Sixteen-year-old Carol sat on the floor against her bed, her knees drawn up to her chest. How could she have been so stupid to let this happen? She looked at the white stick sitting on the floor next to her. Two pink lines stared up at her. Accusing.

'You let this happen', she screamed at herself.

She had believed Edwhen he told her he loved her. She should have known it was just a lie to get what he wanted from her. He was three years older than her, she should have known better. How was she going to tell people? What were they going to think of her? Her uncle was going to be so disappointed in her.

She had gone to live with her Uncle Dale after her parents had been killed in a car accident when she was twelve. He was already raising his daughters, Andrea and Amy, on his own after her Aunt Irma had died from cancer. He had done so much for her. This was going to make things so much harder on him.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Hey, you in here?" Her best friend Daryl Dixon poked his head into the room.

"I'm here," she called from the end of the bed, quickly wiping her tears. She didn't want him to see she had been crying.

"What the hell ya doin'? I rang the bell. Nobody answered," he said, walking over to where she was sitting and looked down at her.

"Sorry," she shrugged. "Andrea took Amy to the park and Dale had to go to the shop. I guess I didn't hear it," she sniffled.

He narrowed his eyes at her and tilted his head in the way she had learned he did when he knew she was hiding something from him.

He flopped down on the floor next to her. "What's wrong? Why ya crying?"

She shook her head. "I'm fine," her voice wavered.

He nudged her with his elbow. "Come on. Whose ass do I need to kick?"

She gave him a sad smile. "Mine, I guess."

"What?"

She reached under the bed where she shoved the test when he came into the room. She pulled it out and handed it to him.

He stared at it for a few seconds before speaking. "Are you sure? I mean, is this right?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I took two just to be sure."

"Damn," he said, slumping against the bed.

"Yeah." She took the test back from him and clutched it in her hand.

"Who?" he asked.

"Who do you think?" Standing up she walked to the trash can to throw the test away.

"Damn it, Carol. I told you not to go out with him."

He knew her dating that dumbass was only going to lead to trouble.

"Fine! Your were right. I should have listened to you. He was a jerk. He got what he wanted and then he was done with me," she said, wiping the tears that had started again.

"You told me you broke up with him, because you realized you didn't really like him."

"I know, I was embarrassed. I believed he cared about me. And I felt stupid for falling for his lies."

Daryl's nostrils flared and he started for the front door.

"Wait! Where are you going?" She caught up to him at the door. She put her hand over his on the knob to prevent him from leaving.

"I'm gonna go find that asshole. And I'm gonna kick his ass."

"Don't, okay? You'll get into trouble. And his dumbass isn't worth it."

He let go of the doorknob. "Carol."

"Please," She begged, tugging on his hand.

"Fine. Does he know yet?"

Carol shook her head. "He probably won't care."

He nodded his head. "What about your uncle?"

"Not yet. He's going to hate me. He's going to be so mad," she sobbed.

"Fuck, Carol. Don't cry." He pulled her against him and wrapped his arm around her. "He ain't gonna hate you. He loves you. I reckon he'll be upset. He's a good guy. He ain't gonna hate you."

"I know. I just…I'm scared."

"It'll be okay. Will it help if I'm here when you tell him?"

"You don't have to do that. It's not your responsibility."

"Will it help?"

"Yeah."

"Okay then. I'll be here."

Carol awoke to a blaring alarm and small fingers poking her in the eye, prying her eyelid open. She opened her eyes to see her two-year-old daughter Sophia staring down at her, her face less than two inches from her own.

"Mama breakfast." She tugged on Carol's arm in an attempt to pull her from the bed.

"Five more minutes," she said and playfully pulled the covers over her head.

"No, Mama up." Sophia yanked on the cover.

"Okay, okay. I'm up," she said, scooping her daughter up and tickling her stomach.

Sophia giggled trying to get away. "Mama stop." She wiggled out of Carol's arms and ran down the hall towards the kitchen, Carol following close behind.

"Morning Uncle Dale," she said, walking to the coffee pot and pouring a cup.

"Morning, sweetheart," he said, handing her the creamer before she could ask.

"Thanks," she said, taking a sip. "Andrea and Amy leave already?"

