Hope Is a Waking Dream

Chapter 18

They spent a good hour in front of that grave marker, Melissa talking to them the whole time. She introduced them, actually introduced them, as if he didn’t already painfully know who they were. He never met them, but was well aware of who they were. As the sun descended into the horizon, he mentioned to her that maybe they should find that grounds keeper’s house before it got too dark, something about not wanting to be caught after dark in a field of dead people that ain’t took a bullet to the brain yet. She sighed heavily when he said that, but knew he was right. He stood and took her hand to help her up. She unconsciously took his hand in hers and entwined their fingers together as she led him away He was feeling mighty uncomfortable now, and guilty. Seemed he always had something to feel guilty about in his life, but he was thinking that this may be the worst he’s ever felt it.
As they approached the house, which looked more like a rickety old shack to him, he let go of her hand and unshouldered his crossbow. “He have family or it just him? We need to know how many we should be looking for.”
“Just him, I think. Didn’t see much of him. I came here a lot right after they died, then just on birthdays and anniversaries. I haven’t been here in almost three years.”
“Alright, get your knives out. We’re gonna do this by the book. I‘ll knock on the door and windows. You stay back till I tell ya.”
“Sure thing boss,” she said a little defeated by his authoritative tone. She stood at the bottom of the porch steps while he did his thing, and within a minute what at one time was the caretaker, slammed into the front window. He motioned for Melissa to join him by the door and he opened it slowly, walking in first. Daryl sunk a bolt in its ear before it could turn around. She hovered behind him and he motioned for her to check the place out while he took the twice dead corpse outside. There were no other walkers, so she looked into the different rooms. She found a bathroom, a bedroom, and the kitchen. She heard the door close when Daryl came back in.
“I’ll find some tools and dig a hole for him. He dug for everybody else, deserves to have one done for him.” She crossed the room and stood in front of him.
“That’s a nice thought Daryl, and a very kind act. I can help you, but later okay? We should get these squirrels skinned and cooking first, then we can take care of him, while it’s cooking.”
“Yeah, we can do that,” he said, trying to avoid eye contact. She put her arms around his neck and leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss him, but he reached up and removed her arms from him and walked away into the bathroom. She was a little surprised, and tried not to be hurt by his actions hoping that maybe he was just tired.
Daryl took a quick piss and put the lid down. He sat there for a while with his face buried in his hands. He didn’t know what to do, which wasn’t an unusual thing for him to feel, but this was different. He was desperate for an answer and wished Rick or Carol was there to give him one. This could destroy whatever they had. It could undo everything they had built up between them, and he didn’t think he could handle that. She would hate him more than anyone else ever had. Maybe she didn’t have to know, if he could keep this secret to himself things could be okay. Who was he kidding, even if he could keep her from finding out, just having that knowledge would tear him apart. It already was.
When he walked back into the kitchen, she already had the squirrels ready for skinning and gutting. She gave him an uneasy smile as he sat down across from her. They did they job without speaking to each other, and trying not to look at one another. When it was done, she got up from the table and grabbed a plastic bowl she had found in the cabinet and put the meat in it. She handed another one to Daryl for the skin and guts, and they walked outside together. There was a pile of wood on the side of the shack and he used it to make a fire. Once the meat was cooking, he took a shovel he found and handed a pick to Melissa. They dug a shallow grave and laid the man to rest. Daryl put the bowl containing the skin and guts in with him. He knew it was probably disrespectful, but the old man wouldn’t know the difference, and that shit needed to be buried anyway. When the meat was done, Melissa took it inside while Daryl extinguished the fire. She had already started eating when he came back in. They sat together eating in silence again. She was really worried now. He hadn’t even as much as smiled at her since they came into the cemetery.
“Do you not like cemeteries Daryl, or is something else wrong?” she asked, half afraid of what his answer would be.
“Naw, it’s not my favorite place to be, but its fine. You needed to be here, so we’re here. I’m just tired.”
“Okay, but it seems to be more than that. I don’t know if I did anything wrong or not but I like the way things are between us now and I don’t want it to go back to the way it was. I don’t want to do this by myself anymore, not without you.” She reached her hand out to his and he let her take it.
