Chapter 18: I Don't Want to be Your Hero

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Chapter Eighteen 

I Don't Want to be Your Hero 

Third Person~

At her announcement Kate's eyes slid back to Hershel who was standing still as a statue. He nodded confirmation stiffly as everyone else looked him too. 

"Yes. Maggie's mother, Josephine, was Katherine's mother's sister." He explained the true relation causing Kate's smile to falter slightly as Patricia wiped her cheeks dry. 

"I knew I recognized you!" Glenn blurted, causing everyone to look at him in confusion. "Your picture is hanging on the wall in there." Glenn explained awkwardly, jutting a thumb at the house behind him. "You're younger in it but I thought it was familiar." 

"Katherine came here often when she was young." Hershel said. She smiled tightly and Maggie gave her hand a squeeze. 

"And we missed you when you got old!" She said making Kate laugh. "Where's your cane anyway? But seriously, we have missed you. I can't believe this coincidence." 

"Neither can I." 

The group mulled around the front porch, everyone having had a chance to see Carl, who was asleep. Otis's funeral would be held shortly. Kate was leaning on the porch railing with Elsie next to her. 

"I didn't know you're real name was Katherine." The girl observed. 

"Yeah." Kate shrugged. "No one really called me that except for Hershel and Josephine, my aunt. When I was young people called me Katie, then mostly Kate as I got older." She explained. 

"My real name is Elizabeth." Elsie informed, causing Kate's head to snap to face her. How had she not known that? They'd only been living together a couple months but for how it felt it could have been years. "Elizabeth Jo Schärder. Elsie for short." Her German accent came through strong as she said her last name.  

"Pretty." Kate murmured. Elsie's last name. Kate had never heard that either. It felt weird, to think how little she actually knew Elsie, let alone the others. It felt like she should know more, or maybe that stuff didn't matter anymore. What she did know was what was important. She knew Elsie, she hadn't known her full name until just now but she still knew her. Who she was. Those trivialities of before, they were part of another life, one they'd long since left behind. 

"Kate this is Jimmy, my boyfriend." Beth said, introducing her to a young blonde boy who held a hand out. Kate's eyebrows shot up by she shook his hand and smile warmly. The last time Kate had seen Beth she'd only been nine. Of course she was 17 now but, it is still felt weird to just jump over the last eight years of her life. 

"Nice you meet you Jimmy. You're a lucky man." 

"Yes I am." He agreed, wrapping an arm around Beth's shoulders. 

"And who is this?" Patricia asked, bending to smile on eye level at Elsie. 

"I'm Elsie." She told her. 

"It's nice to meet you, honey. I'm Patricia."  

"Alright everyone, this way." Hershel called, getting the group's attention and leading them all down to a tree across the field. No one spoke as they walked. There was no body to bury but there was a wheel barrel full of rocks waiting to be stacked in a memorial. The Greene family cycled through, taking turns placing rocks by the base of the tall, far reaching tree.  

"Go on Kate." Patricia urged. She looked hesitant but Patricia gently pushed her forward so she joined the cycle, feeling like an outsider. As the last of the rocks were all placed she gladly returned to her spot next to Andrea. 

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