#Caryl Secret Santa 2018 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

scenestertv · 6 years

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NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 01: Anta Mbow, Caragan Olles, Kay Isaacson Leibowitz, Sandy Kemper, Ehsan Mehrangais, Harry leibowitz and Phyllis Keino attend the 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony and Benefit Honoring Heroes for Children on November 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for World Of Children Awards)

2018 WORLD OF CHILDREN AWARDS CEREMONY & BENEFIT CELEBRATED HEROES FOR CHILDREN

Annual Awards Ceremony held on Thursday, November 1 in New York City

NEW YORK, NY – November 2, 2018 – On Thursday, November 1, World of Children, a global recognition and funding organization for individuals exclusively serving the needs of vulnerable children, honored five real-life heroes that have dramatically improved the lives of at-risk children at the 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony & Benefit. Alina Cho (World of Children Advisory Council, CBS Sunday Morning Contributor) emceed the event and was joined by featured speakers Caryl Stern (President and CEO, US Fund for UNICEF) and Andy Adler (Sportscaster, Journalist, TV Personality).

Celebrities, VIP guests and World of Children supporters in attendance include Miss USA Sarah Rose Summers, Daniela Braga (E!’s Model Squad, Host Committee), Daiane Sodré da Silva (Model), Luna Castilho (Model), Leonard Gorski (President & CEO, Gorski Group), Rebecca Minkoff (Co-Founder & Creative Director, Rebecca Minkoff), Vivienne Hu (Fashion Designer), Vlada Roslyakova (Model), Harry Leibowitz and Kay Isaacson Leibowitz (World of Children Co-Founders, Event Co-Chairs) and more.

Over 450 guests gathered at 583 Park Avenue in New York City for an inspiring night recognizing the newest class of World of Children Honorees that lead high-impact programs in the categories of education, health, humanitarianism, protection and youth helping youth. The evening featured a cocktail reception, dinner program, and special performance of the World of Children anthem, “Can You Hear,” by the United Nations International School (UNIS) Choral Club. Guests also enjoyed a lively pledge drive led by auctioneer Harry Santa-Olalla – bringing the overall event fundraising total to more than $850,000. With these donations, World of Children will be able to help fund the Honorees high-impact programs, helping to change the lives of thousands more children.

The 2018 World of Children Honorees include the following: Humanitarian Award Honoree Phyllis Keino (Founder, Lewa Children’s Home in Kenya), Health Award Honoree Sandy Kemper (Founder, Smiles Forever in Bolivia), Protection Award Honoree Anta Mbow (Founder, Empire des Enfants in Senegal), Education Award Honoree Ehsan Mehrangais (Founder, Afghanistan Demain in Afghanistan) and Youth Award Honoree Caragan Olles (Co-Founder, Bright Young Dyslexics in Wisconsin).

The Awards Ceremony also honored New York-based Devin Beresheim (Practice Leader, Marsh FINPRO) and his wife Sarah with the 2018 Board of Governors Award for their unwavering dedication to the organization and elevating awareness for child advocates. Five years ago, Devin Beresheim was introduced to World of Children by a colleague and began serving as a member of the Board of Governors. For the last four years, Sarah and Devin have successfully chaired the Summer Golf Classic, raising more than $1.2 million for World of Children.

World of Children receives thousands of nominations from around the world ever year and uses a uniquely rigorous vetting process to select Honorees. Recognized by the media as the “Nobel Prize for Child Advocates,” Honorees receive a substantial multi-year grant to help their program grow and ultimately impact the lives of even more children.

This year’s Honorees include:

2018 World of Children Education Honoree: Ehsan Mehrangais, founder of Afghanistan Demain, a non-governmental organization that provides education, school programs and rehabilitation to disadvantaged street children in three of the poorest neighborhoods in Kabul regardless of their gender or religion.

https://vimeo.com/299335138

2018 World of Children Health Honoree: Sandy Kemper, founder of Smiles Forever, which improves the quality of life for impoverished children in Cochabamba, Bolivia, through free preventative and restorative dentistry, and nutritional education to reduce conditions such as life-threatening abscesses, painful cavities and malnutrition.

