Just a short story about a new beginning…Happy New Years for all you great writers out there, and for all you great folks who read out stories.
Walking from the office to his trailer, he noticed how empty the parking lot was…looks like the FBI closed down for New Year's Eve…or maybe all the bad people where at parties. Reaching into his pocket for his keys, he stopped. After all the years of chasing after Red John, he never had a reason to celebrate the holidays, and the day after New Year's was just another day to start out looking for the man who killed his wife and child, the man who never gave them a chance to have a new year. Was this the way he wanted to start out a new year, alone with his dark thoughts. Red John was dead and this New Year should be a new start for him.
Eating her favorite Ben and Jerry' ice cream, a warm throw blanket and a favorite movie was the way to bring in the New Year. Cho had invited her to a party with some of his new friends but she just wanted to enjoy her new town house that she had moved in four days ago. Everything was finally delivered from her house in Washington and she spent the last three days unpacking. She found it funny that when she lived in Sacramento she really never unpacked from the move from San Francisco. She pressed the remote for the TV for the movie to start, when there was a knock on the door. She looked at the door and made a face. There was only one person who would knock on her door this late in the evening. Standing up to go to the door she paused, as long as she had known Jane, he never came over to see her on any holiday. She pulls the curtain back from the window by the door, and sees Jane smiling back at her. She opens the door and smiles back at him.
"I was in the neighborhood and thought I would drop in for a hot cup of tea, and I bring gifts." He holds up a grocery bad, she waves her hand for him to come in. "You had me at gifts Jane."
They both walk to the kitchen and she reaches for a cup for his tea, while he puts the bag down and puts on a kettle of water. He goes over to her coffee machine and starts a new pot of coffee while she gets the tea out of a cabinet, which is full of several different types. Jane reaches over and takes down a box and hands it to her. She goes over and looks into the bag on the table and laughs as she takes out a box of peanut butter cookies, his favorite, and soft oatmeal cookies for her. There is also a new container of her favorite Ben and Jerry's ice cream, they both liked.
"Wow…" she says as he laughs.
A short time later they are sitting on her couch, her coffee and his tea sitting on the coffee table, along with a plate of cookies. They are both sharing the carton of ice cream while watching the movie she had started. She sighs when the movie is over and puts her head back on the couch.
"I watch this movie every New Year's….my mother and I would stay up until midnight to bring the year in. My father usually had to work that night. He got overtime for it, and he and Mom would celebrate New Year's Day when he would take her out for a special dinner. I would take care of the boys for them." She put her hand to the cross she was always wearing, it had belonged to her Mother, Jane knew.
"You're probably wondering why I'm here tonight." Jane says not really looking at her.
"Yes, you've never wanted to spend any of the holidays with me or anyone. Not that I mind." She turns on the couch so she can see his face.
He looks at her, his eyes taking in her face as thought he had never seen it before.
"Jane?"
"I realized tonight that I wanted to start over, a clean start. I will never forget my wife and child, but I can now let them rest. I thought about the last ten years, and about the warm, beautiful woman who helped me more than she will ever know. She brought me out of my darkness so many times, she told me about the group of people that we worked with that wanted me to be part of their family. She made me smile when I thought I would never have anything to smile about…." He reaches over and touches her face with a finger. He watches as she smiles at him, his fingers tracing the smile as he once did when his blind.
She reaches over and touches his face wiping a tear that is coming out of his eye. They both hear the television as the count down for the New Year gets to one, and they hear the crowd yelling out on the TV…
Jane lends over to her, his lips touching hers. Feeling the warmth of his lips on hers she lends into the kiss. He takes one more kiss from her and sits back.
"Happy New Year's Teresa"
"Happy New Year's Patrick. I'm so happy you were with me tonight."
She notices that his face is a little red, her Patrick was blushing. He stands up still looking at her.
"I guess I should leave, it's late."
Standing up she gets close to him, wrapping her arms around him. She feels him as he hesitates then reaches over and hugs her back.
"I could never thank you for everything you did for me, but if you give me time, I will make up for all of it." Whispering in her ear.
"This is a good start…." She says as they stay together.