It's Not Over

Throwing Punches

"Mija, you're awake!" Daisy exclaimed upon seeing her daughter shuffle into the kitchen.

"Morning," she replied with a tired smile as she made her way to the coffee machine.

"How are you feeling?"

"A little under the influence," she replied honestly, replacing the pod in the machine. "How was the hotel?"

"We had a good time, they left chocolates on our pillows. I can't wait for our real honeymoon. Speaking of chocolate delights, where did yours go?"

"Rosie is still asleep," she replied, emphasizing his real name.

"You look like you should be too."

"It's just the meds wearing off," she replied. She couldn't keep sleeping but she wasn't quite awake. All she knew was that she could not do another dose of those drugs. "I'm sorry, I'm not myself this weekend. I didn't exactly plan on sleeping through half of it."

"Oh, don't you worry about it. I just wanted you to be here."

"I'm glad I came. This isn't something I wanted to miss. I didn't know if you were still together. If you were married. I wouldn't have even known if something had happened. I should have kept in contact."

"I thought you might be with your father. I wasn't surprised you took up firefighting either, the way you used to talk about it."

"Is that how Hornstock found me?" Annalise asked, curiously.

"Mostly, yes. It was nice to know where you were but I didn't think you wanted us to reach out. I knew you'd be okay. I just wish I could have been there when things got tough." Daisy informed Annalise she'd be be going into work for the morning but would be back to spend the night with Annalise before she took off. A few minutes later, Rosie wandered into the kitchen following the voices of the two woman sipping coffee and chatting, pleased to see Annalise on her feet.

"Good morning, Daisy." He placed a hand on Annalise's back. "Sleeping beauty." He glanced down at the coffee in her hands. "This combination is going to stop your heart," he scolded her, taking the mug away.

"So, there's no dead bodies in Miami?" She asked, knowing he was right but missing her coffee.

"Mitchie's on it. I have to run home but I'll be back to pick you up in thirty."

"What? Why?" She asked, following him as he started towards the exit.

"I thought of something to make you feel better."

"I don't want to feel better," she said, truthfully.

"Okay, well, then, something to do with what you're feeling." When she still looked confused, he smiled and said, "we're going kickboxing," before disappearing out the front door.

"So, you and Rosie at last?" Daisy inquired. "Don't lie to me, I saw you two dancing and Ira told me you were clinging to him like a koala bear last night."

"That doesn't sound like something I'd do or something Hornstock would say."

"Well, the choice of words was different but he meant the same thing. But Mija, you've waited so long and now everything is falling together. Don't let your grief hold you back, your father would want you to go for it."

"Mom, you barely knew dad."

"I knew him well enough to know he wanted you to be happy and safe. Why do you think he didn't want you to become a firefighter?" She asked, remembering Andy being upset he didn't want her to be a part of the next generation of firefighters. He wasn't too pleased when she chose to be a cop instead, another job where she would see things and be at risk, but she loved her job so he gave in, like he did with the fire academy when she joined almost a decade later.