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The air is warm, and it’s not the usual thick heat that would’ve been expected of Atlanta, but it’s more of a warm feeling, like stepping into a nice hot bath after standing in an icy rain; a comfortable heat.
Glenn blinks and he has to remember for a second where he is.
He’s sitting at the head of a table and there’s a small weight on his right leg, and when he looks down it’s a baby, no older than three years old, and he blinks again, his vision still blurry and he doesn’t know why.
He can feel his heart in his throat because he doesn’t know how he got here, the last thing he was doing was kneeling on a hard ground, and he can’t remember it all because his memory is fuzzy, but he was sure he was looking for someone. For her.
“Maggie, I’ll find you”
He can smell the aroma of cooked chicken and pork and there’s a low chatter as his hearing begins to clear and it’s like the universe just changed the channel on him, because everything is new and everything is better.
Denise is sitting next to Tara and they’re holding hands under the table as the giggle into each other.
Daryl is next to Carol who is sandwiched between him and Morgan, and they’re passing up what looks to be a salad bowl, happily chatting and smiling.
Glenn’s eyes meet Daryl’s for a second, and he smiles, and it’s a sympathetic smile, and Glenn beams back, looking around the table.
Carl is next to Enid, the two teens messing with Judith who is on Carl’s lap, bouncing happily as Enid snatches the hat off Carl’s head playfully and places on her own head, and the three of them laugh and its genuine and happy and light and there’s no angst or hurt attached – and Glenn wonders if he’s dreaming.
He then sees Eugene who is neatly placing some baby potatoes onto his plate, and is taking to Rosita, who is trying to hide a smile, and even though Glenn cant here them too clearly he laughs a little too, because he knows Eugene, and if its making Rosita laugh, it must be funny.
Then at the other end of the table he sees Rick. He’s in a deep conversation with Michonne, and there’s a way she throws back her head and playfully slaps him on the shoulder and the two of them lock eyes that Glenn can tell it’s not a usual conversation about war and hurting and plans. It’s just love and happiness and joy.
He turns his head to see Abraham and he’s chowing down on a chicken leg, making a mess, and Sasha reaches over to wipe the corners of his mouth with a napkin and when she’s done, he looks at him, and Glenn suddenly feels weird, like it’s the first time in a long time they’ve seen each other, like they’re here together, even though they’re all here.
And Abraham nods slowly and Glenn nods back, an understanding between them, and the air in his lungs feel light and breezy but when the baby on his lap begins to squirm he turns his head the other way.
And his eyes meet hers, and it’s like a breath of fresh air, his body can breathe again, and for some strange reason he wants to cry.
She’s so beautiful, and she hasn’t noticed that he’s been staring at her as she spoon feeds the baby in his arms.
But they lock eyes and he can feel the same hammering in his chest that he felt when he first ever saw her.
And he smiles at her, his chest swelling like a balloon because this is his family, this is his home, Maggie, the baby, the entire group. And she smiles back.
And he’s finally found her.