Traci noticed fellow officers jumping in their cruiser and speeding off she did not know what was going on. She then saw Steve heading in her direction with a look of gloom on his face.
"What is it?" she asked
"There has been a shooting at the station" he told her
"What" Traci said alarmed "who has been shot?" she asked as she placed her hand over mouth scared to ask the next question. "Was it Andy?"
"No it wasn't Andy, it was Sam" he said "They are rushing him to the hospital as we speak. If we leave now we can meet them there"
Traci and Steve drove towards the hospital and when they parked an ambulance pulled up and Traci could see Andy getting out the back as they pulled Sam out on the stretcher. She ran towards her best friend and she gave her a hug letting her know she was here for her. Andy rushed inside after the ems workers and Sam. When Traci stepped foot into the hospital it was like she was stepping back in time. Fellow officers waiting around for word on Sam with worried looks on their faces, almost a year ago she had walked into a scene just like this only to have her best friend tell her the love of her life Jerry Barber was gone forever.
Steve could see the look on face and hesitate step in her walk and understood why. Jerry was all that came to mind.
"We can wait outside if you like" he told her
Traci looked at him the offer sounded so tempting but she had to be able to move on from this. She could not hide outside every time she came to a hospital. "No I am okay, besides I want to be here for Andy. Let's go find a seat if we can"
Steve admired Traci very much. She was a strong beautiful woman who had been through a terrible ordeal who had managed to move on with her life. He knows it was hard for to move on but she did and she had given him the chance to make her happy again. It wasn't easy at first she had this wall up to protect her and her son Leo but he managed to break through.
They had managed to find two chairs that sat right in front of Nick and Andy. Traci could see the worry on Andy's face. She loves Sam very much, they had been through so much and to have something like this happen opens your eyes a little bit wider to see everything for what it is worth.
"I am Sorry" Andy told Nick
"Don't be" Nick told her
Frank sees the doctor and asked can they go in to see Sam but he said no but Frank pleaded with the doctor and so he changed his mind and said only one can be allowed back. Nick volunteered Andy and no one objected.
Traci wished she had been giving the opportunity to see Jerry and she fights with herself everyday about not answering her phone. She deprived herself of her goodbye with the man she loves so deeply, the man who came into her life like a whirlwind and swept her off her feet. They had stayed until the doctor came to inform them that Sam had pulled through surgery.
"Hey sweetie how are you doing?" Traci asked Andy
"This should not be happening. He should not be lying in that bed hooked to all of those machines" Andy says as she wipes away her tears.
Traci hugs her best friend "It's going to be okay Sam is a fighter he will pull through this"
"I can't lose him Traci I can't" Andy begins to sob
"You won't" she says
Andy looks at Traci and she could see she was having trouble with something and then it dawns on her the whole hospital scene. The last time she was here she had to tell her that Jerry was dead.
"Traci" Andy says as she hugs her best friend "how are you? I just realize how this could be troubling you I am sorry to put you in this place"
"No I am okay Andy I am here for you I can handle it" she tells her
"Thank you Traci" she tells her "I guess we just wait"
"I need to check on Leo but I can stay longer"
"No go be with Leo, there is nothing anyone can do now but wait. I will call you if there is any change" Andy says
"Are you sure sweetie?"
"Yes I am sure" Andy tells her "give Leo a big hug for me"
"I will, I love you" Traci tells hers
"I love you too thanks for being here for me trace"
Steve and Traci heads for his car, it was a long quiet drive to Traci's house, so much had happen in the last 24hrs that will last while to get over mentally and physically. They pull into her driveway Steve cuts the engine to the car.
"What a day" Traci says out loud
"Are you okay?" Steve asks her
"Yes I am okay" she tells him. She then smiles at him "I do believe we have a dinner date"
"It's okay if you are not up to it. I will understand if you just want to be alone with Leo after the day we had"
"Are you trying to cancel on me?" Traci said joking
"No I would never, but I was…." Steve was cut off
"Fine then what about this tomorrow at 8pm dinner here you, me, and Leo?" Traci suggested
"Sounds like a date to me" He smiles "I'll remember nice bottle of wine for Leo"
"Sounds good" Traci leans over and places a kiss on his lips "see you tomorrow"
"Good night Traci"
"Good night Steve"
Traci heads inside and finds Leo asleep on the couch she did not want to wake him. So she leans in and kisses his forehead and pulls the cover up and around him. Traci then heads up stairs to her bedroom she grabs the picture of Jerry from her night stand. She traces her finger over the silver frame she brought just days after his death. A tear escapes and falls down her cheek.
"I miss you so much Jerry" she says as she wipes away her tears.
"Sam was shot today and it was like I had a case of déjà vu. He made it through surgery and he will have a full recovery. Andy is a little out of it but I think this will get the fire lit under their butts that they belong together" she said
"Have you ever met two more stubborn people than those two?" she says laughing. "When we lost you Sam took it hard and I don't think he knew how to handle it and it caused a rift between them adding Marlo and Nick to the equation. I think tonight through all the darkness they finally see the stars"
Traci leans her head against the head board and she takes a deep breath. She stares at Jerry's picture again she then hugs it to her chest.