https://vimeo.com/299332994

2018 World of Children Humanitarian Honoree: Phyllis Keino, founder of Lewa Children’s Home and mother to hundreds of orphans and abandoned children in Eldoret, Kenya, providing them with a safe home, medical care, a first-class education and a caring family environment.

https://vimeo.com/299122549

2018 World of Children Protection Honoree: Anta Mbow, founder of Empire des Enfants, a child-based shelter based in Dakar, Senegal that leads humanitarian action for children who have been exploited and are at risk of starvation, abduction, physical and sexual abuse after being forced to live on the streets.

https://vimeo.com/299123868

2018 World of Children Youth Honoree: Caragan Olles, co-founder of Bright Young Dyslexics, the only organization to offer funding for private tutoring and assistive technology for dyslexic students in Wisconsin, in addition to in-school programs to educate teachers and students on how to accommodate students with learning disabilities.

https://vimeo.com/299336979

World of Children receives thousands of nominations from around the world ever year and uses a uniquely rigorous vetting process to select Honorees, including extensive on-site investigations and an independent audit of each finalist. Recognized by the media as the “Nobel Prize for Child Advocates,” Honorees receive funding and educational support to help expand their program and ultimately impact the lives of even more children.

The event’s Honorary Chairs include Faeth Bradley, Daniela Braga, Leonard Gorski, Dean M. Klisura, Rebecca Minkoff and Greg Scott. World of Children is led by Co-Founders Harry Leibowitz and Kay Isaacson-Leibowitz, retired senior executives from Procter & Gamble and Victoria’s Secret respectively.

About World of Children World of Children unlocks the future for vulnerable children by funding, elevating and educating the most effective changemakers for children worldwide. Since 1998, the Foundation has dedicated more than $13 million to high-impact programs for children, led by nearly 120 Honorees working in over 50 countries. World of Children is recognized in the media as the “Nobel Prize for Child Advocates” and is the only global recognition and funding program that exclusively focuses on a broad range of children’s issues including health, education, safety and human rights.

World of Children has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, People, Town & Country, and Harper’s Bazaar. World of Children Honorees have also been featured by CNN, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Fast Company, Glamour, TEEN Vogue, TIME for Kids, and USA Today, among other national and international media. The Huffington Post named Co-Founders Harry Leibowitz and Kay Isaacson-Leibowitz one of the most inspiring “power couples” in the country for their lifetime commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable children around the world.

For more information, visit worldofchildren.org, or join the community on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 01: Alina Cho attends the 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony and Benefit on November 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for World Of Children Awards)

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 01: Andy Adler attends the 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony and Benefit on November 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for World Of Children Awards)

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 01: Andy Adler speaks on stage at the 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony and Benefit on November 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for World Of Children Awards)

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 01: Anta Mbow speaks on stage at the 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony and Benefit on November 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for World Of Children Awards)

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 01: Anta Mbow and Sarah Rose Summers attend the 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony and Benefit on November 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for World Of Children Awards)

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 01: The Choir sings on stage at the 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony and Benefit on November 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for World Of Children Awards)

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 01: Caryl Stern speaks on stage at the 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony and Benefit on November 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for World Of Children Awards)

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 01: Daiane Sodre Bahia attends the 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony and Benefit on November 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for World Of Children Awards)

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 01: Daiane Sodre Bahia and Daniela Braga attend the 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony and Benefit on November 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for World Of Children Awards)

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 01: Daniela Braga attends the 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony and Benefit on November 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for World Of Children Awards)

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 01: Daniela Braga (R) and Adam Freede attend the 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony and Benefit on November 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for World Of Children Awards)

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 01: Devin Beresheim, Kay Isaacson Leibowitz and Harry Leibowitz attend the 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony and Benefit Honoring Heroes for Children on November 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for World Of Children Awards)

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 01: Kay Isaacson Leibowitz and Anta Mbow attend the 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony and Benefit Honoring Heroes for Children on November 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for World Of Children Awards)

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 01: Kay Isaacson Leibowitz and Harry Leibowitz attend the 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony and Benefit Honoring Heroes for Children on November 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for World Of Children Awards)

