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When Maggie confessed to her Tara nearly spat out her drink, and spent the next several minutes recovering from her near death experience. Maggie rubbed her back but that only made her choking worse.
She’d had feelings for Maggie since she met her—really, how could she not, with how kind and forgiving and gorgeous Maggie was—but she never intended to vocalize those feelings. Maggie was Glenn’s wife, and Glenn was Tara’s best friend, and she respected both of them too much to let her feelings jeopardize the connection they all had.
“What about Glenn?” Tara asked when her coughing subsided.
“I love him. I always will. He gives me the strength to get up every day.” Maggie’s eyes searched hers, and Tara felt warmth spread in her chest. “But you give me that strength, too. Every morning I look forward to seeing you again.”
Tara didn’t know how to process that. For one thing, she couldn’t imagine someone looking forward to seeing her, but for that person to be Maggie?
She wet her lips, trying to remember how to speak. “Maggie, I...”
“Do you feel the same way?”
Tara hesitated, looking away. “I... it doesn’t matter how I feel.”
Maggie’s eyebrows furrowed. “It matters to me. And it matters to Glenn.”
Tara glanced back up. “What does that mean?”
“I know it’s a bit... unusual,” Maggie began slowly, leaning against the porch railing to put some much needed space between them, “and I get if it’s not something you’re comfortable with. But I want to be with Glenn and with you, if you’ll have me. This world has taken away so much from all of us, it threatens us time and time again, but right now I’m lucky enough to be stuck with the two most important people in my life, and I don’t want to be away from either of you any longer than I need to be.”
Maggie... wanted to be with her? She wanted to be with both of them? Those were important questions that deserved to be asked again, but a more important one sprang from Tara’s lips first.
“Does Glenn know about this?”
Maggie seemed to catch how serious Tara was and nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been talking with him about it for a few weeks now.”
Tara frowned, tilting her head slightly. “A few weeks?”
Pink dusted Maggie’s cheeks, her gaze turning shy. “It took me that long to get the courage to tell you.”
It was more courage than Tara ever had.
“So, will you be with me?” Maggie asked, voice tinted with hope. “With us?”
Tara scoured Maggie’s eyes, finding the truth in Maggie’s feelings for her, and a large part of her wanted to sink into Maggie’s arms right there. But she knew she couldn’t do that. Not yet. This wasn’t something she had experience in, and just like before, she wasn’t going to let her feelings for Maggie potentially ruin the trust they all shared.
“I... I want to say yes,” Tara revealed. “But I need to hear him say he’s okay with it first. I really like you Maggie, and I want to be with you, but if I sense Glenn isn’t okay with it then this can’t happen.”
It hurt a bit to say that, to deny Maggie in a way, but she must have said the right thing because Maggie looked at her with such adoration that Tara thought she might faint. No one had ever looked at her like that before.
“You continue to prove why I couldn’t help but fall for you. Talk with him whenever you’re ready.” Maggie stepped forward and kissed her cheek, her voice lowering. “But please don’t keep me waiting too long.”
Maggie left, taking Tara’s thundering heart with her.
—
The following evening Glenn pulled her aside, his aura calm but bright with determination.
“Maggie told me what you two talked about yesterday.”
Tara wasn’t prepared to have this conversation yet but honestly didn’t know if she’d ever be prepared, so maybe it was for the best that Glenn sought her out.
“Okay,” Tara acknowledged, gulping quietly. Her hands were already starting to shake. “How do you feel about it?”
“I just have one question.”
Tara steeled herself. There was a hardness in his eyes she hadn’t seen since they were strangers.
“Do you love her?”
Tara’s heart pounded in her chest. She never thought she would admit that truth out loud, especially to Glenn, but no matter what would result from this she knew she had to be honest.
Her voice was small, but sure. “Yeah. I do.”
It was silent for too long before Glenn finally sighed, his whole diaphragm relaxing, and only then did Tara remember how to breathe. He’d probably already known her answer; he just needed to hear her say it.
