A week passed in the blink of an eye, the days blending into a routine that Jason never imagined could be so normal.
This was especially strange considering the context in which he lived: a world dominated by the dead, lifeless creatures that still walked and hungered for the living, a genuine walker apocalypse.
Hershel, after a serious conversation with Maggie that same day, in which he mentioned his desire to stay on the farm during lunch, ended up relenting and allowing him to stay. To his relief, the decision came with much less resistance than he had anticipated. He had already thought of various ways to convince him, arguments and even possible promises and ways to prove they could trust him, but fortunately, he didn't need to resort to any of that.
Obviously, there were some conditions. Still, it was more of a formality than anything else, since all Hershel asked was that he help take care of the farm and avoid going to the barn, something that Jason found strange at first but ended up accepting without question. As for helping on the farm, that had been part of his plans from the beginning.
Although he had to wait until the next day to actually start helping, Maggie still insisted that he rest more. Even so, he simply couldn't stay still. So, as soon as the sun rose the following morning, he began helping with whatever he could on the farm, getting involved in the tasks as if they were already a natural part of his routine....
Because of Maggie's concern, Hershel spared him from the heavier work. He started by helping Otis reinforce the fences, nailing loose boards while the man told hunting stories that seemed straight out of an old book, besides talking about all sorts of subjects. Otis also proved to be quite curious about him, asking direct questions, to which he always responded sincerely.
The impression he had of the big guy was clear from the start: Otis was the type of fellow who laughed loudly at almost everything, but had a genuinely good heart, always willing to offer practical advice or help without asking for anything in return. It didn't take long for the two to get along well and develop a natural and pleasant coexistence; in fact, all it took was one morning working together.
After helping Otis in the morning, he spent the afternoon with Maggie, taking care of the horses. It was there that she noticed how quickly he learned, and that considering he was still deliberately slowing down his own learning pace. Riding was something that normally required time, falls, and constant corrections, especially for someone who had never been on a horse before. Even so, he picked it up almost instantly, moving with such naturalness that it seemed like he had done it his whole life.
When Maggie asked if that was really his first time practicing riding, all he could offer as an explanation was that he came from the city and that, yes, he had never ridden before. He even said that he himself was surprised at being so "talented." Maggie just laughed and shook her head, commenting that he had been born in the wrong environment; if he had been born on the farm, he could even win some riding competitions, clearly incredulous at the idea that this was truly his first time.
Still, she was sure that he was, in fact, a novice, since she had to explain everything from the beginning: how to hold the reins, maintain balance, guide the animal, and interpret its movements. Her surprise came precisely from that; despite learning from scratch, he absorbed everything too quickly. Moreover, the horses reacted curiously to him. Animals that were normally skittish approached without hesitation, accepted his touch, and remained calm, as if they recognized him as one of their own family....
Even the farm's most spirited mare seemed tame around him, responding to his gestures with a docility that Maggie had never seen before.
The afternoon passed faster than either of them expected. Between practical explanations and casual comments, the conversation flowed lightly and naturally. Maggie ended up talking about the farm, about how that place used to be before the world collapsed, and she noticed that he really listened, without haste or distraction. He, in turn, spoke little about his own past, but enough to keep the dialogue alive. The two already got along well, and by the end of that afternoon, they had grown even closer.
During the night, after dinner, he washed the dishes while Maggie dried them, and the two talked about various subjects, from simple everyday things to scattered memories of life before everything crumbled. When they finished, he said goodbye and went to sleep, carrying with him the calm feeling that that day had been, in some way, good...
In this way, the next day, upon noticing that he was completely recovered, Maggie no longer prevented him from helping with the heavier work. In the morning, he assisted Hershel with what was necessary: repairing old fences, reinforcing the broken ones, digging holes, and performing all kinds of manual labor. Even holding back a lot, he ended up demonstrating tremendous strength. Even he himself was surprised at lifting a piece of wood that weighed over a hundred kilos with relative ease. For the old farmer, that was even more impressive, but considering his physical build and muscle level, the strength seemed almost natural.
While helping Hershel, he ended up getting a little closer to the old farmer, something that wasn't difficult. It was enough to understand the type of man he was: someone proud of his own work, firm in his principles, and who valued family above all else.
He spent the entire day helping Hershel. Later, Jimmy showed up to lend a hand, while Beth brought lemonade and something for them to eat. Maggie also came to see how they were doing, making sure everything was going well; since Otis had gone out hunting and Patricia was taking care of the house, she took the opportunity to observe Jason closely, relieved to see that he was completely fine despite the heavy work, and even more so to see that he got along well with her father.
