As I sat there smiling down at her, the baby thrust her hands in the air towards my face. I stuck my finger out and put it near her small hand. She grabbed onto it with both of her pudgy hands and shoved it into her mouth, chewing on it. I let out a small laugh while I rocked her back and forth. I was immediately captivated by her, my heart swelling with love. I had no idea that something so pure and so small could still exist in a world like this. Holding her almost made me feel like I was back home, like nothing ever happened and it was just a normal day. It almost brought tears to my eyes just thinking about how unfortunate it was that this tiny, helpless being had to grow up in a world so terrifying and lawless. I wondered if she ever felt fear. Would she ever know it? I prayed that she would never have to, that this world we were living in would come crumbling down so our regular lives could come back before she could even remember the monsters roaming the earth, but there was no telling how long we'd be fighting to survive. I closed my eyes.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.

You make me happy when skies are gray.

You'll never know, dear, how much I love you.

Please don't take my sunshine away,"

I softly sang to her; it was a song my mother used to sing to me before bed when I was little to make me forget the terrible things my father had said and/or done that day. The baby gazed up at me intently. A small smile ghosted my lips. I remembered back to when I held Penny for the first time, the small lifelong friend I'd have. I used to sing to Penny all the time; I even taught her that song. I wondered if this baby had ever heard it. I, honestly, hoped she didn't; it was one of the first songs I ever heard, one of the first songs Penny ever heard. It was special to me; it was gonna be the first song my kids will ever hear, that is if I get to have kids. It was one of the only things that made me feel safe. It reminded me of normalcy. 

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see something move in the doorway. I was drawn from my thoughts, my head snapping up. I was a bit startled when my eyes locked with Daryl's. He stood in the doorway awkwardly, shifting back and forth in his spot. How long had he been there? Was he just following me around all of a sudden? My face began to heat up as I rose to my feet, the baby nestled safely against me. She cooed at the soft movement.

"Hi," I whispered, embarrassed.

"Didn't know ya sang," he muttered, chewing on his thumb nail like he usually did. I sighed, biting my lip. I knew he didn't actually care. He was probably just watching to see if I was gonna hurt someone.

"Yeah," I mumbled. The baby took my finger out of her mouth, holding it in stillness. "Sometimes." Thankfully, she interrupted me by bursting into tears. I started to bounce her around in my arms in hopes to soothe her before I started talking. "You're probably hungry, aren't you," I said to her, spotting a bottle near her cardboard box. I picked it up and almost put it to her lips before Daryl intervened.

"I'll take 'er." He stepped closer to me, his arms outstretched.

"You sure," I asked, continuing to try and comfort the crying child as the bottle hovered over her face.

"Yeah." He carefully took her from me, cradling her in his arms. He grabbed the bottle and put it to her lips, feeding her so the crying was replaced with hungry gulps. I watched him in amazement, mesmerized by how perfect he was. "You're hungry, huh? You like that? You like that, Lil' Ass Kicker," Daryl whispered. I grinned to myself. He looked so comfortable with her, his whole demeanor relaxed. Daryl smiled, the first time I've ever seen him do so. My heart fluttered at the sight of his happiness. I quickly bit my lip to suppress my grin, afraid he might see me.

The baby reached up for Daryl's face, just like she did for me. He set the now empty bottle down on the table. She latched onto his finger and held it tightly in her delicate hands. Daryl lightly chuckled, smiling again. He gazed up at me, catching my eye. Blush didn't hesitate to tint our cheeks. My heart began to pick up speed. I shifted my focus to the ground, away from him. I could feel his eyes continue to linger on me as he slowly sat down on the stairs.

"You should sing again," Daryl suggested to break the silence.

"No," I immediately responded. "I—I don't sing in front of others."

"You were singin' to the baby," he retorted. I sighed, almost angrily. "Can't you just pretend I'm not here or somethin'?"

"I'd rather not." My voice lowered to a whisper. "That's kinda hard to do." He always made me feel nervous when he was around. It was hard to just up and ignore; you can never ignore the presence of someone you like, especially someone who looked like him.

"Why," he smirked, his eyes surprisingly twinkling. Maybe it was because I could feel his eyes on me all the time. Maybe it was because he always made me flustered. Maybe it was because my stomach flipped every time I sensed him near me. Maybe it was because we kissed last night and I wanted to do it again. He continued to smirk as if he knew exactly why and what I was thinking.

"Just 'cause," I muttered, tucking my hair behind my ear nervously. I looked down at Lil' Ass Kicker. She was cuddled up into Daryl's chest, fast asleep. Another small grin ghosted my lips. I reached out to brush my finger down her cheek but a harsh voice stopped me from doing so.

"What're you doing," they asked.