“If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t be cool with it,” Glenn admitted. His expression softened. “But it’s you. You’re my best friend. I want you to be happy. And I can tell that Maggie makes you happy. You make her happy too, more than you probably think. I don’t see anything wrong with the three of us being happy together.”
“Are you sure you’re okay with it?” Tara questioned with a frown. She couldn’t believe how easily he seemed to accept this. He and Maggie were together long before she came along, and yet after all he and Maggie had been through he didn’t mind Tara joining their relationship? It didn’t make sense. “I want to be with her, but not if you think it will ruin your relationship with her or the relationship between us. I don’t want to lose either of you.”
“Spending my life with my wife and my best friend? That doesn’t sound too bad.” He shrugged and chuckled, nonchalant, like this was the simplest thing in the world. “So, will you be with us?”
Tara couldn’t reply, her throat tight from oncoming tears, but nodded into his neck over and over again when he held her.
—
Despite what Glenn told her Tara still felt like an intruder, so she kept her distance at first. She enjoyed her time with them that afternoon as they walked around the community, but she didn’t walk as close as they did to each other. Glenn held Maggie’s hand and Tara wanted to hold the other, but felt she didn’t have the right to, so she kept her hands jammed in her pockets.
Glenn and Maggie were so perfect together, continuously conjuring such joy and love from each other, and Tara didn’t want to come between them. Half of her couldn’t believe the opportunity they offered her, and the other half knew she didn’t deserve it.
She should’ve said no. She’s just going to get in their way. Soon enough they’d realize their mistake and leave her behind.
Tara’s thoughts were interrupted by a tug at her sleeve. She watched as Maggie pulled her hand from her pocket and held it with her own. Tara’s eyes widened, so focused on their conjoined hands that her feet stopped moving. The other patterned footsteps ceased, so Glenn and Maggie must have stopped as well.
“Is this okay?” Maggie asked, her voice soft on the breeze.
When Tara finally glanced up both Maggie and Glenn were looking at her; Maggie with hopeful eyes and Glenn with a reassuring smile. Tara was voiceless, too mesmerized by her two favourite people and the warmth enveloping her hand.
For a second she pieced together that the three of them were standing in the middle of the street, holding hands for the whole community to see. It made Tara feel small, unworthy, and she almost pulled away, but Maggie didn’t seem to care what people thought, and one glimpse of Glenn proved he didn’t care, either.
They just cared about her.
Tara laced her fingers with Maggie’s and squeezed, and the grin that lit up Maggie’s face was more radiant than the summer sun.
Glenn and Maggie made sure she was okay before they continued on, all walking close together while holding hands, and that proved to Tara that the only opinions that really mattered to her were theirs.
—
A few nights later the three of them spent their time living out one of those cheesy romantic movies Tara’s sister used to watch, sitting on a bench chatting about nothing in particular and watching the stars sparkle above them. Maggie was in the middle, holding her partners’ hands in her lap.
Glenn shared stories of his late night pizza deliveries, Tara about her time in the police academy, and Maggie about how she and Beth used to map out constellations back at her farm.
It was nostalgic, a bit sad, but they had each other to share those memories with, and that gave them peace.
Tara watched with a smile as Maggie leaned over and kissed Glenn. Short and sweet, natural; something they had done a million times before and deserved to do a million more.
Then Maggie turned to her with hooded lids and Tara felt like a deer in headlights.
Tara could say with about eighty percent certainty that she kept her cool around girls she found attractive, but Maggie was different. Maggie always made her nervous—in a good way, the butterflies in her stomach and the skip in her heart kind of way—and Tara had never been more nervous than she was right now.
Maggie glanced down at her lips and Tara’s heart leapt into her throat.
Maggie leaned in slowly, giving Tara the chance to back away if she wanted to, and kissed Tara for the first time. Her lips were soft and gentle, as if she were afraid Tara would run away if she pressed any harder. Tara had trouble thinking at that point but did register a slice of fear, worrying that maybe this was the moment that would shatter everything they’d been building, but the reassuring squeeze of Maggie’s hand helped her relax. Tara finally kissed back and her stomach flipped as Maggie smiled against her.
