Always Standing Steady

Always

021626ZMAR20: March 2, 2020. 1626. Killarney, Ireland.

It had taken years. Four years, to be precise. Isabella Siteki had asked the local butcher where the woman known as Ariadne Gallen could be found. The town was so small that he had been able to tell her without a doubt that Ari could probably be found at the little farm up the road. Isabella had been able to walk right up to the gate that marked the beginning of the property. She let herself in and closed the white gate behind her. Ari's house was bright yellow with pink shutters, blue trim, and a pastel purple front door. A tiny American flag and an Israeli flag hung by their door.

The sound of laughter reached Isabella's ears. There was a moment where she thought it was leftover noise from the anniversary party she had left in order to catch her flight--James and Mia's anniversary party. It was not. Isabella circled the house to see a small garden in the back where a tiny little boy, no older than two, sat on a blanket next to a basket full of blackberries. Ezra was on his knees next to the little boy, picking blackberries and occasionally feeding them to his baby. His back was to Isabella.

She almost wanted to turn around. Up on the hill she saw two other kids, a boy and a girl, with Ari's flaming red hair and Ezra's dark skin and eyes. They were playing chase with a pair of dogs. Both dogs seemed to be taking it easy on them. These two looked to be around four. Isabella almost turned around. She saw Ari appear on the back patio of the house. Ari wore a swishy skirt made of quilt squares in colors of green and brown with a light blue blouse, the sleeves cuffed at the elbows. With the arm that had a hand on the end, Ari held a pitcher of juice. Cradled against her chest with the arm that ended in a stub was a fresh pie.

Isabella reached for the holster at her hip. The thing about being a cop was that it made getting a loaded firearm on a plane a lot easier.

"Isabella!" Ari yelled.

She thought for a moment that her sister had seen her.

The little girl looked up from her game.

"Rafe!" Ari yelled the other child's name.

Both kids ran back to the house with the dog nipping at their heels.

Ezra gathered up the basket of blackberries and the little baby.

No, she couldn't do this. Isabella turned to just walk away and leave. She could have then gone back to her old life. Back to her husband and their two children. Back to being retired and counseling other cops on the horrors they can see in the field. Then she remembered that she couldn't. How could she? Her children would never know their grandparents. Her father couldn't give her away at her wedding. She was an orphan now. Isabella pulled her gun from her holster and pulled back the slide. She was ready to pull the trigger.

There was a click from behind her.

"Isabella."

That little girl with her name was already inside.This had to end somewhere. She pulled the trigger.