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Tim forgets about the engagement ring for a while. So does Lucy, but who could blame them. After being brutally tortured in captivity by Heath Everett and his men, the last thing on their mind was the ring or the engagement. The only thing that mattered at that moment was that they made it out alive.
Their friends pull together a little glad you’re not dead dinner party. Hosted, of course, at John and Bailey’s home. A banner hangs from the wall that reads Welcome Home! and a special cocktail called Kojito is being passed around to everyone. Kojo sits in confusion as everyone looks over at him laughing. Wesley makes a toast. The speech he gives out is about family and never leaving each other behind. About hardship and despite everything that is going on in their lives, they come out stronger and united. His words affect everyone in the room. Teary eyed and sniffly as they all bob their heads in agreement and holding their drinks up in a salute.
He glances down at Lucy in front of him. Her back pressed against his front, his arm wrapped around her waist securely. He secretly wipes at a tear at the corner of his eye. This time last year he was sitting on the couch with Angela talking about how he wasn’t sure if getting back together with Lucy was even an option. Now he stands here looking at her wondering what he did to deserve someone like her. Says a silent prayer to whichever god will hear him to keep them away from danger. Begs to never lose Lucy like how he almost lost her. Doesn’t know what he would’ve done if he made it out alive and she didn’t.
Lucy tilts her head up to look at him. Her own eyes shining with tears. She flashes him a soft smile then mouths, I love you. Her free hand reaches up to caress his cheek. He leans down and presses a kiss against her forehead. Mumbling I love you against it.
The speech concludes with cheers and hugs. Wesley hugs him first, whispers glad to have you back into his ear before pulling away. There’s something special about his friendship with Wesley. They may not always see eye to eye, but their love for their family and for the people around them brought them closer together as friends. He catches sight of Nyla engulfing Lucy into a tight hug followed by Miles and Celina. He takes in every single person in this room. Has never been more grateful for the found family that he’s made with this group of people.
Something gets placed into his hand as he pulls away from his hug with Angela. He glances down, slowly opening his palm up. There sits the engagement ring, freshly polished. He’s not sure when Lucy would have lost it. They spent most of their captivity separated and by the time they reunited, he wasn’t looking at her finger for it. He looks up at Angela with raised brows. When did she ever have the time to find it?
“Where did you find this?” he asks in disbelief.
He takes the ring between his thumb and pointer finger and lifts it up. Inspecting it to make sure everything is in place. Letting the light reflect off the square diamond in the middle.
“I spend my days looking for Legos and miniature dinosaurs, remember.”
He lets out a laugh, pulling her in for another hug. “Thank you.”
~
“So, a buddy of mine up north owed me a favor,” Grey begins as he pulls Tim aside. He digs into the breast pocket of his jacket and pulls out a folded slip of paper. He holds it out for Tim to take. His brows furrow in confusion as he takes the paper from Grey’s hand.
“What’s this?” he asks, glancing down at the paper. He unfolds it, reading a few words before lifting his head up and looking at Grey in surprise. “You got us plane tickets to Washington?”
Grey nods, resting his hand on Tim’s shoulder.
“Why?” He asks.
“You two deserve it after everything you’ve been through.”
Tim glances over at Lucy on the other side of the room. Her head tilted back in a laugh as Celina tells an exaggerated story about Kojo during his stay at their apartment. A small smile appears on his face. He hasn’t seen her this happy in a while.
He turns his attention back to Grey. “Like I said, a buddy of mine owed me a favor. All expenses paid for.. he’s got a cabin in the woods with a nice view of the mountains. Secluded, but I made sure you guys got a good protection detail with you up there.”
“Two sergeants away from the station,” he begins folding the paper back up. He slips it into his back pocket and chuckles. “Are you sure the station will be okay?” Grey laughs.
“We’ve got Smitty,” he replies with a shrug, “we’ll be fine.”
Where it’s quiet on the street
Where we don’t have to talk, we can hear each other think
Swap the sirens for the birds
The drive home is quiet. A good quiet. A new song gently playing in the background. The breeze outside is the perfect temp to roll the windows down. Lucy rests her arm on the door, setting her chin on her arm as she watches the houses go by. Kojo, seated in the backseat, in the same position. His ears flapping as the wind blows. Had been the best boy all night, walking alongside mom and dad as they mingled with friends. Making sure to sniff everyone in greeting and welcoming any butt scratches given.