They leisurely pulled away and when Tara opened her eyes Maggie was grinning at her, and Glenn’s smile over Maggie’s shoulder gave her just as much relief.
“Well? How was it?” Maggie asked, her teeth glittering like the stars above. “Ten outta ten?”
“Say nine, Tara!” Glenn piped in before she could even process the question, slanting over to be more in Tara’s vision. “That’s how you score another kiss if you’re too shy to ask.”
Tara wanted to deny that she was too shy to ask, but... she really was too shy to ask.
“He’s speaking from experience,” Maggie stated, giving him a sly look over her shoulder.
Glenn shrugged. “You were intimidating at first, babe! Plus you can’t blame me, ‘cause it worked.” She playfully smacked his arm and he laughed.
“He’s gotta point, though,” Maggie said, turning back to Tara. “Was it only a nine?” Maggie leaned in, so close Tara could feel Maggie’s breath on her lips and knew she had stopped breathing herself. Maggie’s voice lowered to a murmur, “I won’t stop trying until I get that perfect ten.”
Tara quickly learned that even though every kiss was beyond perfect, she’d keep that her secret.
—
The night after there was a knock at Tara’s door, way later than anyone should reasonably be knocking. When she answered there Maggie stood, looking excited and nervous.
“Hey,” Tara greeted, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Is everything okay?”
“You wanna spend the night with us?”
Tara was glad she wasn’t holding anything or else she would have dropped it. Luckily, the only thing that dropped was her jaw.
“Not like that! Just to sleep, I swear,” Maggie rushed to explain, her cheeks turning pink. Maggie bit her lip, averting her eyes. “I just... wanna know what it’s like to wake up to both of you.”
Tara didn’t realize how much she also wanted that until just then. She’d been sleeping alone for so long she forgot what it felt like to wake up next to someone she cared for. The thought of falling asleep next to Maggie, and seeing her face as soon as she woke up? Nothing would be better than that. Tara yearned for that experience.
But even though Maggie was clearly down for it too, Tara had to be sure. “Is that okay with Glenn?” she asked.
“I told him how I felt before I came here. He said the bed is more than big enough.” Maggie’s expression softened, just like always when Maggie was looking out for her. “Is that okay with you?”
“Uh... yeah!” Tara replied, hoping she didn’t just give away how much she was looking forward to this. “Just let me grab my things.”
Tara ran upstairs and it took her a moment of just staring at the wall to remember why she went up there in the first place. She was gonna spend the night with Maggie and Glenn. Well, not like she hadn’t slept near them before when their group was still on the road, but this would be just with them, and they wouldn’t have to sleep with one eye open like they always had to outside the walls.
This would be just her, Maggie and Glenn. Alone. Safe. Intimate.
God, how did she get to this point? How was this happening?
... What did she come up here for again? Clothes. She needed clothes.
Tara quickly grabbed the first set of spare clothes she could find and some toiletries before she locked up her place and followed Maggie over to hers.
Glenn looked half asleep when they got there, lying on the far side of the bed with a book beginning to slip from his fingers. When he noticed them he smiled, somehow catching the book before it fell onto his face.
“My two favourite ladies,” he addressed, leaving the book on the bedside table. He pushed away the blankets and gestured to the space next to him. “Come join me as I pass out.”
Maggie laughed. “You didn’t have to wait up for us.”
“Yeah, I did.” His voice was more stable than before. “I needed to know what Tara decided.”
His eyes met hers and it was in that moment that Tara realized how much Glenn genuinely cared about her. She was constantly troubled about his opinion of her being involved, but it seemed like Glenn worried about her just as much as she worried about him.
“Well,” Tara gave a peace sign, “I’m here.”
“But not in the bed yet.” Glenn relaxed against the mattress and waved his arm in an arc. “Get your ass under these covers, Chambler.”
Tara laughed despite herself. “You’re such a charmer,” she remarked with a smirk.
“I won’t deny,” he yawned, “the truth.” Glenn closed his eyes and Tara wondered if he had just passed out right then.