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 01: Kay Isaacson Leibowitz, Ehsan Mehrangais and Harry Leibowitz attend the 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony and Benefit Honoring Heroes for Children on November 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for World Of Children Awards)

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 01: Kay Isaacson Leibowitz, Phyllis Keino and Harry Leibowitz attend the 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony and Benefit Honoring Heroes for Children on November 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for World Of Children Awards)

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 01: Luna Castilho attends the 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony and Benefit on November 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for World Of Children Awards)

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 01: Luna Castilho, Daniela Braga and Daiane Sodre Bahia attend the 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony and Benefit on November 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for World Of Children Awards)

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 01: Rebecca Minkoff and Sarah Rose Summers attend the 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony and Benefit on November 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for World Of Children Awards)

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 01: Rebecca Minkoff attends the 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony and Benefit on November 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for World Of Children Awards)

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 01: Sandy Kemper attends the 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony and Benefit Honoring Heroes for Children on November 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for World Of Children Awards)

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 01: Sarah Rose Summers and Caragan Olles attend the 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony and Benefit on November 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for World Of Children Awards)

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 01: Sarah Rose Summers attends the 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony and Benefit on November 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for World Of Children Awards)

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 01: Vlada Roslyakova and Vivienne Hu attend the 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony and Benefit on November 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for World Of Children Awards)

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WORLD OF CHILDREN ANNOUNCES TOP 2018 GLOBAL NONPROFIT LEADERS. (Check out the videos!) @WorldOfChildren #WorldOfChildren #Kids #GivingBack NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 01: Anta Mbow, Caragan Olles, Kay Isaacson Leibowitz, Sandy Kemper, Ehsan Mehrangais, Harry leibowitz and Phyllis Keino attend the 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony and Benefit Honoring Heroes for Children on November 1, 2018 in New York City.

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carylerxsecretsanta · 6 years

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Sweet Exchange

for @captain-coffeebean

Title: Sweet Exchange Author: theresnosafeharbor4myships Rating: PG Summary: It’s time for a Christmas celebration, but Daryl isn’t feeling the love…until Carol shows up to bring him out of his funk. <3 A/N: Happy Christmas and Holidays to you, captain-coffeebean!! I hope your season has been full of blessings and love and good times. Hope you enjoy this fic from back when things were fun and mildly angsty between Caryl :D

The last of the leaves falling from the trees and the chill setting in their bones told them winter had officially arrived, and with it, Christmas. Celebrating holidays hadn’t occurred to them amidst the running and fighting and scavenging and surviving, but with things finally settling down and the Woodbury lot talking about Christmas being a few days away, the prison was abuzz with the idea of a party.

It’d taken some getting used to, having people around again—and especially ones nearly incapable of protecting themselves—but their small family had slowly opened up. The groups had begun working together, and they’d started construction on a covered outdoor mess hall, prepping the yard for spring planting, building a corral for the animals they intended to have, and going on runs to help provide for the group-at-large.

Daryl had returned from one of those runs not two days ago. He liked being out on the road, preferred it actually, but there was something to be said for having a place to come home to. And home it had become. Not because of the place, though having walls and some semblance of security helped, but because of the people waiting for him, depending on him, welcoming him back.

Still, he found the sheer number of them stifling sometimes. The noise and problems, chatter and complaints, company and neediness, the need to fill quiet spaces with unnecessary words…it all exhausted him, and he often excused himself when too many gathered around.

Like now.

He rubbed his hands together in an attempt to garner warmth. Guard duty had become nearly unbearable after the sun set, but he only had himself to blame since he’d offered to stay on watch while everyone else enjoyed the Christmas festivities.

He cupped his hands around his mouth, breathing hot air onto them before shoving them back into his pockets and scanning the grounds below. The night was dead, and not just because of the handful of walkers roaming the horizon. The air stung, the temperature much too frigid for anything living to want to encroach on their territory. Still, he kept his eyes peeled, even as he wondered what the merry-making inside looked like.

