The Woman at The End of The World. (Daryl Dixon)

fiftyeight.

I'm sitting at the kitchen table with my coffee mug in my grasp with a photo album laid out in front of me. I chew on my lip as I glance at the box next to me. It's filled with odds and ends of my life before the fall of mankind. It's stupid to hang on something so materialistic when we are fighting day in and day out to survive. But with Alexandria feeling so permanent, what could it hurt to have some of this here with me? Daryl went back and cleared out the safe house yesterday when he learned I was going to head that way for that very reason; he had ordered me to take a day or two to relax before we jump back into the war against Negan.

Tori is sitting across from me fiddling with my baby book while Kelly is lurking over my shoulder, flipping through the photo book. "Why did you bring this back?" He questions, his curious dark eyes find me.

Shrugging, "I want to show my child where they came from." I rub my face, spotting a picture of me and Tori when we were no older than toddlers. "I want them to know there was more than fighting for their life." Sadness dances through my veins, I know Daryl didn't have a great life growing up, and now our child might face that same fate under different circumstances. You just have to grab the good moments where you can and hold on tight. "Plus, I want to remind myself how far I've come."

Tori nods, taking a sip of her own coffee.

"Hey! I remember this day!" Kelly points out a picture of Charlee, himself, Wren, and I. Kelly's arm is wrapped around my shoulders grinning like he had just won the lottery while Charlee holds up bunny ears behind his head. My face is as red as Wren's hair. Wren is smiling innocently towards the camera. "We were six years old, but you had just told me that you were going to marry me someday." Noises of Daryl joining us fill the room, glancing over at the photo in question. "I remember thinking, 'this girl is weird, sweet. I'll have an awesome wife.'"

I snort, "yet you claim you had zero idea about my feelings."

His eyes sad, "yeah, but you didn't keep your word, weird girl. But the better man won your heart." He grins over at the redneck.

"I'm surprised you two didn't get married." Tori smirks. "But you're right. Daryl seems good for my baby sister."

Daryl grunts, stalking to the box, pulling out a photo while an unreadable expression twists his face. I stand up, curious about what he picked up. I sigh, seeing myself standing in a white mermaid wedding dress with Charlee and Wren at my sides. It's one of the few photos I kept from my wedding. "Ya always been beautiful, Blue," he whispers.

"I was only eighteen. I was young and stupid. If only I knew that my soulmate was an archer already well into his adulthood, fucking shit up in a few states away." I tease. I had a traditional wedding to appease Jordan's parents. I much prefer the way Daryl and I went about it, instead. I watch as his eyes flick to the wedding ring adorning my finger.

The sounds of a door closing causes both of us to look towards that direction. Kelly and Tori are allowing us a moment of peace before Daryl has to leave to meet Rick. He drags me into his arms, I return my attention to the archer at my side. He brings his mouth down, lips meeting mine. "I missed ya. It's been too damn long." His hand finds itself tangled in my hair.

"You don't say." I smirk.

I watch as his eyes travel my face, stopping at my newest scar, memorizing it. His thumb traces the skin around the wound. I close my eyes as the memories of the attack overwhelm me, with his words screaming at me. I take a deep breath, hoping to keep the panic attack at bay. Daryl senses the difference growing inside my soul. "We'll get him," his gruff tone holding the deadly promise.

I purse my lips, wrapping my fingers around his arm as I pull my head out of his grasp, weakly, "yeah. Rick's probably waiting for you. You shouldn't keep him waiting." I offer.