Maggie giggled, stripping down to her undergarments and Tara’s eyes nearly bulged from their sockets so she busied herself with leaving her extra clothes and toiletries in a pile near the door. She removed her flannel and jeans and added them to the pile, remaining in just her tank top and boy shorts.
The light source in the room clicked away and Tara took that as a cue to turn around. She blinked a few times to adjust her eyes to the darkness and watched with a dull ache in her heart at how tenderly Maggie was brushing her fingers through Glenn’s hair. It was so soft, so intimate, and Tara wasn’t sure if she had the right to see it.
This was Glenn and Maggie’s home. Glenn and Maggie’s bed. Should she really be here?
As if sensing her insecurity, Maggie turned to look at her and Tara’s breath caught.
“It’s okay,” Maggie whispered, holding out her hand. “I want you here.”
Tara let out a deep breath, using all her courage to grasp Maggie’s hand. Maggie gently pulled her in and Tara nestled under the covers. She watched as Maggie faced away from her, snuggling into Glenn’s side. Tara wasn’t sure what to do so she stayed at her end of the bed, giving them space.
About a minute later Maggie reached over, her hand patting all around the area behind her, clearly searching for something. Eventually Maggie managed to grasp Tara’s arm, and Tara barely bit back a gasp as Maggie tugged her forward and flung Tara’s arm over her waist, using her hand to keep it there. Maggie’s leg reached back to tangle with Tara’s and pulled her closer until Tara was flush against her back. Only then did Maggie give a content sigh, her body going slack.
Tara’s heart pounded so wildly she wondered if Maggie could hear it. She wondered if Maggie knew the effect she had on her without even trying. She wondered if Maggie knew how much she made her feel alive.
Tara didn’t understand all of this yet, this relationship or her own feelings, but she knew she was wanted, and that was enough.
Tara buried her face into the back of Maggie’s neck, her sigh fluttering the dark wisps of Maggie’s hair. She closed her eyes, listened, and heard Maggie’s resounding pulse as clearly as her own.
—
“Not the face I’m used to seeing when I wake up.”
Tara opened her eyes and was surprised to see Glenn first, and then realized that was because Maggie wasn’t in bed. No wonder she wasn’t as warm.
“Just as awesome a face, I’m sure,” she commented playfully, voice filtered with sleep, using her palms to frame her jaw line.
He matched her growing smirk, throwing the covers off himself. “Hard for me to argue when you’re right.”
She expected more of a sarcastic reply rather than such a direct compliment and it threw off any further teasing she had prepared. Instead, she unconsciously watched him get dressed for a moment before recognizing that getting dressed herself would be more productive, so she got up and did so.
“Should we go look for Maggie?” Tara asked, slipping her arms into her flannel.
Glenn shrugged. “She’s probably just—”
Just then Maggie walked in the room wearing only a towel, hair still wet from a recent shower. Her skin sparkled like gold, a few stray water droplets shining like diamonds in the dips of her collarbone and trailing down her chest.
Tara was locked in place, as if her feet had been nailed to the ground. Her wide eyes couldn’t look away from the glistening goddess before her but she blindly held out her fist to Glenn, receiving a fist bump almost instantly.
Maggie grinned at her two partners ogling her and jabbed a thumb over her shoulder. “Shower’s free if anyone wants it.”
Tara needed a cold one, immediately.
—
After awhile Tara didn’t need to bring anything for their sleepovers anymore because half her wardrobe was already there. She didn’t realize how bad it was until she ran out of flannels in her own closet and both her hairbrush and toothbrush were nowhere to be found.
“You could move in with us.”
Glenn was actually the one who suggested it, to Tara’s surprise, but Maggie seconded his offer with no hesitation. At this point Tara knew to never drink or hold anything around Maggie or Glenn, because both of them seemed to throw curveballs like that out of nowhere.
“What?” Tara asked, eyes wide. Butterflies crawled in her stomach. “No, I couldn’t. That’s your space.”
