Safe haven | Rick Grimes

094. I KNOW THAT YOU'LL DO THIS FOR ME

Chapter ninety four

"I know that you'll do this for me."

Sitting around the dinner table later that evening, the heavy tension that had gripped the family for months finally broke. Scarlett, Judith, Caroline, young Daryl, and little Rick were all talking and laughing together.

"You've got ketchup all over your face," Scarlett teased, pointing a fork toward Judith.

The kids all burst into fresh giggles. Judith smiled sheepishly, grabbing her cloth napkin and frantically rubbing at her chin, but she missed the spot entirely.

Uncle Daryl walked into the kitchen, his posture relaxed for the first time all week. He quietly slid into an empty chair at the end of the table to join them, a rare, gentle expression on his face as he watched the kids.

Judith was still rubbing the wrong side of her mouth. "Did I get it?"

"Not even close. Here," Scarlett told her with a warm smile. She leaned across the table, took the napkin from her daughter's hand, and gently wiped the stray red smudge from her cheek for her.

Caroline swallowed her food, her eyes lighting up with sudden excitement. "Do we get pudding for dessert tonight, Mom?"

Scarlett's smile softened, a deep, loving memory flashing briefly in her eyes. "Of course we do," she promised gently.

Sitting at the end of the table, Uncle Daryl caught Scarlett's eye and offered a quiet, knowing nod. He didn't have to say a word; he knew exactly why she always kept the pantry stocked with chocolate pudding, and he knew they were eating it tonight for Carl.

The next morning, an urgent radio dispatch confirmed a massive pine had collapsed across the perimeter wall at Hilltop, threatening their structural security. Michonne, Eugene, and a small engineering team quickly rode out to handle the repairs, while Scarlett chose to stay behind.

She stood at the sink, quietly cleaning up the breakfast dishes, when Judith walked into the kitchen, her expression heavy with a maturity that went beyond her years.

"Mom?" she asked softly.

"Yes, little duck?" Scarlett replied, rinsing off a coffee mug.

"I saw Carol's bandages," Judith shared, stepping closer to the counter. "I know the skin-wearers shot at her out in the woods."

Scarlett placed the last clean dish securely into the drying rack, dried her hands on a towel, and turned around to face her oldest daughter. "Little duck... Carol shot at them first."

Judith's eyes fell, processing the messy truth. "Is that why they took more of our land at the border?"

Scarlett stepped across the linoleum, dropping into a low crouch so they were entirely eye-to-eye. She reached out, gently placing her hands on Judith's shoulders. "You, Caroline, Daryl, and Rick do not have to worry about this. Mommy has everything completely under control."

"Then why did you stay behind instead of riding out to Hilltop with Michonne?" Judith asked, her gaze piercing and earnest.

"Because Mommy's been doing a lot of fighting lately," Scarlett shared, a faint, weary smile touching her lips. "And Mommy knows that a reckless fight is exactly what the Whisperers want right now. They want us exhausted so they can take advantage of us. So, I'm taking a temporary step back to clear my head and strategize. We have to be smart."

She leaned forward, pressing a warm, lingering kiss onto Judith's forehead. "Now, why don't you go join your sister and brothers? I heard a rumor that they were supposed to be giving Dog a bath, but I'm pretty sure they sneaked the hose outside to turn it into a water fight."