Was Rick wearing that dumb elf hat with the big ears on it that Michonne had found in a storage closet last week? Was Carl pretending Judy was the baby in the manger again? Was Beth leading the group in a round of Christmas carols? Was Carol decorating that wimpy Peanuts-style Christmas tree that Glenn had dragged in? Was she keeping warm? Maybe wearing that red sweater she’d claimed that made her eyes shine like stars and her cheeks look extra rosy? Was she smiling at the kids’ antics? Rocking Judith to sleep? Was she chatting it up with that guy, Greg, the one he’d noticed gravitating towards her lately? Did she enjoy the man’s company? Did she even miss his presence, notice he wasn’t around?

He shook his head, clearing away the frustrating thought that she might not even have noticed his absence, and focused on the yard around and far below him.

It’s not like he had any claim to her. Sure, they’d paired up last winter, after they’d lost the farm, but only because nearly everyone else had someone to keep warm with. She’d started flirting with him then, causing his cheeks to flush and his mind to go numb until an unimpressive ‘stahp’ was all he could muster. She’d mustered all the strength she had and hugged him fiercely after he’d found her in that tomb, nearly gone with dehydration, and he’d silently gulped in air, his breath sucked away by the adrenaline still boiling from his frantic pacing a few minutes before and the debilitating relief that he’d found her alive. He hadn’t realized until that moment how much he’d come to care for her, and it scared the shit out of him. And after that…when he’d ditched them because he couldn’t escape his past, he’d known deep down she’d forgive him for traipsing off with Merle, even as the fear that she wouldn’t gnawed at him. But she had—and had even welcomed him and the jackass back into their fold.

He heart seized at the memory of Merle’s walker stumbling towards him. Had it really only been a month ago? A month since he’d ended the dead thing wearing Merle’s face? A month since he’d returned to the prison—where he belonged, he’d stubbornly told Merle—shuffling through the gate and finding his way to Carol? Since she’d taken one look at his expression and let a small “oh” out on a breath before eating up the distance between them and wrapping her arms around his neck? He’d nearly resisted the embrace, arrogant enough to believe he could hide his grief and handle it without the support of someone who cared about him, but the words he’d mumbled to Merle—can’t do things without people anymore, man—rang in his ears, and he dropped his head onto her shoulder and silently wept. If anyone in their group understood the emotions roiling through him, the bitterness and anger, the gratitude followed by the shame, the hatred and relief, the agony of it all, Carol would.

He swallowed hard against the sadness that still came over him in waves. Carol knew, better than anyone he’d ever met. She empathized but didn’t make excuses for him, called things as she saw them. And saw the man he’d become without his older brother casting that menacing shadow he’d never been able to shake until her.

She intrigued him, this woman who’d suffered her own abuses and come out the better side of it, so different from him. Kind and sweet and strong as hell, where he’d become silent, bitter, and defensive. He’d tried to fight it, attempted to remain indifferent, but he craved her presence. Felt drawn to her in a way that made his heart beat fast and his breath catch in his throat.

And instead of sitting inside celebrating a Charlie Brown Christmas with her, he’d offered to freeze to death alone. What an ass.

He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets, his left hand finding the small trinket he’d left there and turning it over and over in his palm.

He’d happened upon it a few days ago. He and Michonne had searched for the Governor for two weeks before returning to the prison. On the way home, they’d discovered a small group of farm houses tucked into a grove they’d never discovered before. A small community belonging to a long-gone religious sect, if he had to guess. They’d made quick work of scavenging and had come away with a few useful items. And he with the small gift in his pocket.

He’d paused when he’d first seen it, shocked that something so perfect existed, then snatched it up and hidden it away before Michonne noticed and set about teasing him. She ribbed him relentlessly, and something about making him blush amused her. He didn’t need to give her any more ammo for her arsenal.

“Hey, you ready to go inside?”

He peered over the watchtower bars to see Ty staring up at him. “Party all done?”

“Mostly. Kids have gone to bed, and everyone else was headed that way when I left.” Ty started climbing the staircase. “You missed a lot of good fun in there.”

Daryl didn’t feel a need to respond. The dour mood he’d set himself in only had sarcastic remarks, and Ty didn’t deserve to be on the end of his self-pity trip.

“We left you some dinner,” Ty told him as he reached the landing. “Still warm too, I think.”

