Re: TWD: graham + clem
She noticed his return quip was real belated, but she didn't ask why. Could be a thousand reasons, but she chalked it up to him thinking on the mess outside. Before this, she'd probably think it had something to do with her. She would have made it real personal, when she didn't think it really was any. Difference between then and now, and wishing on Valentine's Day and all those days alone in a cell after, they'd got through to her the way being home again and young hadn't. Hard to explain why, but it was different now, and all that bile that'd been burning a hole in her middle wasn't there no more. She just wanted to survive this damn stinking mess and go on home.
He said he hadn't been there for Shane, and she didn't argue with him. "Too caught up in our own woes, sugar." Because she wasn't innocent in that whole damn mess, and she knew it. "Man had to wish us home from our damn selfish issues. Says something," she said, and she knew she was real selfish, but usually she could see it clearer than she'd seen this.
Clem agreed about Joy being good off with Penny; she nodded. Wasn't arguing about that, and she couldn't think on anybody that would be better if they couldn't get out of this place for a good long while, if ever. But Jake, that made her shake her head. "Angry at the boy, and you won't hear me saying much that's nice. Whatever you said, it don't matter. The child didn't even let me explain. I'd do anything for that boy, and he cut me dead like I didn't matter more than the day's garbage. That ain't nice, and it kind." There was hurting behind her anger, and she shook her head a second later. "Told him I'd make sure no one went back to the Tuxedo Park house if he'd take it. Don't know if he will, but better than him insisting he ain't got no place to go. He can't stay with Jack. I can already tell Jack's real aggravated about it."
She thought quiet a few seconds when he said Lore didn't want to be held onto. "Ain't true. I'm real sure Lore would have loved to live and be held onto, honey. Thing is, there's no holding onto folks that are gone. Wishing her back, it wasn't never going to change that." She reached over, and she squeezed his fingers some. Quick though, on account of the man still being filthy some, and then she wiped her fingertips on his shirt sleeve. "I wished to come back here. Sometimes we do fool things wanting the past back, but there's no getting it back, Graham. No matter how much we want it."