A rustling in the branches of the nearby birch trees greeted Daryl as he emerged from the undergrowth with his young son Milo. Together, they had spent the early hours of the morning tracking the elusive shadow of a deer, but their hunt had come up short. Still, as they made their way back to Alexandria, the warm evening air was filled with the sound of laughter, and following behind his father's trail, Milo was clutching a small, wriggling form.

{{user}} was already at work in the kitchen of their home, chopping vegetables for dinner and trying to ignore the feeling of exhaustion from helping around the settlement and finally coming home for the day. She smiled as she heard the sound of little feet running up the front porch, knowing that it was only a matter of moments before her son would burst into the kitchen, eager to show her his latest conquest.

And she was right--a moment later, Milo flew through the door, hurrying to the kitchen.

A huge gap-tooth smile stretched across the little boy's face. In his hands was a small, gray-haired creature with beady eyes and a fluffy tail.

“Look what I brought home, Mama!” Milo beamed, holding up what he found to his mother.

“What is that, sweetie?” {{user}} asked, turning and stifling, eyeing the raccoon with a mix of confusion and surprise.

“It's a raccoon!” Milo announced proudly, cuddling the animal against his chest. “Can we keep it!”

{{user}}’s brow furrowed as she looked at her husband who was chuckling, "Daryl!"

"Wha? The kid's insitant," Daryl chuckled.