Is Love Enough

Chapter 33

"I hungee Gwandma" Nicky announced, Deborah smiled at her now three year old grandson.

"You want some lunch?" She asked as she lifted him up and sat him at the table, both Kim and Adam at work.

"Chicken?" He asked, his brow furrowed, the child lived on chicken nuggets and French fries.

"Of course my boy" she smiled as she preheated the oven, "ketchup too?"

Nicky scrunched his face up in disgust, "Ewww, yucky! Nicky want ranch!" He declared, he was just like Adam in that respect the kid wanted ranch with everything including pizza which always made her stomach queasy.

She laughed at his use of the third person, he'd grown by leaps and bounds the last year.

He had a few minor developmental delays, that had require early intervention and he had since grown out of it and was finally on track developmentally with kid his age.

It wasn't long after she returned to Chicago that Mike's body had been found just outside of the Las Vegas city limits and it devastated both her and Kim. They had a small memorial service for him and it was beautiful.

Slowly she felt joy return to her life and even found love again, though she had yet to tell Kim and Adam.

It was an interesting match, and they had wanted to keep it to themselves for the time being, she knew eventually she would need to tell them but for now life was good.

It was enough that she planned on moving out, already having found an apartment a few blocks away. She didn't want to spring a new relationship on them as well.

As much as she would miss Nicky, it was time, she'd lived with them for eighteen months and it was long overdue. They'd never tell her, but she felt as if she was wearing out her welcome. Their house was small, and she had taken Nicky's room and he was in their room which she new was a strain on them.

Plus, she felt as if she was undermining their parenting at times, Nicky would request a cookie or some other snack and Kim would tell him no, only for the little boy to ask her and she'd give in.

He may only be three but he was a smart one, knowing exactly how to play his grandmother against his parents.

"Hey baby" Kim greeted Adam upon finding him in the locker room, "Voight sending you guys home?" She asked as she removed her bulletproof vest and hung it in her locker.

Adam rolled his neck, unable to work out the kink in it, "Yea, our case has gone ice cold, wants us to go home" he sat beside her, "hopes a few days off will give us 'fresh eyes'" he chuckled, "I doubt it though, it's a strange one" he leaned back against the wall, "how was your day?"

Kim finished changing, "Long, I'm ready to hold my little boy" she explained, "they'll let any woman have a kid you know"

Adam looked at her strange, "What happened?"

She sighed, "Another child abuse call, it was awful Adam" she could feel her eyes well up, "these poor kids, six and three" the sight of them still in her mind's eye, "Adam, they were filthy and emaciated, covered in bruises"

"Come here" he pulled her into his arms, he knew how badly these cases affected her, that she wanted nothing more than to have more children but was unable to.

She wiped her eyes, "I'm alright, it just makes me so angry you know? I'd give anything for us to have another baby and we can't, but some whore can have all the kids she wants and she treats them like shit. It's not fair"

"You're right, it isn't" he didn't know what else to tell her, it was definitely a touchy subject for her. "What's going to happen to the kids?"

"Already been put in the system, it sucks"

He stood up and grabbed both their bags, "Let's go home to our little monster, whaddya say?"

"Best offer I've had all day" she stood on her toes, "I love you, you know" she kissed his cheek.

"I know, and right back at you" he gave her one of his infamous smiles.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Nicky chanted as he stood on the back of the couch watching as their truck pulled in the drive way.

Adam honked the horn when he spotted the little guy in the window, "he looks wired" Adam remarked, "we might be in for a long night" he laughed.

Kim smiled, "Aren't we always?"

"Touché"

Nicky took off in a sprint for the door, "Slow down buddy!" Debroah told him fearing he would wipe out on the oak floors, his socks causing him to slide across the floor.

"Daddy's home, daddy's home!" He thought the sun rose and set with Adam, how she wished Mike was still alive to see how much Nicholas had grown, he would have been the apple of her late husband's eye.

"I know he is Nicky" she laughed at the little boy's enthusiasm.

Adam opened the door and scooped Nicky up in his arms, "Hey, bubs! Did you have a good day?"

"Yeppy! Played trucks and ate chicken!" He smiled, his priorities obviously in order.

"Sounds like a great day, hey you know what?" Adam asked him.

"What?"

"Your mommy needs a hug, you think you can take care of that?" Adam asked.

Nicky broke out into a grin, "Of tourse, daddy. Nicky loves mommy" he quickly molded his body against Kim.

"Mommy loves Nicky too" Kim told him as she rubbed his back, "so very much"

Later after Nicky had gone to bed Deborah knew it was time she told them.

"Kim, can we talk?" She asked, wringing her hands suddenly nervous.

Kim looked up from the iPad, Adam's head in her lap as he watched some documentary on the history channel, "Everything okay?"

Adam's attention pulled from the television, "You look kind of nervous, Deb" he propped himself up on his elbow, "What's going on?"

She sat on the couch and waited for Adam to turn the television off, and Kim to set the iPad on the coffee table, certain she had their attention, "I'm moving out"

"Like hell you are!" Kim responded, "No way in hell Mom" she rose from the couch and went into the kitchen.

Leaving a very shocked and bewildered Adam and Deborah in  the living room.

"Not quite the response I expected" she laughed nervously.

---UNEDITED---