“I don’t either sweetheart. I can’t imagine going through this without you, and you didn’t do a damn thing wrong. I just . . . . I guess I just feel. . . . I don’t know. I haven’t been in a cemetery since my momma was buried. I never went back to see her. Guess I just feel bad about that.”
“I don’t know why ya didn’t go see her, and it’s none of my business, but I know she loved you and I’m sure she would have understood. It was probably beyond your control.”
“Yeah,” he said and finally looked at her, “it was.” She let go of his hand and took the bowl they had been eating from and put it in the sink. He was still looking at her when she turned back around to face him, a mask of desperation on his face. “Do you still miss your folks?”
“Yes,” she said and sat back down, “but not as much as I used to. I know them dying really did a number on me, and I’m still dealing with those issues, obviously, but it’s not their deaths I’m dealing with anymore. It’s the choices I made as a result of it.” Daryl nodded his head in response. “Come on, you’re tired, I’m tired, let’s go to bed. You’ll feel better in the morning.” He nodded his head again and followed her into the bedroom. He took off his vest and boots and considered removing his pants too, but thought that would get him into trouble. He climbed into bed wearing his pants and t-shirt and watched Melissa get ready and climb in wearing only her bra and panties. He held his arm out to her and she snuggled against his chest.
“I really liked what we did earlier, at the creek. Do you think we could do that again?” she asked him in the dark. He reached his other arm around her body and pulled her on top of him. Weaving his hand through her long, dark hair, he pulled her face to his. He knew now that once she knew the truth, she would never let him touch her again. And damn if he wasn’t going to touch her as much as he could until that happened.
“We can do anything you want Melissa.” A shiver went down her spine from the way he said her name, deep and full of lust. His kiss was as hungry and desperate as it had been earlier. He ran his wet lips over hers and played with her tongue eliciting sighs and moans from them both. He moved his hands to her shoulders and kneaded them, pushing a finger under each bra strap. He sat up and moved his lips to her neck, licking and sucking. She began to grind against him like she had before and it made him hard again. Her breath hitched when she felt him grow against her inner thigh. His fingers continued rubbing her shoulder under her straps and he whispered in her ear, “Can I take this off?” She didn’t answer him, but put her hands behind her back and unhooked it herself. She was so out of her mind that she did it without thinking, without feeling scared or embarrassed. She needed his hands and mouth on her and everything else was an afterthought.
He pulled the straps down her arms, kissing the spots where they had laid against her skin. He lifted his head when he removed the cups from her breasts and stared as they were revealed to him. He took his eyes away and looked at her face, cupping her cheeks in his hands. “You are so fucking beautiful, most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life.” He gently pushed her until she was laying on her back. He climbed on top of her moving her legs apart and settled between them. “If you need me to stop, I will, you just have to tell me. I don’t want to do anything you’re not ready for, and I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I just want you to touch me, make me feel good, like you told me you would.” He leaned over her and lapped at her nipple, rubbing the other with his thumb. She gasped at his touch and palmed the back of his head to hold him in place. He had always been a breast man, didn’t really know why, just that the Big Jugs magazines that Merle had under his mattress were his favorite. He’d sneak off with it whenever he was gone and eventually just kept them in his room. Merle always bought the new issues anyway. He switched breasts, not wanting to risk ignoring any part of her. He squeezed and kneaded with his hand, flicking his thumb across her hardened nipple and lavished the other with his tongue and lips. He felt as though he was losing consciousness, he could only feel her body beneath him, and could only hear her soft moans which eventually became his name over and over again like a litany.
“Fuck Daryl. God that feels so good. Don’t stop, please,” she begged him, and he didn’t want to stop, but he wanted more than this. He was pretty sure she had never had an orgasm and that was the goal for tonight, to hear her say his name as she came in his mouth.
“You like this baby?” he said in between licks and sucks. “Does this make you feel good? Tell me how it feels to have my mouth on ya.” She groaned when he spoke, his mouth, his hands, and feeling his big cock against her leg was getting to be too much, but she still wanted more.
“My heart is beating too fast, I can’t breathe. God! I never thought anything could feel this good. I need more, please!” Daryl didn’t say anything, just moved his hands down her sides to her hips and grabbed them tightly. His mouth moved to the valley between her breasts and kissed its way down the expanse of her ribcage and stomach. He felt her muscles flutter as he worked his way down. He dipped his fingers under the waistband of her panties and rubbed circles in the skin there. His cock was throbbing and leaking inside its denim cage. He didn’t want a repeat of this afternoon, he wasn’t going to leave her unfulfilled again. He lifted his face from her body and began to tug at her panties. She froze when she realized what was happening.
