secrets

The Rookie: The Ring Revealed (Chapter Four)

Lucy's POV

Lucy hurried into the precinct, her mind racing from the chaos of the morning. Between getting the kids ready, packing lunches, and coordinating with Jackson on the latest updates for their case, it had been a whirlwind. She hadn't even had time for breakfast and was already on her second coffee by the time she walked through the precinct doors.

As she strode past the bullpen, Jackson caught her eye, waving her over to where he and Lopez were going over the latest surveillance footage from the art heist case.

"Busy morning?" Jackson asked, clearly picking up on her frazzled demeanor.

Lucy gave him a tight smile. "You have no idea. Ellie didn't want to wear her shoes, and Jake spilled cereal all over himself right as we were leaving. Total chaos."

Lopez looked up from the monitor, flashing her usual playful grin. "Sounds like my kind of morning. Glad I missed that phase with my kid."

"Yeah, well, some days are easier than others," Lucy replied, settling into the seat next to Jackson and scanning the data on the screen. The tension from the case was palpable. They were getting closer to nailing down the organized crime syndicate, but they weren't quite there yet.

As Lucy leaned over to point out a discrepancy in the footage, Lopez's eyes narrowed slightly, and Lucy felt a wave of unease pass over her. Angela wasn't looking at the monitor—she was staring at Lucy's hand. Specifically, at her left hand.

"Hey, Chen," Lopez said casually, too casually, "didn't know you were married."

Lucy's heart dropped. She looked down at her hand, and there it was—her wedding ring, gleaming on her finger. She'd forgotten to take it off in all the chaos this morning. Her brain scrambled for a quick response. She and Tim had always been careful to keep their personal life under wraps, but now, standing in the middle of the precinct, she realized she'd just slipped.

Jackson shot her a quick look, his eyes widening in understanding. He was always on alert when it came to maintaining the cover, but even he hadn't noticed the ring until now.

Lucy forced a smile, keeping her voice calm. "Oh, yeah. Married. Have been for six years now. Two kids, too."

Angela's eyebrows shot up, her curiosity piqued. "Two kids? Really?" She glanced over at Jackson. "How come you never mentioned that?"

Jackson chuckled awkwardly. "I mean, it's not like it comes up when we're chasing down criminals, right?"

But Angela wasn't letting it go. She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms with that all-too-familiar look that meant she was digging for more. "Six years, huh? Who's the lucky guy? Anyone we know?"

Lucy's mind raced. She couldn't tell Angela the truth—not here, not now, not ever. But she also couldn't afford to lie outright. Her relationship with Tim was too carefully guarded, and she didn't want to give Angela any more reason to snoop.

"Uh, no," Lucy said, keeping her tone light. "He's not in law enforcement. He's just... a great guy, keeps things grounded for me."

Angela smiled knowingly, clearly enjoying this new tidbit of information. "Well, look at you, full of surprises. I had no idea you were juggling a family on top of all this FBI stuff."

Lucy laughed nervously, wishing the conversation would end. "Yeah, it's a lot sometimes, but we make it work."

Lopez didn't press further, at least not directly. But Lucy could feel the wheels turning in her head. Angela might have bought the story for now, but Lucy knew the detective was too sharp to leave it at that.