What if Tim and Lucy both had kids

Part 1

Lucy sat at the kitchen table in her cozy house, surrounded by a mountain of paperwork that seemed to multiply with each passing minute. Her pen scratched across the pages as she meticulously filled out forms, her brow furrowed in concentration. The clock on the wall ticked away the seconds, a constant reminder of the impending arrival of her son, Theodore.
As she worked, Lucy couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt gnawing at her conscience. With her demanding job as a rookie cop consuming so much of her time, she often found herself scrambling to keep up with the responsibilities of single parenthood.
Just then, the sound of the front door opening drew her attention, and Lucy looked up to see Theodore bounding into the room, a whirlwind of energy. Beside him stood a young girl, her eyes wide with curiosity.
Theodore- Hey, Mom!
Theodore exclaimed, his voice echoing through the apartment.
Theodore- We have to work on our science project together.
Josephine- Hey, I'm Josephine
Lucy- Hey, Mrs. Chen. I'm Josephine
Lucy replied with a warm smile, returning Theodore's enthusiasm.
Lucy- It's nice to meet you. You can call me Lucy if you'd like.
Josephine returned Lucy's smile, her nerves easing at Lucy's friendly demeanor. Josephine- Thanks, Lucy. And you can call me Josy if you want.
Lucy nodded, her smile widening.
Lucy- Josy it is then. Make yourselves comfortable, you two. Do you need anything for your project? Snacks, maybe?
Theodore's eyes lit up at the mention of snacks, but Josy shook her head politely. Josephine- No, thank you, Lucy. We're all set. Just a quiet place to work would be great.
Lucy- Alright
She said with a nod, gesturing toward the living room.
Lucy- You can work at the dining table. I'll be in my office if you need anything. Just try to keep the noise down, okay?
Theodore and Josy nodded eagerly, disappearing into the living room to tackle their science project. Lucy watched them go with a smile, feeling a sense of gratitude for the unexpected company.
As she returned to her paperwork, Lucy couldn't shake the guilt that nagged at her conscience. Balancing her demanding job with the responsibilities of single parenthood was no easy feat, but moments like these reminded her of the joys and blessings in her life.
Meanwhile, across town, Tim Bradford arrived home after another exhausting day on patrol. As he entered the apartment, he called out for his daughter, Josephine, expecting to hear her voice in response.
When there was no answer, confusion furrowed Tim's brow. Just as worry began to creep in, his phone rang, and he saw Josephine's name flashing on the screen.
Relief washed over Tim as he answered the call, his concern evident in his voice.
Tim- Josy, where are you? Are you alright?
Josephine- Hey, Dad
Josephine said sheepishly.
Josephine- I'm at Theo's house. We're working on a project together. Sorry, I forgot to let you know.
Tim's worry evaporated at the sound of his daughter's voice.
Tim- It's okay. Just make sure you're back in time for dinner, alright?
She hesitated for a moment before making her request.
Josephine- Dad, could you pick me up later? I don't want to inconvenience Theo's mom by asking her to drive me home.
Tim smiled softly at his daughter's consideration.
Tim- Of course, Josy. I'll come get you after dinner. Just give me a call when you're ready.
Josephine- Thanks, Dad
Josephine said gratefully.
With a sense of relief knowing his daughter was safe and in good company, Tim ended the call and set about preparing dinner.
Meanwhile, at Lucy's apartment, Theodore and Josephine worked diligently on their science project, exchanging ideas and laughter as they brainstormed solutions together. As the hours passed, they lost track of time, engrossed in their work and the camaraderie they shared.
Josephine- Hey, Theo, I should probably start heading home soon
She said, a hint of regret in her voice.
As she started packing her things Josephine pulled out her phone and quickly sent a text to her dad, letting him know that she was ready to be picked up and sharing her location with him, because she doesn't know the address.
As Josephine finished sending the text to her dad, she glanced over at Theodore with a hopeful smile.
Josephine- Hey, Theo, do you think we could continue working on our project at my place tomorrow? I think we're onto something really good here.
Theodore's face lit up with excitement at the idea.
Theodore- Definitely, Josy! That sounds like a plan. We'll make even more progress tomorrow.
With a sense of accomplishment and anticipation for the next day's work, Josephine gathered her belongings and prepared to leave.
Lucy- Need a ride home?
Josephine- Thanks for the offer, Lucy. But my dad is picking me up.
They made their way to the door, Theodore walked Josephine out, chatting animatedly about their plans for the project.
Once they reached the door, Josephine turned to Theodore with a smile.
Josephine- Thanks for today, Theo. I'll see you tomorrow.
Theodore grinned back at her.
Theodore- Can't wait, Josy. We're going to ace this project!
Josephine- Absolutely, Theo. See you tomorrow!
With a final wave, Josephine turned and headed towards the street where she knew her dad would be waiting.
As Josephine reached the street, she spotted her dad's car waiting for her. With a smile, she hurried over and climbed into the passenger seat, greeted by Tim's warm smile.
Tim- Hey, Josy
Tim said, his voice filled with affection.
Tim- How was your day?
Josephine- It was great, Dad
She replied, her excitement evident.
Josephine- Theo and I made a lot of progress on our project. And his mom was really nice too.
Tim nodded approvingly, starting the car.
Tim- That's good to hear, sweetheart. I'm glad you had a good time.
Josephine- Dad, do you think it would be okay if I invited Theo over tomorrow to work on our project some more? We're really making progress, and it would be great to keep it going.
Tim glanced at his daughter, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
Tim- Of course, Josy. I think that's a wonderful idea. Just make sure to check with Theo's mom first.
Josephine nodded eagerly.
Josephine- I kind of already did.
Tim- That's great, but you know you're supposed to ask before making plans, right?
Josephine- I know, I'm sorry dad.
Tim- It's fine, just remember for the future.
That evening, as they prepared dinner together, Tim and Josephine chatted about their day, savoring the simple joy of spending time together. And as they sat down to eat, Tim couldn't help but feel grateful for the close bond they shared.
As the night wore on and bedtime approached, Josephine felt a sense of excitement for the adventures that awaited her and Theo tomorrow. And as she drifted off to sleep.