Suddenly...Gone

Chapter 20

Emma was looking through the cabinets and refrigerator for food options for her and Daryl. It still surprised her to have cold food and hot water and even lights. Sasha walked in the front door, and Emma caught her eye. "Can ask you a question, please?"

"I need to feed Daryl, what's the food situation in the house? Do you all have your own stash or is it communal or what?" Emma asked her.

"It's for everyone. Typically Carol cooks, but with her gone, I'm not sure what we're doing. So whatever you find... is fine I guess." Sasha knew she couldn't blame Emma for Abraham's death, but there was still some resentment there.

Emma sensed the tone of Sasha's voice right away, and she didn't blame her. "Thanks, Sasha. Before you go, can I say something?" Sasha turned back to her with big sad eyes. "I don't know the dynamics of this group yet, but I hope to soon. I sense that the friend you lost may have been more than a friend to you, and I am so sorry for what Negan did. I don't blame you for blaming me as I was part of that group, but I want you to know I did not support anything they did. Being with them was a way for me to survive, nothing more. "

Emma put her hand on Sasha's arm in comfort and Sasha looked up from the floor at her. Tears were streaming down her face. Emma did the only thing that she could think of, and that was to draw Sasha into a hug. The two women bonded in a moment of sadness and forgiveness. "I'm so sorry," Emma whispered.

"Thank you," Sasha replied as the broke the hug. "Abraham and I had recently gotten together, but we've been friends for a long time." She wiped the tears away with her hands and tried to smile. "So you and Daryl, huh?"

"Yeah, we were together for about a year before the world went crazy. He was off with his brother when it happened, and we never found each other again. I can't believe all this time later we finally did. I sure do love that man," Emma told her.

"If I think about it, it kind of makes sense for him," Sasha said.

"How do you mean?"

"We've all been together a long time, some longer than others and Daryl is one of the original members of the group. He's always been one that wanted to do things on his own, never said much, but always had our back. We've all gotten involved with someone at some point or another, except him. Daryl never showed any interest in anyone. Even on the way back here, I saw him smile at you. It was a real true smile, something I had never seen from him before." Sasha hated that her heart was breaking, and Emma's wasn't, but she knew it was completely unfair of her to feel that way. It took everything in her to say, "I'm happy for you both."

Sasha headed to her room and curled up on the bed. The tears flowed freely down her cheeks and as sad as she was, she realized that she was happy for Daryl. Some good had to come out of this disastrous experience, and Daryl deserved it.

Emma fixed something for her and Daryl to eat from what she could find in the kitchen. Her heart went out to Sasha and her loss. It was horrible that Negan made his point to newcomers by brutally killing one of them. Sasha was devastated by her loss, while Emma was thrilled to be back with Daryl. It just didn't feel right to be so happy, when the rest had lost so much...this Abraham and Maggie's baby.

Just as Emma was about to head back upstairs to Daryl, Rick and his son walked in. Emma remembered that Daryl wanted to see a Carol, but come to think about it didn't Sasha say that she wasn't there?

"How goes the ornery patient?" Rick asked her.

"He's impatient, but I even see improvement since he's had time to rest. Now it's time to feed him," Emma said showing the plates of food in her hands. "I hope it's okay that I helped myself, Sasha said it was."