Safe haven | Rick Grimes

055. WORRIED ABOUT YOUR KIDS

Chapter fifty five

"Worried about your kids."

Scarlett stood on the watchtower platform next to Maggie, who kept her eyes glued to the tree line, scanning for any sign of Glenn. The low, rumbling groan of the walkers directly below them was a constant reminder of the siege.

"Scarlett?" Maggie asked quietly, her eyes still trained on the distance.

"Yeah," Scarlett replied.

"When we were back at the prison, and they put you in solitary away from Rick... when you finally got out, that day wasn't just the worst day of my life. It was yours, too," Maggie shared, her voice tightening as the painful memories resurfaced. "Because you... you thought Rick had died, and you lost the..."

Maggie trailed off, the weight of Scarlett's past miscarriage heavy in the air. Realizing what Maggie was trying to say—and the paralyzing fear for Glenn that was driving it—Scarlett turned to her completely. She placed her hands firmly on Maggie's shoulders, forcing her to look away from the woods.

"I did," Scarlett shared, her tone fierce and unyielding. "But that is not going to happen to you. Do you understand me? Glenn is going to send that signal. And even if he doesn't, he is going to find his way back to this place. He'll make his way back here even if he has to climb over these walls himself to do it."

Maggie let out a breathless, emotional chuckle, the tension in her shoulders breaking slightly.

Scarlett chuckled softly with her, maintaining her steady grip. "But in the meantime, while we wait for him, Daryl, Sasha, and Abraham to get back, we have to start figuring out how to handle this herd. We have enough food to last us a while; we just have to hope the people in this town learn how to ration properly. These walls are holding, Maggie. We have the time to figure this out."

Maggie offered a small, grateful smile, her gaze softening. "I saw Judith in the house the other day. She's starting to look like Lori... but in a way, she looks like you, too. I mean, you both have those same green eyes, but Judith... Judith has your blonde hair."

A genuine smile broke through Scarlett's tired expression. She gave Maggie's shoulders one last supportive squeeze. "You stay safe up here, okay?"

"You too," Maggie replied, watching as Scarlett turned and carefully climbed back down the ladder, leaving her with a renewed sense of hope in the quiet afternoon air.

Having gone back home, Scarlett stood in the living room holding Judith. Carl walked up to her, his expression a mix of confusion and frustration.

"Hey, Dad told me he was gonna teach Ron how to shoot today," he shared.

Scarlett turned to him, her brows furrowing deeply as a cold knot tied in her stomach. "He's teaching him how to shoot?"

"Yeah. I wanted to go with him, but he told me no," Carl said.

Scarlett let out a long breath she hadn't realized she was holding, shifting her grip on Judith to steady her trembling hands.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Carl asked, picking up on her sudden tension.

"I just want you to stay away from him, okay?" Scarlett told him, her voice low and deadly serious. "I already told Jessie to have him stay away from you. If you two do that, things will be fine. If not, then I—"

The heavy click of the front door latch interrupted her. Rick, Carol, and Morgan walked into the house, their faces grim and exhausted.

Scarlett immediately turned to Carl, gently handing Judith over to him. "Take her upstairs."