𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖 𝐎𝐅 𝐃𝐎𝐔𝐁𝐓

𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫

Robyn sat outside with her colleague Sam, both of them working on the case and scouring for clues. Despite their efforts, they had come up empty-handed.

"So far, it's looking good for Mr. Orion" Sam said, flipping through the papers once again. "There's no evidence linking him to the crime, which makes this case pretty pointless."

Robyn nodded in agreement. "It's just making this case easier for us to win"

"They're banking on a single piece of evidence – his DNA but where's the concrete proof of his guilt?" She sighed heavily.

Sam was scrolling through his phone, his eyes lighting up as he turned the screen towards Robyn. "Looks like we might have a break" he said with excitement in his voice.

"There's a woman named Kayla who claims to know Psalm personally. We should reach out to her."

  Robyn's eyes widened as she took in the message on Sam's phone. "We need to talk to her, see what she knows"

Sam nodded in agreement, "I'll reach out to her and get her contact info."

As Sam got up to leave, Robyn grabbed her cup of coffee from the table and said, "Keep me posted, I've gotta head out."

  Robyn stepped out of the car, followed by Mehkai and Jacobi. As she locked the vehicle, she announced, "Your dad just texted, he's already inside." Reaching for Jacobi's hand, she teased Mehkai, "You ready for your date?"

Mehkai laughed "Mom, it's not a date!" as they entered the skating rink. Mehkai had invited a girl from school, whom he had a crush on, to hang out with him at the skating rink. Both Robyn and Derrick, wanted to be present to supervise and to see their son have a good time.

Robyn paid for them. Inside, Derrick approached, greeting the boys with "Hey, little man, hey big man!" 

  Then he acknowledged Robyn. "Robyn..."  The tension between them was awkward until a little girl appeared, greeting Mehkai breaking the silence.

"You must be Layla" Robyn said, looking at the little girl with a smile.

"I'm Mehkai's mom, Robyn. Nice to meet you." She extended her hand for a handshake, and Derrick did the same introducing himself as well.

    Mehkai grabbed his skates from the shelf and put them on before coming over to his mom. "Okay, me and Layla are going to go skate now!" he said, his with excitement.

Robyn nodded, giving him a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Okay, baby. I'll be over here if you need me. Have a great time!" She watched as Mehkai and Layla made their way to the skating floor.

Robyn sat Jacobi on a bench, lacing up his skates and tying them securely. Derrick approached, holding a skating aid, and handed it to Jacobi. "Thanks, Dad!" Jacobi stood up grasping the aid.

Derrick offered, "Jacobi, if you need help, just let me know, okay?"

Jacobi replied, "Nope, I've got this! I don't need any help dad!" He wore a confident smile and he went off towards the skating floor, leaving Robyn and Derrick to watch him.

Robyn and Derrick stood there in silence as they watched their sons. Derrick broke the silence "Our boys are growing up on us, one's on a date and the other wants to skate solo." Robyn chuckled, shaking her head "I know, right? They think they're all grown up"

"How have you been?" Derrick asked her. It was a rare show of concern from him which caught Robyn off guard.

"I'm fine, just been working" she replied

"How about you?"

"Same old Robyn, always working, huh?" Derrick said with a chuckle, adding "And I'm fine, can't complain. Thinking about settling down soon with Mia."

Robyn rolled her eyes responding, "Work is the only thing keeping me sane, as you know. I'm single, and besides taking care of my kids, I have to tend to the thing I love that makes me money."

She was fed up with everyone constantly breathing down her neck about her job and how she was too dedicated to it. That's what she was supposed to do her job was keeping her sane, and she didn't have much else going on.

"I get that, but you know you could put yourself out there, right? Don't be single forever, go find someone" Derrick suggested. Robyn scoffed in disbelief, her children's father was telling her to go out and find somebody.

"Yeah, just like how you found someone" Robyn said as she thought about Derrick's announcement that he wanted to settle down with Mia.

"What made you want to settle down with her, anyway?"

Derrick shrugged. "We've been talking about it, and I think I could see myself being with her for a very long time."

     Robyn's brow furrowed in confusion. "I don't understand. When we were together, you never wanted to marry me, but now you're considering it with her? What's so special about Mia that makes you want to marry her?"

"Don't even go there, Robyn. You know when we were together, I asked you to choose between me or your job, and you chose your job. That's why we never got married."

He was right; she had chosen her job. But she had only done it because she knew it would help her in ways Derrick never had. Her job had given her the life she wanted, providing her with opportunities and experiences that Derrick never could do.

Everything she had accomplished was thanks to her job, and she had no regrets about prioritizing it over a relationship that had never truly supported her.

"And I'd choose my job over again if I had to." she said, turning to walk away from him and sit at a nearby table.

She didn't need this today all she wanted was to watch her son have a good time in peace. Every time she and Derrick were in the same room it was always something. She was tired of it and all she wanted was a break from the constant tension.