At one time, having someone watch you sleep would have been considered unsettling; but now that the monsters no longer stayed under the bed, it was the only way to be sure you'd be safe.

For Daryl, just walking down the stairs felt like an act of betrayal. After spending night after night watching each other's backs, something felt unnatural about leaving Beth alone upstairs. But he knew she was safe and probably sleeping more peacefully in that bedroom than she had in months. Plus, this surprise would be worth it.

Daryl had never learned to set a table. He had seen it done on television, when he and his brother would crash with someone who had paid for (or more likely had stolen) cable, but it wasn't a skill his mother had taught him as a kid. Luckily, he didn't need that skill very often now. Instead, he just carefully split up the food he had chosen from the cabinet. He evenly divided the pickled pig's feet, his favorite, the peanut butter, her favorite, and two bottles of diet Cola. Just for good measure, he threw in a can of okra (since he recalled Beth once laughing at the emphasis people used to put on eating one's vegetables) and a jar of jam. It was definitely more food than they needed for one meal, but it wasn't often they got to feast. As he examined the size of the bottles, Daryl had debated just having them share one bottle of soda, since they had been sharing drinks for weeks, but for some reason the idea now twisted his stomach into knots. Beth knew they had more available. What would she think if he assumed she wanted to drink from the same bottle?

Carefully Daryl readjusted the items, even stepping into the doorway to preview how Beth would first see the food when she came downstairs. He wasn't sure why this impression mattered to him, but it did. Maybe it was just that Daryl hadn't been able to do something this nice for another person in a long time. Maybe it was that Beth had just lost everything he had once longed to have. Maybe it was that he, for some unknown reason, just needed her to smile.

Adrenaline immediately pumped through his chest when he heard a creek on the stairs. Daryl moved to the door but hesitated before pulling it open. After a moment, there was another creek, followed by another pause.

"Daryl?" Beth called out tentatively.

"Sorry, just down 'ere." Daryl replied, immediately reprimanding himself for apologizing as he stepped into the hallway. Why was he assuming that his absence caused her to worry?

"K. I'm comin'…" Beth replied, sheathing her knife before continuing down the stairs. Her gait was slow and uneven as she descended, leaning heavily on the railing for support. However, despite her injury, she looked amazing. Maybe it was the full night's sleep, access to a bed, or just the morning's light streaming in the window behind her, but Daryl couldn't help but stare. She looked like an angel.

"Movin' kinda slow there." Daryl tried to joke when Beth's cheeks suddenly flooded with pink. She just laughed his apparent joke off, but in reality her slow pace was driving him crazy. At that moment, all he wanted was for her to see the breakfast. To know that, for once, they could sit at a real table and eat their fill without worrying about anything.

"I'm goin' as fast as I can" She finally responded, reaching the bottom of the stairs and coming to a stop. Daryl noticed a moment of hesitation in her eyes as she looked to the door, knowing she would need to cross the rest of the distance without the railing's aid.

In one impulsive movement, Daryl pulled Beth into his arms. Before his brain could question his decision, Beth let out another giggle, wrapping her arms around his neck gratefully. He moved toward the kitchen at full speed, trying to hold back the smile trying to force its way onto his lips and ruin his surprise. Rather than take a hand off of Beth, he kicked the kitchen door open, carrying her to the opposite side of the table so he could hold onto her for just a moment longer.