Just Keep Walking

Forty four

"I don't get why I have to go home." Mary whined as she sat in the front seat while Glenn drove back to Alexandria.
"Because your daddy said so. Because what you did then wasn't safe, and he wants to keep you safe." Glenn explained gently.
"But I can do it!" Mary insisted, throwing her arms (and bunny) out in enthusiasm.
"Just because you can doesn't mean you should put yourself in danger." Glenn pointed out, and Mary went quiet.
"You did." Mary mumbled.
"What?"
"When you saved me and daddy. You could help, but it put you in danger. But you did anyway."
"That's different." Glenn sighed.
"It's not!"
"Mary, it is. If I hadn't helped, no one would have. If you had stayed back, it would have been fine." Glenn explained tiredly.
Mary sighed, then curled up into a ball. "I wanna go to bed."
"You can have a nap when we get home. After a shower."
"Why?"
"Why do you need a shower? Because you're covered in Walker blood." Glenn chuckled, rolling his eyes.
"At your house? Or at my house?"
"At my house. I don't have a house key for yours."
"Smelly."
"You're smelly." Glenn retorted, and Mary giggled, stretching her legs out onto the dash board. "You want Little Mermaid on?"
"Yeah." Mary grinned, and Glenn slid the disk into the CD player. Mary smiled the whole way home, humming the chords under her breath. When they got back, Glenn made Mary get in the shower while he put her clothes in the washer.
"Which one do I use?!" Mary shouted from the shower, struggling to wash her hair. Glenn went upstairs and washed her hair for her, using Maggie's shampoo and conditioner. When it was all washed out, Mary got out of the shower, and Glenn wrapped her in a large towel, the fluffy, white material soft against her weathered skin.
"Should I brush it now? While it's wet?" Glenn asked, motioning to Mary's long hair, as they walked into Maggie and Glenn's room.
"Now. If it's all tangly then it'll hurt when it's dry."
"Okay." Glenn nodded. Mary sat on the edge of the bed, and Glenn rummaged around Maggie's chest of drawers, finding Maggie's hair brush. When he found it, Glenn flicked on the TV, sliding in a disk of The Simpsons, which Mary watched happily.
The man sat behind Mary, and tentatively combed her hair, worried he would pull it and hurt her, but it didn't matter; she was engrossed in the cartoon.
"Hey, that's rude!" Mary pointed out, spinning around to look at Glenn.
"Okay." Glenn laughed, as one of the characters said "damn". "I've heard you say words naughtier than that."
"Yeah, but it's still naughty! And I'm only a baby, I don't know any better."
"You're not a baby." Glenn chuckled, rolling his eyes.
"Do you remember when you met me? And I was a baby?"
"Yeah. I'd say you was tiny, but you still are."
"Well, you've gotten older. You have a beard now. But not as big as daddy. I miss daddy's beard."
"I don't have a beard." Glenn laughed, and Mary joined in, her laugh a perfect little giggle. "Okay, come on. Let's get you dressed." Glenn ordered. Mary pulled on her underwear, but her leggings, shirt, and dungarees were all covered in blood and in the wash, so Glenn pushed a shirt over her head, so big it fell to the floor.
"Okay, you can have a nap now. Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat first?"
"Sleep." Mary nodded, as Glenn sat by Mary, the girl already curled up into the blankets, her bunny pressed into her face. She was asleep in a few minutes, and Glenn went downstairs, making himself a sandwich and a mug of coffee. He sat on the sofa as he ate, but he couldn't stop thinking about Maggie. About the unborn baby in her stomach. Of a baby who would grow up and become just like Mary. Full of life, shy yet noisy, beautiful, innocent but scarred from the worldly horrors, broken, almost orphaned, almost always scared, almost dying so many times, almost always hungry, almost always tired.
But he couldn't wait.
