Dave was still a bit preoccupied when he arrived home that evening, and it took him a moment to get out of his car and into the house. "Is everything all right?" Penelope asked as he came inside, dropping his briefcase onto the counter and putting his phone on the charger before looking at her. "Dave?"

"I'll be fine in time, it was just a long day. Where's Erin?"

"She's resting in the living room. Her mother called this afternoon, and it was not the smoothest call in the world. Somehow, she found out that Erin had tried to take her own life, and…I really liked her mother when I met her at the funeral, but I also want to smack her now?" He nodded as he poured himself a glass of water, taking a seat at the table and watching her, somehow knowing that she wanted to say more. "And I should be angry with you, but she's already told me that she's not spending the night in the master bedroom."

"Oh." Penelope gave him a wry smile as she began to plate their food. "I didn't ask for this to happen between us, Kitten, I swear. And I know that her heart is tender right now, which is why I'm trying to hold on as gently as I possibly can. I was hoping that some of her friends from church or her meetings would appear to help her out, but I guess it's true what they say about grief."

"That it shows you who your true friends are?" Again, he nodded. "I guess that means we're her true friends now. And I rather think that this will have been the best decision I've ever made. Now, how about you go get her from the living room while I finish up in here."

"All right," he replied as he got to his feet and made his way into the other room. Erin was curled up in a corner of the sofa, a blanket covering her body, and he smiled sadly as he crouched down in front of her before reaching out and stroking her hair lightly. "Wake up, Erin. Penny is finished with supper, and all we need to do is sit down and eat."

Slowly, her eyes blinked open, and she gave him a small smile as she pushed the blanket off her body and swung her legs out to rest on the floor. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips against his in a tender kiss. "I am so glad that you're home. I'm spending the night in your bed. No hanky panky, but I need to cling to someone tonight."

"Penelope already told me that was the plan," he said as he helped her to her feet, squeezing her hand as they made their way into the kitchen. "I've awakened our sweet Topalina, Kitten."

"Good. Because heaven only knows how she'll get to sleep tonight after that long a nap."

"Given the way I'm feeling? That won't be an issue. Though I am really glad that we're going to work tomorrow. I need something like that to look forward to." He nodded as they took their seats. The casserole that Penelope had made smelled delicious, and he dug in with gusto, putting away two helpings before Erin had finished her first. "This is so good, Penny. Exactly what I needed tonight."

"Do you want to tell us a little about your phone call?"

"Mom was just being Mom. I told Daddy that she wouldn't understand what I did, that she would fuss and make me feel like I had failed God, and that is exactly what happened when we talked. I just, I am so tired of feeling like I did fail."

Dave took a drink of water before reaching out and covering Erin's hand with his own, patting it lightly before he spoke. "You did not fail anyone, Erin. Your pain was just so great that you tried to find a way to end that pain. But you allowed us to help you, and I hope that you're finding things to be a little easier with each passing day."

"Sort of, yes. But then something like this happens, and I feel so small. Tell me something good that happened today?"

"Helen managed to get me completely caught up on all the paperwork, so you won't be going into a complete shitshow tomorrow. And she's promised to help us both out as I turn the reins back over to you. Remember, we'll be out in the field come Monday, so I won't be coming home with you every night."

"Oh, that's right."

"Don't worry, Lambie! You won't be alone, not if you don't want to be. You still have me!" Penelope gave her a soft, loving, smile, and Dave winked at the woman, trying to let her know that he was grateful for her kind offer. "I mean, I have sort of gotten used to having the voices of other people around. I thought that I was a homebody up until now, and maybe I just might be able to tell Kevin that I'm ready to have him move in."

"I'm sure that he'd like that, Penelope. And you're free to have him over some nights, when David is out in the field. He is a nice man."

"He is, isn't he?" Penelope let out a little sigh of happiness as she gathered up their plates. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to shoo you from the kitchen and call my boyfriend while I do some baking. I want to get ahead of tomorrow."

Dave nodded as he and Erin left the room. He wanted to head into the living room, but Erin took firm hold of his hand and guided him over to the stairs. "Erin?"

"I want to cuddle now. Give me fifteen minutes to shower and change for bed, and then I'll join you in your room?"

He gave her a small nod as they climbed upwards, and then he watched her head over to the master bedroom, disappearing behind the door. Once that was closed, he went into his own room, hurriedly shucking off his clothes before pulling on a clean set of pyjamas and climbing into bed. He wasn't remotely tired, but he also didn't want to get out of bed once Erin had fallen asleep, since that would most likely disturb her. Picking up his tablet, Dave began to read through his emails, answering the ones that needed quick answers before catching up on the news he had missed during the day.

Erin cleared her throat a little, finally catching his attention, and he looked up at her to smile and pat the side of the bed that she had claimed as hers the other night. "Anything interesting?"

"No, but I still like to keep abreast of current events. I'm sorry that your mother so deeply upset you today."

She shrugged as she got into bed next to him, turning onto her side and wrapping an arm around his waist as she curved her body around his, letting her head come to rest on his chest. "She means well, but it still hurts. That, coupled with our discussion of Alex this morning, well, my heart just felt really bruised by the end of the call."

He nodded before setting aside the tablet and contorting his head so that he could press a kiss to the top of her head. "Still, I wish that you weren't hurt. I understand the sorrow, the pain, a miniscule amount. I just wish that there was a way for me to take this pain away from you."

"Would that you were that sort of miracle worker, David. But having you here, along with Penelope, is helping to make things easier to bear. And really, that's all I could ask for?"

He nodded as they adjusted how they were lying in the bed before reaching down to pull up the covers around their shoulders. "I hope that Helen will be able to get us sorted right away. She's such a godsend."

"Isn't she, though? Seriously, when I hired her, I never thought that I would come to rely on her quite as much as I have. I'm glad that she's been able to help you, as well. I hope that your first case isn't a very long one, David."

"Why?"

"Alan's birthday would have been next Saturday, and while I wasn't planning on celebrating it, now that he's gone, it feels like I should do something to commemorate it?"

"You should call his parents. I'm certain that they'd love to connect with you."

"That does sound like a good idea. And I have missed talking with them. As Alan and I grew apart, I also grew apart from them, even though they had nothing to do with our issues. I just…there are so many things that I would go back and change, if I could. But then, if I could, I don't think that I would have found these relationships with you and Penny. Oh, god, David, why does everything seem so muddled still?"

"Because you're still working through your grief, and that is totally okay." He pressed another kiss to her forehead. She nodded and yawned, rubbing her face against his chest before tightening her hold on his waist. "You need to sleep, Erin."

"But I want to talk more. We won't have times like these soon, because you'll be out in the field, so I have to take advantage of them when I can."

"Tomorrow will be a long day, we need to rest up for what's ahead. And I promise, you are free to call me whenever things get to be a little much, and I'm not here." She nodded before yawning once more, her breaths slowly evening out as she drifted off to sleep.