Things we lost | c.g fanfic [heavily editing bc I suck]

Chapter 20

NINE MONTHS LATER

A whole nine months have gone past. Today is my sixteenth birthday and the others are actually celebrating it. We're actually not really sure if it's my birthday, but I'd told Carl I'd been roughly keeping track and its either pretty close too or is October 23rd.
"Happy birthday, my stunning girl." Carl smiles as he rolls out of bed, pulling the sheets off of him and where I was sleeping. I groan as the cold air hits my are legs. I only sleep in my shirt and underwear because it gets far too hot for my liking. Sadly, Rick found that out one night when he walked into our cell and suddenly, him and Daryl were completely against the idea of Carl and I sharing a bed. Hell, they even made Maggie give me the talk which I had when I was nine years old, for crying out loud! Carl, however, never had it.

"Morning babe," I smile. He rolls out of bed, revealing his bare stomach and chest. He tries to pull on a red flannel shirt, but I catch him by the wrist and spin him around before kissing him on the lips. The kiss seems to last forever and we only pull away when we can't breath anymore.
"I need to get dressed," he laughs. I pout, pretending or be upset.
"But it's my birthday," he smiles and throws me my black jeans and a grey top. We dress quickly and I go to pick up a book before he stops me.
"Wanna go downstairs?" He smiles, taking my hand in his. I smile.
"Hm, I feel as if you're planning something." I grin, laughing.
"No! Where'd you get that idea?" He says, overacting. A smile plays on his lips. "But, how about, just for fun, how about I...cover your eyes?" I giggle and let him. He tries to let me walk downstairs but I trip on my foot.
"Sorry, babe." He says. I can hear the wince in his voice. Before I know it, he's carrying me bridal style. When Carl puts me down, only seconds later I'm engulfed with people shouting wishing me a happy birthday.

"Guys," I whisper, turning around to face Carl, blinking happy tears from my eyes.
"His idea," Daryl says, pointing to my boyfriend. The room is full of balloons and confetti and there's a massive banner across the doorway of the prison reading 'sweet sixteen.'
There are tables full of party food and one small table filled with presents. I clap my hand over my mouth to stop myself sobbing. The last birthday party I had I was eight. I run straight into Daryl's arms.
"Happy birthday, Zoe." He whispers into my hair.
"Thank you." I sob happy tears into his chest. I then turn to Carl and jump so my legs are around his waist and he's holding me up. A grin spreads across his lips.
"I love you so much." I declare, pulling his neck forward so he can kiss me. People clear their throats behind us, but I couldn't care less. This world is filled with corpses and right now, life feels amazing.
"I love you more," he whispers into my ear as he puts me down. "Happy birthday."

Later on, I'm forced to open my presents. There are three on the table.
"Guys!" I say. "I love you all!" Carl picks up a small silver package and slides it into my pocket.
"Open this one later." He whispers kissing me on the cheek. I nod. I can't stop saying thank you as I receive gifts.Glenn and Maggie gave me a cute little Polaroid camera and the first thing I did was get everybody from before the Woodbury group arrived to get in a circle.
"There." I say, "now I have a family picture." Daryl gives me the next package. I carefully tear of the blue and pink paper to reveal a blue and silver diary and pen with my name written in silver across the top.
"Daryl!" I whisper, hugging him. "Thank you." Tears of happiness roll down my face. I place my hand over the small box in my pocket and walk over to Carl.
"Thank you so much." I whisper sincerely and he wraps his arms around my waist. Somewhere, somebody turns some music on and it becomes a sort of party.

"It's nice having something feel...normal," I say to Carl as he takes us to our cell. "Not worrying about walkers or surviving. Forgetting for just a second...it's nice."
"Yeah...it is." He smiles as we sit on our bed. He puts his hand into my pocket and pulls out the small box. "Open it." I smile and carefully peel back the silver paper and see a small black box. I open it to see a necklace with a silver heart on it. Carl reads out the words engraved on it.
"I love you." He reads, pulling my hair from my neck carefully and hangs the beautiful trinket around my neck before pulling the same one from under his shirt.
"We match," I whisper, happy tears rolling from my face again. "I love you."
and that's when we hear the screams.