It felt like a normal evening. Neither Andy nor Sharon realized just how much they had craved a normal evening until they now had one. It had been a good day. Aside from running into Andrea at a lingerie store, the two hadn't had any other "hiccups" in their day. The two had relished in the mundane tasks of the day to include putting away groceries, cleaning up from lunch, and discussing household topics like finances. The two rarely had an opportunity to just be a married couple, and they were savoring each minute. That didn't mean they hadn't enjoyed other aspects of their married life. Sharon had enjoyed her gift; Andy had too, perhaps even more than Sharon. She'd unwrapped it after lunch, and then she'd had a brief fashion show for Andy. Andy put a quick end to the fashion show, and the two ended up in their bedroom most of the afternoon enjoying each other and some much-needed rest. Now, it was into the evening, and the two had just cleaned up from their dinner. They'd had a salad for lunch, so for dinner, Andy had grilled out fish for them while Sharon had steamed some vegetables. The menu provided for a relatively easy cleanup, and now that they were done, they were cuddled on the couch to relax with the television. After their afternoon, both had changed into comfortable clothing; Sharon was now wearing leggings and a light sweater without socks, and Andy had changed into running pants and a t-shirt. Sharon was curled up into Andy's side, her feet tucked under her, and Andy had his arm around her.
"Hmm, can we watch that police drama?" Sharon asked as Andy scrolled through the guide options. He glanced at her with a surprised look. She shrugged, "I am a detective without a job. I miss it. I've gotten into that show. It's a lot like Mike's show."
"Oh, are we going to go rounds about that again?" Andy sighed. "It's not his show, and if it the show you like," he gestured to the television, "is anything like that, we might have our first marital disagreement."
Sharon grinned at his annoyance, and she leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Please turn it on. You'll get sucked into it just as I have. The police part is well done, better than most on tv, and if you don't like it, we won't have to watch it together again."
He eyed her as he frowned, "You only say that because we live apart most of the time."
She shrugged, "Still, I won't make you watch it. It's better than Badge," she nodded. He rolled his eyes, but he turned it on and tucked Sharon into his side. The two got caught up in the story, but Andy's phone caused both to jump.
Andy paused the show while Sharon sat up so Andy could move to answer his phone on the coffee table. "Nicole," he explained as he took the call and looked to Sharon. "Hi, Sweetheart," he told her as he switched to speakerphone. "What's up?"
"Dad, are you okay? I tried calling your cell this afternoon, and when you didn't answer, I figured you were working a case. Then, I called the station just now to see if you wanted to come over for dinner. I figured if you were working so hard, you could use a home-cooked meal. They told me you were out sick, and Dad, I'm worried! I'm on my way there now to check on you," she said.
Andy's eyes grew wide, as did Sharon's. She shook her head at Andy, as if he didn't have the exact same thought, "No, no!" Andy exclaimed. "Look, I'm okay, but don't come here tonight. Really, I'm fine."
"Dad, I'm worried about you. You don't answer, and I have to find out from your work you are sick. What is going on with you? If you're sick, please let me know. Do you need to see the doctor?"
"Nicole," Andy sighed, "really, I'm okay. I'm just taking a couple days, really tired and worn out. I'm not as young as I'd like to think," he chuckled. Sharon held back her own laugh, as she stood and walked to the kitchen, gesturing to her glass that she was going to get a refill. She nodded to Andy, a silent question if he wanted a refill too, and he nodded while he tried to refocus his attention on Nicole.
"Dad, look, I know things have been rough this last year, and I know I've been really busy with the boys and Dean, but we are here for you. If you're depressed or thinking about drinking, talk to me. I don't like hearing you are home just alone."
"Nicole, I'm fine, and no, I'm not depressed or thinking of drinking. Look, I'll be back at work the day after tomorrow. I've enjoyed my day, and I'm going to enjoy tomorrow too. I'm getting some rest, and right now, I'm just relaxing by the television. You don't need to come over here now. It's out of your way anyway," he told her as Nicole lived only a couple miles from Sharon's condo.
"Still, I'm worried," Nicole sighed.
"How about we get together for dinner this weekend? I'm not on call," Andy told her.
"Definitely," Nicole told him. "You get some rest, and I'll check on you soon."
"Will do, and go home. Don't come here. You've had a long day yourself," he told her.