"I met somebody Jerry. He is sweet, funny, and calls me on my crap, oh and the best part he is a Peck." She starts laughing "I can only imagine the look you are giving me right now." She takes a moment before she speaks again.
"I like him …. A lot Jerry and now he wants to meet Leo. I was scared at first because I did not want Leo getting attach knowing it would not work out. I will not put him through any more pain. He loves you so much Jerry and he is being strong for me, my little guy is being strong for me. I am ready for Steve to meet him Jerry." As tears begin to fall down her cheeks,
"I will always love you Jerry you were the love of my life but it is time I closed the book on us and start a new story. I have to be strong for my son to let him know it's hard but you can move on. I am moving on Jerry and for me to do that I have to completely let you go" she kisses the picture frame that holds the picture of the love of her life Jerry Barber.
The door creeps open and it startles Traci at first but she sees that it is Leo.
"Mommy are you okay?" he asks her
She pats the spot on the bed next to her and Leo sits down beside her. Traci wipes the tears from her eyes and she smiles at her son.
"Yes" she tells him
He picks up the picture she laid down on the bed and he stares at Jerry's picture. "It's okay mom I miss him too, you don't have to hide and cry"
"Is that what you think I do?" she asked Leo
"I know you miss him and you try to be strong for me but it's okay I can handle it mom. Jerry said I am the man of the house now"
"Wait- what?" Traci said "What do you mean Jerry told you, you were the man of the house?"
"I was having a nightmare one night and then all of a sudden Jerry was there in my dream making all the bad stuff go away. I told him how much I missed him and how you tried not crying around me. He told me it will begin to hurt a little less as the days passed. He also told me that he never wanted to leave us and that he misses us just as much as we miss him and he will always be with us right here" as Leo pointed to his chest where his heart is.
Traci grabs Leo and gives him a big hug he was so brave he was being the man of the house and she knew right then they would be okay. Jerry was right he would always be with them in their hearts.
"Leo I need to ask you something"
"What is it mommy?" Leo asked
"I wanted to invite a friend over for dinner tomorrow and I wanted to see how you felt about that?" Traci was very nervous for her son response. Leo was quiet for a moment which kind of scared Traci.
"If you feel uncomfortable with this I can cancel it would be okay" she told him
"You like him?" Leo asked
"Yes" Traci says "But if you are not okay with this I will understand you are my first priority nothing come before you"
"If he makes you smile, I would like to meet him so I can set some rules" he said laughing
Traci begins to laugh "Yes sir" she said joking
Traci and Leo stayed up half the night talking and she told him about Steve. Leo wanted to meet him because he had not seen his mom smile in a long time. When Traci awoke the next morning Leo was still asleep she cleaned the whole house and since it was her day off. She made her and Leo breakfast and they went grocery shopping for dinner she was preparing for tonight. Traci had changed three times before she decided to go with the emerald wrap dress. The dinner she had prepared was done all that was missing was Steve. She had went over the whole scenario in her head on how tonight was going to go or how she hoped it would go but no matter what she was ready . She looked at the picture of Jerry she picked it up and gave it a kiss she then placed it in her top draw and then headed down stairs.
Before she hit the last step the doorbell rang and she knew who was on the other side. She took a moment looked herself in the mirror which hung right by the front door. When she opened the door there stood Steve Peck with a bouquet of beautiful flowers, a small bag, and a bottle of red wine.
"Hi"
"Hi" he says back as he holds up the bottle of Wine "I didn't forget hopefully he likes this year" he said with a smile
"I think he will be very impressed" Traci tells him
Steve leans in and places a kiss on her cheek and she invites him in. Traci takes his coat and she leads him into the living room. Leo was sitting on the couch when his mom and Steve walked in.
"Leo I would like you to meet my friend Steve Peck"
"Hi Leo it is very nice to meet you" Steve extended his hand towards Leo, Leo shook his hand.
"Hello" Leo greeted him
Steve handed Leo the bag he had in his hand "This is for you"
"What is it?" Leo asked
"Only one of the world's best games" Steve says
Leo face lit up when he pulled out the game out the bag "Mom look it's the game that I wanted"
"I see that is awesome" Traci was very excited for her son
"Thank you Mr. Steve" Leo said
"You are so welcome" Steve says
"Can we play mom please?" Leo asked
"Oh can we please" Steve played along
"How about dinner first and then you two can play" she said laughing at them both "so go wash up for dinner"
"Yes ma'am" he says and heads to wash up
When Leo was out of the room Steve asked "How am I doing so far"
"Oh you are doing very well" she says as she places a kiss on his lips "let's go eat" as she grabs his hand and leads them to where they would be having dinner.
The End.