50 Shades of Drake 5 and 6

More Life: Chapter 6ixty

    The chaos soon settled. Although the Los Angeles residence was packed with a lot of people, it boasted enough space for everyone to fan out and find a place to relax. Carlos didn't hesitate before disappearing. The Richards were a bit more hesitant to leave their daughter, until it came time for Mr. Richards to take his nightly walk.

    "His doctors nag him to make sure he's moving around enough these days," Mrs. Richards explained to her daughter. "We walk together."

    Aubrey waved over an agent and assigned the agent to join the older couple for that walk. 

   Destiny grabbed his hand and squeezed it, a quick thank you before leading her parents towards the patio doors. 

    "How are you feeling?" her mother asked, her voice high-pitched and soft. 

    Destiny exhaled as they walked around the pool, following a stone walkway that led to a bridge crossing over the pool. "Life hasn't felt real in a long time," she admitted. "Being back here feels...odd. Our time in Turks and in Grand Cayman already feels like a fading dream."

    "The loss you suffered...are you planning on talking to someone about it?"

    Destiny glanced at her mother as they walked. A chill ran across the surface of her skin, causing her to wrap her arms around herself. "Aubrey and I talk about it."

    Her mother's eyes narrowed. "I'm glad you two can talk about it, but I was thinking along the lines of someone licensed."

    "Eventually," Destiny said. The word automatically dropped from her lips, before she knew how true the statement was. She sighed and wiped at her brow. "My first priority right now is getting through this trial and making sure Harry Palmer lands behind bars. I can't rest until that happens. Seeing a therapist takes a backseat to that. Everything else does, other than spending time with the two of you."

    Her father gave her the saddest look she'd ever seen him make. 

    She stopped walking and reached out to touch his upper arm. "I'm okay, Dad."

    "I know you're trying to be okay, honey," he said, sounding as exhausted as she felt. "I'm just wondering why we're waiting for this trial to start and end, when all we have to do is let me inside of a room with the man. Taxpayers won't have to worry about wasting one red penny on keeping that evil bastard alive."

    Mrs. Richards looped an arm around her husband's waist. "Don't go getting all worked up," she chided. "You remember what your doctor said."

    "I almost had a grandbaby," he ground out between gritted teeth. "A grandbaby. My baby lost a baby." Agitated, he moved away from his wife and surged on ahead of them.

    Frowning, Destiny started after him.

    "Let him go, baby," her mother told her.

    Tears froze in Destiny's eyes as she watched her father stiffly ascend the stairs leading to the bridge. "The anger he feels, I do feel it," she said quietly.

    Her mother resumed walking and she followed suit.

    "The anger is there, right beneath the surface," Destiny went on. "Anger and sadness, all of it. I never really took the proper time to grieve. I couldn't. When I came to consciousness, I was in custody of the FBI. They had to tell me what happened and shortly after they told me what happened, they told me that everyone thought I was dead and I had to allow them to continue thinking that. I had to go into hiding. Then I was reunited Aubrey, and then we were both running for our lives. From that to this. Preparing for this huge trial, where we're the star witnesses. Mourning the loss of my child had to take a backseat to that." She paused as they started to climb the stairs.