hers • ellie williams

Prologue

"Tommy I need you to take care of her. I can't do it again, I can't lose another daughter." Joel muttered holding his one-year-old child.

"Joel I don't have kids what makes you think I can take care of her? Let alone in a world of monsters that will kill any of us." Tommy argued.

"Tommy, please. I can't raise her in the Q, not with my jobs; she would be better off with you. I need you to do this for me okay since you're leaving anyway." Joel protested.

"Joel-" Tommy spoke.

"Please do it for Sarah. Sara-Lynn looks just like her and her mother. I just can't-" Joel cut Tommy off starting to break into tears remembering Sarah dying on the first night of the apocalypse.

His second daughter looks like a spitting image of her. Light blonde hair with sky blue eyes looking into his eyes as if she were looking into his soul. A beautiful child indeed. The features were given by her mother who got bitten at the end of her pregnancy. Joel unfortunately had to put her down. The second worst heartbreak he has ever gone through after losing Sarah and his first wife.

"Fine. For Sarah." Tommy said with a frown in the remembrance of her late niece.

Joel gives the baby to his younger brother. Sara-Lynn starts to cry missing the warmth of her father. The person she only ever knew and nurtured her for the year of her existence. Tommy rocks the baby shushing her softly and patting her back. The baby yawns placing her head on her uncle's chest and falling asleep.

"See you're a natural." Joel jokes with a small smile.

"Not helping," Tommy said.

"You know she's gonna ask about you. Like, why you aren't around? Why did you abandon her." Tommy said to his older brother still patting the child's back.

"Tell her I'm dead. Tell her it was for the best. You won't have to worry about that for a good old while anyways." Joel muttered.

"Just promise to always keep her safe Tommy." He continued looking into Tommy's eyes.

"I promise Joel."