Eddie was enjoying the photo-journaling project in her spare time.
"This is turning into something really special, Eddie," Jamie said. "And don't forget your family's stories. Those stories are priceless, and we . . . me and you – we have our own special stories."
"I'll get those stories written down," Eddie assured him. "But I know those stories already. I'm having a lot of fun learning about your childhood, and life before you met me. Like this photo," she said, pulling out a college photo of Eddie and his former fiancée, Sydney Davenport.
Jamie chuckled sheepishly. "You can throw that one out, Eddie. That was in another lifetime."
Eddie was honestly more curious than jealous. She remembered how surprised she was to learn, after years of being his patrol partner, that Jamie had been engaged. "Oh, don't worry, I'm not going to put this in our photo album!" she laughed. "But I am curious. What was your ex-fiancée like?"
"Well, police work wasn't in her blood," offered Jamie. "It became a constant source of conflict. We weren't meant to be. We weren't soulmates."
Eddie paused, thinking about their past conversations about soulmates. Some way, somehow, they had found each other. They had been paired as work partners, then as life partners.
"We're soulmates," she whispered. "Somehow, every crazy thing that's happened to me has led me to you."
"Imagine that," Jamie said, lifting her chin towards him. "Actually, I was thinking the same thing."
Eddie paused. If Sydney had a problem with Jamie being a cop, they could hardly have been soulmates, she told herself. Looking at the photo, Eddie surmised that Sydney was beautiful, smart (a Harvard grad!), and strong (an attorney!) - all qualities that Jamie was attracted to. It hadn't occurred to her that she possessed heaps of those same qualities.
"I remember back when I first told you about my father," Eddie began. "It was a big step. I had been riding with you for awhile and felt I could share that with you, without losing your respect. I was afraid you would think less of me as a person and as a cop," Eddie continued. "Your father is the Police Commissioner. My dad is in prison. But you encouraged me to reach out to him, not shut him out of my life. Thanks for that. He might not deserve it, but I still feel better than if I had cut him out of my life entirely."
Jamie nodded. "I saw how much that was hurting you. And it hurt me to see you in that kind of pain. I know how much it would hurt me if I didn't have my dad in my life." Jamie paused. He got the feeling that his response to Eddie's question about Sydney was evasive. He certainly knew how jealous he was of the guys Eddie had dated. "Sydney was in my life at another time, but it wasn't in my heart to be a lawyer, and I think that was our connection. When I became a cop, we lost our connection." He wrapped his arms around her. "If one of us wasn't a cop anymore, we'd still be soulmates. Our connection is us – me and you," Jamie said as he leaned in to kiss his wife, his soulmate.