To All of You- Richonne AU
Note: Hey guys! This chapter is kinda mid, sorry! I’ve been trying to practice writing with a southern accent. I’m from the south myself, but writing with an accent is actually so difficult. And I don't want to mischaracterize TOO much ughhh. If you notice an inconsistency in the way Daryl speaks, just know it's my fault.
Michonne thought about her answer for a second. “Of course!” Daryl looks both ways before crossing the road to Michonnes' house. “Thought yer parents finally gave up the place,” Michonne chuckled, “No way, you know they love this place probably more than they love me.” Michonne knew she was joking, but deep down, she felt like it could be true. Pushing her negative thoughts away, she began to pick up the box she had dropped to see if she had any salvageable pieces.
Daryl was quick behind her as well, picking up the pieces that managed to fall out of the box on the way to the ground.“Y’know that’s not true, Michonne.” He looks at her as she's still sorting through shattered glass. “Yeah, I know. Just joking,” She says the last part quietly, feeling like a little girl again.
The only thing in the box that didn't shatter was a rubber ball Andre snuck in. She held up the bright red ball to show Daryl.
“Think fast.” In a matter of seconds, the ball is bouncing off the side of Daryl’s head. She couldn't contain her laughter, doubling over with her arms crossing her stomach. Daryl couldn't help but join in; he hadn't heard her laughter in so long, and it was so contagious. “C’mon, we gotta get the rest of the stuff inside,” Daryl said in between laughs.
As they begin to bring the boxes inside, Miconne tells Daryl to put everything in the living room. Andre is still sound asleep on the couch. Daryl uses his thumb to point at the sleeping boy with a quizzical look on his face. And Michonne just points to the front door. They step out onto the front porch. Her parents kept it neat; a swinging bench seat hung from the ceiling with a small table beside it. She gestures for them to sit.
“That's Andre Anthony, my son, he's three.” She couldn't help but feel pride when she spoke about her little peanut. Daryl seemed to put pieces together in his head, and that puzzled Michonne. “ ‘N I thought yer parents had a secret daughter that had a kid.” He says, shaking his head. “What?” Michonne was very confused by his statement. Did her parents talk to him? Did he know about Andre?
“My father passed three years ago. I didn't know where to go, so I came here. I didn't expect yer parents to be home, wah, just gonna sit on the porch. But they were here, asking what I was doing sittin’ on their porch at odd hours .” He stops talking for a minute, and they both sit in silence, just looking straight ahead, processing.
He cleared his throat before saying, “I told them my pop died. ‘N needed somewhere comfortable ‘n familiar. So, they let me in and told me ‘There's always life with death’ or whatever.” He shook his head, looking down, and Michonne chuckled. “Yeah, sounds like my parents.”
Daryl looked at her. “They told me they were expecting a grandson at any minute, the ‘life’ that's why they were back in town. Didn't know you er the mom.”
Michonne let out a loud laugh. “Daryl, you know for a fact that I don't have any siblings.”
“Yeah, I know. I was just hopin’ it wasn't you, since you left with Mike.” Silence. Even when she and Daryl stopped talking, she knew he thought Mike was a dipshit; everyone did. “Yeah, well, it was me. And there's no more Mike. I’m a free woman,” She said, wiggling her ring finger in front of Daryl's face. A small smile creeps up his face, “Mmm, lucky you, maybe you’ll find someone nea-” He's interrupted by a small cry. “I’ll be right back.”
Michonne quickly went inside to see if Andre was alright, hoping he didn't fall off the couch. She was relieved to see he was still on the couch, but with tears welling up in his big, brown eyes. “Left me.” Her heart shattered for her baby boy. “I would never leave you, peanut. I was outside with a friend, Come here.” She began to walk to the couch to pick him up and take him outside.
Daryl is still sitting when Michonne comes outside with a mini version of herself. “Damn, Michonne, did you make em yer self? Looks like you copy ‘n pasted em.” Dayl chuckles.
Andre scrunched up his face. “Bad word”
“Shit, ‘m sorry.” Michonne cringed at the interaction. Looking at the little boy in her arms, she figures it's time to introduce the two. “Andre, this is Daryl, one of Mommy's old friends from when she was little like you.”
“Hey buddy,” Daryl said, reaching his hand out to give the smaller an awkward shake. But Andre had other plans. He wiggled his way out of Michonne's arms and ran to Daryl. Michonne tried to catch him, but it was too late, and he had already crossed the small space to take Daryl into a big, fat hug.
He couldn't stop giggling, “Mommy friend!”
It broke her heart a little to hear him say that, considering she didn't really have any friends back in Atlanta. “Andre, your own bubble.” She was kind yet firm. She was still trying to teach him about boundaries. “It's fine, needed it.” Daryl was shrugging while still holding the little boy in a hug. Michonne didn't even fight it and just sat next to the two boys with a sigh.
