⁎𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔗𝔯𝔲𝔱𝔥 𝔇𝔬𝔢𝔰𝔫'𝔱 𝔍𝔲𝔰𝔱 𝔙𝔞𝔫𝔦𝔰𝔥⁎

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 : 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐔 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐃𝐮𝐬𝐤 𝐓𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐃𝐚𝐰𝐧

ʙɪʟʟɪᴇ

Once at the station, we were escorted to a small interrogation room. Henry sat down beside me, his hand finding its way into mine. "I just want this all to be over," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "I want my life back." He squeezed my hand reassuringly. "I know it won't be easy, but we'll get through this together."

The door opened and in walked a tall, stern-looking woman with a badge that identified her as Detective Johnson. "Thank you for coming in," she said, taking a seat across from us. "We have some questions for you about your husband's death. Please, feel free to answer them as honestly and thoroughly as possible."

I took a deep breath and tried to compose myself. "Of course, Detective."

Henry squeezed my hand reassuringly as Detective Johnson began asking us questions about Jesse's death. She wanted to know about our relationship, our daily routines, and any potential enemies we might have had. I told her about my job at the airport as a pilot myself, and how we had met while I was working there. I mentioned that Jesse was always supportive of my career and never once showed any signs of jealousy or resentment. I also talked about our friends, both old and new, and how Jesse was well-liked by everyone who knew him.

"We just wanted to see if there's more to this case, apart from Maevie and Benjamin and Marcris, the data satellite provider. We believe there's a bigger picture here, something that Jesse might have stumbled upon while working at the airport." Detective Johnson nodded, scribbling down some notes. "Anything Jesse has shared with you? Anything?"

I took a deep breath before continuing. "Well, for starters, Jesse was a pilot himself. He had access to secure areas of the airport, places where only a few people were allowed to go. He also told me that he had been approached by some suspicious characters a few months back before the incident, people who were asking about his work and the airport's security measures. He brushed it off at the time, but looking back, I think he might have been investigating something."

"Can you be more specific, Billie?" Detective Johnson leaned forward, her expression intent. "Did Jesse mention any names or organizations he might have been looking into?"

I hesitated for a moment, remembering the cryptic messages and the strange phone calls that had been plaguing us then. "Well, he did mention that someone was trying to buy information about the airport's security systems. He told me that it was some kind of criminal organization, and that he wasn't going to sell out to them."

Detective Johnson's eyes widened. "Do you recall the name of this organization?"

I shook my head. "No, sorry. Jesse never shared any specific details with me. He did say that he was planning on talking to someone about it, but he never got the chance."

Detective Johnson made some more notes, then glanced at her watch. "Thank you for your time, Ms. Eilish. We'll be in touch with you if we have any further questions." As we stood up to leave, she offered her condolences once again before escorting us out of the interrogation room.

As we walked down the hall, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The thought of Jesse possibly being involved in something so dangerous was unsettling, and I couldn't shake the feeling that there was still more to this story than we knew. "What do you think, Henry?" I asked and he caressed the back of my hand with his thumb and kissed my cheek.

"I don't know, Billie. It's hard to say. But I think we should be careful. This whole thing seems much bigger than just Maevie, Ben, and Marcris. There are people out there who want to protect their secrets, and they won't hesitate to silence anyone who gets in their way." His words sent a chill down my spine.

"You have a point." I sighed, feeling the weight of the situation bearing down on me. "I just hope that Detective Johnson can find something. Anything. That might help bring whoever did this to justice." Woah, we're finally getting to know after six whole years. Maybe if we knew it earlier, I could've saved him, saved all those 239 people on board that flight.

Henry squeezed my hand reassuringly, his eyes never leaving mine. "We'll get through this, Billie. Together." He leaned in and kissed me softly, and for a brief moment, I felt a flicker of hope ignite within me.

We headed back and picked up Rose and Alex and returned home. "Mommy you look. . . disturbed." Rose tugged on my shirt as I was hanging up my coat. "What's wrong?" Alex asked, his expression mirroring his sister's concern.

"Nothing. You guys want cookies?" I asked, trying to change the subject. My heart felt heavy as I thought about Jesse, and I didn't want them to sense my unease. I busied myself with making the cookies, pouring the batter onto the cookie sheet and placing it in the oven. As the aroma of warm chocolate chip cookies filled the kitchen, I felt a small glimmer of hope return. Maybe, just maybe, this simple act of love would be enough to help us all heal.

Henry came over to me and kissed my neck. "I love you," he whispered, and I felt myself relax a little. "It's okay, we'll be okay." He glanced at the oven, the warm cookies inside. "Maybe we should have a family movie night tonight. Just us. To help take our minds off things." His words brought a small smile to my lips, and I nodded in agreement.

As the cookies cooled on the counter, we all sat down together in the living room to watch a movie. Henry curled up next to me on the couch, his arm draped around my shoulders. Rose and Alex cuddled up on the other side of me, their little bodies warm and soft. The familiar scent of popcorn filled the air as we settled in for the night.

The movie was a light-hearted comedy, and it did a good job of distracting us from our troubles. Henry and I exchanged occasional glances, our eyes meeting in understanding. We both knew that this night was about more than just escaping reality for a few hours; it was about coming together as a family and finding strength in each other.

As the credits began to roll, we all snuggled closer, content in the moment. Rose and Alex, exhausted from the day's events and the late hour, drifted off to sleep almost immediately. Henry leaned in closer, his breath warm against my ear as he whispered, "Thank you for tonight, Billie. You're the best mommy and girlfriend a guy could ask for." His words made my heart swell with love and gratitude.

"You're not so bad yourself, Henry," I replied, nuzzling into his chest. "You're a great dad, and I'm so lucky to have you." I couldn't help but think about Jesse, and how much he would've loved this moment, this family, me and Rose. A pang of sadness hit me hard, but I pushed it aside, determined to focus on the here and now, on the love that surrounded us. I'll miss him forever.

As we continued to cuddle, I became aware of the steady beat of Henry's heart, the warmth of his skin, the softness of his hair against my cheek. It was in these moments that I felt the most content, the most safe. I closed my eyes and let myself enjoy the sensation, knowing that we were in this together, and that together, we could get through anything.

ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇᴅ