What Lies Ahead | Rick Grimes

Chapter 5: First Date Gone Wrong

Saturday was finally here and Hayley was experiencing a mixture of emotions. On one hand she was excited and slightly nervous about her date with Rick later, the two had been texting throughout the week, She felt like she was a teenager again. On the their hand however she was worried, she was taking Will to stay with his father today and it was the first unsupervised visit. Hayley could tell by the look on Will's face that he didn't want to go although he never complained about it. Will always tried to put on a reassuring smile for his mother although they both knew it false.

"Come on Will we don't want to be late for your father" Hayley called up the stairs to her son who was taking his time to pack his bags.

"What's the rush? You know he'll be late anyway" Will walked down the stairs mumbling while dragging his bag behind him. Due to living an hour away from Atlanta Hayley and her ex husband, Dave, had decided that it was best to meet half way at a little diner. Dave had not been too pleased with the idea but had agreed begrudgingly. "Mom?" The sadness that laced her sons voice caused Hayley to look at him concerned.

"What's the matter Will?" Hayley kneeled in front of the step where Will was sat looking down at his lap messing with a loose jumper thread.

"I'm scared"

"Oh baby, why are you scared?" Hayley ran a soothing hand through her sons hair. He'd never been scared of seeing his father before so why now?

"What if he starts drinking again?" That's when it all made sense to Hayley, it was the first unsupervised visit. Dave had been apparently sober for six months now.

"He loves you y'know? He wouldn't do anything like that if it meant loosing you"

"But he's already lost me, a-after I saw him hurt you that's when he lost me. " the young boy eyes glistened as he remembered the night his dad hurt his mother "I just want to get this weekend over with". Will got up and headed towards the kitchen. Seeing him like that broke Hayley's heart, why had Will never sad anything to her? She had thought things were getting better between the two of them but that obviously wasn't the case from Will's point of view. She didn't want him to grow up without his father that's why she'd agreed to the visits.

Hayley sighed running a hand through her loose auburn hair, something she always did when stressed and anxious. Part of her just wanted to keep Will here with her but she knew that despite everything that he'd done to her Dave loved his son. Even after the way he treated her she could see the fear in his eyes when he thought he'd never see his son again it almost made her feel sorry for the man, almost.

When the two of them were ready to go Hayley handed Will his phone reminding him to never leave the house without it. She got him the phone just before he spent his first weekend with his father.

The drive to the small diner was filled with Will asking questions about her date with Rick. It was clear that he was trying to take his mind off everything. Hayley couldn't help but laugh at her son telling her to ring him and tell him everything. The mother and son had become even closer since the divorce and Will had become much more protective of his mother.

Arriving at the diner the mother and son got out the car and looked around for Dave who was nowhere in sight. Hayley looked at her watch and saw that they were five minutes late and he still wasn't here. "See I told you he'd be late"

"Yes I know" Hayley grumbled as she lead Will inside the diner for a drink. Hayley sat there sipping her tea white Will gulped down a strawberry milkshake, they had been waiting ten minutes and still no sign. Hayley's phone vibrated in her pocket thinking it was Dave she filled it out, the hard frown that was on her face turned to a small smile as she saw that it was from Rick.