“Eventually there will be more people here than houses. We’ll need to make room,” Glenn stated, gesturing at the whole of Alexandria. Then he shrugged, giving a lopsided smirk. “Would make more sense for the three of us to stay together than apart, right?”
“Are you sure?” Tara worried her bottom lip between her teeth. “Our relationship is still pretty new.”
She wanted to say more—many self-deprecating things like how she didn’t want to get in-between them or mess up their relationship, concerns she had voiced many times before, but she knew Glenn and Maggie wouldn’t like her speaking that way about herself, so she forced her lips to stay shut.
What she had managed to say didn’t even seem to faze Glenn. “We have a spare bedroom if you’d prefer,” he said. “But you’re more than welcome to join our room.”
“It’s where I’d prefer you,” Maggie chimed in. Then she paused, perhaps realizing how eager she sounded. “I mean, as long as you’re comfortable staying with us.”
Tara had slept in their bed several times now and was comfortable doing so, but calling their bed her own? Waking up to both of them every day? Did she deserve that? There was no way they wanted her there all the time. Surely there were days when they just wanted to wake up alone together.
There surely were days Tara woke up alone and wished she had woken up to them.
“I never got to live alone until we got here. I was always with my dad and my sister. I pictured it being a bit more fun than this.” Tara chuckled lightly, pushing her memories aside to look at the two people she aspired to make countless memories with. “I miss having roomies. I’d love to live with you both, if that’s okay.”
Glenn nodded with a bright smile and Maggie embraced her, breath warm against Tara’s ear.
“Wouldn’t want you anywhere else.”
—
There came a time when Glenn and Maggie wanted to have sex and Tara didn’t know what to do.
The last time Tara had been with a woman was Alisha, and they never had many opportunities to be together. Tara had never been involved in a threesome before, and she definitely had never been naked in the same room as a man. She knew she and Glenn wouldn’t be touching each other—all of their attention would be on Maggie—but it was still a strange thing to think about and knew it would take some getting used to.
Tara wasn’t unconfident in her ability, not really. But she was rusty, and she knew Glenn already knew how to satisfy Maggie.
Plus Maggie made her really nervous. She didn’t want to screw this up.
Her anxiety got the better of her and Tara decided not to join at the beginning. Any time Glenn and Maggie started making bedroom eyes at each other, she’d ignore how Maggie would look at her the same way and go for a walk. Sometimes she’d offer to babysit Judith just so she could unload her feelings on someone who couldn’t understand her, because who else could she talk to about it?
She wanted Maggie. She really did. More than she’d ever wanted anyone else. But Maggie was Glenn’s wife, and Tara was... what was she to Maggie? Her girlfriend? Her side chick? They never really talked about it. Could Maggie have both a husband and a girlfriend? This was all new territory for Tara, and never something she thought she’d have to deal with in the apocalypse.
Really, who was she supposed to talk to any of this about? It barely made sense in her head. Judith was the best choice, and she always let Tara rant without interruption. Obviously Judith never offered any answers, but Tara always felt a bit better after spending time with her.
Tara didn’t know how to talk about it with Maggie yet, but hopefully a few more visits with Judith would do the trick.
Tara eventually lost count of how many times she left when things started getting hot and heavy, but this time was different because Maggie followed her and found her on the porch steps way sooner than Tara was expecting. Like, so soon that Maggie and Glenn must’ve not done anything.
Was Maggie worried about her? Tara didn’t mean to cockblock them. She couldn’t recall behaving any different when she left this time.
“Wasn’t expecting to be followed,” Tara commented, not unkindly. She was just surprised.
Maggie sat down next to her. “You’re nervous to join us.” It was said as a fact, not a question. “Would it help if I told you we’re nervous about it, too?”
“Why would you guys be nervous about it?” Tara asked, already feeling her self-depreciating defense mechanism kicking in. “You’ve been together for years now. Having some girl join every once in awhile shouldn’t be a big deal.”
Tara winced at herself. Hypocritical much?
