come and go with me to that land where i’m bound
It had been Carl’s idea, of course, after a long day of work and fruitless supply runs on the road.
“Denise said this is PT.”
Rick had snorted good-naturedly at the assertion. “Oh, she did, huh?”
Carl had relented, the twinkle in his good eye a clear reflection of the childlike playfulness still present in him, no matter how much of a young man he had been forced to so painfully quickly grow into. “Well…it’s hand-eye coordination and stuff. So…it’s probably good for PT?”
Rick hadn’t needed any further convincing, and Michonne hadn’t needed to be persuaded either to watch her two boys throw the baseball back and forth to one another in the front yard of what had unofficially become ‘their’ house.
She held Judith in her arms from a safe distance on the front porch as Rick and Carl laughed and teased one another, changing speeds and distances on each toss of the ball. At one point, Carl remembered seeing a kid’s baseball bat in one of the closets in the house, and the game evolved from catch into an impromptu batting session, with Rick and Carl switching pitching and hitting as the mood struck them.
Michonne could see that the exercise was actually a good thing for Carl and his spatial relation, but more importantly, it had an immediate, beautiful effect of causing laughter ringing in the air and the smiles on both Rick and Carl’s faces as the sun began to set in the sky.
“Hey! Come on down.” Rick’s face was open and relaxed as he called up to her. “Your turn. Carl’s killing me out here.”
She wanted to protest, because there was something about seeing father and son take delight in such a simple pastime, but there was something about Rick’s grin and Carl’s answering nod that made her shake her head, kiss Judith’s cheek, and walk the both of them down the steps to join the game.
“You got her?” Michonne playfully nibbled at a delighted Judith’s ear as she passed the baby off to Carl. “I’m probably a little rusty.”
“That’s all right. I know I am.” Rick massaged his shoulder ruefully before tossing the ball up in the air a few times while waiting for her to get the bat. “Here we go. Ready?”
“Always.” Michonne gripped the bat and tapped the ground a few times before settling into an approximation of a batting stance. The throw was fairly easy, and Michonne swung the bat cleanly and effortlessly, right below the arc of the ball.
“Strike one.” Rick’s teasing voice echoed the light in his blue eyes. “Good start.”
Michonne tried to keep her mouth from twitching into a full blown smile as she picked up the stray ball and threw a fastball at a smirking Rick. “Shut up and pitch.”
Carl’s laugh caused Judith to giggle as well from where she rested on Carl’s hip, and the smile touched her lips easily. “You heard her, Dad.”
“Oh, you’re on her team, huh? Typical.” Rick shook his head in mock annoyance, and used the brief distraction to surprise her with a change-up. “There’s two.”
“Yeah, yeah…” Michonne tossed the ball back to him and took a couple of practice swings. “I got this one. Do your worst, Sheriff.”
“You asked for it.” Rick faked a few starts before throwing a fastball, one Michonne almost caught a piece of before swinging and missing yet again. “And strike three.”
“So I’m out?” Michonne shook her head teasingly in Carl and Judith’s direction. “I don’t think so. Let’s go again.”
“Sure thing. But first…come here Carl. You throw underhand. Keep Judith behind you…good. Okay. Throw it when I tell you to.” Rick jogged over to where Michonne was, and before she could move, he was gently moving into her space. “How about a couple of pointers?”
“Okay.” She was too surprised to say anything else as he took the permission she gave and rested one hand lightly on the bat with hers, while the other rested on her hip.
“You want to turn, step into it, and grip the bat…like…” Rick’s fingers gently traced over hers as he adjusted her hands and her stance. “Good. Carl, go.”
Carl’s easy throw and Rick’s hands on the bat with hers, along with his body guiding hers forward, sent the ball in a neat arc so it landed cleanly on the next lawn. The joy on Carl’s face, mirrored as she turned to her right on Rick’s was enough to make her laugh, unbelievably and unreservedly, at this moment in time she would never forget with her newfound family.
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