Safe haven | Rick Grimes

058. I UNDERSTAND

Chapter fifty eight

"I understand."

Two months had passed since that fateful night, and Alexandria was transformed. The walls had been expanded, and a fragile sense of peace had settled over the community. Scarlett walked out of the bathroom, steam following her, wrapped in a plush robe. From the bedroom, she could hear the steady rhythm of a ball bouncing against the wall, competing with the soft music drifting through the house.

Entering the room, she saw Judith sitting on the rug, happily stacking her plastic cups. Rick stood by the dresser, adjusting the leather holster around his waist.

"We are officially out of toothpaste," Scarlett said, leaning against the doorframe.

"Yeah, I'll add it to the list," Rick murmured, glancing up with a quiet smile.

The rhythmic thud-thud-thud of the ball against the wall continued from down the hall.

"Carl!" Scarlett called out.

"What? You said it's PT!" Carl shouted back over the music.

Rick stepped toward the door, chuckling softly. "I can't hear you over that noise. Come on out here."

Judith let out a little fuss, dropping one of her cups, and Carl finally walked into the room. He stopped, looking between them. "What? You said it was physical therapy."

"You heard me," Carl insisted, pointing a finger at his dad.

"Yeah, we did," Rick smiled, looking at his son with immense pride.

"We just wanted to see your beautiful face," Scarlett said softly. She stepped closer and gently cupped his cheek, her thumb brushing right below the bandage covering his right eye. She knew he was still adjusting to the reflection in the mirror, and she made sure he felt loved every single day. "It's also time to change your bandage."

"Okay," Carl agreed, his tough exterior melting a bit. He tossed the rubber ball across the room to Rick, who caught it effortlessly in one hand. "Bye, Dad."

"See you later, son," Rick replied. He watched Carl walk out, then immediately bent down to scoop Judith up into his arms. "Come on, sweetheart. Let's get you some breakfast."

Scarlett walked with Rick out into the hallway, her robe trailing behind her. As they reached the top of the stairs, she stopped him, a sudden wave of protectiveness washing over her.

"You come back to us, alright?" she asked, her voice dropping to a soft, earnest whisper.

Rick turned back to her, his gaze softening completely. "You know I will."

"I know, but... there are still people out there," Scarlett said, her eyes searching his. "I just want you to be—"

Before she could finish, Rick stepped into her space. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, silencing her worries with a deep, lingering kiss that tasted like home. Scarlett melted into him, wrapping one hand around the back of his neck to pull him closer.

When they finally pulled away, breathless, Rick smiled warmly. He carefully transferred a giggling Judith into Scarlett's arms. "You stay safe, too," he murmured, his thumb brushing against Scarlett's jaw.

He turned and headed down the stairs. Scarlett stood at the banister, watching him until the front door clicked shut. She looked down at the baby in her arms and smiled.

"Just us girls," she whispered, turning back toward the bedroom to close the door.

After getting dressed for the day, Scarlett went downstairs to the kitchen. She grabbed a box of Lucky Charms from the pantry, fixing a bowl for herself and pouring a small handful of the cereal onto the tray for Judith. The two of them sat together at the table, enjoying the quiet morning.