𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐃𝐎𝐌 ➳ 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬

Chapter 11 ~ I Learn To Garden From A Pro

I didn't go see Daryl just then. I suppose I should have. He wanted answers and I was the only one who had them seeing as mom was gone. But I wasn't ready for yet another confrontation with him just yet. From outside my window, I had a great view of the town and I could just make out a Sheriff's hat. I smiled and walked out the door, heading to where I'd seen Carl. I hadn't yet forgotten our conversation when I'd seen him that day after the party.

When I talked with him, it's like none of that other stuff mattered. He made me forget. And that's something I really needed right now. I made my way down the nearly-empty streets of Alexandria until finally, I arrived at a small garden just at the edge of town. Carl stood, shovel in hand, in a plot of dirt. Tiny little green plants poked up from the soil around his feet as birds chirped overhead.

His signature Sheriff's hat was tilted slightly on his unkempt brown hair. He looked up when he saw me and my eyes met his.

"Hey," I said, smiling at him.

He smiled back, "Hey,"

I gestured towards the garden then as I stepped closer to him.

"I didn't know there was a garden here," I said, slightly surprised.

He nodded, "Yeah, it was Maggie's idea, actually. She thought it would be a good idea so we could keep stocked up on food,"

I cocked my head to the side.

"Maggie?" I asked.

I hadn't heard of her before. She must be another one of the townspeople.

"Yeah, Maggie. You haven't met her yet?" he questioned.

I smiled and shook my head.

"I think there's a lot of people I haven't met yet... Or at least not formally,"

"Oh, well, you should meet her then. She's nice. Been with us since almost the beginning actually,"

"Oh really? That's cool," I replied.

An awkward silence ensued then - only the sound of Carl's shovel digging deeper into the dirt breaking the quiet. I bit my lip and started to speak but he beat me to it.

"We stayed at a prison a while back before coming here. Dad used to garden," Carl finally spoke up, his blue eye connecting to mine.

I arched an eyebrow.

"Rick doesn't strike me as the gardening type," I said, fighting a smile.

Carl cringed slightly.

"He wasn't," he told me.

I laughed out loud at that and Carl joined in.

"Don't let him hear you say that," I joked, grinning from ear-to-ear.

He beckoned me over to him then and I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

"What?" I asked.

"Come on, don't you want to learn how to garden?" he asked, smirking.

I shook my head and bit my lip, grinning.

"Oh, yes, you do, come on!" he said, ushering me over.

I laughed and finally walked over to him, my Converse making tracks in the dirt. He came to stand behind me then, his hands circling around my frame. I could feel his warm breath on the back of my neck as he guided my hands to grasp the shovel tightly.

"Just swing downward and pull back hard," he said calmly.

Sticking my tongue slightly out of my mouth in concentration, I did as he said. Fresh earth pulled back from where the metal shovel entered the soil, earthworms slithering out.

"Oh, that's not hard," I realized.

He released me then and I turned around to face him, smiling.

"Gardening Lessons with Carl Grimes." he bowed, removing his hat and making a flourish with it.

I giggled and he laughed too. The worries I had earlier in the day faded away then with the melodic sound of his laughter.