“It’s not just some girl. It’s you,” Maggie said firmly, grasping Tara’s hand, and didn’t continue until Tara looked at her. “We know you’re not attracted to men and Glenn’s worried he’ll ruin the experience for you just by being there. And I’ve never been with a woman before. I won’t know how to make you feel good. But I want to know. Want to learn. I want to treat you right. I just... want you. The thought of both of you loving me at the same time is...”
Maggie trailed off and looked away, as if looking at Tara suddenly became too much. Meanwhile, Tara couldn’t look anywhere else.
“Glenn and I talked about it,” Maggie continued, her cheeks slightly pink, “and... maybe it would be easier for all of us to try that together after you and I have sex without him involved.”
Before Tara could even reply, barely after she processed what was said, Maggie was spluttering, “Only if that’s okay with you! And it doesn’t have to be right now. I’ll wait as long as you need. Nothing like that will happen unless we both want it.” Maggie squeezed her hand and Tara felt a similar squeeze in her heart. “I want to be with you just as much as I want to be with him, I hope you know that.”
Tara doubted it on her worst nights, but that fog of doubt thinned with each reminder.
“Can we just kiss for now?” Tara asked, barely a whisper.
Maggie smiled and shifted to sit on Tara’s lap. “I’d love that.”
Maggie’s lips were soft on hers, and Tara knew Maggie could seduce her without even trying, but she also knew Maggie wanted her to set the pace. If they were going to do anything more, Tara would have to grow a pair and initiate it.
Tara figured she may be comfortable enough to start it if she had time to mentally prepare and plan it all out. She would make a whole day for her and Maggie to spend together. A walk around town during some sunny weather, a nice dinner that she’d attempt to cook herself, then she’d take her to bed. Prove she could be a real gentlewoman. Simple, smooth, movie-like.
That’s how it would happen.
—
That wasn’t how it happened.
She was so busy worrying about it that she got sloppy during a supply run with Glenn. She faintly recalled walkers surrounding her, Glenn screaming, and a ringing in her head. She didn’t remember much else, but when she woke up, it was night time and she was the sole patient in the medical ward at Alexandria.
Her head was throbbing and she felt dizzy, so she assumed she got knocked out at some point during the run. Maybe she even had a concussion. She felt a bit sore all over but nothing was significantly burning and she wasn’t feverish, so odds were she didn’t get bit.
Tara looked down and Maggie was there, appearing to be in a restless sleep. Her back hunched awkwardly from her chair and she was using an arm to support her head on Tara’s bed. She held Tara’s hand loosely and Tara wondered how long both of them had been there, because she had no doubt that as soon as she was brought back, Maggie must have been by her side since.
Wait. The supply run. Glenn. Was Glenn okay?
Tara was shaking Maggie awake before she let herself panic any further.
“Tara! You’re okay!” Maggie’s eyes were red-rimmed and her arms quickly wrapped around Tara’s neck. “Jesus, don’t do that to me again.”
“I’m fine, don’t worry,” Tara assured, even though she knew she had no right to tell Maggie not to worry after she had been so careless. Her thoughts were too preoccupied. She pushed Maggie back and asked, “What about Glenn?”
“He’s alright,” Maggie replied, tucking Tara’s hair behind her ear. “He got back with you this morning. He was so worried about you. We both were.”
Immediately Tara relaxed back against the pillow, releasing the stale breath in her lungs. Thank god. Thank god he was okay. She could have ruined everything on this run, but he saved her. He loved her. He brought her back to Maggie.
Maggie loved him, and... maybe Maggie loved her, too.
Tara had been so blind. But Maggie was right there in front of her; crystal clear, wonderful, and beautiful.
Maggie wiped her eyes and stood as if to leave. “Now that you’re awake I have to go tell—”
Tara sat up and pulled at Maggie’s hand. “Wait.”
If she were ever asked about it, Tara would never be able to describe how she knew that this was the right moment. How it was after she could’ve died, how it was a few minutes after waking up knowing Maggie had been watching over her the whole time, that led her to a sense of clarity about the right moment. She wasn’t really sure.
What she was sure about was that she loved Maggie, wanted her, and life was too short to go a moment longer without her.
So Tara kissed her.
