Piece By Peace

Every Word

Time passed slowly, or quickly. Niamh wasn't really sure which was true. The time she had to interview suspects seemed to pass in the blink of an eye, but the time until she would see Leah again never seemed shortened by those working days that flew by.

Things had been going well; their new label seemed to have steadied the rocky ship that they'd been sailing on, but their sea still had waves that lay under the surface, waiting for the moments when the ship least expected them.

Niamh had been careful not to overload Leah with I miss you, but was aware of her need to hear it just enough to know that this wasn't easy for her either. Leah, too, had found a balance between being a repetitive robot and knowing those moments when a simple verbal gesture of affection was exactly what Niamh needed.

They both had moments; of course they did. They always managed to talk them out, though. Niamh had the most recent breakdown. Suffering from the impact of yet another criminal walking away at the hands of political protection, she had found herself wobbling about what the future actually looked like. She had ranted, then cried, ranted some more, cried a little more, and then told Leah she needed space. Leah gave her that space for the first five minutes before sending her a simple text reminding her that change doesn't come after the first prevention. Within seconds, Niamh was back on the phone and spent the rest of her evening laughing about her own instability.

Those moments, a mere few minutes of realisation followed by acceptance, happened to be the ones that brought the pair closer together. Maybe it was knowing that they had a basis for understanding, or maybe it was knowing that even if the other person couldn't understand, they at least tried. Either way, as the obstacles thrown in their direction came, they simply swatted them away like flies in the summer.

Leah's next realisation came when the invites were sent out for an awards event. Most of her team found themselves in relationships, making their decision to select a plus one a little easier than Leah's. She would've been fine with going alone had it not been for the fact that she had a significant other, and that very person was the last person she could think about bringing.

She was teased by her teammates for the decision to bring her mum, most of them telling her that at her age she should really begin to look for love. She had love, though. As she told Niamh of her decision, she had been so preoccupied with ensuring that Niamh knew she wouldn't be tempted by the offers of being set up with anyone else that she hadn't noticed Niamh's line of questioning seemed to be leading to finding out the intricate details of that night.

And so, without realising it, Leah had given Niamh the name of the award she would be collecting that evening, the entire itinerary of the event, and the name of the club that the girls were planning on travelling to afterwards for a party that wouldn't include the watchful eyes of the staff hired to ensure the women looked after their bodies. Leah had no idea.

Niamh wasn't sure that her plan would even work, but as she lay in a London hotel room that afternoon on the phone to Leah, she knew that she'd made the right decision. Leah's tone was different; it was sad. She'd spoken of her wish to hear that the event had been cancelled and how she wasn't planning on putting any effort into her outfit—Niamh knowing that one was a lie.

"I wish you could be there tonight." Leah sighed.
"I know, I'm sorry this whole thing is so ridiculously complicated."
"I didn't mean it like that."
"I know." Niamh said softly.
"It's just hard, you know? Everyone thinking I'm the happiest I've ever been because everyone I love is in one place."
"I know."
"I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm being so negative." Leah sniffled.
"Please don't cry. Please."
"I'm trying, I promise."