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The little brunch spot in Los Feliz was exactly the kind of place Ashley liked—exposed brick walls, overpriced avocado toast, and mimosas served in mason jars with edible flowers floating on top. Tim had let her pick. First date. He was trying.
They were halfway through their meal when Ashley laughed at something he’d said about a particularly ridiculous call from last week. She leaned forward, chin resting on her hand, clearly enjoying herself.
“So you really told the guy that if he didn’t stop trying to fight the Christmas tree, you’d cuff it instead of him?” she asked, grinning.
Tim smirked, taking a sip of his coffee. “Seemed like the only logical solution at the time.”
Ashley opened her mouth to reply when a whirlwind of teenage energy suddenly appeared at the edge of their table.
“Dadford!” Tamara exclaimed, eyes lighting up as she spotted him. “Here you are. Oh my God, I’m starving. Can I please have some fries?”
Tim didn’t even hesitate. “Absolutely.”
Tamara slid into the booth beside him like she’d been invited, already reaching for the basket of sweet potato fries in the middle of the table. “Lucy promised me and Kojo tacos, but I don’t think that’s happening anymore. She got distracted by that new thrift store on—”
“Uh, hi,” Ashley interrupted politely, eyebrows raised. “Do you… know this woman?”
Tamara froze mid-fry, glancing between them with sudden realization. Before Tim could answer, another voice cut through the air, bright and cheerfully chaotic.
“Oh yeah, I think so,” Lucy Chen said, appearing behind Tamara with two iced coffees in hand and a mischievous glint in her eye. She was still in civilian clothes—jeans and a soft gray sweater that made her look far too comfortable for a Saturday morning run-in. “I’m his wife. And this is his daughter.”
Tim closed his eyes for half a second, already sensing the oncoming trainwreck.
Lucy kept going, completely deadpan. “And this—” she gestured vaguely at the table, “—Tim, is this not you playing squash with your buddies? I thought we agreed we were only going to splurge on hookers as a couple.”
Ashley’s fork clattered against her plate. Her eyes went wide, mouth opening and closing in genuine shock as she stared at Lucy, then at Tim, then back at Lucy.
Tim pinched the bridge of his nose. “Lucy…”
Lucy finally cracked, breaking into a bright, unrepentant smile. “I’m just messing with you, Ashley. I’m his partner. We’re not *partners* partners. Non-romantic partner.” She paused, tilting her head. “Well. Mostly non-romantic.”
Tim shook his head, a reluctant, fond smile tugging at the corner of his mouth despite himself. He stood up halfway, gesturing between the two women. “Ashley, this is Officer Lucy Chen—my partner on the job. And this is Tamara, her roommate. Ladies, this is Ashley.”
Tamara waved with a fry still in her hand. “Hey. Sorry about crashing your date. Lucy said you’d be here and I was promised food.”
Lucy gave a little shrug, not even pretending to look sorry. “What can I say? The kid has a sixth sense for fries. And I figured if Tim was going to be out in public on a weekend, I should at least make sure he doesn’t forget Kojo needs picking up later.”
Ashley blinked a few more times, clearly trying to recalibrate. “You two… work together.”
“Every day,” Lucy confirmed cheerfully. “He yells at me. I ignore him. It’s a whole thing.”
Tim sat back down, shooting Lucy a look that was equal parts exasperated and amused. Their eyes met for a beat longer than necessary. Something unspoken passed between them—the same thing that had been simmering since season one, growing louder in the quiet moments of season four. The almosts. The what-ifs.
Lucy nudged Tamara. “Come on, trouble. Let’s go find those tacos before Kojo starts plotting revenge on the couch.”
Tamara grabbed one last fry. “Bye, Dadford. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
As they walked away, Lucy glanced back over her shoulder once. Just once. But it was enough for Tim to catch the small, knowing curve of her lips.
The moment the door closed behind them, a strange hollowness settled in Tim’s chest. The table suddenly felt too quiet, the conversation they’d been having a minute ago now distant and forced. It was ridiculous. They were just his partner and her chaotic roommate. But their absence left a void he couldn’t quite explain—one that made the sunlight streaming through the windows feel a little dimmer.
Ashley watched them leave, stunned into silence. She turned back to Tim slowly, forcing a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes. *This isn’t going to work,* she thought. The easy chemistry, the inside jokes, the way Tim’s whole demeanor had shifted the second Lucy appeared—it was obvious. Painfully obvious. She was dating a man who already had someone else deeply woven into his life, whether he admitted it or not.
“So… that was interesting,” Ashley said, her voice a touch too bright.
Tim picked up his coffee again, exhaling. “Welcome to my life.”
He smiled at her, trying to be present, but the conversation that followed felt flat. His gaze kept drifting toward the door where Lucy and Tamara had disappeared.
And somewhere in the back of his mind, the thought wouldn’t quite leave him:
*Mostly* non-romantic.
For now.