Chapter Text
Lucy took her time as she walked into their bedroom, leaving Tim and his mother to have the conversation that was over a decade in the making. The anger…the hurt that she felt from discovering that Tim hadn’t bothered to tell his mother about her had ebbed and in its wake, just a dull ache for the man who had become everything to her.
He had promised to be a better communicator, and he had shown it in droves, but that didn’t mean that years and years of trauma would be dealt with overnight. She scoffed at herself as she shed her jacket and jeans, shaking her head at her own atypical naiveté when it came to psychology. Tim was definitely a ‘show you’ kind of guy, but for as much progress as he had made, today only made it clear how far he still had to go.
Tossing the final piece of clothing into the hamper, Lucy padded into their bathroom, switching on the shower. As she let it heat up, she twisted her hair up into a bun on top of her head and then glanced at the vanity, contemplating whether she should remove her makeup. It certainly would pass some additional time, but there was no way she was going to go sit and have dinner with Tim’s mother for the first time and not look her best. Especially when said mother already looked way too young to have a son in his early 40s, Pivoting, she stepped into the steaming shower stall, instead letting the heat and amazing water pressure work its magic to wash away some of the stress of the day. Grabbing her body wash, she squirted some onto her body sponge and began to lather, allowing her thoughts drift back to the two in the living room who were currently—hopefully—having the heart to heart they so desperately needed.
Tim had been a protector his entire life—not as if Lucy didn’t know it, but she assumed it was a manifestation of getting the brunt of his father’s wrath, witnessing what it did to his mother, and trying to keep Genny from getting hurt. Now, all she could picture was a little boy stepping in front of the fists of a grown man, provoking him so he would turn his anger onto Tim.
Protection was all he knew. From his childhood home, then onto the military and finally the police force. It was what came as naturally to him as breathing and subsequently spread into all of his close relationships. But unfortunately, after a while it was to the detriment of the relationships around him. And as much as his mother let him be the protector as a child, she was still letting him do it to this day. It seemed that only when Joy Bradford was faced with how much she really didn’t know her own son that she realized how much she was missing out on.
Rinsing the soap away, Lucy lingered beneath the spray for a few more minutes before finally switching off the tap. She opened the stall door and plucked her towel from the rack and began drying off. She placed it back on the hook and then took her time moisturizing her body, slowly rubbing the cream into her skin, letting the moments tick by in hopes that she had given them enough time.
Stepping back into the bedroom, the aroma of spices and aromatics filled the air from whatever Joy was cooking. She assumed that meant that they were either finished with their conversation or Tim used the preparation to give his hands something to do while they talked. Rifling through her dresser she pulled out a pair of underwear, a t-shirt bra, a pair of yoga pants and a soft sweater. She pulled each of them on quickly and reached up to release her bun, shaking her hair out and fluffing her curls back to their original glory.
With one last look in the mirror, she slid her slippers on and quietly opened their bedroom door, poking her head out and listening first. Hearing only quiet chatter and the clatter of pots and pans, she assumed it was safe to return and made her way back out to the main living area.
“You really know your way around the kitchen,” Lucy heard Joy remark as she walked in. The two didn’t see her enter, Joy’s back was to her as she sat at the counter, sipping a glass of wine as Tim seemingly took over dinner prep. The smells and Tim’s arm flexing as he flicked the pan told her he was making a stir fry, easy and quick prep for the time they had likely lost with their conversation. She took a moment to observe his body language and noticed that his shoulders had dropped, the tension he had carried all day no longer apparent. His movements were smoother than they’d been that morning, and calmer than they’d been all day, signaling that whatever they’d talked about had gone well. And hopefully it at least started to scratch the surface of whatever needed to be said between the two of them.
“Yeah, I think I shocked Lucy the first time I cooked her dinner,” he replied lightly, a small grin on his face as he worked. “I think she was certain I could only make eggs.”
“In all fairness,” Lucy finally interrupted, deciding to finally make her presence known making the two look at her and she felt a little pang in her chest at the lingering red rim of Tim’s eyes.
“In the earlier years,” she continued with a gentle smile, “the only time I heard about you cooking anything was making salmon and eggs for Kojo. Speaking of…I haven’t seen him, did the bus drop him off?” Lucy looked around the house
Tim nodded, opening the rice cooker. “Yeah, I let him outside.”
