[EDITING]
you took a polaroid of us,
then discovered,
the rest of the world was black and white,
but we were in screaming color,
and I remember thinking
are we out of the woods yet?
••••••••••••••••...
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TWO WEEKS LATER (21 weeks pregnant — 5 months)
season 6, episode 10
It had been two weeks since Carl got shot, since Deanna died– since Jessie, Ron, and Sam died– and since we took over Alexandria, making it ours again.
The days have been a blur of worry, relief, and recovery. We were successfully rebuilding the walls and starting the new plans that Deanna would've wanted. Carl has thankfully been getting back his strength, but I could tell a lot was happening to him mentally.
It was by some luck that Carl survived the injury because if Ron had pulled the trigger any second before, the bullet would've shot Carl in the head instead of the eye socket.
Sadly, Carl would never be able to see out of his right eye again, and I wasn't sure if he could fully grasp that concept. Every moment of his life would be different from now on, and I wanted to be there every step of the way.
Late at night, the air was cool and still, a peaceful contrast to what it had been two weeks ago. I cradled Judith in my arms, her little body warm against mine as I walked her around the room, humming a sweet lullaby. Her brown eyes were heavy with sleep, but she fought to stay awake, her fingers gripping my shirt.
"Time for bed, Sunshine," I whispered, my voice gentle and soothing. "Let's get you tucked in. Okay?"
I laid Judith down in her crib, tucking her in with a soft blanket. She looked up at me with her wide curious brown eyes, and I couldn't help but smile. A soft whine left her as she shifted, moving her body to sit up.
Gently, I laid the 10-month-old back down in the same position, causing her to let out another whimper. I shushed Judith, brushing my fingers through her dirty blonde hair.
"Do you wanna hear about your Grandpa Hershel?" I asked softly, followed by a hum. "Well, he was a very kind man, a healer. He always knew how to make things better, even when everything seemed so bad."
I paused, taking a deep breath as memories flooded my mind. "He lived on a farm and cared for animals for a livin', like me. He was great friends with your Daddy and Uncle Glenn– they adored him."
"Grandpa Hershel also took care of you, makin' sure you were healthy," I whispered, my hand mindlessly combing through Judith's hair. "He loved lookin' after people, and he loved his family– he was a family man."
Judith's eyelids flickered, and I continued, my voice a soft murmur in the quiet room. "Oh, and your Aunt Beth, she had a beautiful voice. She loved to sing, and she loved to dance. She was also incredibly brave. She tried to always find the good in people, even when it was hard. And she loved spendin' time with you."
