"Hey, man." Erin hugged Antonio. "Thanks for having Laura take her to school. We really had no one else, and it means a lot that she's willing to help us out."
"No problem," He said, patting Erin on the back.
"You sure you won't want us to sneak some money into her wallet?" she asked.
"Nah," Antonio replied. "Since she works there it doesn't make anything harder by driving with a quiet four year-old in the backseat. I'm sure Laura's just as happy as I am to help you out. But just to forewarn you, we haven't been in touch all too much so I apologize if I can't get ahold of her right away in case of emergency."
"Don't worry about it," Erin said, putting a hand on his arm. "I'm sure everything will go just fine."
"Hey, we gotta go," Jay ended a call on his phone. "Thanks again, man."
Antonio nodded and climbs back into his car in the carpool parking lot.
Jay climbed into the passenger's seat and sighs. "Never realized how much I miss him back at our unit."
Erin nodded and looked at him sympathetically.
"I mean, he brought me there. I guess in that moment--or in any moment-- I never would have seen him leaving."
Erin pulled out of the parking lot in the shiny, black SUV and started down the road.
Noticing Jay seems to be in deep thought, she held back from making conversation with him. Of course she missed Antonio like crazy, but she didn't know what Jay was feeling. If it weren't for Antonio he wouldn't have his dream job that he worked so hard to get.
After about ten more minutes of driving in silence they pulled into the Department. Erin pulled the keys out of the ignition and followed Jay inside.
"Hey, Detective," Platt didn't look up from her paper and waved one of them over.
"Which one?" Erin asked uncertainly, while sliding off her thin, black coat.
Platt looked up above her reading glasses and removed them. "Both of you. So, I heard a rumor."
Jay frowned. "Concerning . . . ?"
"Well, not our department necessarily. But your dad?" She looked at him. "He's told to be previously having conflict with Fletcher."
"Bunny?" Erin frowned, glancing at Jay.
Platt shrugged and put her glasses back on, before returning to her work. "You hear what you hear, nothing I can do to clarify. Unless you want me to dig in."
"No, no," Erin said quickly, looking down at her phone to see a missed call from Bunny. "That's fine, thanks. Jay." She nodded to him and they headed to the stairs.
"How could Bunny get involved?" Jay muttered.
"If I knew I'd tell you. But I don't think anyone really knows for sure aside from Bunny herself and your father."
...
"Hey," Jay accepted the coffee cup from Erin and leaned against the counter in the break room. "Anything new?"
"Outside the case? No."
He nodded and looked down at his coffee. "How are you feeling?"
Erin smirked uncertainly and frowned a little as she sat down. "Why? Did the doctor call with news or something?"
Jay sat next to her at the table and sipped his coffee. "Just wondering. I mean, after four and a half years you've held together pretty well."
Erin tilted her head. She was slightly surprised Jay thought that. She'd been feeling like she was falling apart. She knew she had changed as a person after having a child, but she felt like it was wearing her out too much and she was sort of alone where she stood.
"So, I've been meaning to tell you." Jay scratched the back of his neck. "I got a letter."
"What kind of letter?" she asked, lowering her voice.
He averted his eyes and breathed a small sigh. "Mouse . . . he's gone."
Erin stared at him, her lips parted now. How didn't she realize? Jay's best friend had returned to the army leaving him feeling useless. Erin had worried that if something happened to him Jay might go back to bring him justice.
But that's not how it works, and Erin knew that.
"Jay . . ." she shook her head in disbelief. "Why didn't you tell me?"
His expression had gone blank and he pursed his lips. "I don't know. We . . . we've been so busy with Hailey, and of course our unit never quiets down . . . I didn't want to bring one more thing to put on your shoulders."
Erin put her hand over his and shook her head. "Don't hold back from me, Jay. I can handle a lot at once, you know that. You can handle a lot, too. But carrying the weight of death alone is too much. You need to promise me you'll always let me help."
He nodded and quickly kissed her soft lips before reassuringly squeezing her hand and heading back out to his desk. He for some reason just felt like cuddling Hailey and Erin in peace and quiet. He loved them both so much, and every day his job reminded him of how easily someone could slip away.
YOU ARE READING
Too Young
FanfictionBASED ON JAY HALSTEAD AND ERIN LINDSAY'S CHILD. this story is based off my vision ( not interpretation) of Linstead's future. clarified recap in most recent book. ty❤️