Tara made love to her in that hospital bed.
And after the pleasure faded, what remained was the absolute adoration and devotion Tara felt for her. Maggie had given her a home, companionship, love, safety, and every day from then on Tara would make sure she made Maggie feel as cherished as she made her feel.
“I love you,” Tara said for the first time. Her lips on Maggie’s face and her fingertips lazily tracing along Maggie’s skin repeated the words over and over, making up for all the times they should have been said before.
Maggie held her tightly, and Tara felt tears on her neck. “I love you, too.”
—
Glenn was ecstatic when he saw Tara awake after the accident and stuck to her side like glue the following day. She lost count of how many times he told her to be more careful next time and that he was so worried about her, but she knew it wasn’t because he thought she was incapable; he was just afraid to lose her. She knew she’d be reprimanding him the same way had the roles been reversed, and honestly it felt nice knowing she had two people looking out for her to this degree.
When they told him what happened after she woke up Tara partially expected him to be upset or distant, but that turned out to be her anxiety taunting her because Glenn was happy for them both and happy the relationship between them all continued to grow and thrive.
And Glenn and Maggie were right before; now that Tara had gone further with Maggie, had truly accepted her feelings and her part in this relationship, she felt more comfortable at the idea of them all trying something in bed together.
Didn’t mean she knew how to initiate that, though, or wasn’t nervous about it. Glenn must’ve felt the same because nothing out of the ordinary happened for awhile.
That changed one night when Tara and Glenn returned home after a late hangout with the guys. They went to greet Maggie and found her in the bedroom, lounging on the bed. Nothing seemed different at first but then Maggie looked at them hungrily, like she was starving and two servings of dinner just strolled in.
Tara’s heart was in her throat and she heard Glenn gulp beside her. Both shifted their weight for a moment, anticipating what was to come.
Maggie stalked up to them, hips swaying, and wedged between them. She kissed Glenn, pressing her body flush against his, but reached behind her to guide Tara’s hands to her hips. It was like a switch had flipped in the room, the air abruptly thick and steamy, because Glenn immediately kissed Maggie back with a fiery passion and Tara responded in kind, pressing against Maggie’s back and laying kisses to her neck.
Maggie turned in their embrace, now kissing Tara while Glenn held her from behind. Tara pushed back, tracing Maggie’s jaw and moaning slightly as Maggie’s scalding tongue invaded her mouth. They nipped at each other’s lips and butterflies fluttered in Tara’s belly as Maggie skimmed her fingers over her breasts.
The kiss broke way too soon for Tara’s liking and she had a feeling she mirrored Glenn’s dreamy eyes and red cheeks. Maggie sported a knowing look—she knew she was going to get what she wanted—and escorted them to the bed, gently pushing for them to sit. Tara and Glenn shared a skittish glance, but their eyes were swiftly glued to Maggie as she slipped out of her shirt, throwing it to the ground. Then she crawled on them, limbs languid and tantalizing, half in Glenn’s lap and half in Tara’s. Open mouthed kisses trailed Tara’s jaw and Tara bit her lip, gripping fistfuls of the bed sheets. Maggie shifted to kiss Glenn, hard, and his hands wandered her back and shoulders, soon finding her bra clasp and unclipping it.
Maggie grinned, shrugging the garment to the floor. Tara was entranced, unconsciously leaning forward to steal Maggie’s lips before Glenn could, but knew his hands were doing more than enough along Maggie’s abdomen. Maggie smiled into their kiss and shivered under her and Glenn’s combined attention, and something about that spread heat to Tara’s core.
Maggie pulled back and, with a sly look, guided Tara’s hand down to the button of her jeans. She breathed hotly against the shell of Tara’s ear.
“The rest is for you to take off.”
—
Hours later Maggie fell asleep between them. Tara was exhausted and fulfilled and happy. Glenn ran his fingers along Maggie’s arm and Tara combed through Maggie’s hair with her own. Tara looked at Glenn as he looked at Maggie with an adoration that she could finally say she matched.
Suddenly Glenn’s gaze shifted to her, and the adoration in his eyes didn’t leave.
