Page 11 of Redeeming Melodies

I didn't need to be told twice. My legs carried me across the room before my brain caught up, and then Tommy was there,crashing into me like he always did. I dropped to one knee, pulling him close, breathing in that mix of kid shampoo and fruit snacks that meant home.

"Dad," he mumbled into my shoulder, fingers clutching my suit jacket. "You're squishing me."

"Sorry, champ." I loosened my grip but didn't let go. Couldn't. "How you holding up?"

He pulled back just enough to look at me, his face scrunched up in that way that meant he was thinking hard. "Mom said you quit racing because you're mad at her. But that's not true, right? You quit for me?"

Fuck. Trust a kid to cut straight through the bullshit. "I quit because being your dad is the most important job I'll ever have. More important than any race."

"But you loved racing." His lower lip trembled slightly. "And now everything's all messed up and Mom cries when she thinks I'm sleeping and you're not home anymore and-"

"Hey." I caught his shoulders, gentle but firm. "Look at me, buddy." Those green eyes - my eyes - met mine. "Sometimes grown-ups make things complicated. But there's one thing that'll never change, no matter what happens in that courtroom. You know what that is?"

He sniffed. "What?"

"Knock knock."

A tiny smile appeared. "Who's there?"

"Love."

"Love who?"

"Love you more than racing." We finished together, our old joke carrying more weight than ever.

Movement caught my eye - Vanessa, standing by the water fountain, watching us. For a moment, her face showed everything: grief, regret, maybe even a trace of the love we'd once shared. She looked as broken as I felt.

Then Tommy turned toward her, and the mask came back. Perfect mother. Protective guardian. But I'd seen beneath it now, seen that maybe she was bleeding too.

"Time to go, sweetie," she called, her voice honey-sweet but eyes sharp as steel. "You need to use the bathroom before we go back in."

Tommy's arms tightened around me. "I don't want to."

"It's okay," I whispered, though it was anything but okay.

I watched him walk to Vanessa, his little shoulders straight despite everything. She placed her hand on his back, guiding him away, but not before throwing one last look over her shoulder. Our eyes met, and for a second, I saw every dream we'd ever shared, every promise we'd broken, every moment that had led us here.

THE MAN BEHIND THE BADGE

From my cruiser, I watched the town wake up like it did every morning - slow, steady, and predictable in the best possible way. Main Street stretched out before me, storefronts still dark except for Sarah's Diner, where the coffee had been brewing since four in the morning.

My radio crackled with the morning check-in. "Unit One, starting patrol."

"Copy that, Sheriff Thompson. Have a quiet one."

Quiet was good. Quiet meant everyone was safe, and that's what mattered most.

The cruiser rolled past Miller's Bakery, the scent of fresh bread drifting through my cracked window. Tom Miller waved from inside, already covered in flour. I raised my coffee cup in response. He'd probably have a bag of day-old pastries waiting when I made my rounds later - "Can't let good food go to waste, Sheriff."

Sarah's diner came next, the morning crowd already forming. Through the window, I could see Mrs. Henderson holding court at her usual booth, probably sharing the latest town gossip over her black coffee and wheat toast. She caught my eye and gestured for me to come in.

"Might as well get this over with," I muttered, parking the cruiser.

The bell above the door chimed as I entered, bringing with it a wave of coffee smell and bacon grease. Sarah herself stood behind the counter, already pouring my usual into a to-go cup.

"Morning, Sheriff," she called out. "Mr. Randall was looking for you earlier. Said he wanted to thank you properly for handling that break-in situation."

"Just doing my job." I reached for my wallet, but Sarah waved me off.

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