#Lori still gets the ‘sorry I’m a shit daughter’ cake

[valleyfthdolls]

Cody & Lori revamped moodboards

[singingfirefliess]

26. “No, the house is definitely not haunted, why do you ask?”

pick a caryl prompt for me to write this week 

this is a follow up to this ficlet (first night in their new home) and it’s also dedicated to @silversundown2 you should know why coughhauntedhousecough

“I love what you did with the place, it’s so cozy,” Lori says with a smile, taking a long look around the living room. Everything is still a little messy, some of the shelves empty, the throw cushions not matching the new wallpaper. But they’ve made so much progress and Carol is proud of that.

“Thank you,” she says, taking a sip of tea and curling her hand around Daryl’s. He blushes a little, still unable to accept compliments. “Took a lot of work.”

Rick nods, nudging the toe of his boot against the hardwood floor. “Where’d you get the wood for the floor? It’s really-”

“Mommy, look what Carl and I found in the attic.” Sophia’s voice silences Rick. She and Carl come rushing into the living room, something dangling from her daughter’s hand that Carol doesn’t immediately recognize.

“You were in the attic?” she all but cries at her daughter, whipping her head around to look at Daryl. There’s a fire in her eyes that makes him shrink. “You said you locked it,” she hisses, panic surging through her. She pushes herself off the couch, wildly gesticulating. “Sophia put that thing down,” she orders with a firm voice, pointing at the old and ragged looking doll the kids found. “Put it down!” she repeats when Sophia doesn’t let go, and she drops it then, looking a little startled.

“Carol, calm down, what’s-” Lori tries to intervene, but Carol barely listens to her.

“Why were you in the attic, Sophia?” she asks, trying hard not to raise her voice any more than she already has. “I told you not to-”

Two warm hands rest on her arms, a solid chest pressing into her back. “Carol, hey. Sweetheart, calm-”

“You said you locked it!” she screeches, turning around with so much force that it nearly sends Daryl tumbling backward. But she doesn’t focus any more of her attention on him, turning back around just in time to see Carl reaching out for the doll on the floor. “Don’t touch that!”

Lori has made her way to her confused son by now, eyeing her with concern. “What’s the matter, you talk like the attic is-”

“No, the house definitely is not haunted,” Carol replies a little too quickly, out of breath and with a nervous tingle in her stomach. “Why do you ask?”

“Nobody… asked that, Carol,” Rick states, arms crossed in front of his chest and his brow creased. “Are you okay?”

She sucks in a deep breath, kneading her fingers, trying to catch her breath and not appear like a complete lunatic.

“Everybody calm down,” Daryl eventually intervenes. He curls his hands around her arms again and this time she doesn’t fight him. “’m sorry. Must’ve forgotten to lock it,” he says quietly to her, rubbing his thumbs in soothing circles against her skin. “Ya knew ya weren’t supposed ta be up there.” The words are aimed at Sophia and the little girl looks down at the ground in defeat. She’s too curious for her own good. “Ain’t safe. Haven’t done much work up there, ’s all really old,” Daryl tries to explain to Lori and Rick, sounding pretty convincing. After all, it’s not a lie. It’s the only logical reason rather than Carol’s irrational fear of the house.

“Oh,” Lori sighs, turning towards her son. “Carl, why did you go up there?”

The boy blushes, looking down at his feet. “Sorry, Mom. We won’t do it again.”

An awkward silence fills the room after that, and Carol suddenly feels embarrassed about her outburst. She loves the house, really does. But once the idea of something more sinister hiding within the old wooden frame took hold of her, she hasn’t been able to shake it. “I’m going to go get some coffee,” she mutters, quickly leaving the room.

The kitchen still smells like freshly baked cake and coffee, and she holds on to the counter for a moment, catching her breath. Outside, the large fields stretch on beyond the house, bordering on the deep forest. It’s idyllic and quiet and everything she wanted.

Quiet steps behind her make her smile despite her current state, and when Daryl’s arms wrap around her middle she doesn’t hesitate to lean back into his chest. “’m sorry, Carol,” he breathes, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Really.” She nods, knows that he must’ve forgotten. He wouldn’t leave it open on purpose after she told him to keep it locked. “’s all good,” he promises, drawing soothing circles against her hip.

“You really think so?” she asks, craning her neck to look up at him.

He nods, offering her a faint smile. “That doll’s creepy as shit, though,” he chuckles. “How ‘bout we burn it later?”

She starts laughing against her will, swatting his hand. “Stop.”