"So, uh, got a couch I could sleep on?" Kim asked when they pulled into Tommy's driveway.
"Mom has a spare bedroom you could use. You know that." he said. They both got out of the car and headed into the house.
"So is that a normal day at the office?" he asked her.
"Well, yeah, actually. We do a lot of stuff like that. Believe it or not, my life isn't perfect. I get bomb threats, shot at, and a whole lot of other stuff. And everyday, there's a million and one things that could go wrong, but you know what the best part is?" she said.
"What's that?" he asked.
"Everyday, I get to come home to my daughter, and she's always there waiting for me. That is the greatest gift in the world, just to know that there really is someone waiting for you when you get home." she said. She went into the bedroom and sat down on the bed.
Tommy went into his room and sat down on his bed, and he thought about what Kim had said to him. He realized, that was something that he didn't have. That was something that he had always wanted. She had that, and he wanted that. He just didn't know if she would give him that.
Kim sat on the bed and looked around. This was something that she wanted. A house and a family, and someone to love. She wanted to have all of that. She did have someone to love, but she wanted something more. She wanted to be a wife, a friend, and a lover to somebody. She had the mother part down pat already. She wanted Tommy, and she wanted him to want her, and Julie. She just didn't know if he would give her that. She laid back, and curled up on the bed, she really, really, really wanted to cry. She took her cell phone from it's case on her belt and dialed the chiefs phone number. She didn't even notice Tommy standing outside her door.
"Hello?" the chief's wife answered.
"Mrs. James, hi, it's Kim." Kim said.
"Oh, hi, Kim! How are you?" Mrs. James asked.
"I'm good, Mrs. James…" Kim started.
"Oh, call me Charlotte, do you want to speak to Richard?" Charlotte asked.
"No, actually, I just called to say goodnight to Julie, if that's alright." Kim said.
"Oh, of course, hang on a sec, I'll go get her." Charlotte said, "Julie!"
Kim heard the footsteps on the other end and then she heard her daughter's voice.
"Yes, Mrs. Katie's Mommy, Ma'am?" Julie asked.
"Your mommy is on the phone for you, don't you want to talk to her?" Charlotte asked.
"Yeah!" Julie screeched.
"Here you go." Charlotte said, handing the little girl the phone.
"Hi, Mommy!" Julie's excited voice came on the line.
"Hi, Sweetie, how are you?" Kim asked.
"I'm good, Katie and I were just playing Barbie's and then were gonna have a snack and go to bed." Julie informed.
"Good, good, are you being good for Uncle Rich and Aunt Charlotte?" Kim asked.
"Yes, Mommy." Julie said, " Are you coming home soon?"
"I don't know sweetie." Kim answered her daughter.
"Well, did you catch the bad guy, yet?" Julie pressed.
"Maybe, we did catch somebody, but we don't know yet, okay?" Kim said.
"Okay, Mommy. Uncle Rich needs to use the phone, okay. I love you Mommy. Goodnight." Julie said.
"Okay Sweetie, I love you, too. Goodnight." Kim said. Kim put her phone down on the bed. She curled up and felt tears spring to her eyes. Then she noticed Tommy in her doorway. She sat up and looked at him.
"Tommy?" she asked. He came into the room.
"You okay?" he asked, sitting next to her.
"Yeah, I just hate having to disappoint her like that. I know how much she wants me home, but if I don't do this, I could lose my job. That puts me and her out on the streets. I just can't stand doing this. Especially to her." She said and started to cry, "I just wish she had someone there for her when I'm not home. She needs that, and there are times when I've gotten home so late, that I'm to tired to play, I'm to tired to read to her. And she spends more time at the Chiefs house then she does at home and there are times when I just need a lot of time off. But I can't get it off, because Lisa and I are his best detectives and it's just hard. Especially, when Mommy comes home with her clothes covered in blood, or with scrapes and bruises on her arms and face. There's just a lot of times when I think, I can't keep doing this." She just cried and cried and cried.
Tommy's mother was coming down the hall, when she saw Tommy and another woman sitting in the guest room. The woman was in tears, so Mrs. Oliver went over to the doorway of the room. She lipped to Tommy, "Is she okay?"
"I'll be fine, Mom." Kim said. She couldn't have possibly seen Mrs. Oliver come to the doorway, because her face was buried in the comforter. But only Kim could know when Mrs. Oliver was there, even if she didn't say anything. And Kim was the only girl that called Mrs. Oliver mom. That's how Mrs. Oliver knew it was Kim.
"Kim?" Mrs. Oliver questioned. Kim sat up and dried her eyes and nodded. Mrs. Oliver came in and sat next to her.
"Oh, honey, what's the matter?" Mrs. Oliver coed.
"I'm just really stressed over work and things at home." Kim said, "Nothing to be really worried about."
"Okay, well, I have to go to work at the hospital, Tommy, are you sure you'll be okay?" Mrs. Oliver asked.
"We'll be fine, Mom." Tommy said. Mrs. Oliver left and Kim laid back on the bed. She felt terrible for this. Then she looked at Tommy. She loved him so much.
"You know, I never stopped loving you. I just got scared. I figured that if my own mother could completely desert me, then you would too. But I never did stop loving you and I just hope that one day you could forgive me, for everything, the letter, Julie, leaving, because I am truly sorry, but you don't know what I went through. And it was something that I had to go through alone. But I made that choice. But I don't want to be alone anymore. And I am sorry." Kim confessed. She looked up at him, and he just kissed her. Not really something she expected, but he did. Then her cell phone rang.
"Hello?" she said. She listened, and then she hung up the phone. She looked at Tommy then she got up and ran for the door. He followed.