"Love you, Dad," Nicole said.
"Love you too," Andy smiled and hung up. He leaned his head back against the couch as Sharon walked over with two fresh glasses of water to rejoin him.
"While it would have been disastrous for her to show up tonight, it is sweet that she cares about you," Sharon smiled as she handed him the water. He nodded.
"I know, but we just can't risk her getting involved in this. I can't ask her to lie to so many people," he shook his head and sighed.
"I know," Sharon nodded. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," he pulled her into his side as the two got comfortable again. "Let's finish this show. I think we are safe tonight, no Nicole," he chuckled.
Sharon grinned, "So, you like the show?"
He rolled his eyes as he met her gaze, "I haven't made a final decision. The show isn't over yet."
"Andy," Sharon sighed, "we have three minutes left in the show. You asked to finish it. Admit you like it," she grinned.
"I guess I can suffer though it each week, you know, to give us something to talk about on the phone," he shrugged.
"Right," she smirked, "because after not talking for sometimes a full week, we need conversation starters."
"Married life," Andy sighed. Sharon poked his side, and he grinned. Quickly, he started to tickle her side, and the last three minutes of the show were quickly forgotten.
The next morning found the two well-rested and ready to spend another full day together.
"Anything you would like to do today?" Andy asked Sharon from the sink where he was washing the last of their breakfast dishes while Sharon was standing by the table replying to a text Rusty had sent her. She put the phone down and turned to Andy. "Within reason," he glared at her and grinned before she could suggest going anywhere or doing something that would blow her cover.
"Yard work," she nodded, proud of herself.
"Yard work?" Andy questioned, the surprise evident on his face.
"Yes, your yard and bushes need some work. I'm here; you're here, so let's work," she shrugged.
Andy put down the dish towel and walked toward her. "You feeling okay?" he asked as he reached for her head to pretend he was checking for a fever. "You want to do yard work?"
"Yes, as I said, it needs to be done. Your bushes need to be trimmed, and the lawn needs to be cut. I know it's never fully winter here, but it's time for the spring trim. Don't look so surprised," she grinned at him. "I've grown rather fond of yard work. When the kids were little, I hated it because Jack was gone, and on top of working full time and raising the kids, it was just another thing on my plate. I hated it. Then, as the kids got older, it was just a chore. I moved into the condo, and I didn't miss it at all. Since Rusty and I have moved to Ohio, I've come to appreciate it again. I enjoy it, getting outside and improving things. I really like it now. I feel like, unlike housework, the yard looks good for a few days after it's been spruced up."
"Who are you, and what have you done with my wife?" he grinned as he loosely wrapped his arms around her. "Sharon wants to do yard work," he mumbled to himself as Sharon started to laugh.
"Stop," she giggled. "We are not going to just sit here all day. Don't get me wrong that yesterday was wonderful, but your ideas include that room," she pointed to the bedroom, "and that room only. We can get outside, get some fresh air, and get some exercise."
Andy looked to the ceiling as if contemplating his options, "Or, we can open the windows in the bedroom, stay there all day, and we still get some exercise."
She swatted at his chest, "Andrew Flynn, we are going to spend some time together outside doing normal married activities."
"Hey! I also have normal married activities on my mind. You can't fault me for that," he told her.
"Later," she enunciated. "That, we can do after dark. We cannot work on your yard after dark. Come on," she nudged him. "I'll even volunteer to trim all the bushes. I enjoy that at home, at least when my bushes are not buried under a couple feet of snow. It's a beautiful day, early spring in LA, and I'd love to spend time outside. The backyard is private, so we can enjoy it. The trees block anyone from seeing us," she offered. Andy grinned, and as if Sharon could read his mind, she shook her head, "We are not combining your activity with mine outside."
He frowned, and she stood on her tip toes to kiss him quickly. Before he could pull her in for another kiss, she pulled back and winked at him. "Let's get going, Flynn. I know you have a garage full of equipment. I'm looking forward to sprucing up the house even if I don't live here."
"Our house," Andy nodded as he followed her to the back door. "It's always our house, no matter where you have to live. Just you wait, if anything happens to me, this castle is all yours," he grinned. "I mean, legally, we both own it now, but it's all yours if something happens to me."