“I didn’t even know that dog daycares offered services like that,” Joy said with a little huff of surprise.
“Yeah, Kojo would destroy the house on his own,” Tim said raising a pointed eyebrow at Lucy, daring her to disagree. Lucy merely rolled her eyes affectionately as Tim turned back to his mother. “And with our unpredictable schedules, sometimes it’s just easier to have him dropped off at the end of the day. But we do drop off and pick up most days.” Joy nodded her acknowledgement of the explanation, picking up her wineglass to take a sip.
“Even though Kojo would prefer a dog walker,” Lucy said sweetly, causing Tim to roll his eyes.
“Lucy, I love you, but if he was left here, I guarantee he would somehow find and eat Jackson’s stuffed baby Yoda. And that would be the second time he destroyed his stuff. Could you honestly live with yourself then?”
Lucy rested her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes at him and scrunching her nose in annoyance. “Way to guilt trip me, Tim.”
“Is it working?” he asked hopefully.
Lucy sighed, crossing her arms and pausing for a moment and tapping her toe on the floor and he grinned innocently at her. “Ugh yes, fine!” she reluctantly agreed, throwing her hands up and then pointing at him accusingly. “But don’t think I don’t know what you did there. I still stand by the fact that Kojo would rather have a dog walker.”
Tim merely shook his head, a wry grin coming over his face as he picked up the three dishes and headed towards the dining table. His mother’s warm laughter sounded behind them as she picked up the three wine glasses, holding her hands out to Lucy who quickly grabbed hers, with an appreciative smile and a quiet ‘thank you.’
“Sounds like there’s never a dull moment with you two,” she said warmly, taking a seat. “Genny was always the one giving Tim a run for his money, but I think he might’ve met his match with you Lucy.”
Lucy blushed at the compliment, taking a seat to the right of Tim, who sat at the head of the table, his mother on the left.
“She has been since day one,” Tim said affectionately.
“You’re one to talk,” Lucy smirked back at him as they all dug into their meal. Lucy appreciated the flavors as they burst on her tongue, already accustomed to Tim’s cooking, which had only gotten better and better once they started dating and she expanded his pantry. She glanced at his mother out of the corner of her eye, wondering if Tim had ever even cooked for her before, though based on her earlier comment, she assumed he hadn’t, so she was even more curious to see how she reacted when she realized that her son could, in fact, cook quite well.
The older woman took a bite, and Lucy watched her eyes light up. “This is delicious. I never thought you retained any of what you learned in the kitchen between all your practices and school.”
It was Tim’s turn to blush, and he glanced over at Lucy before turning back to his mom. “Those times in the kitchen were some of my best memories,” he replied shyly.
Joy’s eyes softened in surprise as she looked over at him, a small noise of affection escaping her. “Oh, Timmy.”
Lucy watched as Tim’s and Joy’s eyes met, both glassy with emotion and felt a burst of pride. Tim’s acknowledgment both of his childhood and the memories with his mother were an incredible gift of vulnerability. It was one that she was still growing accustomed to, but her heart soared when he opened up.
It seemed Joy also realized rare privilege she’d been granted by Tim at that moment, and that she shouldn’t press further because that was usually when he retreated. So, she didn’t linger on the moment much longer. Instead, Joy sniffed, composing herself with a sip of wine and changing the subject.
“So, tell me…how did you two meet?” She asked, spearing a forkful of her meal.
Tim and Lucy exchanged a look, each trying to gauge how to approach their love story. While neither was ashamed of their love story. Having to explain their history to someone who wasn’t there to witness the revolution could sometimes be tricky.
Aside from the fact that it was Tim’s mother, one of the few family members between the two of them that seemed to actually like them, she didn’t deserve a truncated version of the truth when she was so obviously longing to reconnect with her son.
So, Lucy took it upon herself to begin. “Well, we met when I started as a rookie at Mid Wilshire station.”
Joy’s eyes lifted with interest as she let out a soft “oh,” then frowned. “If you don’t mind me asking…how long have you been a cop?”
Lucy smiled at the question, knowing Tim’s mother was trying to gauge when they would have met. “I’ve been on the force for about five years. Tim was actually the one who trained me.”
“Yeah…she started as my rookie,” he smiled back affectionately, and reached across to lace his fingers through Lucy’s outstretched hand. “Then she grew on me.”
He smirked when Lucy yanked her hand away, sucking her teeth and screwing up her face. “You make me sound like a fungus! You’re literally the one who created a whole position just for me to ride with you.”
“That was Grey’s suggestion.”
The look Lucy sent him told him she wasn’t buying it. “Be honest, you wouldn’t have taken on an aide if you didn’t want me to ride with you again. You orchestrated that whole thing with ‘testing out aides’ just so I’d get annoyed and you could make it seem like it was my idea. Face it you just missed me.”
“Well, you wouldn’t have been so mad about it if you hadn’t missed me,” he shot back, smiling triumphantly at his own observation.
Joy’s brow furrowed as her eyes darted between the two of them trying to follow their banter, which she was quickly beginning to realize was a normal conversation with them.
“Wait so…she was your rookie and then…what, your assistant?” she asked trying to gain some clarity of their relationship progression.
“Technically, it’s a Sergeant’s aide and she was like my right hand,” Tim clarified.
“That’s quite the journey to go through to now be living together five years later. So when did you two realize you had feelings for each other?”
Both Lucy and Tim paused. That question was so complicated. Their love story was a series of moments that compounded on one another, their feelings growing until it was hard to remember a moment when there hadn’t been something there.
“Honestly?” He started for them both. “It’s kind of hard to say when things changed for us. We both just kind of knew had.”
“Yeah,” Lucy agreed, “It feels like we’ve always been each other’s person…even when he was making my life hell.”
Tim’s jaw dropped in offense and his mother let out a laugh, dropping her fork to her plate with a clatter and lifting her napkin to wipe her mouth. “Oh, why does something tell me you gave him hell right back?”
“Because she did,” Tim said, sending an affectionate glare towards Lucy.
“Timmy always did like a girl who kept him on his toes,” Joy told them, still chuckling. “When he was a kid, he had this best friend…her name was…Mia, I think? Well, I remember you two were thick as thieves, but you would always complain about playing with her—”
“Because she would always kick my ass in Street Fighter.”
“Well, that didn’t stop you two from being best friends,” Joy replied, “In fact, you used to beg me to take you two to the arcade.”
Lucy watched Joy and Tim, warmth blooming in her chest as she took in the easy exchange between mother and son. A boyish grin had spread across Tim’s face, one that he usually saved just for Lucy and sometimes Genny. She knew he and Joy still had a long road ahead to mend their relationship, but tonight, whatever they’d had said to each other earlier had allowed Tim to let his guard down, at least for now.
“That’s hardly the same, I was seven!” Tim exclaimed, rolling his eyes, though there wasn’t any heat to it and for a moment, he was 13 again, his mother teasing him on one of those rare, good days when his dad stayed late at work and the house seemed normal.
“I’d bet you dollars to donuts that you and Lucy had something similar,” she replied, leaning back in her seat, folding her arms and lifting a brow in an expression that told Lucy exactly where Tim got that look from.
“Remember when I stole your money clip and instead of getting mad at me, you were impressed?” Lucy reminded him, recalling the note of amusement in his voice even as he told her she was ‘in so much trouble.’
“You see?” Joy gestured between them with a grin.
“Oh, I was too mad at you! Charlie almost made me work behind the bar.” He didn’t, Charlie joked about doing it though. “I had to have Angela pick me up and pay my tab.” That part was true.
Lucy giggled. “You know you were impressed. You didn’t even do anything to get me back the next day!”
Tim merely shook his head, unable to argue. They both knew that time and again Lucy impressed him during her rookie year, rising to each of his challenges with determination and creativity. And she gave back as good as she got.
The rest of dinner passed easily, conversation shifting easily through topics ranging from work to childhood memories, to small anecdotes about their relationship. The house, which had been quiet with unease just that morning, was once again filled with the kind of warmth that Lucy had become accustomed to.
Before they knew it, it was near midnight, and the excitement of the day had finally caught up with them, especially for Tim. His eyelids had begun the telltale slow blink of exhaustion as Lucy laughed at story Joy was telling her about a 6-year-old Tim singing ‘Walk This Way’ in the bathtub, covered head to toe in suds.
When Tim didn’t react to the story, Lucy glanced at him. “Babe,” she said softly, leaning in to run her fingers through the back of his hair. “Why don’t you head to bed? I’ll finish cleaning up out here.”
Tim gave a small shake of his head, trying to clear the fog. “No, I’m good. I’ll help clean up.”
