"Is this your first time honey?"

"Yes," Michonne scrunched up her face and tightened her robe. "Is it that obvious?"

"A little. You look kind of scared." The short statured woman ran a hand through her short brown hair and patted Michonne on the hand.

"I'm so nervous. You must be a pro at this?"

"I've been doing this for about ten years now. The nerves never go away honey, because you never know how your body will respond. You just have to jump in and get it over with. Are you here by yourself?"

"Oh no. My boys are next door. They told me to meet them poolside."

"Too old for the women's locker room?"

"Yeah. They're 8."

"Both of them, twins?"

"Uh huh," Michonne tucked a few escaped locs back into her bun and then picked up her towel off the bench.

"Well, it's almost time. Make sure you hold their hands and y'all jump together. It helps when it's your first time."

"Thank you." Michonne tightened her belt again, this time to combat her nerves. She watched the woman walk away and through the doors leading outside. With one final exhale, Michonne did the same.

"Mom! There's so many people here. The lady over there said we have to stand in line and then after we jump in, we swim to the other side and get our towels and robes. They have hot chocolate and muffins in the lounge when we're done."

"Well, looks like you two got all the useful information that we need. Are we ready Carl?"

"Yep. It'll be a piece of cake." The trio walked to the other side of the huge pool, making sure to read the digital numbers on the square temperature gauge.

"It's 40 degrees out. I wonder how cold the pool is?" Carl asked. Michonne took a deep breath and walked a bit faster to help warm her up. She knew the water would be colder and if she thought about it too long, she'd talk herself out of doing this.

"Come on. They're starting to line up." Michonne and the boys rushed over to the metal benches and dropped their towels and untied their robes. The boys both wore red swimming trunks and black tank tops, blowing into their hands and bouncing up and down to keep warm. Michonne removed her robe and immediately started to rub her arms with her hands. Her white one piece tank swimming suit gave her a lot more coverage than her usual bikini, but it wasn't doing much to protect her from the cold outdoor temperature. "It's so cold. Are y'all sure you want to do this Andre?"

"Yes! Come on mom." Carl grabbed her left hand and Andre grabbed her right, both trying to hurry her up before she lost her nerve.

"Please line up the way you'll jump. No more than three at a time jumping please. Absolutley no diving. Once you're in the water, swim to the other side and hop out, your towels and robes will be waiting for you on the benches you left them on. After you've dried off and gone inside to get dressed, there will be warm refreshments in the meeting room for you to enjoy." The warmly dressed man finished his announcement through the red bullhorn he was using and set it down before he stripped down to his bright yellow swimming trunks. Michonne and her boys watched the first person jump feet first into the frigid water. They let out a yelp as their body registered the coldness and then they quickly swam to the other side of the pool and got out.

"Y'all are really sure about this?"

"Yes!" Both boys said at the same time. Michonne watched with bated breath as twelve more jumps were made. Singles, pairs and teams of three. All jumped in the same, but the sounds they made were different; shrieks, shouts and squeals in all octaves. They watched the young couple in front of them bounce around at the edge of the pool and then kiss and hold hands before jumping in. Carl was splashed with a drop of water and his arms were immediately covered in goosebumps.

"It's so cold mom!"

"Well, we're next, let me get..." Andre and Carl stood in front of Michonne and jumped before she could finish her pep talk. "Boys!" She shouted just as their feet hit the water, "We were supposed to jump together!" She placed her hands at her sides and exhaled a breath. She'd have to jump by herself and just wasn't sure if she could do it. She was putting on a brave face because of Carl and Andre, but she was terrified. Her sister talked her into this, somehow convincing her that this was the provovial beginning of the year cleanse she needed. "New year, new town, new house, new you!" she said. "Jump in and leave all the bad shit in the pool."

Michonne watched her boys get out of the pool and she shivered against the cold. Taking one tentative step forward, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, she could do this.

"You can jump with us if you want." Michonne looked down at the brown haired girl who had just placed her hand in hers. Her lavender bathing suit was covered with pink and white unicorns what had silver glitter horns. She was smiling and looked back at a man in dark blue trunks. Before Michonne could look at his face, the girl started talking again. "Me and my daddy will hold your hand."