“Don’t be afraid baby. I’m gonna make you feel good, just as good as you made me feel. Just lay back, let me taste you.” She did lay back and he stood up pulling her body around to where her legs hung off the side. He knelt before her and rubbed his palms up and down her thighs before pushing them apart slowly. “Tell me you want this. Tell me what you want me to do to you.”
She groaned loudly. “I don’t know Daryl,” she whined. “Just do what you’re supposed to do. I want this please. Do it and stop dicking around about it.” He chuckled and hooked his hand under her thighs.
“I’m gonna make you cum baby and I want to hear you scream my name when you do.”
“Yes! Anything Daryl please. I want to cum.”
“Alright baby. Just take a deep breath.” He propped her feet on his shoulders and leaned into her. His mouth watered, she smelled so sweet and he just knew she would taste like honey. He licked her from top to bottom with the flat on his tongue. She gasped loudly and her body shook. Daryl’s dick throbbed at the sound and he wrapped his lips around her clit. He gently massaged it before sucking it and pulling off. He couldn’t get enough of her, she was dripping wet and he lapped her up. He flicked his tongue against her slowly, but increased his speed when her breathing quickened and she writhed on the bed. She chanted his name over and over again. He moved his tongue to her entrance and moved it in and out of her while rubbing figure eights on her clit with his thumb.
“Harder Daryl, rub me harder,” she commanded him and he obeyed. The harder he rubbed and the faster he fucked her with his tongue the wetter she became. He knew she was close. She was getting louder and begging him to let her cum. He removed his mouth from her, but kept his hand here it was.
“Cum for me baby, just let go. I want ya to scream for me, let those dumb bastards outside know whose making ya cum.” He latched back onto her pussy and she screamed louder than she ever had in her life. “Daryl! Oh my god! Daryl! Yes!” He had never made a woman scream his name before and hearing it took him to the edge. It took all his strength and will not to cum. He continued to lick and suck up her juices until she lay still and quiet. He was about to bust a nut, but instead he gently lowered her legs and stood up. He looked down at her body, naked and sprawled out in front of him. He remembered seeing her at the brook washing herself. He thought she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, but this . . . this was magnificent. Her voluptuous breasts and body covered in a thin sheen of sweat, her chest rising and falling as her breathing evened out. This is the most magnificent thing he has ever gazed upon. His whole life he never imagined that he could have a woman like this, women didn’t like him in general. They only gave him the time of day when they were drunk, high, or needed drugs from Merle. This woman wanted him, had begged him to touch her and he loved her more than he had ever loved anything, even his brother. He couldn’t let this end without feeling her touch. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him sleepily and smiled.
“I thought I was gonna explode,” she said and scooted up the bed a bit. Daryl climbed in next to her and laid on his back, his erection painful now and desperate for release.
“You did explode baby. You did so good.” He turned on his side and propped his head up on his palm, his other hand cupping her full breast. He was suddenly nervous. He needed to cum and he was barely holding his shit together. He wanted her to touch him, make him cum, but he didn’t know how to ask her.
“Can I touch you?” she said suddenly and relief washed over him. “I don’t know what to do, or how to do it, but I want to touch you.”
“Yes, baby please,” he said. “I’ll show you what to do.” He started to push his pants down his legs, but she stopped him and did it herself. She was so nervous her hands were shaking. He held them still between his own. “Don’t be scared baby. I’m so close it ain’t gonna take much. Ain’t no way in hell you’re gonna get it wrong.” Once his pants were pushed down his erection sprang forth like a jack in the box. He was commando, as per his usual these days. Melissa had only seen pictures in the textbooks at school, which looked disgusting, but this was a work of art. He was long and thick, but not grotesquely so, and the head was leaking like a fountain. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. She briefly wondered how something that size would fit inside her, but was torn from that thought when Daryl placed her hand on the base of his cock. She instinctively wrapped her fingers around it and squeezed, forcing a long, deep growl from his chest. His eyes were shut tight and he didn’t see the proud smile that graced her face knowing that she made him do that. He put his hand over hers and moved it up and down his shaft. She loved the feel of him in her hand, silk skin and hard muscle. He showed her the pace he liked and how to rub the head with the palm of her hand as she passed over it. He was much closer than he had imagined because it only took half a dozen strokes until he exploded all over his hand and hers. “Fuck, Melissa! I’m cumming! God baby! Yes!” He tightened his grip on her hand and kept her movements steady as he worked through his orgasm. He finally released his grip on her and struggled to regulate his breathing. She didn’t move away from him, just watched his chest rise and fall rapidly and his cock soften. Ten minutes later, his eyes opened and he smiled.