Michonne and Daryl spent the next thirty minutes giving a PG rerun of their lives from the time missed. Andre was there and very attentive, so they had to pick their words carefully and absolutely no talk about Mike. It was too soon for Michonne and Andre.
In the first week, Michonne spent packing the apartment, and Andre asked about his father every day, noticing his absence. The second week, he didn't even bother to ask about Mike. And Michonne didn't know how to handle being completely alone. She didn't want to let everything out on Andre; he didn't deserve that. But she feels like she's treading water, unable to catch a break.
With the sunset on the horizon, Michonne and Daryl are still catching up when the older lady with the pixie cut starts crossing over to Michonne's house. “Hello! I'm Carol, and I live across the street. I saw Daryl come over here earlier. I was coming to steal him back for dinner, and maybe you can come too.” She was showing all thirty-two.
Carol then catches a glimpse of Andre. “I have a little one at home too, not as little as…? ”Andre!” The little boy says without hesitation. Michonne takes a mental note to add stranger danger to Andres's learning list. “Andre, my daughter's name is Sophia. Would you like your mommy if she wants to come over for dinner?”
Andre looks at Michonne with his big brown eyes, pleading with his mother to go to the gray-haired woman's house, and she looks at Darly, not completely sure what to say. Not wanting to intrude. And like Carol was reading her mind, she added in a sweet voice, “You won't be intruding.”
“We can come over for dinner, thank you, Carol.”
Within ten minutes, Michonne and Andre were tucked in at Carol's dining room table with her family, including Daryl, who seemed very comfortable in this situation, so Michonne gathered that this was a normal occurrence. She's forgotten how much more intimate and friendly it was in King County versus Atlanta.
Andre was talking to Sophia a mile a minute about nothing in particular; he was just happy to see someone who wasn't an adult, even if she was nearly 6 years older than him. While the kids talked, Michonne stayed pretty quiet, only answering questions thrown at her, which felt like a million. “Have you lived here before? Is that how you know Daryl? Job? Married?”
She answered all of the questions as quickly as they were thrown at her, “Yes, from birth til graduation. Also, yes, Daryl and I were friends when we were kids. I'm a substitute teacher right now. I'm hoping they offer me a full-time position soon, and technically, yes, but only for six more weeks.” Michonne says the last answer is on the verge of inaudible.
Carol and Ezekiel seemed to understand what she meant and put on sympathetic faces for the woman. Ezekiel decided it was time to serve out the dinner he and Carol had prepared, a homemade pot pie, Sophia's favorite. “So, did you buy the house off the Hawthornes?” Ezekiel asks, looking at Michonne as he passes out dinner. Michonne couldn't hold back her laugh. “I am a Hawthorne. This is my parents' house. They're letting me rent it out for a while.” She uses the word rent very loosely. She had to beg them to take the little money they're getting.
“Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize those were your parents.” Ezekiel's usual good-humored demeanor was dimmed with embarrassment. Carol and Daryl exchanged a look before laughing simultaneously. Even Michonne joined in.
The adults got so lost in conversation that they didn't realize that it was nearly nine at night. They moved the conversation to the living room at some point for comfort. But as the night goes on, Andre gets more and more grumpy. Michonne noticed and decided to call it a night for everyone's sake; she didn't want them to see the tantrums Andre is capable of.
After saying goodbye to everyone with a sleepy Andre in her arms, they all walked her to the front door, and Daryl walked her back home.
“Glad yer back. Hopefully we can catch up more, like old times.” Michonne was relieved that Daryl didn't resent her. She was worried that he would still be upset with her for leaving, but he's not, and that gives her hope for her other lost friends.
“Glad to be back. We're definitely doing this again.”
Ending the conversation with a short hug, Michonne goes inside to start her and Andres' nightly routine. With extra steps, of course, she cursed herself for forgetting that she needed to unpack essentials.
By ten thirty, Andre was in her childhood room, tucked into her bed, and he was in the guest bedroom. Trying to work up the courage to sleep in her parents' room.
She thought about a lot before shutting her eyes. Michonne has a big day tomorrow. She has to go to the Greene farm to introduce Andre to Beth before she goes to work for the first time on Monday. The most nerve-racking part is that she'll have to talk to Maggie, too.
Note: Hey guys, sorry for making Carol's introduction kinda creepy, I don't know how to write introductions LOL! Also, sorry if the ending feels rushed, it's 2 a.m., and I'm kinda sleepy. Finished this chapter and there's still no mention of Rickkkk. This is so heartbreaking. I'm sorry, guys, please stick with me. AGAIN, sorry for Daryl's cringe dialogue.
annaxmalina
ellievsbear
blakekathryn
janainaart
areudirty
origamiaround
gummygunk
prguitarman