"Uhh..Judith," The man said cautiously.

"Will you?" Michonne asked. "I'm so nervous. That water looks really cold."

"Daddy hold her hand." Michonne felt a strong hand grab hers and she looked up at the stranger who was holding her hand and shyly smiling.

"Hi. I guess we're taking the plunge together."

"Looks like it," Michonne replied with a grateful smile.

"Ready daddy?" The little girl asked before she got into position and said loudly, "1."

"2," He gently nudged Michonne with his elbow to get her to continue with the count.

"Oh...3!" She squeezed both of their hands and all three jumped at the same time. It all seemed to happen in slow motion for Michonne. She could hear "go mom" being shouted but was too focused to see where it was coming from. She wasn't sure where the screech she let out came from, but she knew she made one. As soon as her toes broke the waves of the water her body responded to the cold by trying to get her brain to move her limbs to get her out as fast as possible. Her feet touched the concrete bottom and she bobbed in the water for a few seconds, hoping to remember why she was doing this in the first place. The giggle that came from the little girl on her right, brought Michonne to her senses and she followed her to the other side of the pool to get out. The girl had no trouble climbing out on her own, but Michonne couldn't get her frosty arms to hold her weight so she could pull herself up on the ledge.

"Let me help you," The man's voice said from behind her. He placed his hands on her hips and lifted as she pushed. It was a real team effort and she was grateful for his help, because as soon she was out, her towel was being thrown to her from Carl and she Andre was right behind him with her robe.

"Thank you," she told the man with was now drying off too, his wet hair dripping onto his face.

"No problem, uh... I gotta get her inside," he motioned to the little girl was starting to shiver and hopping from one foot to the other.

"Bye," the little girl waved to her and then took her daddy's hand, both of them rushing to the family locker to warm up.

"Bye sweetie. Thank you," Michonne shouted to her back before she also ran back into the locker room to shower and change back into her clothes. She laughed at herself after she pulled on her shirt and let her locs down, never has she moved around so much. She felt like a three year old who didn't know what it meant to stay still. She was afraid if she stopped moving, the chill would invade her body again.

"How was it?" The woman from earlier asked. "Looks like you survived."

"No thanks to my boys. They jumped without me."

"You did it by yourself? I'm impressed."

"Oh no, a nice little girl and her dad jumped with me. After the initial shock of the water, I think it's just pure adrenaline that gets you through it."

"That and the screaming," they both laughed and Michonne finished packing her wet clothes into her bag. "I'll let you finish. I bet your boys are waiting for you."

"It was nice meeting you…"

"Faye, Faye Sawyer."

"It was nice meeting you Faye, I'm Michonne," the two women shook hands and then recognition hit Faye.

"Oh yeah, Billy told me about you."

"Billy?"

"Down at Ray's auto shop. It's good to have you here," Faye zipped up her jacket and picked up her bag. "I'll probably see you around then."

"Okay," Michonne stood perplexed for a few minutes, running the conversation through her head a few times. She didn't know anyone named Billy and she hadn't needed an auto shop for anything since she moved. She shook it off for now and finished packing her bag so she could go find Andre and Carl.

"Finally! We've been waiting forever."

"No you haven't," Michonne took the bag that was being waved in her face from Carl. "Did you put socks on?"

"Yes. And we used the lotion and brushed our hair and I even put on a belt," Andre lifted his shirt to show the brown leather belt that was around his waist. "We're gonna go play in the rec room."

"They have a foosball table," Andre added.

"Okay. She watched their backs as they ran in sync towards a large room full of kids and music playing in the background. She stuffed their bag into hers, then followed her nose to the smell of freshly made muffins and coffee.

She was balancing a giant chocolate chocolate chip muffin in her left hand and a cup of coffee in her right and hoping the straps of her bag didn't slip off her shoulder and make her spill everything. There were square metal tables to sit in, and they all seemed to be occupied by all the Polar Plungers, now dry and warm. Michonne stopped and looked around for an empty seat, but seemed to come up empty, not a single available chair.

