Aria || twd

4.1

———

"Can someone get Lori, dinners ready" Carol spoke, placing the last few plates on the table.

"Haven't seen her since this morning, wondered where she was" Dale added, sitting down in his place.

Aria rushed down the stairs joining the rest of the group "Moms not in her room"

"What?" Maggie spoke, as she followed Aria down the steps with Beth close behind "Where is she?"

"Out" Daryl informed them, wondering in from the porch "Olive oil tried to get me to go instead" he said sitting down, picking up a slice of bread.

"And you didn't think to tell anyone?" Shane spoke his voice filled with fury.

Carl appeared from the other room "Moms gone?"

The group continued to argue among themselves, ignoring the two kids in the corner.

Eventually Shane rose from his seat in silence, picking up a shotgun from the side and walking straight out the door to one of the cars outside. Earning confused looks from the people in the house.

Hours after hours passed, no one really questioned what was going on, they all just assumed Shane was going to eventually turn up with Lori. And they were exactly right.

Soon enough Lori emerged out the same vehicle Shane left in. Shouting "Where is he?" as she slammed the door shut.

Carl and Aria were first out the house, earning a tight hug from their mom followed by a kiss on their heads.

"Where's daddy?" Lori bent down to Carl, smiling down at him.

"He's not back yet, why?" Aria replied for him.

"I- You liar" Lori faced Shane, her eyebrows furrowed as she pushed him back from her.

"Look, I'm sorry but it's the only way i would've got you to come back" Shane explained, his eyes making contact with the ground.

"You-"

Shane ignored her, walking past and back into the house "Now don't even argue with me on that because you know it's true" not even looking back he continued "you have two kids here who need you" he spoke with sense.

Although it was wrong, everyone couldn't help but agree with him. Even Aria.

"He's right" was all she muttered before joining the rest of them in the farmhouse.

———

It was the next morning, Aria groggily pushed herself up from her bed, wiping the specks of dust out her eyes. Looking to her side she saw Carl curled up in a ball lying on just a pillow. She assumed he crept into her room in the middle of the night, probably to avoid Lori's sniffling, Rick still hadn't returned and the group were expecting the worst...

"Carl..." Aria gently shook the sleeping boy  "Sleep in my bed, i'm going to see mom" she whispered, lifting the pillow up from the floor as he got up and placing it where his head would be. Closing the door as she woke up, she saw him once again shut his eyes as he got comfortable on the mattress.

Tiptoeing over the creaking floorboards Aria soon made it to Lori's room, or Hershel's I guess. Knocking on the door, she only heard a sniffle from the other side.

"Mom?" Aria whispered, opening the door to see her mom on her side, puffy eyed, tucked under the covers.

"Hey baby..." Lori mumbled back, attempting to wipe her tears away, putting up a wall for her daughter.

Aria didn't mention it, she had a look of pity but also loss on her face, she felt guilty that the only thing she could think of was Carl and her lost their father too, Lori wasn't the only one hurting. Clearly she wasn't doing a good job of hiding this look, as Lori reached an arm out and Aria slowly stumbled to the bed and embraced her mom in a comforting hug.