“I’m really glad I found you,” he admitted gingerly, voice low as to not wake Maggie up.
Tara searched his face for a moment, hand stilling in Maggie’s locks. “You’d have her all to yourself if you didn’t.” Her voice was just as quiet and she spoke without thinking, like those words had been tattooed to her tongue all this time.
He frowned, clearly not willing to accept the self-guilt she still struggled with. “If I didn’t, none of us would be here at all. I saved you, you saved me, she saved us. We’re here because we’re all looking out for each other.”
“Something’s off about that,” Tara whispered, fingers resuming their trek of soft brunette tresses. “When do we get to save her?”
Glenn let out a breath and reached over to squeeze Tara’s bare shoulder. “We’re already doing that. By both of us being here, we’re doing that.”
Tara didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t sure if she believed him, but she believed that he believed, and that was enough for now.
She looked down at Maggie and was just overwhelmed with emotion. She’d never forget when she met Glenn and all he could talk about was Maggie, as if she were the most amazing woman in the world, and all Tara could ask was ‘who’s Maggie?’ She had no idea the weight that question bore.
And, true to the hype, Maggie did turn out to be the most amazing woman Tara had ever met.
She was kind and warm from day one in that tunnel, forgiving and accepting when Tara confessed her sins in the church, and patient and gentle with Tara’s feelings ever since. Maggie loved Tara in a way she never thought she would deserve, but she finally understood that Maggie’s love for her was true, that her own feelings for Maggie were valid and okay, and that she deserved to live and be a part of this relationship.
God, Tara loved her.
“You gonna ask her to marry you?”
Tara wasn’t sure whether to laugh or choke on her own saliva, but forced both reactions back to not disturb Maggie. “What?” Tara questioned, allowing a breathy chuckle. “She’s already married to you.”
Glenn shrugged. “Nothing needs to be official anymore. If you ask and she says yes, you’re married. I mean,” his lips curved to a smirk, “we have a church and a priest here if you want to be super classy. One of these houses must have a spare ring lying around.”
Marriage wasn’t something that had crossed Tara’s mind. It didn’t even seem like a possibility in the apocalypse. But Glenn and Maggie seemed to make it work, and there really weren’t many old societal limitations anymore, so if that was something Maggie wanted with her, too...
“I’ll think about it.” Tara planted a ghost of a kiss to Maggie’s cheek. “I’m happy as we are.”
His gaze softened. “You’re finally comfortable with this, aren’t you?”
“I never had anything against it. I love both of you. I just didn’t want to get in the way.”
Maggie suddenly grabbed her hand and Tara’s soul nearly left her body, not thinking Maggie was awake. Her heart sped up, suddenly wondering how long Maggie had been faking sleep.
“You were never in the way,” Maggie assured, voice raspy with drowsiness. “You were right where you were meant to be.”
“She’s right,” Glenn said. “It was a new thing for all of us, but you were never in the way. Maggie and I were always happy together, but we’re even happier now that you’re here. I get to have a home with my best friend, and Maggie has another wonderful person to love and to love her. We want you with us, Tara, for as long as you want to be here.”
“Forever,” Tara looked between them both, biting her lip, “if that’s not too cheesy.”
Glenn chuckled and there was so much warmth in his eyes. “I’ll make it even cheesier. You belong here.”
“You’re with us, now,” Maggie affirmed, echoing the same words she had said to Tara in the church months ago. Maggie squeezed her hand. “And we’re with you.”
Glenn nodded and held out his fist to Tara, and she almost cried meeting it with her own. None of them said anything more but they didn’t need to. They all snuggled closer together, Tara and Glenn on either side of Maggie, their arms brushing as they overlapped Maggie’s waist. Maggie smiled and kissed them both goodnight.
Tara was content with the silence, because it was in that silence as she heard three rhythmic breaths, three pounding heartbeats, that she truly realized this was going to be the rest of her life. It was what she wanted, and for once she knew she deserved this happiness.
They saved each other; they were together; they were happy.
And in this warm silence, that said everything.