Page 15 of Her Last Promise

Rachel's attention snapped back."What was the family dynamic?"

"Two sons, split on the decision.Younger brother wanted to honor what he claimed were his mother's wishes to not be kept alive by machines.Older brother insisted there was still hope for recovery."Novak flipped through pages."Got pretty ugly in court apparently.Older brother moved away right after the ruling, cut ties with the family."

Something about that pinged Rachel's investigative instincts, but before she could follow the thread, her phone buzzed again:Paige asking about you.Says she has news from school she wants to share.

Rachel stared at the message, guilt and frustration warring in her chest.The work would always be urgent.There would always be one more file to check, one more lead to follow.But Paige's news – that was happening now, tonight, and Rachel was missing it.And let’s face it,she thought.How often does Paige want to shareanythingthese days?

She looked around the cramped conference room at the endless parade of tragedy documented in countless files.The faces of victims and perpetrators stared back from crime scene photos and mug shots, each one demanding justice, attention, resolution.

"You know what?"Rachel began gathering files into her briefcase."I think I'm going to take some of these home to review.Not necessarily call it a day, but…you know.Just to get out of here."

The relief that flashed across Novak's face was almost comical.He dropped his marker onto the whiteboard ledge with perhaps a bit too much enthusiasm."Oh, thank God," he said, then immediately looked embarrassed."I mean – I was trying to hang in there, you know?Didn't want to seem like a baby."

Rachel laughed, surprising herself with the sound."And I was trying to set a good example for my new partner."She sorted through files, selecting key cases."Look at us, stuck in here trying to impress each other while our dinners get cold."

As they cleaned up, Rachel's mind kept circling back to the marks on Smith's wrist, to the amateur quality of that final injection.The longer she looked at this case, the more convinced she became that they were missing something obvious.This wasn't about revenge for a harsh sentence.This was personal in a different way – it spoke of someone who understood what it meant to feel trapped, helpless, at the mercy of others' decisions.

Novak helped her load several files into her briefcase, then started erasing the whiteboard."You know," he said, hesitating slightly, "I was worried when they assigned me as your partner.Your reputation...well, let's just say it's a lot to live up to."

Rachel paused in gathering her things, studying her new partner.In the months they'd worked together, she'd been so focused on missing Jack, on comparing Novak to the partnership she'd lost, that she'd almost missed seeing how hard he was trying to prove himself.

"I was worried, too," she admitted."About living up to my own reputation.About trying to be the same agent I was before..."She gestured vaguely, encompassing everything – the cancer, the losses, the hard-won second chances.

"Maybe we don't have to be," Novak said quietly."Maybe we just have to be good enough."

Rachel nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips."Get some rest, Novak.Tomorrow we look at this with fresh eyes."She hefted her briefcase, heavy with selected files.

She then quickly grabbed her phone and sent a message back to Jack.Leaving now.Headed home.

As she walked through the quiet building toward the elevator, Rachel’s mind trailed back to that civil case Novak had mentioned – maybe there was something there, something about family members divided over a loved one's fate.She stepped into the elevator, her mind still turning over details of the case.Someone had held Judge Smith captive, kept him helpless and dependent on others for basic needs.Someone who knew exactly what that felt like, perhaps someone who had watched a loved one in that state for years.

Tomorrow they'd start fresh.Tomorrow, they'd find the connection they were missing.

But tonight – tonight she was going home to her family, to the life she'd fought so hard to keep.The case files could wait until after dinner.After all, wasn't that what second chances were for?

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Night had fallen as Rachel pulled into the driveway at 7:22.The porch light was on and as she stepped out of her car, she did her best to recall where, exactly, the day had gone.It had been a long one for sure, but the sort that speeds by in the blink of an eye.She carried her briefcase of Judge Smith case files with her, and as she opened the front door, the rich aroma of garlic and herbs drifting through the evening air made her stomach growl.The stress and irritation of the day seemed to melt away at the smells.

The warmth hit her first when she stepped inside – not just the physical warmth of a well-used kitchen, but the kind that came from a home filled with life.The sound of Paige's laughter carried from the kitchen, followed by Jack's deeper chuckle.For a moment, Rachel stayed in the entryway, letting the familiar sounds wash over her.These were the moments that still caught her off guard sometimes, the simple miracle of having this second chance at happiness.It was made so much sweeter by the laughter between Jack and Paige.Their bond was growing stronger and though Jack knew full well he’d never be Paige’s father (and vice versa) he never stopped acting like the strong, male role model she needed in her life.

"There she is," Jack called out as she rounded the corner and stepped into the kitchen.She set her briefcase and computer bag down by the bar and eyed the table, now realizing that she was much hungrier than she had assumed.He was already rising from his chair, moving toward the cabinet with the practiced ease of someone who had anticipated her arrival."Just in time to try my latest Pinterest adventure."

Rachel hung her jacket on the back of her chair, breathing in the mouth-watering scent of his lasagna."You're becoming obsessed with that site."

"Hey, when you find what works..."He slid a generous portion onto her plate, the layers of pasta, meat, and cheese still steaming."Though I did have to scroll past fifteen different 'life-changing organization hacks' and a tutorial on making my own soap to get to it.Did you know you can apparently transform your entire life by buying matching containers for your pantry?"

"Don't give him ideas," Paige groaned, but her eyes sparkled with amusement."He already spent half an hour yesterday organizing the spice rack alphabetically."

"Which you'll thank me for next time you're looking for the oregano," Jack pointed out, returning to his seat.

Rachel sat down with the rest of her family.The first bite of lasagna melted in Rachel's mouth, the perfect balance of flavors making her close her eyes in appreciation."Worth every minute of scrolling," she murmured.

She expected Paige to disappear upstairs as she usually did after dinner, retreating into the world of homework and social media that seemed to occupy most teenagers' evenings.But tonight, her daughter lingered at the table, picking at the remains of her garlic bread with unusual focus.Rachel recognized the signs – the slight bounce of her knee under the table, the way she kept tucking and re-tucking her hair behind her ear.It was the same restless energy she'd had as a little girl when she was bursting to share exciting news.That’s right,Rachel thought, recalling one of Jack’s texts.She has some sort of news from school.

"So," Rachel said carefully, studying her daughter's face."How was school?"

Paige's eyes lit up immediately, confirming Rachel's suspicion."Actually...something kind of amazing happened today."She sat up straighter, her fingers playing with the hem of her sleeve – a gesture so like Peter's that it made Rachel's heart catch.Even after all these years, these little echoes of him could still take her by surprise."You know that paper I wrote on the Louisiana Purchase?"

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