. Carol Peletier is now the legal mother of the child." Dad read out before putting the paper flat on the table. "Four signatures are required to make this document legal."

Me and Sophia looked a little confused, so Carol smiled at us. "Me and Daryl came up with it. He was feeling bad about leaving you both, so we decided to make it official on paper. We're a family. No matter where we are." Carol explained.

Sophia had tears in her eyes, and one slipped down her cheek, so dad spoke. "If it's a stupid idea, we can-" Dad started.

"No." Sophia cut him off with a smile. "I love it. So much." Sophia jumped up and quickly hugged my dad. He hugged her back with a soft smile on his face. "Thank you for including Jacob." She said quietly.

"Just because he ain't here doesn't mean he isn't part of the family." Dad said quietly.

Sophia nodded, sitting down before taking the sharpie. "Where do I sign?" She laughed.

Dad pointed to a line. "Just under where it says... This signature is on behalf of Sophia and Jacob Peletier." 

Sophia quickly signed, before passing the paper to me. I hadn't said anything yet, I was still in shock. "Are you alright, darling?" Carol asked, putting one of her hands over mine.

I tried blinking away tears before looking up to her. "You really want me?"

"Oh, sweetheart." Carol opened her arms for me to hug her, when I got up, she pulled me into her lap. "Anyone who wouldn't, don't know what they're missing out on." I took the pen and under the writing "This signature is on behalf of Ellie Dixon" I signed on the line. Carol took the pen and signed for herself before handing it over to my dad and he signed it. Sophia still looked very happy but there were more tears on her face. Carol reached over and grabbed her hand. "Are you alright, sweetheart?"

Sophia nodded. "I'm better than alright." Sophia took the paper, just to read it over again.

Dad smiled at me. "You haven't said much."

"I'm still kinda in shock... I'm wondering how the cringiest thing I've ever done is simultaneously the most heart-warming thing I've ever been a part of." I answered.

"I told you that faith works out." Sophia said to me.

"I-" I started but cut myself off when I couldn't find the words.

"You can put the document in that photo frame if you want. To keep it safe... But now that its signed it doesn't matter what happens to the document, what happens to us... We're a family." Carol hugged me tighter and squeezed Sophia's hand.

"I'll go put it safe." I said quietly, taking the document and walking away while staring at the words. I put the document in my photo frame, I kept the used polaroids in there but at the top to make sure that I could see the signatures. I stared at the signatures. 

Sophia Peletier
Daryl Dixon
Carol Peletier
Ellie Dixon

As I stared at the signatures that weren't mine, I was curious. Did Carol really want me to be a part of her family? I've never had a woman care about me in such a motherly way like Carol does. How long would it last? Would I ruin it if I screwed up somehow? How do I know this love is real when I've never experience love from a sober mother before? What about Sophia? Did she feel like I was intruding? What if my dad leaves again? She's not used to that, would she be able to handle it? So many questions were going through my mind. I guess I just had to listen to Sophia. I had to just have faith.