The Girl Next Door • Carl Grimes

Chapter 88: It'll Find You

Grace

Quiet.

That was the only word that could describe how I thought the world felt after what had happened to Glenn and Abraham.

Quiet.

When I found out that my father was indeed alive, I felt guilty. I felt guilty for being related to a man who would do such a thing. I felt guilty for grieving someone who never even died. I'd been grieving the wrong person all along. I should have spent more time with Glenn. I knew it.

I couldn't even remember what his last words to me were. What was the last thing we spoke about? What was the last thing he said to me? What was the last thing I said to him?

As the RV bumped along the road I thought back, trying to relive the final times I would see Glenn.

I closed my eyes as I envisioned the morning, the day that Glenn left with Rosita and Michonne. The day that we lost him. The day before this one, I suppose.

***

I was standing in the kitchen. I was in Glenn and Maggie's house. Beth was in the infirmary taking care of stuff and learning like she insisted on doing. Maggie was outside making itineraries for everybody. It was just Glenn and I in the kitchen.

"She's surely taking charge over this place." I laughed as I tilted my head in the direction that Maggie was in, just outside.

"She's good at that." Glenn chuckled.

"She'll do right by this place. I can already see it. Sure, it's annoying how hard she's working all of us, but it's good." I smiled.

"We all will. You're not too bad of a leader yourself. I saw you leading that construction team the other day. You sure set them straight." Glenn laughed.

"I've learned it all from her I guess." I shrugged my shoulders.

"What's she got you doing today?" I asked.

"Having me do some of the stuff that she would've done. She said she doesn't feel too well, so I'm making her rest. I'm sure she'll find some sort of way to do something though. She's so stubborn." Glenn's lips upturned.

"I think it's because of Hershel. She and Beth are really good in any sort of crisis mode. They're just good." I glanced at the fancy cups in their cabinet, finding it strange that they had nice glasses.

"Hershel? What do you mean?" Glenn looked confused by my mention of Hershel.

"We all got jobs to do," I quoted Hershel, "that's what he always said. I think it's ingrained into them or something, they feel those words with every fiber of their being." I said.

"I guess that's true. I mean, we all have something like that, don't we?" Glenn looked over towards me.

"Not really. Not like they do. I wish I had words that were so profound to me. I feel like it'd help me keep going." I sighed.

"But Grace, you do." Glenn looked confused.

"No I don't." I raised my eyebrow.

"I remember early on. When I'd first met you, back when we were living at the quarry. Before Rick showed up. You overheard me talking to myself about how shitty the world was." Glenn began.

"I don't remember that." I tried to think back.

"I do." Glenn smiled.

"You asked me what was wrong, and I just told you to look around. I thought that there was nothing out there for me. I was hopeless. You sat down right next to me and said 'Glenn, hope is a difficult thing to hold onto. You'd better find some now and hold onto it with all you've got or you're not making it. That's just the truth.' I was so surprised to hear a young girl speak like that. But you were right, and that day, I put my hope in you. I never got the chance to thank you, but you saved me, Grace. Now I have the luxury of reminiscing with you in my house. How lucky are we?" Glenn looked so happy, tears were filling his eyes.