"Yes. I have to get to the shop early, so Andrea is dropping Amy off at school today. I fed Sophia already. There's some toast and bacon if you're hungry."

"You didn't have to."

"I'm happy to do it. You know how I love that little girl," he said, gathering up his keys and the things he needed for work.

"I know you do. Thank you." She said giving him a hug.

"You're welcome." He leaned down and gave Sophia a kiss on the head. "Behave for your Mama. See you tonight," he said as he walked out the door.

Carol picked a couple pieces of bacon and wrapped them in the toast while watching Sophia color a picture of a duck purple. She smiled as she watched her daughter.

It was hard when she found out she was pregnant. She was scared and didn't know what to do. But she loved her daughter more than anything, and couldn't imagine not having her.

She looked up at the clock. It was getting late. "Come on, Sophia. We've got to get ready to go," she said, stretching out her hand. Sophia grabbed her hand and followed her down the hall.

She was glad she didn't have to be at school until nine. It gave her a little more time to get ready in the morning. She was in a work study program in which you went to school from nine until one and then you went to work, and you received credit for it as long has the job was in your field of study. She was currently working six hours after school at a daycare center. She was planning on becoming an elementary school teacher.

One of the good things about it was that it was the same daycare center she sent Sophia to while she was at school. She liked having her close by like that. Just in case something happened, she would be right there. The owner also gave her a discount on the fee since she worked there. She was grateful for that. She liked being able to pay for it herself. She felt guilty any time Uncle Dale paid for something. She knew he didn't mind, but she liked being able to do things for herself.

She took out clothes for herself and Sophia. She needed to dress Sophia first since she knew it took longer with all the squirming around she did.

"Sophia, which shirt do you want? Blue or purple."

"None," she declared.

It was going to be a long day.

"Sophia, get back here," yelled Carol as she gathered up a trail of clothing left by her two-year-old daughter, who darted out of her reach and made a beeline for the kitchen.

Somehow in the two minutes it took Carol to get dressed Sophia had managed to take of every piece of clothing she had put on her; leaving a trail leading from Carol's room to the kitchen.

Lately she had decided she didn't like clothes and decided to take them off whenever she saw fit. The last time had been two days ago at the grocery store, much to her horror and Daryl's amusement. However, he did help her get the clothes back on before too many people saw that she couldn't keep clothes on her own child.

"Come on, Sophia." She said as she lifted her to stand on the kitchen chair. "You have to wear clothes."

Carol patted Sophia's leg, so she would lift it.. "Come on. Lift."

"No." Sophia crossed her arms over her chest and plopped down in the chair. She stuck out her bottom lip and scowled. "Don't like clothes."

She spent so much time with Daryl that she was starting to develop a lot of his mannerisms. She would swear sometimes if the light was right she looked just like Daryl. That was silly, Daryl wasn't her father. Carol sometimes wished he was, though. But it was wrong to wish that kind of responsibility on her best friend.

Lately Carol had been developing more than platonic feelings for her best friend. She wasn't sure when it started or what she was supposed to do about it. She didn't know if he felt the same, even though her friend Michonne said he did. She didn't want to risk ruining their friendship by opening her big mouth and declaring her feelings.

"Sophia, you have to get dressed. Mommy's going to be late for school." That sounded weird. "If you don't get dressed you won't be able to go to daycare and play with the other kids. And I know how much you like that."

With a sigh Sophia lifted her arms above her head so Carol could pull her shirt on. "Good girl."

In less time than it took her to remove them, Carol had her clothes and shoes back on, and pulled her strawberry blonde hair into to pigtails.

She threw the diaper bag over her shoulder, grabbed her purse in one hand, grabbed Sophia's hand in the other, and was out the door.

After getting Sophia strapped into her car seat she climbed into the front to start the car. It made clicking noise and refused turn over.

"Oh, come on," she said and tried again. Nothing. She sighed, "Great."

Everybody had already left the house for work or school. Carol pulled her cell phone out of her purse. She hoped Daryl hadn't left for school yet, since he went at the same time she did; he probably hadn't. He was in the work study program too, and wanted to be a mechanic. He worked after school with her Uncle Dale at his garage. She hit the speed dial on her phone and put it to her ear as it started ringing.