Dearest Iola,
I was fooled.
I fooled myself.
Just like I'm sure many other people have.
Many times I would watch the news, see something tragic happen, and think,
'That'll never happen to me.'
We would take on a case where the client's loved one was killed and again I would think,
'That'll never happen to me.'
It'll never happen.
But it does.
It did.
Death.
It never truely seems real till someone you love dies.
Someone you miss dearly.
I never really understoond the pain that people go through when someone they loved was taken away.
Whenever someone else lost a loved one, I gave my condolances.
Not fully comprehending what the pain must feel like.
Feels like.
At times, I think of Frank and all the dangerous situations we've been in together.
Death has come knocking on our door many times, but we haven't answered.
Yet.
But I'm scared, Iola.
What would I do if something happened to Frank?
My brother:
The one who protects me.
Who helps me when I fall.
He is strong for me when I'm weak.
My partner:
The one who's always there for me.
He stands by me no matter what.
My best friend:
The person who understands me.
Even when I don't understand myself.
He believes in me.
What would I do?
What if I lost him?
Losing you was terrible.
It still is.
I couldn't stand losing Frank as well!
Not him.
Maybe we shouldn't do detective work anymore.
But detective work is what we do.
What we love.
Who we are.
No way could we give that up.
Because a leopard can't change it's spots.
But I don't want to face life without my brother either.
I need to keep him safe.
I won't let anything happen to him.
As long as I live, I'll protect my best friend with my life.
Never let anyone or anything harm Frank.
I lost someone I love.
And I won't lose another.
I wasn't able to protect you, Iola.
And that guilt still haunts me.
I never should have been so foolish.
I just want to go back and change the things I did.
Take back anything I may have ever said to hurt you.
Because I never meant to cause you pain.
I never meant to.
For now I'll take care of my brother, my partner, and my best friend.
And I'll love you always.
xox Joe
And a special thanks to several people for their help and encouragement. :)