Andy's Former Partner, Jerry

I about died laughing when I opened the invitation. I actually checked the calendar to make sure I wasn't losing my mind and had missed April Fool's Day. Nope. I didn't. It wasn't even close to April, more like early November, and even then, I couldn't believe my eyes. I had to call my old partner, Andy Flynn, to double check what I'd read. There was no way he was marrying Raydor. I dialed the main switchboard, because don't even get me started that he's still working there, asked for my old partner, and a few seconds later, I was connected to his desk.

"Lieutenant Andy Flynn" he stated when he answered the phone that Friday afternoon while I sat at my kitchen table looking at this ridiculous envelope.

"Flynn, it's Jerry. Long time," I told him. It had been a long time, obviously too long. I'd been Andy's partner 25 years ago, not his first partner, but an old one, a very old one. We'd worked Robbery/Homicide together when it was called a million other things. I don't know why the department is so set on changing the names of different divisions. It's not like the crimes change. Robbery is always robbery. Homicide is just that, homicide or murder. I'm almost surprised the idiots downtown haven't gone to calling it the Stealing and Killing Department because that's just how dumb they are. Anyway, we worked together years and years ago, and I hadn't kept up with him since I'd retired, now about 15 years ago. I'm older than Andy, not by a lot, but I am, and honestly, I can't believe he' still working. This invite required immediate attention; it wasn't something to file away for later, and I'm only irritated I'm just now seeing it.

"Jerry, wow, it has been awhile. Good to hear from you. What can I do for you?" he asked.

"I had to double check the calendar," I told him and continued, "because I thought you were playing the best April Fool's joke on me ever. What gives with this fake invite of yours?"

"Fake invite?" I heard him ask. I heard a squeak, and I knew that sound. He was at work and sitting back in his desk chair. Flynn always liked to sit back in his desk chair and kick up his feet. It appeared that hadn't changed. "What are you talking about?"

"This wedding invite," I started to laugh. "Are you retiring or something? This is the funniest thing I've gotten in a long time."

"Oh, that?" Andy asked. "Sharon and I sent those out a couple weeks ago. You're now just getting it?"

"Yeah, I don't exactly go to my post office box that often. Wait, this is real?" I paused and studied the invite. I wasn't sure if he'd even sent them out, thinking someone was playing a good practical joke on him, but something in the tone of his voice made me pause.

"Sure, it's real!" he exclaimed.

"You called her Sharon. What is going on, Man? Wait, you are really marrying Raydor?" I started to laugh, not ever thinking that was really true until something in his voice sounded off about all of this.

"It's really true," he said, now irritated. "Jerry, there's nothing strange about the invite. I know we haven't seen each other in years, but we were partners a long time ago, and I wanted to invite you to the wedding. You were my partner when things were rock bottom for me. I wanted you to see that I'm happy; I'm doing well."

I took a swig of my beer. While he'd been an alcoholic, I was not. Sure, I had two or three beers a day, but I wasn't anything like Flynn. Back in the day, I'd hauled him out of bars left and right, Provenza and I both had. I was Flynn's partner, but Provenza was a good friend of his. What was also funny is that usually Jack Raydor occupied the chair next to his at the bar, that is, if Jack was in town. He floated in and out of town back then, sometimes gone for months at a time, but when he was in town, I'd find him usually at the same bar as Flynn. The guys had favorites, favorite bars, that is. The two of them frequented a couple of the same ones.

"You've got to be kidding me! This is insane. I never in my wildest dreams thought you would ever get together with Raydor. I don't even know where to start. She hauled us into her office on more than one occasion, and let's not even forget to address that you used to drink with her ex. How did all this happen? I can't deny she's decent to look at, you know."

"Jerry, hey, watch it," Flynn warned me. "That's my fiancée you are talking about with me right now. Let's keep it classy. I'm aware of how things were. A lot has changed. In fact, I'm glad you called. I was hoping to catch up with you. It's been too long."

"Yeah, obviously," I laughed and ran my hand through my hair as I sat at my table. "So, you're really marrying that one? Is she still queen of FID? I haven't kept up with anything. I closed that door long ago and only want to see direct deposits from the department, nothing else."

"Yes, I'm marrying Sharon," he said softly. I could hear it in his voice. It didn't hold the same gruffness, the same irritation it once had. I'd been with him drinking, and then, I was transferred out about six months after he got sober. We kept up for a few years after that, but once I retired, I pretty much walked away from everyone. "Sharon isn't in FID; she's over Major Crimes."

"Wait," I paused and shook him head. "When I asked for you, they repeated it back to me and said Major Crimes. You two work in the same division?"

"We do; she's my boss," he said lightly and chuckled. "Yeah, don't even start. I can already hear the crude comments coming out of your mouth. Just don't even say them. We've been together for awhile now, even that timeframe is debated, but yeah, we're getting married. I love her, and we live together, a condo not far from here."

"Wow, Flynn, I never would have guessed you would settle down after all this time," I whistled and shook my head again.

"Yeah, that's kind of why I wanted to invite you. Look, I never was able to really thank you enough for having my back all those years ago. You heard all about my crappy divorce, my problems with my kids, all of it. You dealt with my drinking and hauled me home more times than I can count. You saw it all. I wanted you to see this, that I'm happy," he told me.

