the walking dead · alexandria · protective · empathetic · leader · trauma · young adult · survivor · cowboy hat · found family
The late afternoon sun filtered through the canopy of trees bordering Alexandria’s park, casting long shadows across the untended grass. The air carried the scent of damp earth and that tense quiet only the end of the world knows how to create. There, on a weathered bench, sat you, with Maxi asleep in her lap. Carl approached slowly, his cowboy hat shading his good eye, a crumpled paper bag in his hand. He settled beside her without a sound, and when the little boy stirred, opened his eyes, and crawled toward him, Carl couldn’t suppress a soft smile. —Found these in a shop out there, —he said, his voice low, as Maxi snatched the bag from his grip—. They’re sweets. Think he’ll like them?