Is This Forever?

Difficult Conversations

1 month later
November 18th, 2025

A month without Barbra was a month spent grieving. He barely went to work and when he did he didn't do anything.

At home, he hadn't been eating the way he should and Tommy can't take care of him the she wants. The holidays are coming up which means there were more emergencies, more mandatory overtime, more being away from home.

But today something in him turned around.

Tommy had been on shift, nonstop for a week. It was only right that she got to sleep in and in her own bed. Not in one of those uncomfortable cots provided by the department.

But when she did wake up she did what she had to do then went downstairs. That's when she saw it.

The side of Derek she hadn't seen in so long. He seemed.. happy?

When she walked into the kitchen he had music playing, singing and slowly dancing to it. He had a smile on his face. The same smile that she missed so much.

To top it off he was cooking her breakfast.

When he noticed her, his smile grew bigger.

"Good morning, my love." He spoke.

"Good morning." She smiled. "What's going on in here?"

He took the food off of the burners and looked at her again.

"The girls are on their school trip. I'm feeling great. So I wanted to do something for you."

What he was saying might have been true for today. But Tommy had days like this too after Charles had passed away.

She'd think she was fine. Like she could move on with her life. But for her it was always late at night that the realization hit her again.

The realization that she was never going to see him again. That she was lying in a bed that they once used to share.

But maybe it was different for him. Everybody grieves differently. So maybe this is how he grieves.

"Come on. Dance with me." He said sticking his hand out so she could take it. She happily did.

As they swayed to the music he smiled and continued to smile after they were done.

When the food was done he plated it and they sat at the table.

"You know what?" He asked. "What?" She replied.

"We've been through a lot this year and I mean a hell of a lot." He spoke.

What he was saying was more than true. From her recovery, to the cheating, to his heart attack, to their wedding, then all the way up to Barbra's death. They've been through hell this year.

"We have." She agreed. "So, I was thinking. Now you don't have to give me a for sure answer. But I want to get this off of my chest."

She put her fork down and looked at him, eager for him to continue.

"I want to retire. I want us to retire together." He clarified.

She was taken  aback because this was never something they talked about before. She loved her job and he loved his.

"Where is this coming from?" She asked. He took her hand and smiled. "Life is short and I know how much life you still want to live. You want to see the world and so do I. There's a million things we haven't done."

"The girls are still in high school. We have lives here in Texas." She protested.

"Can you please just think about it?" He asked.