“Thanks.” Daryl passed his machine gun to Ty and grabbed up his crossbow, slinging the worn strap across his chest. “Stay warm; it’s only gonna get colder before morning,” he predicted as he started down the stairs.

“I’m gonna try.”

Daryl ambled toward the cell block, trying to shake away the darkness that had settled in his mind, but too much time alone, in his own head, with his morbid thoughts—and all because he preferred playing the outcast—had soured his mood and left his heart feeling cold.

As if he weren’t freezing already.

He hurried inside to warm up, hoping everyone had dispersed and he could eat his dinner in peace.

He closed the cell block door, effectively shutting the biting air outside, and made his way to the dining area. Red, silver, and gold baubles and garland graced the wimpy tree in the corner, nearly weighing it down with their joviality, and a few shreds of string and what had likely been gift wrapping still littered the floor. Laughter rang down the halls, taunting him in his loneliness, and suddenly the thought of eating dinner alone surrounded by sights of the season didn’t seem so appealing.

Heaving a sigh, he ignored the cheery, intermittent voices from the cell blocks and headed to the stove. He poured himself a cup of warm coffee and snagged some of the turkey jerky he’d made and a small can of fruit before heading toward his cell.

The main room stood empty, the low voices he’d heard coming from sheet-covered cells throughout the block. The noise would drown out any sound he made, but he still walked carefully, not in the mood to encounter any straggling partiers.

He’d nearly made it to his cell when Carol popped her head out of her room and spotted him. “There you are! I’ve been looking for you!”

In your cell? he wondered despondently, nodding noncommittally in response.

“I was just bundling up to come find you.”

Daryl stopped outside of his room as she moved towards him, wearing one of the winter jackets and a scarf they’d pilfered. “Couldn’t find my gloves. But now that you’re here….mind if I join you?”

She had noticed him missing from the party…and had set out to find him? He felt a fluttering in his belly. At least she wasn’t spending the rest of the evening with Greg.

Suddenly her hand was on his arm. “You okay?” she asked, looking concerned.

It don’t mean nothin’ special. Shake it off, Dixon, he scolded himself. Act like a normal human being for once. “Yeah. Just cold.”

“Well, let’s get you warmed up. Mind if I sit with you for a while?”

He shook his head in response, too overcome with images of her helping him get warm to form words.

She pulled back the curtain covering his cell, and he dipped inside with her right behind him. Flipping on the small lamp and leaning against the desk, he motioned towards the bed, offering her the more comfortable seat, but she shook her head. “You’ve been on guard duty for hours. You get comfy and relax.”

“You sure?”

She smiled sweetly at him, nodding, and he moved to the bed, setting his coffee cup on the ground at his feet as she turned the desk chair around to face him. He placed his crossbow in the corner by his bed and slipped out of his jacket, leaving it pooled around him as he sat.

Carol removed her scarf and heavy coat and draped them over the back of the chair as she plopped down. Her proximity made him nervous, and though he didn’t want her to leave, he didn’t exactly want her so close—only a few feet away—with the curtain sealing them off from others. It made his heart thunder wildly in his chest, his thoughts run rampant. With the others around, he found it easier to act indifferent; hell, he wouldn’t be able to handle the ridicule if they knew how desperately he craved her, how often she occupied his thoughts, so he played it safe and kept it cool. But when they were alone—and that had started to happen more and more frequently—he felt sure she could read his thoughts, hear his heartbeat running fast. It was dangerous to have her so close. And yet so far, he reminded himself.

“Did you see our tree?” she asked, merriment on her face. “The kids went crazy when they saw the decorations Michonne and Glenn brought out. They almost knocked it over a few times, all of them trying to decorate at once.”

He didn’t trust himself to speak without sounding harsher than necessary, so he harrumphed in response, giving a small nod, and started eating the turkey jerky.

“Carl wanted to sing, so he and Beth led everyone in some songs, but when Carl started Jingle Bells with ‘Jingle bells, Batman smells,’ Rick called it quits.”

He granted her an amused look but otherwise remained quiet and continued munching.

You’re an idiot, he scolded himself. She’s been running miles around that race track in your mind for hours. Now she’s here in front of you, no one else around, and you clam up like you got lockjaw.