"Why are we talking about that?" Sharon wrinkled her nose as they stepped outside. "Are you hoping that Nicole is sitting there as the lawyer announces the house goes to your wife, who legally would have the same name as Nicole's own mother? Are you seeing that play out in your head, that Nicole would find out about me then? Andy, do not go there."
He shrugged, "Hey, I'd be gone by then, so Nicole could just get mad at you. It would be almost comical, though, for her to think that her mom was getting everything when the lawyer would mention my wife, Sandra," he grinned. "Almost comical. Then, you could enter. Yeah, I can see it."
"Stop," she shook her head. "That's not going to happen. We're going to find Stroh and come home, and you aren't going anywhere for many, many decades."
It took another 15 minutes to set up the tools and plan their attack, but then Sharon started in on the bushes while Andy started cutting the grass. They worked independently for another half hour. Andy cut the front and the backyard, and Sharon worked slowly on each bush. Andy walked up to her with a bottle of water after he'd put the lawn mower away.
"Did you leave any greenery at all?" he grimaced as he looked at her sculpting job. Sharon had not just trimmed the bushes. She'd cut them back so much there was almost nothing left.
"What's wrong with them?" she paused and stepped back to inspect. She looked to Andy with a bit of annoyance.
"It's just that there's almost nothing left," he gestured. "You murdered the bushes. You're a police captain and committed murder. You can't murder the bushes. What did they do to you?"
Sharon pursed her lips, "I didn't murder the bushes. They look good, yes, much smaller, but they will grow quickly. If you don't keep them trimmed, they will get out of control quickly, as they were starting to do. It's a lot like you and Provenza. If I didn't keep the two of you in check, you could quickly get out of line."
"Hey! I have been on my best behavior the past few years since you started with us," he nodded.
"I know, and that's what is scary. Let's discuss some of the situations you two still found yourselves getting into the last few years," she grinned as her eyes sparkled.
"Oh, no," he shook his head. "Way to try and distract me from the real topic, Radyor, your pruning skills here. My poor bushes look terrible."
"Hmm, so now they are YOUR bushes? Earlier, you said it was our house, our yard. Your bushes look very nice and tidy. They look clean and will now grow into a nice shape for the spring and summer."
Andy shook his head and turned away. He started to laugh as he turned back to Sharon, "Are we arguing about the yard?"
"I suppose we are," Sharon shrugged as she grinned. "It feels almost-" she stopped.
"Normal," Andy nodded. "It feels normal."
The day ended much faster than either would have liked. After they finished their yard work, where Andy promised not to complain about the bushes again, they got cleaned up and made some lunch. They sat down and discussed finances again, as they hated boring topics such as that when they were able to enjoy their brief phone calls. They looked at some websites online regarding their spring break trip to Florida, and soon, it was time for dinner. Andy had plans for a romantic, candlelight dinner, and he only clued in Sharon when she started to dig around to make dinner.
"Nope! I'm making dinner," he gestured for her to head toward the bedroom.
"No, not yet," she grinned at him. "I'm hungry and would like to eat before we move onto your activity for the evening."
"Get your mind out of the gutter, Raydor," Andy winked at her. "I was suggesting you go take a nice bubble bath while I make dinner for us. I might have picked up a bottle of wine for you at the store, and I decided to make a simple spaghetti. You go, and I'll get started on dinner." Sharon just nodded, and when she reappeared almost a half hour later, Andy had transformed the patio.
"What is all this?" she smiled, as she wrapped her arms around him at the stove.
"Well, someone was dead set on sprucing up the yard. With that done, I figured we should enjoy our patio dining. Dinner is almost ready and will be served outside," he said as he turned in her arms. He reached over to where he had a glass of wine already poured for her and handed it to her. "For you," he grinned. Sharon closed her eyes to laugh as she shook her head.
"Andy Flynn, I am going to miss you when I leave in the morning," she sighed.
"You're just figuring that out?" he winked to her and grinned as he pulled her to his side and kissed her head.
The morning came way too early. Sharon had a very early flight back to Ohio. She'd done that because of the time of day as well as to not interfere with Andy's work day. It was nice he'd been able to take a couple of sick days and Provenza had covered, but Sharon knew he was needed back at work.
