Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The cheerful Christmas lights did nothing to brighten Paula’s mood. She braced herself as she waited with Derek Kiriakis at James and Laura’s front door. Fuck! Sometimes she hated this job. She glanced over at the social worker, who looked as miserable as she felt.
The door opened, and Laura appeared in the doorway.
“Paula, what a pleasant—” Her smile of recognition died with her greeting, “Derek? If you’re here together, something must be wrong.
What’s happened? Did the judge change his mind about Josh’s probation?
” Laura brought her hand to her chest, and tears started to form in her eyes. Her breathing became erratic.
Before Paula could do anything, Derek stepped past her and into Laura’s personal space.
“Laura, look at me.” His quiet but authoritative voice pulled at something inside Paula, and her friend responded to it, too.
Derek said, “Take a deep breath. That’s a good girl.
Let it out slowly. That’s it. Again.” Paula watched in awe as Derek managed to calm Laura down.
“Okay, let’s go inside. Is James home?” Laura nodded.
“Good. We need to see all three of you.”
Derek turned halfway toward Paula, and his gaze collided with hers.
Come to think of it, she might have seen him at Club Indigo.
Which could mean the man was submissive but damn…
if this guy wasn’t a Dom, she’d eat her badge for breakfast. Damn the man for reminding her of Jackson!
Well, if he could prevent Laura from breaking down, she couldn’t hate him for it.
Time to get to the heart of their visit.
“Hello, Laura. We have news about Josh’s mother. May we come inside?”
Laura nodded and said weakly, “Yes, yes. Of course. Sorry.” She stepped aside and allowed them both to enter. “Follow me. James and Josh are cleaning up after dinner.”
Paula followed her friend down the hall and into the open-plan living space with its kitchen. James turned, and his smile faltered. He placed a hand on Josh’s arm. “I think we’ll leave the cleaning for now, son.”
Aside from the enormity of the situation, Paula felt a spike of happiness when she saw the way Josh looked at James with so much trust. Then his focus went over to the visitors, and he scowled their way.
Paula couldn’t fault him for that. She and Derek had never brought anything pleasant for the boy. Today would not change that.
Paula cleared her throat and did what had to be done. “There’s no easy way to say it, Josh. Your mother overdosed this afternoon. Attempts to resuscitate her failed. I’m very sorry.”
Josh stared at her with big unblinking eyes. “Are you saying my mom d—died?” James slid a supportive arm around the boy’s shoulder, and Josh leaned into James’ big body.
Paula glanced over at Laura, whose tears now ran down her cheeks. “Yes, Josh. I’m sorry.”
He swallowed hard and looked over to Laura with tear-filled eyes.
He held out a hand to her and Laura moved forward to comfort him.
“I-I loved her, you know,” Josh whispered.
“Despite everything. She— She was my mom.” He turned and buried his face in James’ chest, but he clung to Laura’s hand.
James used his free arm to pull Laura closer, and they stood together for a long time with Josh’s shoulders shaking in silent cries, Laura’s sobs audible, and James murmuring endearments.
Paula and Derek were forgotten for the moment.
Paula felt Derek come close. “Let’s give them a bit of time to come to terms. Do you know your way around their kitchen? Water and tea will be welcome in a moment, I think.”
Paula nodded. That was an excellent idea.
While Paula pulled a water pitcher from the fridge, collected mugs and glasses, and started the electric kettle, Derek finished cleaning the kitchen.
Paula couldn’t help but study him as he worked.
There was something about him that reminded her of Jackson and James, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.
He was definitely a Dom, but somehow different.
Then she remembered Sonja calling him her Daddy .
Duh-uh—the man is a Daddy Dom. Sometimes, I can be really slow-witted for a detective!
She started as James cleared his throat behind them, and she tore her gaze from Derek.
She forced a smile and held up the kettle in invitation. James nodded and guided his family to the kitchen table like a shepherd herding his flock. Both Laura and Josh had red-rimmed eyes, but they looked more relaxed now.
“What happened?” Josh wanted to know. “She was okay when I visited her last week. You said she overdosed. Where would she get drugs in jail?”
Derek helped Paula carry over the tea tray.
She had found blueberry muffins in a paper bag from The Sweet and Savory Table and handed out paper napkins while answering Josh’s question.
“It looks like that. She was found unconscious in her cell with a needle still in her arm. They’ll be doing a full autopsy tomorrow afternoon, but the toxicology report will take a while.
The jail is investigating how the drugs got inside, but I’m afraid it will be hard to find evidence. Smuggling is an ongoing problem.”
Derek poured tea, and the table fell silent for a moment as each took time to add milk or lemon and sugar. All that could be heard was the clinking of spoons against ceramic cups.
As they stirred their tea and gave it time to cool down, Laura turned to Josh. “Would you like us to arrange a funeral for her?” Laura’s voice was raw with emotion.
A lonely tear worked his way down Josh’s left cheek, and he nodded.
“Y-yes, please, Ms. Laura. Would you?” He lifted his chin.
“I— I guess I’m her only relative.” He swallowed visibly.
“She— She wasn’t a bad person. She really wasn’t.
” He looked Paula squarely in the eyes, and she gave him a smile she hoped he found comforting.
The kid was way too young to have to handle this kind of heartache.
She was so proud of her friends for standing by him and providing a safe, loving home.
“People almost never are, Josh,” James said before Paula could answer.
“Sometimes, people make bad decisions or aren’t capable of getting out of a bad situation.
We’ll make sure you remember the good times with your mom, and we’ll give you a chance to say goodbye to her properly and in the way you’d like. ”
Josh turned his attention from James to Laura.
“I don’t know how a funeral is supposed to be.
Do you think Pastor Jonathan would do a service for her?
I— I know she didn’t go to church, b-but he explains things so well on Sundays and m-maybe God can forgive her, and she can be peaceful and without the pain.
” Josh’s tears overflowed, and he sniffled between words.
“She was in so much pain, and that was why she used the drugs, you know?”
Laura nodded and handed Josh a tissue. They drank their tea in silence. There wasn’t anything more that needed to be said.