“Mm, no…Tim you’re exhausted,” she murmured, stopping him with the light press of her fingertips into the nape of his neck. He let out a low groan, his eyes slipping closed for a second.
“Go,” Lucy urged him, “I’ll be in in a minute.”
“Yeah, Timmy,” Joy chimed in, with a warmth in her tone that only a mother could produce. “We’ve got this.”
Tim hesitated, glancing between them, before giving in. “Alright,” he sighed, pushing his chair back and standing. He rested a hand on Lucy’s shoulder, leaning down to press a soft kiss to her lips. “Thank you,” he added quietly, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze.
Lucy reached up, covering his hand with hers and squeezing back. “Goodnight, babe.”
“Goodnight, Timmy,” Joy said, a soft smile on her lips.
“Night, Mom,” Tim replied, giving a small nod and lingering a beat longer before heading down the hall, Kojo trotting behind him.
The two women watched him go, only turning back to the table once they heard the soft thud of the bedroom door closing. Their eyes met, both letting out a little huff of laughter, neither knowing exactly what to say next.
Finally, Lucy stood and began clearing the table. “It’s been nice…” she said as she stacked the plates, cutlery clattering slightly as she placed them on top of the stack.
Joy looked up as she gathered the glasses, waiting for Lucy to continue. “Getting to know you…hearing more about Tim as a child. I’ve heard a bunch from Genny…and from Tim himself, but there’s nothing like hearing it from a mother, you know?”
“I’m just glad I was able to make some good memories for him,” the older woman replied, ducking her head in slight mortification at the admission.
Lucy could only imagine how hard it was for Tim’s mother to come to grips with the damage that she herself had inflicted on her children—Tim especially—by doing nothing; by accepting and subsequently encouraging Tim’s protective nature. Realizing that the abuse they all had suffered through had reverberated through her relationships with them, so much so that she accepted the distance Tim kept between them just to remain in his life.
But what had always been clear to Lucy every time he spoke about her, was that Tim loved his mother.
“I’ll admit…Tim doesn’t—didn’t talk that much about you. And I know he’s conflicted about some things, but what he did tell me… and what Genny’s told me, outside of everything else…there was love there. Don’t underestimate the good memories.”
She watched as Joy’s eyes grew glassy. “You…” she sniffed blinking rapidly to clear her eyes. “You seem to be close with Genny too.”
Lucy nodded, bringing the plates to the sink and switching on the tap. Joy came up next to her, placing the glasses down.
“Yeah, Genny’s great,” she said with a grin. “We usually get together for mani pedis once a month while Tim hangs out with Tyler and Austin. And then we all usually have dinner. It’s kind of a tradition we started after we moved in together.”
Those days were a highlight for Lucy. The monthly meet ups for Lucy and Genny had started right before the breakup and continued throughout, which somehow made the two women grow even closer. In hindsight, that should’ve been Lucy’s sign that the break up was always temporary.
Once she and Tim moved in together, Lucy and Genny had kept up the tradition, finally clueing Tim into the reason he had a monthly babysitting duty day. Tim had been more than happy with that revelation and had been the one to suggest they make a family tradition out of it. Six months later, they hadn’t missed a day.
“Actually, come to think of it,” Lucy went on before Joy could speak. “I think this weekend is our next one. You should come with Genny and me.”
Joy blinked in surprise, not expecting such an open invitation. “Oh, I…I would love that.”
Lucy beamed, “Great! I’ll call tomorrow and adjust our appointment.”
With that, Lucy loaded the last dish into the dishwasher and grabbed a pod from the canister on the counter above it, popping it into the dispenser. She remained oblivious of Joy’s stare, the woman seemingly rooted in place as she wrung her hands, grappling with what to say next.
“Lucy, I want to thank you…”
“Of course, I’m so glad you’re joining us!” she replied with a smile, whirling to face her.
Joy shook her head. “I am too, but that’s not what I meant…”
Lucy’s smile softened into something a bit more tentative, a crease forming between her brows as she studied her. She stayed silent as Joy stepped closer, absently wringing the dishtowel in her hands. For a brief second, Lucy flashed back to their earlier conversation before Tim came home, only this time there wasn’t any tension between them.
“I have never seen Tim this happy. Ever,” Joy said, her voice filled with emotion.
Lucy blinked, caught off guard. “Oh…”
“For as much as he’s kept from me over the years,” Joy continued, “I still know what it looks like when he’s happy. And I know that you are the reason for that.”