“I thought you fell asleep,” she giggled. “Don’t men do that after?”
He laughed, “Yeah, sometimes. I thought I was gonna.” He put his hand on her cheek. “Goddamn woman, I never felt anything like that before. That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever experienced. Thank you.”
“I didn’t do anything. You were doing it, just using my hand for it. You feel incredible though. Didn’t think it would feel like that . . . so soft. Anyway, you don’t need to thank me. I never thought I would ever find a man who wanted to touch me. I was always too weird, crazy, ugly or fat. I didn’t believe a man would ever want to do anything like that with me, but you did. I think I want you to do that to me every day. I don’t want to lose you, I can’t lose you.”
“You won’t ever lose me. I ain’t going nowhere. You are as close to perfect I’ve ever known. I want to do so much more with you. This is just the beginning Melissa, I can’t imagine not having you with me now. I can’t lose you either.” He kissed her sweetly and rearranged them in the bed under the sheets. She laid her head on his chest and he held her in his arms.
“Could you sing to me?” he asked her quietly. Her soft, angelic voice carried through the room and into his head. He closed his eyes and relaxed his body, still holding her close.

He woke up before her the next morning, his arms still around her. He felt strangely at ease lying there with her. He’d never slept with a woman before, actually slept. He’d never shared a bed with anyone but Merle. Waking up with a beautiful woman was an amazing feeling, but it was marred by his guilt. If he told her the truth, he would lose her. If he didn’t tell her, and she found out somehow anyway, she would still hate him for not telling her. He would lose her regardless of his decision, and he would rather be honest with her, than have this guilt eat away at him.
She stirred slowly in his arms and opened one eye looking up at him. “Good morning,” she said, her voice rough and full of sleep. To Daryl, it sounded sexy and inviting and it made him want her. It made him want to fuck her, in an actual sense.
“Good morning baby. How do you feel?” She pushed herself off him and leaned in to kiss him. “I feel good. How do you feel?”
“I feel happy,” he said. It wasn’t a complete lie. Waking up with her did make him happy. The rest . . . well . . . . when her lips landed on his, he forgot the rest. The passion and lust he felt last night came rushing back and he held her face in his hands as their lips and tongues moved together. She pulled away with a smile.
“There’s some squirrel left if you’re hungry. I can get it for you. I found some canned fruit in the cabinet too.”
“Sounds delicious. I’ll grab some supplies while you’re doing that. I saw some stuff in the bathroom last night and I’ll check the closet and dresser.”
“Alright,” she said and climbed out of the bed, not remembering until then that she was completely naked. She jumped off the bed quickly and nosedived onto the floor to pick up her clothes. She covered her body with them as she walked to the door.
“You don’t have to hide from me, ya know. I’ve seen you in the daylight, remember?” he said as he stood from the bed, naked himself from the waist down.
She gave him an embarrassed smile, her face blushed. “I’ll stop hiding if you do. You never took off your shirt,” she said and went into the bathroom to dress. She was right, he never took off his shirt. No one had ever seen his back, not Merle, not anybody. Except for that time at the farm when he’d fallen down that ravine with an arrow in his side, he had never taken his shirt off in front of anyone. He was scared of what people would think, or say. He didn’t want pity for this. He was proud that he had survived his childhood, but that didn’t mean he wanted to share it with the world. She had let him see her body last night, a body he knew she didn’t like. It was a conscious decision made from trust. She faced her fears and let him see her, all of her. He owed her the same. She had the right to know about that too.
