The Return

One Year Later

Light from the doorway cast a dull glare on his small round face. It was contorted in pain as if he were stifling a cry. He wasn't a noisy one-year-old. One reason why Holly found babysitting to be a walk in the park.

She scooped him up in her arms.

"Remember, his bedtime is 8:30, and don't give him any sugar," Heaven struggled to put her earrings on in the kitchen.

"I've watched you tuck him into bed by 10:15 and sneak him a cake from the fridge,"

Heaven shot her a dirty look.

"He's in good hands and Kyle's here." It was date night. Which meant Holly and Kyle were in charge of Ollie for the night. It wasn't ideal. She knew Kyle would rather be in school for the weekend. He didn't mention it, but she saw the strain in his eyes whenever he got back from the two-hour drive down from Harry J. Kennedy Community College. He enrolled at the same university she did even if she wasn't due to start till fall. He was putting in the work to keep their flame alive.

Holly looked at her nephew. "Don't you trust, Uncle Kyle?" She tickled his tummy.

Ollie kicked and giggled in her arms.

Rowan was the only one in their group in an out-of-state college. Douglas Giovanni took the wheel after her involvement in the Leighton case and enrolled her in a private university in Italy. Holly still managed to check in on her over Facetime even though she wasn't the best at keeping in touch.

However, Holly wasn't the only one who took a gap year. After the wedding, Georgia insisted both her daughters took a year to focus on themselves and recover. Heaven spent hers bonding with her newborn.

Holly interned at the local P.D., getting a taste of that world and what it had in store.

Heaven took another look at her dress. She was doing her best with trying to burn off the baby weight. Cody registered her in his gym and got her an instructor. She was doing everything from weights to platies. When Ollie was born, Cody took one look at him and concluded that a degree could wait. "Any idea when Mom and Dad are getting back?"

Georgia and Vaughn were on their anniversary and this year, it was a romantic cruise to see the skyline. Holly wasn't expecting them back till the very next day.

"Don't wait up. You look beautiful, but you are leaving a very patient man waiting, out there." Holly rested Ollie on her hip.

"You're right, I should go," Heaven fluffed her hair and placed a kiss on Ollie's forehead. "Be a good boy for your Auntie Holly, okay?"

He nodded.

It was a good photograph, only, she didn't have a camera. Kyle looked up at her from the couch. He had a Cub's game on and an accompanying jersey. She settled in beside him and let Ollie run laps around the coffee table. His toys littered the floor.

"Think college will ever be as exciting as high school was?" She rested her head on his shoulder.

"I think you know what you want to do with your life, you just don't have the balls to tell Georgia." He stroked her hair.

"Do you blame me? She acted like the world was going to end when things went south with the Leighton case."

"Is that really what you wanna do?" His voice cracked. "Go to the academy?"

She didn't answer. She was dreading this conversation. Georgia dangled investigative journalism in Holly's face as if it would be up to the real deal.

It wasn't.

"Think I shouldn't?" Her brows drew together.

"It's your life, I don't have a say, I can only support whatever decision you think is right for you,"

He was making it harder.

"Detective Steinfeld," He gave her a two-finger salute. "College is going to be a bore. Only because you're not there to fight crime with me."

She cast him a veiled glance. She was going to miss him most of all.