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MURPHY PUT DARYL'S FLOWER IN A SMALL CUP OF WATER ON THE NIGHTSTAND. She debated putting it in her hair, or someplace she could see it all day, but she settled on keeping it where it would last longest. That way, no matter how long Daryl was out there, she'd have the flower to remind her of him. She knew it was stupid, especially after only one night. And she didn't want to be the kind of woman who always longed for her man back home instead of important matters. But she missed him. It was that simple. And he would come back. The flower was his promise of that, so why not trust his word?
After taking a quick shower and eating a small breakfast of oatmeal, Murphy decided to head out for the day. She exited the empty house, feeling something that resembled... happiness. For the first time in what felt like forever, she felt herself. There wasn't a part of her that longed for some release- for some way to express her true feelings. Daryl had changed that. He felt safe enough to do all of that with. Because of him, Murphy had never felt more free in her life.
But that brought Murphy to another question- one she thought about lightly, as not to overwhelm herself. What she felt with Daryl was something she hadn't felt before... even with Connor. The man she planned a future with, the man she was engaged to, the man she would have had a daughter with... he'd never felt like Daryl. That was when Murphy thought about herself before everything. She was weak and tired- tired of the pressure to start the life that was expected of her. Had she settled for a man she never loved because she felt she had to?
That thought scared her to no end. Murphy knew that if the apocalypse had never struck and she gave birth to her baby girl, she would have loved her more than anything in the world. She would have had a family that she cared for, and she was certain of that. But then she thought about that dreadful day... She was heartbroken, of course. But it didn't hurt as much as it should have. The pain came from losing everything, not just him. So she realized, as she stood on that porch, that what she felt for Daryl was something new. Something she was always longing for, but never found until now.
Keeping that thought in the back of her mind, she made her way down the streets of Alexandria. She headed toward Deanna's to see how she could help that day, whether in the infirmary or elsewhere. But as she made her way over, she spotted the run group getting supplies together in the van. She changed her course, willing to help with whatever they needed. Deanna and Reg were there, as well as Maggie, Glenn, Aiden, Nicholas, Tara, Eugene, and Noah. Murphy approached them with a smile on her face.
"Hey," she began, getting the attention of those that were closest. "Can I help?"
"Hey, Murph," Tara muttered, a cheeky grin upon her lips. "Sleep well?"
Murphy's eyes widened, her cheeks immediately warming, "I, uh... I don't know what-"
"Oh, please. Everyone knows about it," Tara teased, quiet enough that no one else could hear. "Why else would Daryl have spent the night inside?"