Glenn Rhee was going to become a father. But he wasn't going to become a father; he already was one, to Mary. He couldn't wait. Deep down, he wanted a son, but he knew that, boy or girl, it wouldn't matter; he would love it the same. He kept trying to force himself to stop thinking of names - it was too soon, but he had ideas of who he could name his unborn child after. Beth, Daisy, Patricia, Josephine. Hershel, Noah, Jimmy, Shawn. So many people that him and Maggie had lost. Sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, friends.
Glenn picked up a book, and began to read, flicking through it, only scanning the pages. Half an hour later, Mary stumbled down the stairs groggily, holding her bunny tightly.
"You hungry?" Glenn asked gently as Mary nuzzled into his chest. She nodded, and Glenn got up, Mary hanging from his neck, and he toasted her some bread, then spread peanut butter onto it.
"Thank you." Mary smiled, chewing at the bread. By the time she'd finished, peanut butter was covering her cheeks; Mary was a very messy eater. "When's daddy coming home?"
"I dunno. Probably soon. It's four already, so soon. Why don't you do some drawing?"
"Walls or paper?"
"Paper," Glenn chuckled, "why is this a question?"
"'Cos I was allowed to, before."
"Maybe your daddy will let you in your bedroom."
"No, I've upset daddy. He might make me live here."
"No he won't." Glenn laughed, rolling his eyes.
"Maybe." Mary shrugged nonchalantly, and Glenn just laughed.
"Alright. Lemmie get you some paper and pens." Glenn smiled. He rummaged around the house for some paper, and found a few highlighters and pencils, which he gave to Mary. She sat at the kitchen table, drawing, until her father came to pick her up later that day, followed by Maggie.
"Hey, Moo." Rick smiled softly, walking over to hug her.
"Hello." Mary sighed sadly.
"What's wrong, Moo? Glenn, what's wrong?" Maggie asked quickly, worried the child was feeling unwell.
"Nothing. Mary?" Glenn prompted, squeezing her shoulder.
"Daddy has fallen out with me." Mary explained, her voice tiny and sad.
"What? No, Mary, I haven't." Rick soothed, sitting next to her and pulling her into his lap. "I sent you home with Glenn because you wasn't safe."
"You could have come with me."
"I know. But I had to help everyone else, and you love Glenn."
"But I wanted to help." Mary whined.
"I know. I'm sorry, baby."
"And you let Carl stay!"
"Carl was being safe. Come on, don't be upset with me. We've got to go home because Carl and Mishy miss you."
Mary sighed, then got up and gave Glenn a hug, then Maggie. "Fine."
"Okay. Let's go home then." Rick smiled, grabbing Mary's hand.
"What's for dinner? What are we havin'?"
"I dunno. Maybe soup." Rick answered as they left. "Who's shirt is that?"
"Glenn's. My clothes are in the wash. They had blood on."
"Okay. Remind me to give it him back, okay?"
"Okay." Mary nodded. She looked up at him, and smiled softly. "You smell. Bad."
"Thanks," Rick chuckled, "I've not had a shower yet."
"I have. See my wet hair?"
"Yeah, I know." Rick laughed, rolling his eyes. "When we get in, I'm gonna have a shower and you can help Mishy with dinner, yeah?"
"Yeah. Is Judy okay?"
"Yeah, Carl's just picking her up from Olivia's. Right, in, pyjamas on, then go ask Mishy if you can help." Rick ordered, walking through their door. He picked Judith up, as Carl gave Mary a hug. The girl then skipped up the stairs, and pulled on some pyjamas (her favourite Spider-Man ones).
"Mishy?" Mary asked, suddenly down the stairs again, "Daddy says I can help with dinner."
"Okay, come here and stir the pot." Michonne nodded. Michonne lifted Mary onto the counter, and Mary twisted the wooden spoon around the pot.
"Daddy has fallen out with me." Mary announced.
"No he hasn't. He's just worried about you." Michonne explained softly.
"I think it's sad. That he made me go home."
"I know. But he just wants you safe, Mary. So just chill out. Okay?"
"Okay. Okay." Mary sighed. Then she got down from the counter and began to eat raisins while drawing on the walls, singing quietly, happy and carefree.

Since I will be back to school in a few days, I'm not able to update as often... The update days for this book will now be Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. Also, please comment things that you would like to see in this book!
Emmy 💕💕