The babysitter

Trying

Lucy's alarm blared at 5:30 a.m., but she was already awake, her police academy uniform neatly laid out on the chair beside her bed. Today marked the third week of her training, and while she was keeping up with the physical and academic demands, it wasn't without its challenges. Balancing the academy and her makeshift family life was proving to be more of a juggling act than she'd anticipated.

Downstairs, Tim was sipping coffee, his usual stern expression softened as he watched Emma and Kojo share a muffin.

"Morning, rookie," Tim teased as Lucy walked into the kitchen.

"Don't call me that," Lucy replied with a grin, stealing a sip of his coffee. "I hear it enough at the academy."

Tim smirked. "You'll get used to it. How's it going? Keeping up?"

"Thanks to your list of books, I'm not that far behind," Lucy admitted, grabbing an apple from the counter. "But I still have to master those combat drills. They're no joke."

"You'll get there," Tim said confidently. "Just don't quit. You've got what it takes."

Emma, her cheeks stuffed with muffin, looked up at Lucy. "Lucie, are you gonna catch bad guys like Daddy?"

Lucy crouched down to Emma's level. "Maybe one day, Em. But right now, I have to pass all my tests first."

"You will!" Emma declared with absolute certainty.

Lucy laughed and kissed Emma's forehead. "Thanks, partner."

By mid-afternoon, Lucy was knee-deep in tactical training at the academy, her muscles burning from repeated drills. But her determination didn't waver. The instructors had a no-nonsense approach, but Lucy had learned to embrace it, knowing each challenge brought her closer to her goal.

After class, she checked her phone and saw three missed calls from Ashley. Her stomach sank.

When Lucy arrived home that evening, the sound of crying greeted her before she even stepped through the door.

"Tim, you need to get here now," Ashley was saying, her voice strained as she tried to console a wailing Emma. "She won't stop crying, and I don't know what to do!"

Lucy dropped her bag and rushed into the living room. "Emma?"

Emma's tear-streaked face lit up the moment she saw Lucy. "Lucie!"

She launched herself into Lucy's arms, clutching her tightly.

"Shh, Em. I'm here," Lucy whispered, rubbing soothing circles on the little girl's back.

Ashley stood off to the side, looking frazzled and out of place. "I've been trying all day, but she won't stop crying for you."

Lucy didn't respond immediately, focusing on calming Emma. After a few minutes, Emma's sobs turned into hiccups, and she clung to Lucy like a lifeline.

"Why don't you go take a break?" Lucy finally said to Ashley. "I've got this."

Ashley hesitated but eventually nodded, retreating to the kitchen.

Later that evening, Tim arrived, looking both annoyed and concerned.

"What's going on?" he asked as Lucy handed him a cup of coffee.

Lucy glanced at the living room, where Emma was curled up on the couch with Kojo. "Emma's been having a tough time. Ashley's trying, but... it's not working."

Tim sighed, rubbing his temples. "I don't know what to do. I thought giving Ashley more time with Emma would help, but it's only making things worse."

Lucy hesitated before speaking. "Tim, Emma doesn't need more time with Ashley right now. She needs stability. She needs to feel safe."

Tim looked at her, his expression conflicted. "And you think Ashley's making her feel unsafe?"

"I'm not saying that," Lucy replied carefully. "But Emma's still adjusting. Maybe... maybe Ashley needs to step back for a bit."

Tim nodded slowly, his shoulders sagging. "I'll talk to her."

The next day, Lucy tried to focus on her academy work, but her thoughts kept drifting to Emma. When she finally got home, Emma was waiting by the door, her face lighting up like the sun.

"Lucie!"

Lucy dropped her bag and scooped Emma up into her arms. "Hey, Em. Did you have a good day?"

Emma nodded, clinging to her. "It's better now that you're here."

Lucy felt a pang of guilt. She knew she couldn't be there for Emma all the time, not with her academy training demanding so much of her. But she was determined to make the moments they did have together count.

That evening, as Emma fell asleep in Lucy's arms, Tim sat across from her, watching the two of them with a thoughtful expression.

"You're good with her," he said quietly.

Lucy shrugged. "She's easy to love."

Tim nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah. She is."

For the first time in weeks, Lucy felt like they might actually find a way to make it all work.