Somebody That I Used to Know

“So are you ever going to tell us how you know Daryl and Merle?” Much to my surprise, it’s Andrea who asks me about how I know the Dixon brothers. I glance over, peering at her over my sunglasses as I stop wringing out the shirt I'm holding. The six of us ladies - Amy, Andrea, Lori, Carol, Jackie and me are all sitting on the edge of the lake with our toes dipped in the shallow water doing laundry. It’s a nice break and the cool water feels amazing in the extremely hot afternoon sun.

It’s been almost a week of me avoiding both the Holden sister’s question and the Dixon brothers. I knew eventually confrontations were to be held with both parties and thankfully that hasn’t happened yet with Daryl, or Merle.

I sigh, combing my hand through my hair. “It’s a long story.”

“I think we have the time,” Lori persuades, casting me a curious look.

“Well... I met Daryl first when I was almost six years old... I had run away a few hours early because my father Amos terrified me. He was this huge, gigantic man... a monster to any tiny child...” I take a deep breath and start on a different item of clothing as I continue on. “Anyways, he was an abusive alcoholic and had gotten a call from my sister’s teacher that day, saying she dropped out. He came home spewing fire and throwing things... he grabbed Lily, my sister, pinned her against the wall and, I remember how brave she looked as she glared at him, daring him to strike... that’s when she looked over at me and her eyes softened immediately. Somehow, she says telepathically, for me to run and I do. I run into the woods behind my house and I don’t stop.”

“I was out there all night, almost an entire twenty four hours... until Daryl came along. He was dirty and sweaty. He wore clothes that were too big for him and he kept pulling up his these pair of shorts that were like pants on him, I noticed he tied a shoelace around his waist to help but it didn’t do much. And his hair... he had the cutest mullet I had ever seen.”

Amy lets out a giggle, “A mullet?”

I nod with a fond smile on my face. “Daryl helped me out of the woods and my sister happened to be cruising by for me. She picked me up and brought me back to the house where the police were standing with my hysterical mother. She apparently called them when she was still sober enough before her morning drinks to register that her baby girl had gone missing... I didn’t see him until three years later and after I found him, I stayed by his side for the next twenty-one years...”

“So is he like your ex-boyfriend now?” Amy asks, still not satisfied.

“Technically he’s my husband.” I tell them boldly. It’s a well-kept hidden secret, something I keep even from my sister and to finally tell someone the exciting news about being married for twelve years now is a relief.

“Technically what do you mean by ‘technically’?” Lori asks with her eyebrows furrowed together.

“Simply put we eloped in Vegas after my eighteenth birthday…” I reply, “And since Daryl hasn’t ever believed in marriage, or divorce or the law… we just didn’t get a divorce after we separated…”

“When did you separate?” Carol asks quietly. She’s a very nice, humble lady who doesn’t say much and it’s because of her husband. I’ve seen the marks she hides and I know them all too well.

“Six years around? Give or take-”

“Six years!” Amy shouts and we all tell her to hush. She blushes. “Why the hell did he let a total fox let you go? Wait, it was him who ended it right? Or… was it you?”

“Nothing gets past you, does it?” I chuckle, shaking my head. “He did the dumping and moving out… rather, he moved out and I didn’t see him until about four months later. He came ‘round to take one of our dogs and I wouldn’t let him separate them. So he swore at me, packed up more of his shit that I put in the shed and he left again.”

“That’s it? He didn’t leave a note or anything?” Amy asks and I shake my head. It still hurts because I still don’t know why he left.

“What an asshole! I’ll kill him!” Amy huffs angrily as she stands up and comes over. She wraps her arms around me and gives me a gigantic bear hug. She kisses the top of my head with a loud, “Mwuah!”

I grin, returning the love. “Thanks Amy.”

The other ladies giggle and we finish off the rest of the laundry for the day. The sun is starting to get low in the sky and we know the men of the camp will come looking for us. We pack up Shane’s jeep and the four of us climb inside as Jackie and Carol decide to walk back to camp with Carol’s daughter Sophia.

Lori puts the vehicle in drive and we set off, not in too big of a hurry to get back. Amy’s sitting in the back with me and she’s talking about supper when she suddenly stops, and looks over at me.

“Wait… Daisy, do you still love him?”

I shrug. “I believe you’ll always love those in your past if you have a good reason and I have a perfectly good reason to still love Daryl.”

“Maybe he still loves you.” Amy suggests and I can’t help but laugh. “Maybe his priorities have changed since… you know… the end of the world.”

“Oh, sugar. I doubt it. But thanks for trying.” I retort, amused by her naivety. Amy is still full of questions as we near the camp.

“I think you should ask him why he left and tell him how you feel about it.” Amy says.

“No, thank you. I’ve lived my life in peace the last six years.” I respond quickly, hoping she’ll drop the subject but she doesn’t. She presses on.

“Why not? The love of your life, this guy you’ve known for twenty-one years, has survived the apocalypse. And you aren’t willing to at least patch things up before you both die?” Amy argues as the jeep pulls up to camp.

“Amy, stop it.” Andrea sternly says to her sister as she opens the door and props her seat up so I can climb out.

“If she still loves him, she should let him know.” Amy points out as she follows me out of the back seat. “Especially in this case, right Lori?”

Lori looks like a deer caught in headlights as she grabs a basket of wet clothing. She bites her lip and after a minute or so, she says, “I’m not going to say yes and I’m not going to say no. This is her business, Amy. But she does have a point – you need to settle this issue, whatever it is, between the two of you.”

With that, she walks away toward the drying lines we hung up last week. Andrea hurries after her with another basket. Amy looks smug and proud as I grumble in defeat.

“Fine. I’ll try and talk to him but I’m not promising anything.”