He found two duffle bags in the bottom of the closet and quickly went through the drawers. He threw in socks, t-shirts, and a pack of boxer briefs than were unopened. The closet had a couple pair of jeans and two rifles. He found a handgun and ammo in the nightstand drawer along with two boxes of condoms and a Bible. At least this guy had his priorities straight. He went into the bathroom and threw in soap, deodorant, shampoo, a couple razors and shave cream. He also found triple antibiotic ointment, band aids (with Hello Kitty on them, what the fuck?) and gauze wrap. He threw in some towels and wash clothes too. He hauled the bag into the front room and went into the kitchen Melissa had already divided up the meat and opened two cans of fruit cocktail. Daryl hated that shit, but who was he gonna complain to? He told her about all the stuff he found and that maybe they could find a place where a lady had lived and find some stuff for her.
“That would be awesome, but right now we should be thinking about how we’re gonna get this stuff back to camp. We got our rucksacks, the gas can, and now these two big duffels.”
We’ll find a way,” he told her. “There has to be a truck around here somewhere. I don’t think the old man carried all the tools around in his arms.”
“Can we stop back by on our way out? I just want to say goodbye before we leave?” Daryl did not want to see that grave stone ever again. It was etched into his brain for all eternity, he didn’t need to see it with his eyes.
“Sure, let’s try to find that truck so we can load everything up, then we can drive out that way. ‘Sides, don’t think it’s safe to walk through all that tall grass if we don’t have to. Ticks are a bitch.” Melissa agreed and threw the empty cans and plastic bowl in a trash can by the defunct stove.
They didn’t have to walk far before they found the work shed. The door had a padlock on it, but was rotted all the way through, so Daryl just leaned on it hard and it fell open. There was a blue Chevy Silverado extended cab and a backhoe. Today was their lucky day. The keys to the truck were laying on the passenger’s side seat and the doors were unlocked. He quickly grabbed a couple of shovels and threw them in the bed before getting in and starting her up. She not only had a full tank, but also a half full gas can behind the driver’s side seat. He backed out through the garage door opening in the back of the shed and drove back to the shack. Daryl found bungee cord inside the center console and used it to tie up everything in the bed. At the last minute, he had an idea and went back into the bedroom. He pulled the sheets and blanket off the bed and grabbed the pillows. He stuffed it all in the backseat and yelled for Melissa to get her ass in the truck. She came out carrying more cans and boxes of food. Thank god she remembered, his mind had been on other things.
They stopped at her parent’s grave site on their way out, just as he had promised, but he stayed in the truck. He was trying to decide how to tell her, but realized that his delivery didn’t matter, it was the message that was so important. She jumped back in the truck after twenty minutes and they took off. “Do you still want to stop at the Shell? We’ve got room for more stuff now,” she asked as he took a right out of the cemetery.
“Yeah, we can do that, but I don’t want to stay long. I’d like to find that creek again, maybe wash up a bit.”
“Oh god, that would be great!” she said excitedly. They knew the place was clear of walkers on the outside, but they hadn’t ventured inside, so with weapons drawn, they descended on the convenience store. No one came to the door after Daryl banged on it a few times with his crossbow. The door wasn’t locked but stuck. It took both of them to push the door open and when they did, they stumbled through and almost landed on their asses. He caught her around the waist to keep her from falling.
“I got ya,” he said and pulled her back to his chest. “I always got ya.” He kissed the back of her neck and then let go of her. “You take the right side of the store, I’ll look over on this side.” He went behind the counter first, finding another rifle and handgun. God bless the south, where everybody exercised their second amendment rights. He grabbed a few cartons of cigarettes, some Zippos and lighter fluid, along with gum and an old Polaroid instant camera he found on the floor. Turning around, he found some packs of instant film for it and grabbed them too.