Lucy felt her throat tighten as the weight of her words settled. It was one thing to notice the changes in Tim herself, but hearing his mother say it hit her differently.
“Just watching you two together tonight. The love, the care, the friendship. It’s all I could’ve ever wanted for him. Especially after everything he’s been through.” Her voice wavered slightly. “So, thank you…for loving my son.”
The tears that Lucy had been holding back finally spilled over, and she saw the same happening with Joy. Without thinking, Lucy stepped forward, closing the space between them and pulling her into a hug. Joy let out a shaky breath, wrapping her arms tightly around Lucy.
“I love him,” Lucy whispered thickly, her eyes still wet, “More than anything.”
They finally pulled apart a few moments later, both women sniffing and brushing at their cheeks.
“I know,” Joy murmured, with a soft smile, grasping Lucy’s arms gently. “I see it. He’s lucky to have you.”
Lucy blushed and shook her head gently, her own smile breaking through. “I think we’re both pretty lucky.”
“I do agree with that,” Joy let out a laugh, but sobered a moment later. “Well, I should turn in and let you get some sleep. I know you two have an early day tomorrow.”
“Okay. I’m just going to shut down the house for the night,” Lucy replied, gesturing around the area. Joy nodded, giving Lucy’s arms a light squeeze before she dropped them and turned to leave the room.
“Joy?” she called, and the older woman turned back with a hum of acknowledgement.
“I’m really glad that we’ve got the chance to get to know each other,” she said sincerely.
“Oh, me too sweetheart,” Joy said warmly. “Goodnight.”
With one last smile, Joy turned and headed down the hall. Lucy watched her go just as she had with Tim, her heart full in a way she hadn’t expected based on how the day had begun.
Slowly, she began shutting down the house for the night, moving through the routine almost on autopilot, wiping down the counter and setting the coffee maker for the morning.
Lucy had never put much thought into what it would be like to meet Tim’s mother. It actually seemed to be one of those things that would never happen, both content to keep their parents at arm’s length, maybe until they got married. And she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t been nervous as soon as she heard Tim exclaim, ‘Mom!’ at the door that morning.
She’d spent the entire day feeling out of place, confused by the sudden knowledge that the woman Tim would talk with regularly, had no clue who she was. Lucy still actually wondered how that was even possible, but Tim was a master of deflection when he wanted to be, regardless of the progress he’d made in therapy.
“Hey,” Tim’s voice startled her from her thoughts, and Lucy turned to see him standing at the end of the hallway. He looked like he’d just woken up, hair mussed and eyes still adjusting to the light. “What are you still doing up?”
“I was just talking to your mom and then shutting down for the night. I was about to come to bed,” she told him, flipping off the foyer lights and sending them into darkness. “What are you doing up?”
“I couldn’t sleep without you,” he said honestly as she approached him, “Even my subconscious knows when you aren’t there.”
Lucy hummed in acknowledgment, smiling up at him as she slid her arms around his waist. “That’s sweet.”
“It’s true,” he said plainly, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. They basked in each other’s presence beneath the moonlight for a few moments, their bodies falling into the unconscious sway that they always did whenever they were close. Lucy rested her head against Tim’s heartbeat, her body relaxing against his chest.
“I need to apologize to you,” Tim said after a beat and Lucy looked up at him.
“I’m not arguing with that,” she replied, but there was no heat behind it. Her conversation with Joy had helped her understand what was really going on.
Tim sent her a contrite smile. “I should’ve told Mom about you. I should’ve told her a long time ago. I just…I know all she wants is for us to be happy. And when things happen that are upsetting she…takes it hard. And there have been a lot of upsetting things in my life…so I just got used to keeping her away from it.”
“Protecting her from it you mean?” she asked gently, rubbing a hand up and down his chest, right over his heard.
“Yeah. It’s a default setting that I’m trying hard to upgrade.”
“You’ve come a long way,” she replied softly. “But I think your mom is a lot stronger than you give her credit for. And she really wants to know you. The real you.”
He nodded, closing his eyes and swallowing hard. “I love you,” he whispered, his voice rough with emotion. Lucy pushed up on her toes, pressing a lingering kiss against his lips, feeling Tim relax into it as he felt her acceptance of his apology.
“I love you,” she replied. “Let’s go to bed.”
FIN(?)