Hazel Rain

Chapter 44

"Boss..you got a minute?" Adam asked from just outside Hank's office. It was Sunday afternoon and they had  caught a case and Adam was feeling the pressure. He regretted making a promise to Hazel that he wasn't sure he could keep. The last thing he wanted to do was break it, and yet he couldn't just not show up in the morning.

He was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"Yea. Sure." Hank closed the file he had been working on, "What is it?"

Adam jammed his hands in his pockets, "I'm in a bind, boss. Hazel's first day of school is tomorrow, she's scared. She asked me if I would go with Kim to drop her off. I know I shouldn't have promised her but I did. Now, we've got this case..and I know I fucked up..by promising her..but...I couldn't tell her no..."

Hank was a bit surprised by Adam's rambling, "Ruzek...stop talking"

Adam looked at his hands, "Sergeant Voight, I know shouldn't have promised her that I would take her...knowing how shit can go sideways...it's just she's my heart...."

Hank grabbed Adam by the shoulder, "I'm a hard ass I know...but I'm not heartless, kid. Take your niece to school and get here as soon as you can. Work is important. Our cases are important...but so is family. I think we've both learned that lesson the hard way, take Hazel to school, Adam."

Adam blew out a long breath, "Thank you. I appreciate it. I will haul ass to get back here, thanks again." He wasn't sure how he would've broken the news to Hazel if Hank had denied his request.

He fired off a quick text to Kim.

'All good, Voight has given me the ok to take Nut to school with you. Gotta run out but wanted you to know, I love you babe'

He knew Kim would be as relieved as he was.

Kim could her phone ringing in her purse, she and the kids had met up with Rhonda at the park for one last hurrah before Hazel started school.

She fished the phone out, and smiled when she read Adam's text.

"Good news?" Rhonda asked, the smile on Kim's face was hard to miss.

Kim replied to the text before answering her question.

'Great news! I love you too! Be safe Adam, we can't wait for you to get home'

She dropped the phone back in her purse, "It is. Adam was just given the okay to go in a little later tomorrow so he can come with me to drop Hazel off at school. She's a little nervous, and Adam and I are a bit scared. Anyway, she wanted Adam to come too and he promised her he would. Then, they caught a case and well...we were afraid he'd be too jammed up at work and he wouldn't be able to get away."

Rhonda held her cup of coffee in her hands twisting it between her palms, "Well, that's good." She tried to keep her facial expression neutral, but it was so difficult to be so close to Adam but still a million miles away from him. She was beyond thankful for what she did have with Kim and the children but she longed for the day Adam welcomed her back into his life.

Kim could see it written all over her face, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine" Rhonda waved her hand, "Its fine Kim. Don't apologize, I created this...I walked out on him."

Kim loved Adam with all she had but his refusal to even try to talk this out with his mother drove her nuts, "I love my husband, he's an amazing father and a wonderful husband but he's stubborn as a mule."

Rhonda nodded, "Well, he is a man after all." She teased.

That night she found him in Kim's hospital room and he fell into her arms had given her hope but that had been a few years ago and that was the only time he had allowed her to get close to him and she had been surprised when he let her hold him. She had hoped it would be a step in the right direction but nothing ever came of it.