That night of the second day, finally finding free time after dinner, he gathered all the books available on the farm that dealt with veterinary medicine, cooking, agronomy, construction, and various other simpler areas. He read everything carefully, absorbing every detail. In the end, he had achieved perfect proficiency in each of these skills, even though some were basic at best. Even so, under the influence of his [Perfect Mind], all that knowledge was mastered at the absolute peak and organized at a simply unimaginable level....
The next morning, he helped Jimmy clean the stable and feed the horses. The two ended up getting along very well, despite the skinny boy being more shy and quiet. Jimmy spoke little, often limiting himself to observing him with curious eyes, clearly surprised both by his strength and by the ease with which he handled the animals. Still, every now and then he asked some questions, to which Jason responded with patience, also taking the opportunity to return the curiosity with occasional questions, which made the coexistence more natural.
Later in the afternoon, he went back to helping Maggie and spent some time by her side. It was during this period that he managed to talk better with Beth, the shyest in the family, who always blushed when they crossed paths in the hallway or kitchen in the last few days. She helped Patricia with the meals and, sometimes, Jason caught her singing softly while washing the dishes, a sweet and delicate voice, as fragile as she herself. Gradually, he ended up talking more with Beth, breaking her shyness naturally, and the two started to get along very well, almost like siblings, which made Maggie very happy....
That night, he also helped Patricia cook, putting his newly acquired skills into practice and leaving everyone surprised at how well he managed in the kitchen. When Otis asked where all that came from, he had to come up with a simple excuse: he said he lived alone before and, since he liked to eat well, he ended up learning to cook on his own. Apart from his culinary skills, he maintained a cordial and friendly relationship with Patricia, which helped make her even more comfortable with his presence in the house.
And it was in this normal routine that the rest of the week passed quickly.
Despite getting along very well with everyone who lived on the Greene farm, he ended up growing closer and closer to Maggie, spending much of his time by her side, talking about the most diverse subjects. It became difficult not to fall in love with a woman as incredible as her, and fortunately, he wasn't the only one feeling that growing sentiment....
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The morning dawned enveloped in a low fog, the kind that clings to the ground and only starts to dissipate when the sun truly decides to appear. The farm was still silent when Jason finished tightening the last strap on the saddle of the horse that Maggie had said was named Duke. The night before, Hershel had mentioned that the medicines were running out and that it would be prudent to make a trip to the city to replenish the stock. He offered to go, both to help and to take the opportunity to stop by some library and look for more books to study. However, he wouldn't go alone: Maggie also volunteered to accompany him, and so the two decided to go together.
The horse snorted softly, pulling him from his thoughts, impatient but remaining still.
After finishing saddling the horse, he cast an evaluative glance at his own equipment. In practice, all he had was a backpack on his back and a wooden-handled machete strapped to his waist. He was still wearing the same clothes from a week ago, despite having bathed regularly. For heavy work, he had used some borrowed pieces from Otis, which were too big on him, helping to preserve his own clothes in good condition. Still, he knew he needed to take advantage of the trip to the city to pick up some changes of clothes from some store, in addition to the planned visit to the library.
Particularly, he would like to find some firearm. On the farm, all there was were Otis's shotgun and Hershel's. Another thing he also needed to arrange was a car in good condition, something that could serve as an escape route if the farm ceased to be safe.
With that in mind, he began mentally organizing a list of everything he needed to handle on that trip to the city while waiting for Maggie.
A few minutes later, the sound of footsteps broke the morning silence. Jason turned in time to see Maggie coming out of the smaller barn, leading another horse by the reins. She was wearing simple jeans and a white long-sleeved shirt, rolled up to her forearms. Her boots were dirty with dry earth and a bit old. Strapped to her back, supported by a well-adjusted leather strap, was her father's shotgun that she always carried when she needed to leave the farm. Her short brown hair was loose, some stray strands escaping and framing her extremely beautiful face....
He never tired of observing that breathtaking face and those green eyes, as beautiful as a carefully cut jewel.
Maggie stopped as soon as she noticed Duke already saddled. For a moment, she just stared at him, then shifted her gaze to the horse and back to him, slightly arching her eyebrows.
"You chose Duke of all horses? Seriously? You picked the most stubborn one in the bunch for your first trip to the city?"
