Armand Gamache arrived home to his Fiance, Isabelle, later than usual. Much later than he had planned, with it being Christmas Eve. The dusky sky was painted with grey and oranges, signifying that evening had come. The Chief Inspector didn't need a sharp mind to know he would be in some trouble when he got inside.
He stood in the doorway, shucking his coat and scarf. Armand took a deep breath in an attempt to push the stress of the day from his mind and hide those troubles from his family. He listened carefully, waiting for the footsteps of the two little girls and their mother, who had joyfully greeted him every evening after work for the last three years.
Finally, Armand felt two sets of arms engulf his waist, and he heard a chorus of "Papa is home!" Three words that he would never tire of hearing.
"Yes, papa is home... late," Isabelle said. Her voice was taut as she stood cross-armed against the doorway. Her brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she wore leggings and a hoody.
Armand knelt down to greet the girls he considered his daughters showering them with hugs and kisses. The girls giggled, "Papa, your beard is itchy." They both screamed. This ritual always caused Armand to smile.
He quickly gave Isabelle a sad smile to let her know there was a good reason he was late getting home and would gladly explain it all to her in a moment.
"Ah yes, Mathide, and Arabella, my girls! Did you have a good day with your mom and grandma?" He had always been good at disguising stress in front of the girls.
"Yes, Papa!!" The girls continued, "We got Christmas dresses for the party tonight, and mama got you something, but she made us promise not to tell you what it is." Mathilde, the older of the two girls, answered.
He walked the girls over to the staircase that led up to the bedrooms and bent down to whisper to them, "Listen, I need to talk to mama. Why don't you girls get your dresses on and get ready for the party."
"Okay, Papa." They whispered back. Mathilde and Arabella ran off, more than happy to put on their pretty dresses to show their papa.
Armand followed Isabelle into the kitchen. She stood with her back to him, stirring a crockpot of her famous Ragout de boulettes. He wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms, but he knew he would be pushed away.
"Isabelle," He started
"I just wish you would have called Armand." She finally turned to look at him. Her eyes were brimming with tears, "I didn't know if something had happened to you or if you were working late. I know we're both cops, and working late comes with the job, but you always call." Isabelle didn't like to let this side of her show, but with Armand, she could let her guard down and let him see that she was scared sometimes.
"Mon amour, I'm sorry." He finally took a step forward and wrapped her up in his arms. He rubbed her back until he felt her breathing even out.
"Come here," he led her over to the table to sit. He took her hand in his, "You're right. I should have called."
He tilted her chin, so she was looking at him, "I was late for a very good reason." He said almost playfully.
Isabelle gave him a teary smile for the first time since he got home, "Yeah? Let's hear it, Inspector Gamache."
He cleared his throat, " There was a protest outside of SQ today. The friends and family members of indigenous girls who are missing. Begging for someone to help them find their loved ones."
Isabelle's face softened as she looked at him. She knew he had a special place in his heart for indigenous women. That place had only gotten bigger since they had begun seeing each other.
"I saw red when I saw the officers get rough with them. They were pushing these women and handcuffing them. I had to do something. I ran from my office and threw the officers off these women."
"Oh, Armand," Isabelle had tears filling her eyes again.
"These women I helped. They had a little girl with them, just a little more than a year old. Her mother is missing." He took his glasses off and set them on the table. "I remembered I had Arabella's car seat with me, so I offered to give them a ride home. The drive to Iotenet'ton:ni and back took longer than I had expected."
"You're a good man, Armand Gamache. Don't ever forget that." Isabelle leaned in and gave the man sitting in front of her a deep kiss, enjoying how his beard tickled her skin.
Just as the couple broke their kiss, they heard the sound of two little girls giggling. This, in turn, caused the adults to break out in laughter.
"Papa and mama are kissing." they heard from three-year-old Arabella as she continued to giggle.
Armand got up and took the girls' hands so they could twirl and show him their dresses, "Look at my girls. so beautiful!" He led them into the living room. "Come on, give your old papa a fashion show so mama can get ready for the party."
Isabella made her way up the stairs. The laughter echoed through her home, and her heart felt so full. Being late for the party suddenly didn't bother her anymore.