As soon as dinner was finished, I went ahead to get the laptop and drive that contained the movie selection from my room while the rest went on to the meeting room.
As I was going I heard hurried steps, that was a clear indication for me that they were excited to watch a movie they hadn't in a long while.
It took a while to get them as they were stored among the first things I brought to this farmhouse, which meant I had to dig a bit deeper to get the things.
Soon, I stepped into the meeting room with the laptop and USB drive in hand.
That was enough to shift the air.
Conversation dipped as heads turned toward me.
People straightened where they sat or leaned against the walls.
It wasn't tension, exactly—it was anticipation.
Real, raw, almost forgotten.
The TVs sat mounted against the far wall, black and lifeless for a second longer before I moved to one of them.
Thankfully, they were on the bigger end, so one was enough for a movie.
A few quick motions—plug, check, switch.
A low hum followed. Then—light.
The screen flickered, static giving way to a clean image.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Their eyes stayed glued on the TV screen.
That glow… it didn't belong here.
It didn't belong in this new world—certainly not in a farmhouse running on scavenged solar panels and stubborn willpower.
It painted their faces in pale blues and whites.
They almost forgot what it was like in these past two months.
Two months of dust, blood, sweat, and tears.
And now, this.
"Damn…" Glenn muttered under his breath, looking slightly emotional.
"I didn't think I'd see a working TV anymore," Amy whispered.
I turned back to the room, lifting the USB slightly. "Alright," I said.
"What're we watching?"
I soon came to realize saying that was a mistake.
Because next, the room exploded.
"Romance," Lori said immediately, arms crossed like she was daring anyone to argue.
"Something normal. Something… nice."
"I second that," Maggie added. "God knows we could use it."
Carol nodded quickly. "Something happy, please."
Beth's voice was softer, but firm. "Yeah… something that feels… good."
"Aw hell naw!" Merle didn't even wait half a second.
"Ain't sittin' through no damn kissing movie," he scoffed, leaning back with a grin that promised trouble. "Put on somethin' with guns, explosion, real entertainment!"
"Agreed," Shane cut in, arms folded tight across his chest. "Yeah, we don't want mushy stuff. Put on something with bite."
Daryl just grunted from the wall, but the look he gave was enough.
Action.
No question about it.
Morgan raised a hand halfway, like he was stepping into a war zone. "Or—or we could go with something lighter. Comedy, maybe?"
Jenny nodded beside him. "Something the kids can actually laugh at."
"That's what I'm sayin'!" Morgan added quickly.
"Man, ain't nobody laughing at some dumb jokes—" Merle started.
"Oh, like you're the expert on taste?" Amy shot back.
"Oh, I know I got better taste than—"
"Enough!" Andrea snapped, her eyes flashing.
And just like that, it went downhill.
Voices layered over each other—romance, action, comedy—all colliding in a mess of opinions, half-laughing, half-serious.
I didn't interrupt; I just leaned back slightly, letting the noise roll over me as my gaze drifted past it—to the back of the room.
Dale and Hershel stood near the wall, a little removed from the chaos, watching.
Dale caught my eye first, the corner of his mouth twitching upward.
Hershel followed a second later, his expression calm, but I could sense that he was amused.
Like they were watching a bunch of kids argue over candy.
And honestly?
They weren't wrong.
"Y'all are acting like damn children!" Merle barked, which only made it worse.
"Oh, we're the children?" Lori fired back.
"Yeah, you—"
"Alright," Rick cut through.
He didn't raise his voice much, but it was enough to settle the room.
He stepped forward a little, hands resting on his hips, his eyes moving across everyone before landing briefly on the front row.
Carl, Sophia, Duane, Louis, Eliza, and Eli.
All six watching, quiet but clearly invested.
Rick nodded toward them. "We've got kids here," he simply said.
And that was it.
The shift was almost immediate, as if the wind left their sails.
Lori exhaled, some of the fight leaving her shoulders.
Shane rolled his neck, tension easing just a fraction.
Even Merle huffed and leaned back, muttering something under his breath but not pushing it.
Rick looked at me. "Pick something that works for everyone."
I gave a small nod. "Alright."
Decision made.
I moved to the laptop, scrolling through the files, already filtering options in my head—something light enough, engaging enough, safe enough.
Behind me, the room settled into place.
People settling down—some on seats, some leaning against the walls, some sitting on the floor.
I stepped back once it was queued—and that's when I noticed the space beside Maggie.
She'd saved it for me. Of course she had.
I dropped down next to her, the floor creaking faintly under the shift in weight.
She didn't say anything, just leaned into me.
Simple as that.
Her shoulder against my arm, her warmth cutting through the faint chill of the room.
I let out a slow breath and took her arm in mine as the screen brightened.
For a moment, the world outside didn't matter.
Just this room.
These people.
Our little slice of heaven.
(To be continued...)