He glanced up at her and saw that his silence had subdued her mood.

Why can’t you act halfway decent?

“Hershel read the Christmas story,” she continued with a bit less enthusiasm. “And we let the kids open their gifts…mainly books from the library, and the chalk and the puzzles you brought back the other day.”

He shrugged one shoulder. “Was nothin’.” Her intense stare made him want to fidget, but he willed himself to refrain.

“It meant the world to the kids. It’s not gonna be often…if ever…that we get to open gifts again,” she explained softly. “It lifted everyone’s spirits.”

He gave a small nod and started gnawing on the inside of his lip, unsure how to handle her praise. He felt comfortable in front of walkers and with weapons, but kind words from this slip of a woman with the bright blue eyes and he melted, powerless, like snow in the sun. Slowly, ever so slowly, she was thawing him out.

Her talk of gifts reminded him of the one in his pocket. He’d meant to wrap it, to wait until she was on guard duty and leave it on her bed or perhaps tuck it into her hands before he set out on the next scheduled run, but something in this moment prodded him. Give it to her…now or never, he told himself. Just ‘cause you’re an ass doesn’t mean you gotta keep bein’ one.

Setting his snacks aside and avoiding her gaze, he fumbled around with his jacket, trying to find the pocket with her gift in it. “I, uh…” He cleared his throat. “I got somethin’ for you. For Christmas.” He withdrew a fisted hand from his jacket. “Didn’t….get a chance to wrap it.”

He raised his eyes to see her staring at him in wonder. “Ain’t much,” he mumbled, holding his hand out towards her.

She cupped her hands together beneath his, and he watched her as he placed the gift into her hands. A panoply of expressions crossed her face: surprise, happiness, excitement, anticipation. Holding the jewelry in one hand, she picked up one of the pieces with the other. “Oh, Daryl,” she breathed.

The large stud earrings had creamy-white pearlescent petals with a tiny golden center, and silver rimmed the edges, giving them a regal appearance.

“Cherokee rose. I just thought…well…it’s—”

He stopped stuttering when she abruptly moved from the chair and sat down next to him, but before he could speak again she leaned toward him and slipped her arms around his neck.

“Thank you,” she whispered near his ear, hugging him close.

He froze in place, her touch burning his skin, her scent, light and floral, overpowering his senses, her breath sending shivers down his spine. His heart staccatoed against his ribcage, and he felt certain they could hear it in the next cell block.

She was going to kill him long before he’d ever gather the courage to tell her how he felt

He slid his arms around her, tentatively holding her like he’d done not so long ago. That hug—borne out of relief and desperation, he knew—had surprised him, but since it’d been a matter of life and death, he understood it. This…this felt entirely different. Full of gratitude, happiness, and a sort of intimacy he couldn’t help but both crave and fear.

“They’re beautiful,” she enthused as she withdrew, looking at the earrings in her hand like they were diamonds. “Cherokee roses…” She met his gaze, and for a moment he thought she might cry. “Thank you.”

“You remembered,” he murmured.

“I could never forget. It was the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for me. And…I saw the one out on the grave…” she admitted quietly.

He felt the twitch of his eye, his tell of discomfort when someone got too close, and looked away. “Thought you were gone.”

He heard the sadness in his tone, felt his heart clench at the memory of almost losing her. Of finding her. Of bringing her back to the group and having her with him, with them, again.

She covered his hand with one of her own. “I know,” she whispered.

“Didn’t know how else…to pay my respects. Didn’t know how else to say goodbye. I was so angry that we lost… We went lookin’ for you…after we found T, found Lori. I didn’t want you to…be one of them or, or stay one of them. I couldn’t…it’d already been a few days and I couldn’t leave you like that.”

He saw the forgotten scarf on the ground, the knife she’d used to defend herself. Recalled how he’d jammed that knife over and over again into the floor, the wall, hoping to release some of emotions threatening to spill over. He hadn’t meant to tell her how he’d discovered her hiding place, but now that he’d started he couldn’t stop.