They stop at a red light and it gives him a good time to glance over at her. Appreciating her beauty under the street lights. The bruises on her cheek are a yellow-green color as it finally fades. The nasty cut on her forehead is still healing, but the scab isn’t as bad as it was the first few days back home. Despite the imperfections, there is never a day where he doesn’t appreciate her beauty. He reaches a hand over and gently places it on her thigh.
“Hey,” he says softly, getting her attention. She hums in reply, turning her head back to look at him.
“Yeah?” She asks with a tired smile.
“I love you.” He tells her. Her smile widens.
“I love you, too.”
The stoplight changes to green and he looks back at the road. Keeping his hand on her thigh as he presses his foot on the gas.
“I had a good time tonight,” she says after a moment. She straightens in her seat then turns her body to face Tim. Kojo follows, resting his head on the center console. Lucy’s hand automatically goes to scratch at the top of his head.
“I did, too,” he agrees with a smile. “We should host one of those dinners at our place sometime.” She gives him a look.
“You want to host a dinner for all our friends at our place?” She asks in surprise, “who are you and what have you done to my fiancé?” She giggles at the weird look on his face.
The word fiancé catches him off guard. It’s the first time they’ve ever really used it since he proposed. The word almost having a bad taint to it after the kidnapping. But hearing it come out of Lucy’s mouth. Playful and happy, warms his chest. He remembers the ring - tucked hidden in a secret pocket of his jacket. Thinks this trip up to Washington would be the perfect time to propose again.
He lets out a small laugh. He takes a quick glance at her and Kojo then back at the road. “After the past few weeks we’ve had, it made me realize just how easy our lives could be taken from us. I’ve taken so many things for granted - friends, family, the little things..”
“You don’t want to waste a single second..” he hums in agreement.
He takes a left onto their street and rolls into their driveway with ease. Setting the car in park, he stops Lucy before she could get out of the car.
“What if we took a trip up north?” He asks suddenly.
“Up north?” She asks, confused.
He pulls the plane ticket out of his pocket and hands it over to her. She gives him the same confused look he had given Grey earlier tonight. He flicks the overhead light on so she could get a better look. Still confused, she slowly unfolds the paper. Her eyes scan the page.
“.. round trip to.. Washington?” She looks up. Her mouth opens to speak but nothing comes out. She shakes her head and tries again. “Wh- w-where did you get this?”
He lets out a small laugh. “Grey pulled me aside and gave it to me,” he explains, “all expenses paid. You, me.. a cabin in the woods with the mountains and trees.” He pauses. “.. and a security detail just in case.”
“Security detail, huh?” She laughs. Kojo noses his way between Lucy and the piece of paper. She presses her nose against his and pouts. “No Kojos in Washington, I’m sorry honey.”
Kojo lifts his head and turns back to look at Tim, clearly offended. He raises his hands in the air.
“Hey, it’s not my fault grandpa Grey didn’t book a ticket for you.” They both laugh as the dog whines.
Lucy reads the paper again. A small sigh escaping her
“Did he say why?”
“He said we deserved it,” he replies, a small sigh escaping him. “After what we’ve been through.”
She pulls him in for a soft kiss and smiles softly.
“This will be a nice escape,” she hums, “we do deserve it.”
He smiles, “we do.”
Drive slow
Where we goin’, ain’t not timezone
‘Cause my home
Is wherever you and I go
Tim Bradford is Los Angeles born and bred. He doesn’t venture outside the city much nor does he go out of state. Not sure when the last time he took a flight to anywhere was. Lucy holds his hand the entire flight. Didn’t realize how nervous he would be flying until she pointed out how jumpy he had been any time she tried to get his attention. He trails behind her with their luggage as she navigates through the airport with ease. It doesn’t take long before they get the keys to their car rental and drive towards their cabin.
When they arrive they’re met with an actual security detail from Pierce County. Alex and his training officer greet them with warm welcomes before explaining where they’ll be posted during their stay in case they ever need anything. They drive off down the dirt road leaving them to their vacation.
The first inhale of mountain air is refreshing. He takes in the scenery in front of him. He’s never seen something so serene. The view of the mountains and the tall trees towering over them feels like it came out of a movie scene. Lucy joins him, linking her arm with his. Pressing into him to stay warm. She rests her head on his bicep and takes in the view.
