Dead Man Walking | Rick Grimes

|116|

Melody yawned, her milk-stained tongue poking out and her ocean eyes closing. Her tiny pink fists raised in the air, and she released the slightest of coos. I cradled her and inhaled, my eyes shut at the new baby smell radiating off her. I thought I would be a mess when this moment finally came. The thought of raising three kids under five alone is daunting, but I know I'm not alone. I have everyone in this amazing community who is willing to help not only me but also Michonne.

The door to my room opened, forcing me to tear my gaze away from the little girl in my arms. Daryl stood at the door with Thad in his arms and Judith holding onto his leg. I smiled at the four-year-old girl and motioned her over, excited to have her interact with her little sister. I've purposely not let the kids be around Melody for more than a few minutes because I want to get them used to having a baby around. Judith is used to it, but Thad? He might not be too happy about sharing his mom with his new little sister.

"She's sleeping," I whispered, putting a finger on my lips as Judith raced over. She hopped on the bed and leaned against my shoulder, her hazel eyes staring at the baby. Gently, like how I taught her when Thad was this small, she lowered her mouth and pressed the slightest of kisses to Melody's forehead.

"See that, Thad?" Daryl murmured, slowly approaching us, "Do you remember who that is?" Daryl lowered himself in front of me, his arms still tightly around my son. Thad nodded and peered down at his sister, a smile playing across his lips.

"Medy?" Thad whispered, earning a chuckle from both Daryl and me. Thad gave a lopsided grin and covered his mouth to suppress a giggle, "issy?"

"Yeah. That's Melody, your sister." Daryl murmured in agreement before letting Thad lean over, whispering instructions on how to do it gently. Thad came closer to his sister, his lips just a whisper above the skin of her forehead, and made a kissing sound before pulling away. I smiled at the sweetness of both my children and diverted my eyes back to the door, noticing Michonne and Selena. Michonne's massive stomach protruded from between her hips, making her shift from foot to foot rather uncomfortably while Selena tightly held her hand. Selena took slow but deliberate steps towards us, a smile overtaking her features.

"She's beautiful," Michonne whispered. I smirked up at her and held out my arms, offering her the girl that slept soundly. Daryl scooted over and let Thad jump on the bed, making room for the pregnant woman. Michonne sat down and took the baby from me, a genuine smile spreading across her lips. Gingerly, she touched Melody's chin and clicked her tongue affectionately.

"Has this beautiful little girl been different from her tornado of a brother?" Michonne asked quietly. Selena beat me to the punch and answered in my stead, her eyes firmly glued to Melody.

"She's so much quieter than Thad was," Selena murmured, "But it has only been a few days. We'll see if she remains this quiet as the months pass." Michonne's eyes grew watery, but despite the apparent emotion in her eyes, she remained smiling.

"Five days since I gave birth, and I'm already anxious to start doing more around here," I mused with a smile, "I can't stand to be on my ass longer than a day or two." Michonne looked up at me and choked a laugh, her brown eyes blinking rapidly to rid themselves of her tears.

"Michonne, Daryl, and I are running things smoothly," Selena beamed proudly, "You have nothing to worry about." I felt the corners of my lips twitch slightly downwards and shifted closer to Michonne as she rocked the baby. With this new baby, I can't afford to leave her behind like I did with Thad and Judith—I don't have Rick this time around to depend on to help with their care. This time around, it's all me. The idea terrifies me, but I'm positive that I can do it. I'll need to come up with something so it won't be only me who's running things around here. We had a council back at the prison that worked smoothly until things with the Governor went south. Maybe I can reinstate a council? Take the load off my back from making all the decisions alone.