Enlightened

Chapter Fifteen: Pure Diamonds and Imperfect People

"What do you mean there's an issue?"

"I just need you to get to Thistlehouse as quickly as possible."  With that, Cheryl hung up the phone.  She started picking things up but stopped when she realized that she could be tampering with evidence.  The redhead sat on her porch and waited for the Sheriff to arrive.  Five minutes later, Balthazar was roaring into her driveway and a frantic Toni Topaz was swinging herself off of her motorcycle.  

"Cheryl, what's going on?"  Toni asked, concern filling her voice.  Cheryl just pointed at the door.  The Sheriff went inside to see all of the furniture flipped and Cheryl's stuff broken.  "Damn,"  Toni whispered under her breath.  She took out her phone and called the guys on the night shift at the station.  She then sat down beside the redhead, wrapping her arm around Cheryl's shoulders and allowing her to lean her head on Toni's shoulder.  The Sheriff kissed her girlfriend on the top of the head and reassured her it would be okay as they waited for other officers to show.  

~

After sitting on the porch for fifteen minutes, some of the night shift guys showed up and walked up to the door.  A tall hefty man with brown hair and a mustache that curled into two perfect curls named Frank Buckner (everyone just called him Jaguar) walked up to the pair sitting on the porch with two other officers.  An old man with a massive nose and balding grey hair (Kenny Flutesnoot) and a short young woman with a short brown pixie cut (Trinity Beazley).

"What's the problem Sheriff?"  Jaguar said, crossing his huge arms over his chest. Toni kissed Cheryl on the top of the head again before removing her arm from around her girlfriend and standing up.

"It looks like someone broke into the house.  Typical robbery.  Trashed the place, took some valuables and fled,"  The Sheriff said to the larger man.  As if the word "valuables" triggered something in Cheryl, her head shot up and a look of fear entered her eyes.  She dashed back inside and ran upstairs.  The four officers watched, puzzled.  Toni turned back to Jaguar.

"Look around for evidence of who did it and then start fixing the place up,"  She said before turning away to follow her girlfriend.  "Cheryl?  What's going on?"  She called after the redhead and jogged upstairs.  She found Cheryl sitting on her bedroom floor, crying.  Her jewelry box was on the floor, busted and empty.  Toni sat down beside her girlfriend again and rubbed her back, coaxing the tears out of her.  "What's wrong baby?"  

"H-her ring.  It's gone."  The redhead looked up at the Sheriff with tear-filled eyes and a heavy heart.  "My nana.  Her heirloom ring, the only memory I really have of her, gone."  Cheryl buried her hands back into her hands and cried harder.  

"Are you sure it was in the box?  Couldn't it have been lost in another part of the house?"  Toni asked, trying to bring some hope.  The lone Blossom twin just shook her head, saturating her clothes with tears even more.  "Well shit.  I'm sorry Cheryl."  The Sheriff continued to rub her girlfriend's back until Cheryl practically jumped on her with a depressed hug.  Toni hugged her back lovingly.  Hoping, if it was possible, to send her good energy and love through their contact.  

They sat like that for a few minutes, Cheryl sobbing quietly into Toni's shoulder and Toni just being there for support.  She knew how much her girlfriend had loved Nana Rose Blossom, she had heard all the stories.  After her tragic passing a year ago, Cheryl had worn that ring every day.  The one time she took it off, it gets stolen.  

Cheryl was the one to break the hug.  She sniffled and wiped her eyes, trying to pull herself together.  "You go, you have to help them downstairs.  I'm gonna clean my room up and get changed.  Is it okay if I spend the next little while at your house?  I don't really want to be here alone knowing that people can break in,"  Cheryl said standing up and picking some rubble off the floor.