"I don't see what the big deal is about taking you to the airport. You're my wife. I look like a jerk, just putting you in a taxi and sending you away. I can drop you off and then go to work. I'll just be early," he explained to her that morning, as it was still well before 5:00.
"No, we discussed this last night. It's safer if I just take a taxi. I'm gone, off on my own, and you can get back to life without me here. No one will see you at the airport, and it's just easier. I can travel almost incognito," she said.
He frowned, "I don't like this."
"I don't either, Andy, but it's safer. We both know it was a risk to come here. It's been wonderful, but we have to keep our guard up still. I've called my ride, and once I leave, you can get ready for work."
Andy just nodded. He knew arguing more was pointless, and he didn't want his final moments with Sharon to involve a silly argument, so he helped her pack her things. He carried them to the door, and she looked to her watch.
"My ride should be here in another few minutes," she said.
"Do you have everything?" he asked as he eyed her outfit. She was traveling in the same, dull clothing, plain jeans, a black shirt, and a hoodie with a ballcap on her head.
"Yes, I think I have everything," she smiled softly as she looked to him. "We will see each other in just a couple weeks. It won't be that bad. I'm very glad I came out here to see you," she told him as she wrapped her arms around him. He rested his head on hers.
"I'm so happy you came, and I wish I could tell the whole team how you broke the rules," he grinned. "One day Provenza can back me up. He knows you broke the rules, and when all this is over, I'm going to tell everyone you are quite the rule breaker."
"Hmm, that might just be your bad influence," she said quietly. They stood there in the silence as they held each other.
"You know I love you," Andy told her as he kissed her head. She nodded, and he could tell she was starting to cry.
"I love you too," she sniffled out and turned her head away.
"Hey, it's okay," he said quietly. A horn alerted them to Sharon's ride. Andy pulled back and looked at her. He wiped the tear forming. "It's a couple weeks," he shrugged.
She nodded, and she leaned up to kiss him. Andy held her tightly as the two kissed for a few more seconds. When the pulled apart, Andy nodded to her bag, "I'll get your bag."
Sharon nodded, but she didn't say anything. She turned and looked at the house, as she smiled slightly. "I'm so glad we could just be," she nodded. "We could just be here, together, at home, and it felt normal."
Andy nodded and opened the door, "It did. It was exactly what I wanted, normal. Anything else?" he gestured to her bag. Sharon picked up her purse, and she shook her head.
"No, this is it," she nodded. Andy returned the nod and gestured for her to walk outside in front of him. As the two walked toward Sharon's ride, she smiled to him, "I did leave a couple of things."
He looked to her with a questioning gaze, "What did you leave?"
She grinned, "I might have left my present here. It belongs here. It belongs in LA. I will only wear it when I'm in LA."
He grinned back at her, "Well, it will only be reserved for you. I only have eyes for you, Sweetheart. I hope you don't ever question that, question that I'm sitting here, day after day, alone, and miserable for you."
Sharon burst out laughing, "To anyone else, that sounds pitiful," she told him. They both nodded to the driver, and he popped the trunk for Andy to place Sharon's bag. He put her bag inside, and then he turned to face her, his arms on her shoulders.
"I'll look at your gift and remember you in it," he smiled. "I'll also hope for the day you can return here for good to wear it all the time."
"All the time?" she teased as she raised her eyebrows.
"Well, maybe not to work. Work is reserved for your skirts and dresses, oh, and your boots. Love the boots. Your lingerie, well, I get that present all the time at home," he grinned.
"Ahh, so Rusty would enjoy it when he's home and say, I'm cooking dinner?" she teased.
Andy shrugged, "Kid tells us all the time we have scarred him for life, so sure. He's an adult now, so he's aware of what goes on. We are married," he grinned.
Sharon laughed again as she once again leaned up to kiss Andy. "I love you."
"I love you too. Be safe, and let me know you're okay," he nodded to her.
"I will, and when you get home tonight, enjoy the lavender wash I left in the shower," she winked.
Andy groaned, "Oh, you left that? I'll never get you out of my head."
"That's the plan," she smiled. She squeezed his hand and slipped into the car. She closed the door before he could say anything more. Andy offered a small wave, and he stood there as the car pulled away. The car started down the street, taking her away, his Sharon, his love, his wife. He just hoped this whole mess would end soon so he would never have to walk away from her again.