"I know a great spot over there if you're interested." She looked over at the man that helped her jump in the pool earlier. He was dressed now, in dark jeans and a light blue pull over sweater that zipped at the collar. He left it unzipped so she could see the white tee shirt that he wore underneath. She hadn't noticed his face before, but his handsomeness was on full display now.

"I am." He smiled and motioned with his head for her to follow him over to the large window where a couple of cushioned chairs and a table in between were set up. She hoped she didn't appear too fazed by his chiseled jawline that was covered with a few days worth of graying stubble, or his eyes that could put the shade of the pool water to shame. "Did I look lost?" She asked him, averting her eyes to a spot over his shoulder so she could focus.

"Nah, just a little put out, like you really want to eat that muffin and couldn't wait to find a seat so you can." Michonne smiled and nodded her head at his accurate observation.

"Have you had one?

"I had a banana nut one," he laughed when she scrunched her nose at his choice of muffin.
"It was pretty good." They got to the chairs and he took her coffee from her so she could put her bag down.

"Thanks. I'm usually pretty good with walking with my hands full. Balancing everything and only making one trip from the house to the car."

"Yeah, I understand," He set her coffee on the table and she dropped her bag on the floor. He stayed standing, waiting for her to sit before he did. "Two trips are for suckers," She put her muffin on the table and sat down. He bent his knees to sit and was halfway down when Michonne stood back up, causing him to stand also.

"I'm sorry, I don't know where my manners are. I'm Michonne."

"Oh that's alright. I was gonna introduce myself after we sat down. I'm Rick." They shook hands and immediately forgot how many pumps of their hands was acceptable. She thought three and he wrestled between four and five, making the shake awkward for the both of them.

"Nice to meet you... even though this is the second time," she said quietly.

"Yeah, I guess it is." They finally sat down and Michonne took a sip of her coffee, sighing as it warmed her body. "Good coffee?" Rick asked her.

"Yes. Did you get some?"

"Judith wanted hot chocolate, and insisted that I get some too. She even loaded it up with marshmallows and a little peppermint."

"That's so sweet. Judith is your daughter, right?"

"Yeah. I guess she forgot to introduce herself too."

"Judith is my hero today. I couldn't have done it without her."

"She'll be happy to hear that." Michonne broke off a piece of her muffin with her hand and bit off a piece, closing her eyes at all the chocolatey goodness that filled her mouth.

"Sorry, I love chocolate. This is so good. It's also so bad, but I'm rewarding my bravery with this oversized muffin, that should probably be eaten by at least three people."

"Nothing wrong with indulging in your favorite things. You earned it," he watched her take another bite of her muffin, she made the whole process into an visually exciting experience. "What made you do it anyways, take the plunge?"

"My older, thinks she's wiser sister talked me into it."

"Did she do it too?"

"No. She doesn't even live here," Michonne took a small sip of her coffee before continuing. "She thought it would be good for me and the boys since we just moved here. Something about starting fresh and the cold water helping me usher in the new me. Who knows," She shrugged her shoulders. "She's older, so I listened and here I am."

"Do you think it worked?" Rick asked, genuinely curious.

"Too soon to tell, I guess. Let's see how I feel after my first day at work."

"Where are you working, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Not at all. I'm the new middle school art teacher."

"Oh congratulations."

"Thank you. I thought long and hard about taking the position. Actually for about three days. It was a 1500 mile move and I'd have to pass the state exam to be certified here, but I did and then I found the cutest little white house with a hot pink front door. The boys hate it, but I couldn't pass it up."

"Oh you bought the Gilbert's old house."

"You know them? He was so nice during the whole process. Even when we moved in last week, he was there handing over the keys. They moved to Florida to be with their grandkids."

" Yeah, I know. I live across the street."

"No way. Really?"

"Yeah. I wondered who moved in there. We were out of town last week and I saw a car yesterday when we got back, but didn't have time to come by. Welcome to the neighborhood."

"Thanks. You're not the deputy that Mrs. Varner talked about are you?"

"That would be me."

