"You okay Sweetheart?" ... You woke up this morning alone in the Grimes household ― your boyfriend was god knows where, chasing after walkers like that would earn him a place next to his father (the leader) rather than beneath him. His obsession with being seen as 'strong', you never quite understood. Rick was a good leader ― yet, Carl had a hard time understanding.

And oh if Rick didn't feel the slightest ache in his chest seeing you so ... lost, almost. Like, you didn't know where his son was, didn't understand him quite as much as you would like to. And maybe... maybe Rick could even relate a little. He didn't know Carl like he used to...

And you were a nice girl, polite, self-aware. Strong. He's seen you hold yourself against walkers and humans alike, and found himself admire how this new world had shaped you.

Yeah..., maybe Carl wasn't what you needed all along..., maybe it was his beefy dad that looked at you like you were capable, and not something to leave behind and let adapt.