Ceasefire

Friends

When we get back to the farm, Glenn tells Rick what happened. I lay down in my tent and try to fall asleep.

I hear the tent unzip.

"Hey." Rick says. "Are you okay?"

"Yea."

"There is food outside if you're hungry. Daryl caught some squirrels, but not as many as usual."

"Okay. Thanks." I say as he walks off. I get up and go over to the fire.

"Hey Emma!" Glenn says. "Come sit over here." He pats the spot next to him.

Glenn hands me a squirrel.

"I don't want it." I whisper to him.

"You need to eat."

"I'm not hungry." I say.

"You haven't eaten anything in 2 days."

I take the squirrel and eat a couple bites of it so I don't make a scene. I'm really not hungry and I don't feel like eating.

I give the rest of the squirrel to Glenn and walk back to my tent.

I can hear Glenn run after me.

"Look, I know your dad just passed away but not eating is not the way to handle it. You have to eat. That's what he would want. He may not be here but he is still looking after you. And he is probably crying because your not eating. He wants you to be with him again, but he doesn't want you to be with him anytime soon. He wants you to live and he wants you to survive. The last thing he would want is for you to starve yourself. So, please eat." He says.

"Well he's not here to tell me that and you don't know what he would've wanted." I say.

"No father would want their kid to starve themselves." He says.

It's true. Except for the abusive fathers. Fortunately, my father was not abusive.

I don't respond to Glenn. I don't even have a response. He gets up and leaves. I think about what he said and I unzip the tent.

"Glenn?"

He turns around. "Yea?"

"You're right. I need to eat."

He smiles and takes me to the fire. He gives me a squirrel and I eat the whole thing.

"Thank you." He says.

"For?"

"Eating. I really do care about you."

"Rick said there were kids here. I haven't seen any." I laugh and try to change the subject.

"Follow me." He says.

I get up and follow him.

"Carl, Sophia, meet Emma. Emma, meet Carl and Sophia." Glenn says.

"Hi." Carl and Sophia say in sync.

"Hi." I say.