“I found a walker with your knife in its neck, and…I hated the thought of you down there by yourself, tryin’ to find a way out, fightin’ them things by yourself.” He shook his head, his eyes full of fire and hurt and miles away. “I made them leave me down there….in the tombs. I…after losing T and Lori, with Rick head-sick, and me tryin’ to keep everyone alive and make sure Asskicker had food, I…I couldn’t take it anymore. I made them leave me alone. Wallowin’ like a damn fool when they all needed me… I worked myself up to be able to…to put you down if I had to. We promised, and I would have, but…”

“But you found me. You brought me back.” Carol ducked her head trying to meet his gaze, and he finally met her eyes, coming back to the present. “Thank you…for saving me. For finding me.” She reached up and brushed his hair away from his eyes. “For the Cherokee roses that’ve given me strength and hope. And now I get to keep them…keep you…with me always.”

His heart seized in his chest, and he thought he might’ve stopped breathing for a moment. He stared at her, her words washing over him like a healing balm. She couldn’t mean what she’d said…could she? He’d used the rose to lend her hope when she’d lost it; now she was using it to bind them together. How she could do that, could turn the moment from maudlin to miraculous in a few heartbeats, left him speechless.

He cleared his throat, breaking the tension that crackled in the air, and he felt time snap back into place.

She held his gaze as she put the earrings on. “I love them,” she declared. She turned her head from side to side, showcasing them. “How do they look?”

He couldn’t help staring. In the dim light of his lamp, she looked soft and inviting, her smile blazing brightly at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “They’re perfect,” he breathed.

Carol covered his hand with one of hers. “Thank you,” she said softly, her words heavy. “I have something for you too.”

He furrowed his brow as she moved to her jacket and rifled through its folds. She glanced at him once conspiratorially before withdrawing a package wrapped crudely in soft leather and tied with a string. “Here.” She proffered the package to him, returning to her seat next to him on the bed.

Daryl swallowed hard, entirely unprepared for this exchange. It’d taken all of his willpower to give the earrings to her. But to know she’d thought of him too, had prepared and wrapped a gift, and had it in her pocket as she’d set out to find him tonight meant he’d been right: he was an ass for avoiding their first Christmas.

He untied the string and peeled back the cloth to reveal a coiled piece of leather. “What is it?” he murmured as he unwound it. The leather strap had a familiar-looking connecting piece at each end, and he realized he held a new, better version of a crossbow sling.

“I know you said yours was giving out,” Carol explained. “And I want to make sure you stay safe.”

“How did you…?” He trailed off in wonder, noting “D I X O N” emblazoned across the middle of the strap.

“That guy, Greg…? He’s a leather craftsmen. When I found out, I asked him to help me. We’ve been working on it for a few weeks; just finished today. I wanted to give you something nice. You do so much for us, for all of us, I wanted to do a little something special for you.”

He stared at the sling, unable to meet her gaze, his mind spinning. Useful, practical, and something she’d come up with on her own…she’d helped handcraft a personalized gift for him? ‘I want to make sure you stay safe,’ she’d said, but walkers were the least of his worries. She’d disarmed him with gentle words, kind eyes, sweet smiles, and tender touches. He’d fallen prey to her willful spirit, her fierce loyalty, her fathomless heart. She’d captured him as a wounded animal, angry, biting, bitter, and full of scorn, and softly, gently, methodically wooed him to her. And he didn’t care that he was her prisoner.

“Carol…”

The jealousy he’d felt as he’d watched her with Greg the past few weeks turned into embarrassment, and he thanked the heavens she couldn’t read his thoughts. He felt sheepish knowing she’d spent time with Greg because she’d been working on a gift for him. He really was an ass.

“This is…perfect.” He finally raised his head to meet her eyes, and as relief washed over her face, he realized how long he’d sat silent.

“I’m glad you like it. Should be the same length as the original; hopefully it fits right.”

He gazed at her, in awe of the compassionate, fiery, powerful force of nature before him. “Thank you.” He imbued the words with all of the sentiments he didn’t know how to voice yet.

Carol’s face broke into an understanding smile. “Merry Christmas, Daryl.”

He nodded. “Merry Christmas.”

#Caryl #Caryl Secret Santa 2018 #from theresnosafeharbor4myships #gift 1 of 1 #captain-coffeebean

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