Melissa found some goodies for herself as well. Boxes of pads and tampons, baby wipes and a lone bottle of perfume. It was a knock off brand, but it didn’t matter, it would help with the stink anyway. As she was leaving the last aisle, she found condoms and discreetly put a couple of boxes in her in her bag. She threw in some lube too. After what she had seen last night, she thought it might help. Her mind was elsewhere as she walked out of the aisle and in front of the end cap. She didn’t notice the decaying hand that reached out for her from beneath the display. She screamed when she felt a hand grab her by the ankle and was so startled she fell to the ground. The walker, or crawler in this case, used her as leverage to pull its rotting torso out from under the shelves. She scrambled to get away and completely forgot about the knife on her hip. When Daryl heard her scream, he jumped over the counter and started looking around screaming her name. “Melissa! Where are you?” She couldn’t really form proper words in her brain, so she screamed again when she heard his voice. He found her on the floor trying to kick the thing off her. He rammed the butt of his crossbow through its skull and stomped on its arm to get it to release her. He fell to his knees and pulled her up into his arms. She wasn’t crying, but she was shaking violently. “Hush darlin’. Everything’s okay. It’s gone, it ain’t got you no more. I got ya, just like I said.” He helped her to her feet and picked her up bridal style because her legs were shaking so bad, she could hardly stand. He took her outside and put her in the truck. “I’m gonna go back in and get our bags. You wait right here. I’ll be right back.” He kissed her quickly and ran back inside the store. When he came back out, he threw the bags in the backseat and climbed in. She had calmed down a little, but her hands were still shaking. He didn’t really know what to do or say, but he scooted closer to her and put an arm around her shoulder.
“That’s the second time you’ve had to save me because I was an idiot.”
“You’re not an idiot, ya just didn’t think to look down. I didn’t either. Ya know how many times I almost got my ass chewed off because I wasn’t paying attention? More than I can count. I know ya got a lot on your mind, I do too, but you’re safe and you’re with me, so ya gotta calm down. You’re gonna make me a nervous wreck if ya don’t.”
“Okay, you’re right, as always. Let’s just find that creek. I really need a bath” she said trying to smile at him.
“I ain’t always right, just about this.” He kissed her forehead and scooted back behind the wheel. “I could use a bath too. I grabbed some towels from the bathroom at the groundskeepers place, and some men’s clothes. I’m sure they’d fit ya well enough till I can find you some ladies stuff that fits. Why don’t you reach back and grab my bag. I found some cartons in there, I’m sure you could use a smoke, I know I could.” She reached in the back and pulled his bag onto her lap. She pulled out a carton and a lighter.
“Do I have to fill this up? It’s probably not safe to pour lighter fluid in a moving vehicle.”
“I got some bics in there too, probably on the bottom.” She fished around and found one with the American flag on it. She passed it to him to hold while she opened the carton.
“Menthols, huh?” she said mockingly.
“Used to smoke ‘em all the time. Does not make me a douche bag,” he replied.
“Hey, I’m not making fun. Desperate times and all that.” She lit two and handed one to him. They drove in relative silence until they reached the area where the creek was.
“We can walk from here,” he said, “ain’t too far.” He grabbed two towels and wash clothes from one of the duffels, while she grabbed the soap and some clothes from the other. They stopped when they reached the spot where they had been the day before, both of them remembering what had happened there. “Are we gonna do this together?” he asked.
“That would be nice, but I think one of us should keep a look out. Don’t know what’s out there,” Melissa replied, a little disappointed by her own words.
“Alright, ladies first, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll be looking anywhere but at you.”
“You better. It’ll be hard trying to save my ass and yours if I’m naked.”
“Mmmmm, naked,” he said and put his lips on her neck. “At least let me get you out of those clothes.”
“Yeah, that sounds like fun, but not a good idea. It won’t take long, I promise.” He let her go and sat under the tree from yesterday. He watched her undress and walk into the water. His dick was tingling, again, but he knew nothing was gonna happen here. She was right, it was too dangerous. He tried not to look at her and instead took in his surroundings. He let his mind wonder a bit in order to keep his dick in line. He thought about her parents and what their deaths had done to her. The situation she was put in because of it and he did something that he would never have done had he been thinking strait. He opened his mouth. “Did they ever catch him? The drunk driver that killed your parents? They ever find him?” She wasn’t opposed to talking about it, just curious as to why he was so interested.
“Yeah, they arrested him at the scene. The cops said he passed out behind the wheel and ran the red light. Drove right into us.”
“You ever see him? Know anything about him?”
“The cops told me a little, but I never saw him. They didn’t allow me in the courtroom ‘cause I was too young. I had to tape a deposition for the judge. I didn’t get to watch any of the news reports either. One of the cops told me his name though, Walter or Will or something.” Daryl took a deep breath and swallowed hard. This was it, he contemplated how he would respond.
“It was Will, his name was Will. Well, William, technically. William Marshall Dixon. He was my father.”