“Oh, it’s beautiful up here,” she says in awe.
He glances down at her, humming softly in agreement. There’s a glow to her up here. Something with the mountain air and being away from city life. Lucy feels at peace - at home even. Spends any moment she can to explore what California has to offer for nature. Talks about the hikes and trails she can’t want to explore when she gets the chance to. She doesn’t have to think about paperwork or the dangers that their careers have up here. Seeing her up here, taking this view, being at ease. This is all that matters to him. He lets his shoulders loosen. There’s no one looking for them here. No one chasing after them or hunting them down. He can finally breathe, too.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this,” he says, his eyes still trained on her.
She looks at him. Rolling her eyes when she realizes he hasn’t been looking at the view the entire time.
“You aren’t even enjoying the view,” she says with a whine. He smiles.
“Oh, I’m definitely appreciating it.”
Lucy pulls away but she doesn’t get far when he pulls her back and steals a kiss. She smiles widely, cheeks blushing.
“Apparently there’s a hot tub,” she mumbles into his lips.
“Oh?” He pulls back slightly and catches the mischievous look on her face.
“.. and I packed that blue bathing suit..” his eyes shut briefly, his mind already forming images of the last time she had worn that bathing suit. He lets out a groan.
When his eyes open, Lucy is already halfway to the cabin. Her laughs echoing through the trees. He chuckles to himself and shakes his head. Running after her.
“Who says you need a bathing suit?” He calls out after her. “It’s just us and the trees out here!”
~
They take a walk down the short trail after some much needed naked time in the hot tub. The trail leads down to a small dock overlooking the mountains and river. The sun slowly sets behind the mountains, its light shining through the rows of trees. The leaves of most of the trees have started fading. Painting the trail in beautiful hues of reds and oranges and yellows. They stop right before the dock taking in the scene in front of them. He pulls out his phone to take a few photos to send back to his mom and sister before setting it back in his pocket. Lucy walks a few steps ahead of him, head tilted up to look at the trees. Appreciating everything her eyes can see. His hand pats the secret pocket to make sure the ring is still there.
“We should move up here,” She says playfully, walking towards the dock. She leans against the wooden railing, watching the rushing flow of the river. The water crashing against the large rocks in the middle creating small waves. He lets out a small laugh. “Kojo would love it here,” she adds.
They had been worried that leaving again would upset the dog, but at the sight of Celina and Miles the night before their flight, he had grabbed his favorite toy with his mouth and parked himself at the front door waiting for the couple to take him. Clearly, he’s come to terms that mom and dad leave quite often to places where he’s not allowed and quite enjoys spending time with people who will spoil him with treats because dad isn’t there to say no.
“He’d be scared the moment he hears a branch break.” She turns back to look at him. He flashes a wide smile and she rolls her eyes.
“He’s not that scared,” she tells him. “He’s getting better.” She walks over to him, the orange leaves crunching beneath her boots. He pulls her in by the waist and leans down for a kiss. She smiles and hums softly.
“You both jumped when the squirrel ran down the street,” he points out with a laugh. She rolls her eyes again.
“To be fair, it caught us off guard. It came out of nowhere!”
He leans in for a kiss again before wrapping her in a hug. He rests his chin on the top of her head and lets out a small sigh. They stay like this, engulfed in one another taking in everything their eyes catch. Like the goose waddling towards the rocks that lead to the water. The sound of the leaves as the wind blows through them. The water rushing down the river, loud and thunderous. Squirrels running up a tree.
He hates the cold, but he would move up north if it meant he got to spend his days with Lucy like this. .
“I’m sorry I lost your ring,” she says after a moment. She gently pulls back from the hug, looking up at him with a small frown. “I didn’t even realize it wasn’t on my finger until we were on the plane.”
Tim shakes his head, stopping her before she could say any more.
“Hey,” he says, getting her attention. “It’s ok.” He lifts his hand up to rub at the crease between her brows. Trying to ease her worry. “It wasn’t your fault. What’s important is that you’re okay. We can worry about the ring another day.”
Her frown deepens just as his hand slips into the secret pocket. Taking hold of the ring between his fingers. He thinks this is the perfect moment to take the ring out.
“Okay,” she relents with a soft sigh.
