The roar of the sports car drew everyone's attention in the camp. People began rushing out of tents, weapons in hand.
One man, holding a shotgun, ran up first and shouted sternly, "Who is it? Turn off that engine! Are you trying to attract the walkers?"
Glenn, who had just pulled up in the red sports car, parked it quickly and jumped out, throwing his arms wide in front of the stunned group.
"Aha! I'm back!"
"Glenn?!"
Sean lowered his gun instantly, staring at Glenn in disbelief. "I can't believe it's you… we thought you were dead. We thought the walkers got you."
"Don't jinx me like that," Glenn replied with a roll of his eyes. "Honestly, you weren't far off. But I ran into some good people along the way—they helped me and got us back here safely."
As Glenn was speaking, he turned around to introduce Jason and the others—but something unexpected happened before he could continue.
"Dad!"
A small voice rang out, cutting through the noise like a blade.
A young boy from the camp came sprinting toward one of the men getting out of a police SUV, shouting, "Dad!"
"Ka… Carl?!"
The word struck Rick like lightning. He froze, trembling as if time had stopped around him. Then, in an instant, tears streamed down his face. He dropped everything and ran toward the boy, scooping him up in a tight embrace.
"Oh my God…"
Another voice gasped from behind. A woman, startled by the commotion, dropped what she was carrying and stood frozen, her hand covering her mouth.
Her eyes welled up instantly. "Carl…"
It was Lori. She rushed forward, overwhelmed by emotion.
"Lori…" Rick looked up at her through teary eyes. And with that, he collapsed into the moment, clutching both his wife and son tightly in his arms.
No one had expected this. It was too sudden, too emotional.
"I… I can't believe he's Carl's dad," Andrea said softly, stunned. It was hard to process such joy in a world where so much had been lost.
The others stood silently, moved by the reunion. In a time where families were so often torn apart, seeing one brought back together felt like a miracle.
After what felt like forever, the family finally separated slightly, their emotions slowly calming.
"Rick," came another voice, warm and familiar.
Rick turned instinctively—and his eyes widened.
"Sean?!"
He laughed, slapping his forehead in disbelief. "I never thought I'd see you again."
"I thought you were gone too…" Sean began, but his words faded as the two embraced tightly.
It was a rare day—Rick had reunited not just with his wife and son, but also with one of his closest friends. And all of them had made it through alive. It was a day of double blessings.
But not everyone was basking in the glow.
"Can you guys stop with the family drama for one second?" a voice called dryly from the side.
Leaning against the car with a mock-resentful look was Jason, arms crossed and eyebrows raised. "I'm still here, you know. What's a guy gotta do to get noticed around here?"
Rick turned, instantly sheepish. "Oh, man. Sorry, brother. I got carried away… I'm sure you understand."
Before Rick could continue, Glenn stepped in.
"Let me do the honors. Everyone, this is Jason. He's the reason we made it out of Atlanta in one piece."
Sean walked up without hesitation and extended a hand. "Thank you. Thank you for saving them."
Jason shook it with a slight nod. "Don't mention it. Just doing what needed to be done."