From Down Here Chapter 24

Kojo rubs against Lucy's leg as she absently pokes at her salad with a fork. "Something on your mind?" Tim asks.

"I think something's going on between Celina and Aaron," Lucy says.

Tim puts a piece of meat that he calls a steak on his plate and sits down at the table with Lucy. "I thought Celina swore she'd never date Aaron because he's a Scorpio."

"She did," Lucy says. "And they've just been friends – I think. But they do spend a lot of time going out to play Dungeons and Dragons. It's like they view being with each other as safe, but keep each other busy enough so they don't date anyone else."

"You and Jackson went out a lot together as friends," Tim says. "There was nothing wrong with that."

"Jackson was gay," Lucy answers. Kojo doesn't know what that means, but he can see that Tim does. "We could have spent every night together, and nothing would have happened. We sort of did for a while when he was between boyfriends."

Tim makes a snorting sound. "And you were between boyfriends."

Lucy puts her paw on Tim's shoulder. "Or couldn't have the boyfriend I wanted. But it's different with Celina and Aaron. I think after finding out that the girls he liked went out with him either because he's famous or has money, he's pretty much stopped looking. And Celina never started looking. I mean before, she was just so wrapped up in catching the guy who took her sister. But Lopez saw through that crazy cop, and now Celina knows who took her sister and why. She knows the truth about her mother too now, and that as a kid she couldn't have been responsible. Nolan helped her through all that. So she should be free now to find someone. But she's hanging around with Aaron. I don't think it's good for either one of them."

Tim looks at Lucy the way he used to look at Kojo when he jumped on someone too much. "It's also none of your business, Lucy. You are always trying to fix everybody. You tried to fix Isabel. You tried to fix Isabel and me. Then, instead of letting him go, you tried to fix Chris. It doesn't work, Lucy. Even getting me into Metro was almost a disaster – for both of us. If Celina or Aaron wants your help, they'll ask for it. Otherwise, you need to leave it alone."

Lucy pokes at her salad again. "I know you're right. But I can't help thinking there's something I could do."

"There isn't," Tim says. "But they'll both be at Nolan's wedding, won't they?"

"If they're not on duty. But both Celina and Aaron were Nolan's rookies. I think if Grey can schedule things so that they're there, he will. But what are you thinking about them being at the wedding?" Lucy asks.

Tim puts his paw on Lucy's face. "Things are always happening at weddings, Lucy. People start feeling romantic, and they make moves they wouldn't make anywhere else."

Lucy puts her paw on Tim's face. "Like you asking me to save you a dance at Angela and Wesley's almost wedding?"

"Yeah, like that," Tim says, "but without the kidnapping and murder."

"Here's a truth thing," Lucy says. "I was hoping that you would."

Tim looks down at his steak. "But if it weren't at a wedding, I never would have. So if Aaron and Celina are going to get closer than playing games together, that's probably where they'll do it."

Lucy sticks her fork into a round red thing that squirts stuff on her. Kojo expects her to make a mad face, but she looks happy when Tim wipes her off. "After what you spent on your dress, don't try eating those at the wedding."

Lucy laughs. "I'll stick with the hors d'oeuvres."

Kojo is surprised to see Genny show up without her little ones, but Tim doesn't seem to be. "I'm glad you could come over. I really needed to talk without Lucy around. This is the only day she's on while I'm off."

Genny gives Tim a mad face. "I thought you and Lucy were finished doing things behind each other's backs."

"This is something I can't talk to her about," Tim says. "Actually, I don't want to talk to anybody on the LAPD about it either. It might get back to her."

"So what's the big secret?" Genny asks, her face still mad.

"I'm thinking of proposing to Lucy," Tim says. Kojo doesn't know what propose means, but it sounds important.

"Tim, I'm your sister, not your keeper," Genny says. "You don't need my permission. But after all you two went through with her moving out and the counseling and everything, are you sure you're ready for that?"

"I think that's why I'm ready," Tim says. "Lucy and I had a lot of issues, but I didn't want to talk about them."

Genny sits down and puts her face in her paw. "You've never wanted to talk about them. You never talked about your issues with Isabel, either."

"I know. And it just made things harder. After what Dad did to me, I've always kept a wall between me and other people." Kojo doesn't know what anyone did to Tim, but it sounds bad. It makes him sad to hear about it.

"Tell me something I don't know," Genny says.

"But having Lucy walk out like that forced me to talk, whether I wanted to or not," Tim says. "Lucy kicked holes in my wall. Nobody's ever been able to do that before. She's special, Genny. She's the one I was looking for, even more than Isabel."

Genny gets up from the table and looks at Tim's face. "So propose. With what we got from selling Dad's house, I know you can afford a ring."

"The ring's not a problem. I know Lucy likes jade. The jade ring she has saved her life. It's how I found her when she was buried. I can get an engagement ring with jade and diamonds or something. But it's more about where I want to propose. I was thinking about at Nolan and Bailey's wedding. Don't people propose at weddings a lot?" Tim asks.

"I guess," Genny says, "they get carried away by the moment. But I like John Nolan, and I like Bailey. Their wedding is supposed to be their day, not yours. If you propose to Lucy, that's all anyone at Mid-Wilshire will be talking about. Do you think that's fair to the happy couple?"

Tim makes a sad face. "Probably not. But Lucy and I went shopping. She got a special dress. I think she's expecting something special."

Genny puts her paw on Tim's arm. "A wedding is special, Tim. Maybe it didn't work for you and Isabel or for me and the boys' father, but it is special. So maybe you should wait until afterward. Take Lucy somewhere nice or just for a walk on the beach or something and ask her then. Then John and Bailey can have their special day, and you can have yours."

Tim has a happier face. "That's a good idea. I think I know the perfect place to take her. Thank you, little sister."

Genny has a happy face too. "Good luck, big brother. Maybe one of us can finally get it right."