“Can I tell you a story about the ring?” He asks, hoping to cheer her up. She nods her head and smiles.
“Can you tell me the story by the dock?” She asks, pulling away from his hold. “I want to watch the sun set over the mountains.”
“Sure.”
This is his moment. He lets Lucy turn around and start her small trek back towards the dock. With a shaky hand, he pulls the ring out of its secret pocket and goes down on one knee. He holds his breath waiting for Lucy to turn back around when she realizes he’s not trailing behind her.
“Tim?”
She turns back to look at him. Finds him on one knee. His hands holding up the ring. The diamond glinting in the sunlight.
“Where did you find that?” she asks with a gasp. She brings her hands up to her face, eyes beginning to water.
“I have my ways,” he teases. She rolls her eyes playfully. Fingers gently wiping the tears that begin to fall. “Can I tell you my story?”
She nods her head, slowly walking closer to him. “Yes.”
“Thorsen was actually the one to hook me up with one of his jewelers.”
“Aaron? Really?” He chuckles and nods his head.
“Yes. At first his jeweler brought in these super fancy and expensive rings and I told him that I don’t think I could afford them.” She lets out a watery laugh. “Then he asked me what you were like. Asked me why you were a unicorn to me.”
“A unicorn?” she asks with a smile. He shrugs, still unsure what the jeweler meant by it to this day.
“So I tell him: you love helping people.. Getting to know them, hearing their stories. You are kind, but fierce. Loyal, but I warned him not to cross you.” he wipes at the corner of his eye. “You’re funny, but maddening in a good way.” She smiles softly.
“But most of all.. Y-you.. You make me feel loved.” he shakes his head as a tear trails down his cheek. He sniffs. “You make me feel loved in a way I never felt I deserved.”
“Tim-” she takes a breath as he stands.
“Someone once told me that you were the best thing that has ever happened in my life and they were right. I look at you and thank every single star in the sky for getting you back again.” He takes her left hand and slowly slips the ring onto her finger. “You’ve been my best friend since the day you handed me that iPod with your voice recording of that book.” She shakes her head at the memory and lets out a soft laugh. His right hand comes up to wipe at the tear that trails down his own cheek. “I have loved you since the day I gave you your last evaluation as a rookie. You’ve been by my side since the day we locked eyes in that roll call room for the first time. Even.. even when I hurt you, you still stayed.”
She lifts her head to look at him. A soft smile on her face. Her cheeks tinted pink from the cold and wet with her tears. Their eyes lock. He laces his fingers with hers and lowers them to their sides.
Right here
I promise you somehow
“The couple who owned this ring were friends for many years before they fell in love. They had struggles. There were forces trying to tear them apart, but they overcame it.” He takes in a breath. “I promise.. I promise to love you in every season we may be in. Every up and every down.. I would do it again and again and again with you.”
She places her hand on his cheek. Wipes his tears with her thumb.
“You don’t have to ask again,” she whispers, “my answer will always be yes.” He flashes her a wide smile.
Lucy lifts her hand up to let the golden hour light shine down on the ring. This is the first time that she can really appreciate it. A dainty but beautiful thin gold band branching off into the shape of a tulip, holding the squared diamond in the middle. She never thought about what kind of ring she would like. When Celina had asked her what her thoughts on an engagement ring were, she had looked down at her empty left hand and shrugged. She’d scroll through countless posts on social media saving engagement rings to a hidden folder for that day. None of them looked like this one, but she doesn’t care.
It doesn’t matter if her ring was someone else’s ring before. It doesn’t matter that her ring isn’t the most expensive or most blinged out. Tim made an effort to pick a ring with a story so similar to theirs because he knew she would appreciate that more than anything else.
“Their story sounds awfully familiar.” He hums in agreement.
“Yeah,” he chuckles, “it does. It’s one of the reasons why I picked it.” She leans up for a kiss. Gently pressing her lips against his, her smile never leaving her face.
“I love you,” she hums softly, “I don’t think I would be the person I am without you.”
He intertwines their fingers together.
“Thank you.”
She tilts her head. “For what?”
“For helping me be a better person.”
She lifts her arms to wrap around his neck and pulls him in for a hug. When they pull away, she leads them back to the dock to watch the sun finally set. Ending this chapter of their lives on a good note. Will wake the next morning to a new day, to the sun rising. beginning a new chapter of their lives.