"Oh wow. The boys were so excited when they heard that a deputy lived across the street. They're gonna have a lot of questions and most of them will be about your gun."

"That's alright. I'm used to it. They can ask me anything. Are they at the elementary school?"

"Yes, it's so strange living in a small town, you can just say elementary school and I know what you're talking about because there's only one. Carl and Andre are in the third grade."

"They're twins," Rick scratched the hair along his jawline. "Of course they are." Although Rick didn't get a very good look at them, he did notice the way they seemed to move the same, both hitting the water at the exact time and swimming away leading with their right arm in the same way. "That must get hectic at times. I find myself shaking my head at Judith everyday. I know nothing about nail polish or ruffles and that's all she talks about now. You saw her swimsuit. It sparkles. That's way outta my comfort zone."

"Oh, you seem to do just fine. Her mother picks up the slack I'm sure." Rick's smile dropped and he looked at the floor, his whole demeanor changing. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean...I uh.."

"No, it's alright," he looked back up at her. "You had no way of knowing, Her mother died in childbirth and it's just been us since then. Except when we go visit my folks in Virginia, like last week."

"Oh, I'm so sorry." She placed her hand on top of his and gave him a quick squeeze. "With what I know of Judith from this morning, you're doing a great job of being a dad. It's not easy being a single parent, but we gotta do what we gotta do. As long as they're happy and healthy, that's all that matters."

"Yes it is. So I guess you can draw pretty good, huh?" He changed the subject to lighten the mood.

"I try. Really it was the only thing that I was good at in school and I had no choice but to go to college, Fine Arts was it."

"Art was never my strong suit. I'm pretty sure everything I brought home from art class was quickly tossed in the trash by my mother."

"I doubt that. I'm sure she kept everything."

"She didn't. And it's probably a good thing that there's no evidence of my awful artistic endeavors."

"You probably just didn't have the right teacher."

"Maybe so." Rick stared into her eyes for a beat and then down at the table between them.

"Do you know a lot of people around town? I know that's a weird question, but I'm sure you meet your fair share."

"I know just about everyone. The perks of growing up here."

"I met Faye in the locker room earlier and she said she heard about me from Billy. I have no idea who that is."

"Well, Billy and Faye are the two most nosy people in King County. I'm sure half the town knows what color socks you have on today." Michonne laughed and filed the information away.

"That bad, huh?"

"Even worse. The pride themselves on being in the know, but it's usually about the wrong things."

"Daddy I'm hungry. Can we go get chicken fingers from Carol's Place?" Judith ran up and asked Rick.

"I don't see why not. But first I want you to meet someone."

"Daddy, I already know her. She jumped with us this morning."

"Yes, she did, but you don't know her name and you didn't tell her yours either." She stood in front of Rick and extended her hand.

"Hello, I'm Judith. Judith Grimes."

"It's so nice to meet you Judith. My name is Michonne. I wanted to say thank you for holding my hand this morning. You saw how nervous I was and you helped me out big time."

"You're welcome." The three of them looked in the direction of the two pairs of feet that were running towards them.

"Mom, we're hungry. Can we go now?"

"Excuse me, is that how you act now?"

"Sorry mom," Carl said. "Excuse us, but can we go now. My stomach is grumbling."

"Mine too." Andre said rubbing his belly.

"Boys, introduce yourselves to Mr. Grimes. He's the deputy that lives across the street from us."

"Cool! Do you have a gun with you?" Carl asked excitedly.

"Do you arrest a lot of people?" Andre asked. Judith looked on with a big smile on her face, used to it all.

"You ever been in one of those chases they show on tv." Carl asked.

"Boys," Michonne looked at Rick and smiled. "I'm sorry, Rick."

"No problem. You did say they'd have a lot of questions." Rick looked at Carl and Andre, then asked. "How bout this… if it's alright with your mom, what do you say we go grab some lunch and I'll answer all your questions."

"Can we mom?" Andre pleaded.

"Please," Carl begged.

"Well, I could go for some chicken fingers." She looked at Judith and winked.

"Alright then." Rick said, standing up. "Let's go get some lunch."