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Jamie returned home from spending the afternoon with his grandfather to find his fiancée curled under half a dozen blankets in the corner of his sofa with some obscure romantic comedy he couldn’t quite recall the name of playing on the television screen in front of her. He paused in the doorway for a moment, a fond smile on his face as he watched her munch on popcorn and mumble under her breath about the ridiculousness of the situation the main character had seemingly found herself in. In that moment, he was absolutely positive he had never loved her more.
Eddie glanced away from the scene unfolding on the screen when she heard the door close behind him. “Hey,” she greeted softly, reaching for the remote on a nearby end table and pausing the film just before the main male character confessed his cliched love for his next-door neighbor. “There’s leftovers from that Thai place you love in the fridge. I had a craving and wasn’t sure when you’d be home, so...” She trailed off and tossed aside the blankets to stand from her seat. “What did Henry want to talk to you about?”
“He took me to Police Arlington,” Jamie informed her as he moved towards the kitchen to retrieve the aforementioned leftovers from the refrigerator. “Told me that, despite what happened with Ramos, he still thinks I’ve got what it takes to be a great leader.”
“Of course you’ve got what it takes to be a great leader,” Eddie replied, her tone suggesting she thought it was absolutely ludicrous for anyone to believe otherwise. “Jamie, Ramos didn’t get shot because you’re not a good leader. He got shot because you made a good call that ended badly. You are not responsible for what robbers with guns choose to do when people try to help. That’s on them and them alone.”
“I know that,” Jamie told her seriously, placing the plateful of food he’d just prepared in the microwave and punching in the correct numbers before pressing Start. “I do. It’s just...” He shook his head. “The next guy lying on the floor might not be as lucky as Ramos was, Eddie. And I don’t - I have no idea what I’m going to do in that situation.”
“You’ll do the right thing,” Eddie replied definitively. “And if, God forbid, something happens to one of your guys, they will go into the light knowing they did, too.” She wrapped one arm around his torso and smiled against his neck when his hand came up to cover hers. “You are a good person, Jamie Reagan,” she murmured against his skin. “And you are a great leader. Everyone knows that. You need to realize it for yourself. Or, you know, I’ll be the one to sic Henry on you the next time.”
“I thought you did it this time,” Jamie admitted quietly. The microwave sounded, but neither moved to remove its contents. “He told me I was being an idiot, that he’d known me my whole life and knew that I was hurting. He was right.” He sighed, shaking his head. “I heard what he said. I know I’m cut out to be a leader. What I don’t know is how to lead from the back. If I’m asking my guys to risk everything, then I should be doing the same.”
“Then do that,” Eddie suggested. “Lead from the frontlines. Break down doors with them by your side. But don’t cut them out of the process altogether like you’ve been doing. That’s not fair to anyone.”
“I’m beginning to realize why Sarge kept us together so long back at the Twelfth,” Jamie informed her softly. “You’re really good at talking sense back into me, Edit.”
“Well, Jameson, you are very stubborn,” Eddie teased. “I bet your family’s just glad God put someone outside the bloodline on this earth to call you out on your insanity.”
“I’m sure they thank Him every day.” Jamie smiled fondly at Eddie with a shake of his head, then gestured toward the paused movie still onscreen. “You want to fill me in on what was happening when I walked in, get me caught up so I’ll understand the ending.”
“Oh, honey, I still don’t understand the ending, and I’ve watched it at least once a month since college,” Eddie informed him seriously. “But we can mock the awful acting until it’s over, if you want.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Jamie agreed immediately.
“And share that food,” Eddie tacked on as an afterthought. She smiled when Jamie just laughed. “Don’t make fun, Reagan, I’m hungry.”
“Well,” Jamie sighed amusedly, removing another fork from the cutlery drawer and handing it over without complaint. “It’s nice to see that there are at least some things that are never going to change.”