"You still sober?" I asked.

"Over 20 years now, yes," he said. "Things with my kids are better, not perfect, but better. I have two grandkids. Sharon and I are really happy. She's got three kids, so we've got five between us. The youngest one lives with us still; he's still in school. I hope you will come to the wedding. It will be good to catch up with you. Hey, Provenza is still here. He's works with us, and he's my best man. Come to the wedding. You'll probably know several people there."

"Oh, I'm coming," I started to laugh as I fingered the invitation. "I can't believe this. I have to see it for my own eyes. How did you ever end up with Raydor? I just don't see it."

"I'll save you the sappy story," he said sarcastically. "I love her. It developed over the years. She loves me. Yeah, I know," he sighed. "It sounds crazy. It almost is. We work. I can't imagine life without her. We've all changed. She's changed. I've changed. We just work."

"And, what about the ex, Jack Raydor, neighborhood drunk? Does she know you and the ex used to be drinking pals?" I asked. "What ever happened to that sorry one?"

"Oh, he's still sorry, sorry as ever," Flynn told me, and I could hear the irritation in his voice. "Look, Sharon has had to deal with my having similarities to Jack, but I never walked out on my family. I got sober. Jack didn't do either of those things. He still lurks around us, but trust me when I say he and I are nothing alike now."

"So, you're marrying Commander Sharon Raydor," I said as I read the name off the invitation. "Commander Sharon Raydor and Lieutenant Andrew Flynn."

"It's happening. Tell me you'll at least think about coming?" he asked.

"I'll be there. Consider this my RSVP. This, I have to see," I laughed. "Flynn, thanks for the invite. It's been too long. I walked away from everything when I retired, and I have been realizing that wasn't exactly the best thing to do. I walked away from a lot of good friends too."

"I hear you," he told me. "I'm glad you got the invite. I had to look you up, and I was at least glad to find an address for you. The phone number they had didn't work, so I wasn't even sure the address was the right one."

"Yeah, that number," I gestured to the air and continued, "disconnected it years ago, and I'm not interested in giving them my cell number. I guess I prefer to stay off the grid."

"Well, let's not be a stranger," he told me. "Life is short. I've had some health issues. Sharon has too. I'm glad you are coming. It's been too long."

"Too long, my friend," I told him.

"Hey, I gotta go. I'll tell Provenza you are coming. He'll be glad to hear it, and I want you to really meet Sharon, my Sharon. Sure, you've dealt with her across the desk, but I want you to see what I see, the wonderful woman she is," he told me.

"Surprise me," I told him. "I have to come now. I can't believe she's different from the FID Ice Queen I remember."

"She is. Hey, I've got to go, but I'll see you at the wedding," he said and hung up the phone.

I sat there looking at it. Flynn and Raydor-didn't see that coming. It was hard to believe. She'd had to deal with him on more than one occasion when he was my partner. I'd had to deal with her; the lady was downright scary and showed no emotion. I almost can't believe she was married to anyone back then and wondered if that's why her husband drank, but now, I'm hearing she's in love with my old partner? Now, that's a twist. Back then, I remember his anger. I remember his rage. Sure, a lot of that was the alcohol talking because he was pretty much drunk all the time, but wow, Raydor. He'd never been the drunk to sleep around on his wife. That had been Raydor's style, but Flynn had been a mess those years between his divorce and drinking mess.

That was a couple weeks ago, my call with Flynn. Now, I'm sitting in a church, a Catholic one, waiting for this wedding to start. People are happy. I recognize several faces. I'm waiting to see Flynn. I can't remember when I last saw him in person. It's been too long. I'm curious about Raydor too. Raydor was good looking back then. I hadn't seen her in years, so as I sit here today, waiting for this wedding to start, I'm somewhat intrigued to see how she's aged. Oh, the guys are coming to the altar. Flynn looks the same, just older. Provenza looks exactly the same too. Weddings were his thing. I forget how many wives he'd had, but he was the wedding guy; Flynn was just the office drunk. Times have changed. I recognize a couple other faces, but I can't place them. This is going to be interesting; I'm glad I came.

Funny, how Flynn is here today, getting married, happy, and sober while I'm the one alone. I didn't turn into a drunk. I did my job. I even had my partner's back when he was too drunk to do anything for himself, but he's the one with his act together and happy. It's not that I'm unhappy; okay, maybe I am, but he's the one getting the wife. Now, I wouldn't want Raydor as my wife-no thanks, but the point is, I came alone, while he's up there, grinning like a fool. Funny how life is. I would have pegged Flynn for getting kicked out of the department, fired from his job for his drinking years ago. I would have thought his hot temper would have escalated and gotten him fired, but no, here he is today, Lieutenant Flynn. He's still a cop, is still working, and is happy.

It's going to be an interesting day. I'm curious about this wedding, strange as it might be to me. I'm looking forward to talking to Flynn and getting a better read on Raydor. Andy Flynn. Sharon Raydor-wow, what a story that must be. I'm interested in hearing it all. 25 years, wow. My former partner has come a long way.