Cactus Wren

Chapter Twenty Five - Taking Flight

The guys have loaded my things into the SUV and now I'm standing in the front yard with Karmen trying to say goodbye.

"Thank you for letting me stay with you and for all your hospitality." I tell her. Reaching into my pocket I pull out the cell phone Yuki gave me and hand it back to her. "I won't need this anymore."

"I thought you said yours was broken." She says curiously. I scrunch my face a bit.

"Yeah, I might have accidentally-on purpose left it in Arizona when I came here." I confess and she only laughs.

"I think I can understand that." She muses. "Those guys probably were a little overwhelming for you." I stay silent, not knowing how much of my relationship with my guys she knows about.

"I have a brother in the Academy," She continues but she looks around at anything but me, as if unsure about something. "Before he left his last team and married my sister-in-law, he had a few assignments where they all worked closely with this bird. All the guys on his team were completely gone for this girl, did whatever they could to help her and work along side of her." She looks directly at me now. "He didn't understand how it would all work. My brother loved his girlfriend and couldn't ever imagine wanting to...... to share her with anyone the way they were willing to share this girl, but seeing your Tucson team around you.... I think I get it." She tells me with a gentle smile. "I see how much they care about you. They tracked you down here. They all look at you with stars in their eyes, like you are their entire world." I smile and blush at her words and tuck my head down, suddenly finding my shoes very interesting.

"And you look at each of them the same way." She tells me, bringing my attention back to her face. Her chocolate brown eyes are warm and smiling. "You care about all of them the same way they care for you. That's all that matters." I nod at her words.

"Did it work?" I ask quietly, afraid of the answer. "Were they happy together? Your brother's old team and that girl." Karmen studies me carefully a moment, thinking.

"It wasn't always easy, but I think they were happy. My brother eventually left their team and got married but he kept in touch with his old team. I think I even saw them all at his wedding, they seemed happy to me. But even if they weren't, they aren't you. Not every relationship is the same, not even the 'normal' ones." She smirks. "I think you all will be just fine." I smile and nod and she pulls me into a hug.

"Good luck back in Tucson, Rebbie. I wish you and your team all the happiness in the world."

"Thank you, Karmen. Good luck to you too." I pull back and look her in the eye. "Give me a call if you're ever down visiting the old pueblo."

"You got it, Arizona." I laugh at her use of Kat's nickname for me.

"Tell Kat goodbye for me?" I ask and she nods.

"I'm on my way there now to check in on her. I'll let her know you said adios." She tells me.

I wave back a Yuki who is silently standing back at the front door watching our departure. She smiles meekly and gives a small nod of her head to me in farewell.

"We're all set." I hear Carlos say behind me. I turn and walk toward them, the twins and Eddie are already sitting inside with Carlos and Travis standing at their doors. Carlos opens the back door for me and I wave back at Karmen one last time before I slide into my seat. Once Travis and Carlos are in the SUV, we pull away from the curb and start driving through Denver.

x X x

"This is not the airport." I state the obvious to no one in particular.