24

I got a girl, I love to kiss.

I got a girl, I never wanna miss.

I got a girl and she's my best friend.

I Got a Girl-By Tripping Daisy

Carol's divorce went through without a hitch three months later and she didn't have to travel except for the final hearing in Philadelphia. Ed never showed up to court so Carol got what she was asking for in the judgement. The house on Long Beach Island, in a town called Surf City in New Jersey was all she asked for and she was granted it, fully paid off.

Ed could see the girls whenever he wanted, but he hadn't tried to see them at all. Carol didn't know where he was, but the girl didn't mention him.

Maybe he was afraid of Daryl, Abe and Merle, or just busy working, either way she counted it as a blessing. If he pursued seeing them, she would cross that bridge when the time came.

But not now, not when there was so much happiness, finally in their lives.

They had Daryl, their Uncle Abe and Travis to fill their world with giggles and good times. They didn't miss their father.

She and Daryl took the kids there to the house on the beach for two weeks after the divorce was final. The rented surfboards from a nice young man named Mike at the Ron Jon Surf Shop there and Carol finally taught Daryl how to surf.

Just like she promised so long ago.

It was August now, and New Jersey was sweltering and full of tourists, and traffic but they didn't care. This was the first of many family trips they had planned, the drive wasn't so bad to and from New Jersey, twelve hours or so. They talked about coming back as soon as possible and Carol couldn't resist teasing him just a little about that one drive she made.

The drive she made listening to her playlist of doom.

Now they were here together, like it was supposed to be.

Together with their four children they spent two weeks getting to know each other and making a family and some wonderful memories. Abe and Rosita came and laid on the beach outside the back door from morning to night. Abe had no interest in surfing, never did. That was his sister's gig. He preferred just lying on the beach and Rosita was all about that, having never been to the beach before.

She would come back anytime he wanted to.

They got along wonderfully with Carol's friends from New Jersey Sasha and Bob who came down twice with their two daughters.

Sasha hugged her tight when she saw her and remarked that she had never seen her happier. Sasha would know, she had known her all through her marriage to Ed.

Then she turned to Daryl and smiled. "I know who you are."

He nodded and she hugged him, which caught him off guard. "You take care of my friend, you hear me?"

"Always." He answered and that was good enough for Sasha.

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Travis watched his sisters like a hawk on the beach as he watched his father and Carol wipe out in the water more times than they actually stood up on the boards. But they were having fun and finally it came back to her and she rode the waves like she was fifteen again.

She felt fifteen again when she was with him.

The year she moved to Georgia, went to a party and set in motion a love that would never leave her. He was with her now like they always talked about. It just took a little while that was all.

The best things are worth waiting for.

The second week Tara and Michonne drove up too and spent a weekend with Carol going through all the shops on the island and eating at the local place Carol had raved about called The Chegg, short for The Chicken or the Egg.

The best food on the island according to Carol and they had to agree. The Buffalo wings were to die for. This beach town was soon everyone's favorite and plans were made for another trip in the fall.

Glenn and Maggie would come on that trip, because it was going to be a celebration.

/

Travis and the girls sat on the front porch waiting for Carol to come outside. They were playing word games in a puzzle book together and they all sat around him like he was their god or something. Just a big brother to look up to, but he ate it up with a spoon.

Tara and Michonne were inside with her helping her get ready and it was taking too long. Daryl stood off in the distance at the foot of the stairs smoking a cigarette. Merle and Abe stood with him each smoking a cigar. There was not much talking going on. It was eerily quiet.

It was September 27th and Carol had been divorced six weeks.

Travis excused himself from the girls and walked over to his father. They were both dressed in suits that matched, dark color with gray ties. Abraham and Merle were dressed the same as well, and they were a handsome group of men.

Carol, Tara and Michonne came out the door followed by Rosita. They all had on dresses of different colors and Carol held flowers tied in a simple string.

"You nervous?" Travis said to him.

"Naw." Daryl said looking over at him and Travis was just about to call bullshit when he saw her coming outside. Dressed in a beautiful blue dress with spaghetti straps and a short tulle skirt.

"You are so full of shit." Travis said walking back towards the porch, he turned back to his father and smiled. "Come on, everyone's waiting, I hear this wedding has been a long time in the making."

The end

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did writing it, it was a true labor of love for me because it's based on my life. It is my life story.

The playlist of doom was real. The drive home from college to the garage that ended so badly, very, very real, word for word. We joke about it now, but

then? Oh the humanity and drama when you're nineteen and think you know it all.

I am mother to five children his and mine. Ours. We are married seven years.

He makes me listen to Johnny Cash and I make him listen to Grunge, OAR and Jimmy Eat World. The three little girl's are real and Travis is real. I

am proud to be his and his brother's step mother. This is my love letter to my husband.