𝘈 𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭. 《ᴄᴀʀʟ ɢʀɪᴍᴇs》

8. From Dani to Nellie.

(sooo this chapter is basically gonna be a deepdive into Nellie's development since the beginning, and her transformation. and going over her mental health and how she deals with the loss she has faced.😇)

Amber Rhodes, Nellie's mother. She lost her right at the beginning. Well really they just assumed she was dead, because they never heard from her after she told them about the walking dead. Nellie had always had a stronger connection with her father, but she still loved her mother so much. Her mom loved braiding her hair, and she liked to sing. She forced the whole family to go to church every Sunday, dressing herself and her daughters in matching dresses. Nellie said she hated it but internally she loved nothing more than to be reminded of how alike her and her mother were. Outside and in. She dealt with her mother's loss by crying herself to sleep every night they stayed in the cafe, telling herself there was still a possibility her mom was out there. She talked to her dad about it, and her sister. It was gut wrenching pain she had never experienced that turned her numb.

The loss of her father, Sean Rhodes tore her to pieces for weeks. The fact that she had to put him down made it worse, but she was grateful she atleast got to speak with him before. She cried for weeks along with her sister, barely eating. Her body started to break down, and she would throw up frequently. She threw away her father's dogtags, because she couldn't handle the memories they held. She kept his wedding ring, wearing it on her thumb at all times. The only thing that brought her back were some of her father's last words. He wanted her to keep her sister safe, and that's what she did. In order to do that, she had to take care of herself and it slowly brought her back. Her and Daisy dealt with the loss together, their relationship growing through it.

The transition from the nickname Dani to Nellie really represented Nellie changing. The innocence of her childhood left her in the span of a year, leaving her with minimal imagination and a small bit of joy. The only thing that brought back the childlike version of her was Carl. He reminded her of her past self, before everything happened, and that's how she kept herself. She returned to her past self when she could, with him.

Nellie wouldnt open up to new connections for months for fear of them disappearing. The first new person she truly opened up to was Michonne. She liked Maggie at first, but Michonne caught her attention truly. They were so alike. Michonne became like a motherly figure for Nellie, even giving her a matching katana. Nellie started crying when she gave it to her, the realization of how much Michonne meant to her setting in. Now her heart was broken, thinking she'd never see her again.

She also had absolutely adored baby Judith. Her sweet smile, and tiny little hands. Nellie thought she was the cutest thing ever. She'd hold her whenever possible, her and Carl played with her all the time, and she would often rock her to sleep. She thought Judith looked a lot like Carl, and she loved it.