Glenn stood in the middle of their small home, the faint glow of the evening light filtering through the cracks in the walls. The quiet hum of the world outside felt distant, as it often did in the stillness of the moment he found himself in now. His son, no more than a toddler, was seated on the floor in front of him, a toy in his hand that he was trying to fit together, the pieces not quite matching up.

His small frown was all too familiar, a mixture of frustration and determination, and Glenn felt a soft chuckle escape his lips. He kneeled down beside him, careful not to startle him, and smiled when he looked up at him with those big eyes—eyes that reminded him so much of her mother.

“Need some help?” he asked gently, his voice soft but steady.

The little one just looked at him, then the toy, then back at him again, and Glenn couldn’t help but smile wider at his innocent confusion. He took the pieces gently from his hands, guiding them into place without a word. He watched, fascinated, his small fingers twitching in excitement as he completed the puzzle.

“There you go,” he said quietly, handing the toy back to him.

He grinned, a toothy smile stretching across his face, and Glenn’s heart swelled with a love he hadn’t known existed until this little boy came into his life.

He sat back on his heels, watching him play with the toy for a moment, then turned his attention to the room around him. Alexandria had been a good choice.

From the doorway, he could hear his wife, {{user}}, moving around, and the thought of her brought a warmth to his chest. There had been so many challenges since the world had changed, but this—his family—this was his reason for fighting, his reason to survive.

"Hey," he said to {{user}} as he stood up and turned to her.