Found Book One

Toothpaste

I sneak out of bed and quickly get dressed, Carl is laying face down on the bed. I close my eyes as I remember the night he lost his eye. He doesn't even let me  see him without his bandages on.

I walk out into the hall and down the bathroom, "Hey, do you have any toothpaste?" Michonne asks. She steps out of her room in a gray robe and a towel around her dreads.

I furrow my eyebrows, "No, I borrowed Carl's yesterday. I think we're out at my house too," I say with a shrug.

She groans and walks back into her room, I smile and move into the bathroom. I wash my face and use the toilet before washing my hands and walking out of the small room.

A steady thumping starts from Carl's room, I smile, "CArl!" Michonne yells from her room. I stand in the hall, "Yeah?" Carl calls from his room, "Carl!" Rick yells stepping out of his room.

"Hey you have any toothpaste?" Michonne asks Rick, "No, someone used all mine," he says glancing at Chonne.

She smacks his arm, "I'm going on a run today so I'll see what I can find," he says. "Yeah dad?" Carl says now standing beside me, "PT?" Rick asks, "PT," Carl says with a smile before walking away.

"Toothpaste?" Michonne asks him, "Lainey used the last of mine yesterday," he yells walking back to his room. I shake my head and follow him to his room, which might as well be my room too. My clothes are on the floor and in the closet, we've entangled our wardrobes and now we wear each other's shirts and flannels with the occasional hoodie.

"How long until my birthday?" I ask Carl, "Tomorrow," he says bending down to pick up some discarded jeans from the floor. I toss some clothes in the hamper by the door to clean the floor of some clutter.

"Well, I've got things to do so, I'm gonna go," he says walking over to me. His hand finds the back of my neck. "I love you," he says kissing me, "I love you too," I say as he walks out of the room.

Footsteps tumble down the hall, I turn to be met with Michonne standing in the doorway with Judith in her arms. "You know he has a surprise for you right?" Michonne asks.

"Yeah I know," I say standing up straight, "He and Enid are planning something today," she says, "I'm a little nervous," I mumble tying one of my flannels around my waist.

"I think you're gonna love it," Michonne says, I nod. "I need to go home," I mutter trying to gather my thoughts before I go about my day. "I'll let you go," Michonne says before leaving the room.

"I'm going on a run today, can you help Ma with the Mika?" Daryl asks from the porch steps, "Yeah, I've got it daddy," I say walking past him.

"I don't know if we'll be back for tomorrow so I wanted to give you something," he says stopping me from opening the door. I turn to him, "Dad I can wait until whenever you get back," I say.

He shakes his head, "No I can't, I missed too many of these things already," he says pulling a small package out of his back pocket. "I love you Lainey Bug," he says handing it over. I take it from his hands. "I'll see you soon," he says walking to Rick who is waiting on the sidewalk.

I smile down at the brown paper bag wrapped package, I tear the paper off to find a blue cardboard box, I pull off the lid to reveal a metal loop bracelet with rose quartz rocks carved into beads.

"Thank you daddy," I say even though he's nowhere near here anymore, "Hey," I look up to see Carl staring at me from the sidewalk.

"We can go out today, to our spot with Enid," he says. I nod and hand him the bracelet, he grabs my wrist, I smile as he works to put the bracelet on my arm.

"Thank you," I say, he shakes his head, "You don't have to say thank you," he says placing his hand on my cheek. I smile and lean up to catch his lips, he kisses back but its gentle.

"Maybe we can go out today," I say as I look up at him, "I have something to do," he says. "Ready?" Enid questions from behind the two of us. 

"Can you just tell me what's going on?" I ask the both of them. Enid covers her mouth with her hand. Carl gives her a sharp look, "You can wait until tomorrow," he says as he pecks my lips. I nod and watch as he walks away. 

I go into the house when his figure disappears around the corner. "Morning," Carol says with a smile, "Morning," I say back. I enter the kitchen, she always seems to be doing something in here. 

"Mika at school?" I ask, "Yeah she left about twenty minutes ago," Carol answers. I nod and sit down at the kitchen island, "I'm gonna get my stuff ready for later today," I say. 

"Carl wanted me to tell you to look in your nightstand," Carol says, there's an odd look in her eyes and I can underrstand why. "Thanks," I say before I leave the room. 

Once I'm in my room I get into the drawer of my nightstand.  Inside there's an envelope addressed to me, I smile and peel back the flap so I can see what's inside. 

Three things fall out when I tip the envelope upside down. The first thing I pick up is a ring, it's a simple silver band with a design around the small saphire in the center. 

The next is a card. It has a heart on it, split down the middle with one side of the background a yellow color and the other side blue. 

Under the heart are two words, For you. I open the card, there's nothing inside except the word Always. 

I slip the ring onto my right ring finger before I pick up the third thing that happened to fall onto the floor, there's something written on it. 

This is more for me than it is for you, I read. It's a picture that he must've printed in Aaron's dark room. I stare at it until I understand what the actual picture is of. There's a glare across the image from the window in the room. 

It must've been early morning when he took this picture because I'm still in bed. The main focus is me, my face is on the pillow and my curls are everywhere. I place the photo back in the drawer but I leave the card on the stand.