Early the next morning, Tim woke up. It took him a moment before the events of the previous day came back to him. He was a dad, and it was completely crazy. He still couldn't believe it. When he fully regained his senses, the police officer realized that the weight on his chest wasn't due to the situation. He looked down and saw the adorable face of his colleague.
She was gently nestled against him, her head on his chest. Bradford was truly grateful to have her in his life, but the conflicting feelings he had towards her were more than troubling. After all, she was his subordinate, and he had a girlfriend.
Seeing the time, the officer knew he had to wake her up. With all the gentleness in the world, he caressed her cheek and whispered her name. After a few seconds, he saw her open her eyes.
"Hey, good morning," she murmured, sitting up awkwardly. She couldn't believe they had fallen asleep in such an awkward position. Well, not that it bothered her; on the contrary, it was very pleasant for her. Only, he was in a relationship, and her attraction to him was not mutual, making their proximity complicated for her.
"Good morning," he replied with a smile.
"How are you feeling?" the pretty brunette asked, getting up and ready to gather her things to leave.
"Much better thanks to you", Bradford replied without even thinking about the implications of his words.
"That's what friends are for."
"True... I know you have to go to work, but you could stay for breakfast and leave from here to go to the station. I was planning to make banana and chocolate chip waffles and set some aside for Rose. It will be better than hospital food."
"How can I refuse such an offer?" She replied, delighted with the proposition. For about half an hour, they cooked together, as if it were something they did every day. Then they had breakfast, chatting about everything and nothing as usual.
When it was time, Tim escorted her to the door.
"Thanks again for last night."
"No problem... I have a 24-hour shift, but I'll try to stop by to check on you. In any case, feel free to call if you need anything."
"Thanks," the officer sighed as he watched her leave. She waved to him and then drove towards the police station.
Meanwhile, the blond man prepared himself thoughtfully and headed to the hospital to join his daughter and his former in-laws. The three adults gathered in the waiting room to talk for a few minutes.
"So, son, how are you today?" Robert asked, aware that his stepson had received news that had completely turned his life upside down.
"I have a clearer mind than yesterday. I'm still quite in shock, of course, but I've always wanted to have children, and I intend to give Rose everything she needs. Genny is coming today to help me prepare the house and settle in."
"It's a good thing to have a bit of help. You can always count on us. I don't want to seem intrusive," Grace began timidly.
"That's absolutely not the case. Not only will I need all the help I can get, but Rose will also need to be surrounded by love. I know things didn't go well with Isabel, and you must be suffering despite the situation, but you're her grandparents. You will always be part of the family, no matter what," Tim said, who, knowing his mother-in-law well, could sense her distress. Very moved, she hugged him, and after an approving look from Robert, they returned to Rose's room.
The little girl seemed a bit more confident than the day before. She still didn't speak, but she seemed to have understood that the three adults were not there to harm her. Moreover, the blonde girl was slowly starting to eat again. It wasn't obvious with the hospital food, but she had devoured the breakfast brought by Tim, which had pleased him a lot.
For much of the morning, they continued to try to communicate with the little girl in various ways, whether through drawings or other means. But at some point, Tim received a text from Ashley that said, "I'm at the hospital reception. We need to talk." Damn, he thought. He hadn't called or informed her, and he had hardly thought of her for several days. He was going to have a tough time, that was for sure, but if he was honest with himself, he didn't care.
"Rose, sweetheart, I need to go talk for a few minutes in the hall with someone, but I'll be back very quickly. I promise! he said to his daughter, plunging his gaze into her adorable blue eyes."
She stared at him for a few seconds, nodded, still a bit lost. She was definitely not used to an adult keeping their word or treating her properly, and she wasn't sure the three adults who had just entered her life were trustworthy, but Rose liked them. She also liked the idea of having a dad, a grandpa, and a grandma, but life had taught her to be wary, and that wasn't about to change. The child watched her father leave and went back into her thoughts, still in shock from her mother's murder.
Meanwhile, Tim went down to meet his girlfriend, and once the usual pleasantries were exchanged, they sat outside on a bench to talk.
"Why didn't you tell me, Tim? I learned from my father that you have a daughter. It's insane."
"Don't take it personally, Ashley, but given the enormity of the situation, it wasn't a priority. I have a completely traumatized little girl to take care of, and there's a murderer on the loose," he stated, not surprised by his girlfriend's reaction, who had a tendency to make everything about herself.
"I know, sorry, but I have to say I'm shocked... I understand that you feel responsible and want to take care of her. However, even though I care about you, I don't want a child, and that's not going to change."
"I know, you've been clear about that. Listen, let's not make hasty decisions. We could take a break until the investigation into Isabel's death is resolved, and I've properly settled Rose at home, and then we'll see," Tim suggested, without any ulterior motive. He wasn't the type to give up easily in a relationship, but the idea of spending time away from Ashley didn't bother him at all. His attachment to the woman was far from as strong as he claimed.
"That's an option. Goodbye, Tim, and good luck," the blonde sighed before leaving without looking back, seemingly unfazed by the separation.
The police officer went back up to his daughter's room with thoughts swirling in his head. It wasn't the breakup itself that disturbed him, but rather the fact that he wasn't sad. He should be, after all, they had been together for several months. However, that wasn't the case. All he could think about since this morning, aside from Rose, of course, was Lucy, and that wasn't normal.
He went back up quietly without saying a word to anyone about what had just happened and started playing with the little blonde girl.
In the evening, the trio was joined by a frantic Genny. The adults talked for a few minutes, and then the two Bradfords went back into the room to introduce the redhead to her niece.
"Rose sweetheart, I'd like to introduce someone to you. This is my sister Genny, your aunt."
"Hello Rose, I'm really pleased to meet you. Tim has been talking about you since yesterday. I would have come earlier, but I had to organize someone to watch my kids. They're your cousins. They're also looking forward to seeing you," the young woman announced, smiling timidly. She observed the little girl, both amazed by the resemblance to her brother and extremely saddened to see a child clearly extremely traumatized.
After a few minutes talking to Rose, the two adults decided it was time to let her rest. They said goodbye to her and Isabel's parents, then both went home. Once home, the police officer called his colleagues to inquire about the investigation, which had made little progress as the former policewoman had many connections with drug dealers.
After the call, the duo ate while discussing the upcoming events, then went to bed to face the coming day with as much energy as possible.