The tone wasn't one of reprimand, but of genuine surprise. Duke was known on the farm for being temperamental, distrustful, and not very tolerant of people who didn't know exactly what they were doing. He wasn't the type of horse she would normally leave in the hands of someone who had learned to ride just a few days ago....
Jason gave a light pat on the horse's neck, feeling the animal relax under his touch: "He seems calm with me. Besides, you said I was born for the country, right? Let's test that."
Maggie crossed her arms and tilted her head slightly, displaying a half-smile. Still, there was a hint of concern in her expression, something she tried to hide under her tough posture.
"He bit Jimmy last week. Are you sure you want to risk it?"
"Relax, Maggie. I'm sure he won't do anything to me, right, buddy?" Jason replied, rolling his eyes lightly while stroking Duke.
Maggie observed with curiosity. The horse showed no sign of impatience: he didn't pull the reins, didn't paw the ground, remained calm, as if he naturally accepted his presence.
"Well...." She said finally: "If he hasn't thrown you to the ground by now, maybe he's accepted you...."
She saddled her own horse with quick and precise movements, each one the result of years of practice. When she finished, she adjusted the shotgun on her back, checking if it was secure, and cast a last glance at the sky, assessing the weather.
"We go into the city, head straight to the pharmacy, grab the medicines, and get out," Maggie said, mounting the horse calmly. "As you know, noise attracts them, so no unnecessary noise. If there's any sign of trouble, we come back immediately."
Jason mounted Duke right after, feeling the animal obey without any resistance. For a few moments, they stayed side by side, the horses advancing at a slow pace as they gradually left the property.
"I understand, Maggie. I know how to handle myself, okay? I know you might be worried about me, but I'll be fine. Until I got here, I managed to survive alone; I wouldn't have if I were impulsive. And I know the priority is the medicines..." There was a brief pause before he continued, choosing his words carefully. "But... if it's not a problem for you, I was thinking of taking advantage of the trip to stop by some clothing store. Just the basics. And, if it still exists, take a look at the city library. I promise I won't take long. You can wait for me at the pharmacy while I stop by those two places."
Maggie kept her gaze ahead for a few seconds after he finished speaking, guiding the horse calmly while absorbing every word. When she finally turned her face to him, there was something different in her expression; she sighed....
"I know you know how to handle yourself, Jason. Even so, that doesn't mean I won't worry about you, since you're an important person to me, despite us having known each other for a short time...." She commented with an expression hard to explain in words, before continuing: "And I had already imagined that you'd want to do more than just get medicines; I was even thinking of going to a clothing store, since you can't keep using just that set of clothes and borrowed ones from Otis. As for the library.... I know you like to read to pass the time; if you want to take the opportunity to grab some books, I don't see any problems...."
Jason felt a warmth spread through his chest with her words. He was alone in that world, with no one he could really trust, and after all those days by Maggie's side, she had become the most important person to him. There were no more doubts: he was in love with her. Fortunately, it wasn't a one-sided feeling; all that was missing was for one of them to take the first step.
"Thank you, Maggie... really." His voice came out lower than usual, sincere, without a trace of joking. He kept his gaze on her for a moment before turning back to the path ahead.
"I know it hasn't been long since we met, but..." There was a brief, almost imperceptible pause: "In this short time, you've also become someone I care about deeply."
Maggie slowed the horse's pace slightly, casting a sidelong glance at him, attentive to every word.
"You took me in when I had nothing, no one. You trusted me when there was no reason to."
For a few seconds, Maggie didn't respond. The light wind moved some loose strands of her hair, and the subtle grip she gave the reins betrayed that those words had weighed more than she expected. When she finally spoke, her voice came out soft.
"Jason..." She made a brief pause before continuing, as if organizing her own feelings. "...I'm glad to hear that from you. And that's exactly why, since we're stopping at the clothing store and the library, we'll go together. Without separating. I can't stand the idea of losing you, knowing I could be by your side to help...."
Jason felt the tightness in his chest intensify upon hearing those words. He turned his face to Maggie, surprise and something more mixed in his expression.
"... Maggie." He let out the air slowly, nodding afterward. "All right. We'll go together, then."
The corner of Maggie's mouth curved slightly, a discreet smile that she didn't try to hide. She turned her attention back to the road and touched her heels to the horse's flank, making it advance a little faster.
Jason followed the movement, Duke keeping pace with an almost provocative tranquility.
The farm faded behind them, swallowed by the low fog that slowly dissipated with the sun.