Nip 32 - THE END

“Don’t look Sari.” Brad hugs my head into his chest. “Don’t look.”

I stroke Lizi’s hair while we cry over yet another violent death. This one…we witnessed.

I catch Mark’s stare. He is barely recognizable to me. Like a pile of bricks, it hits me. He cannot stomach another man stepping in to soothe me. Suddenly, my heart rate picks up. I scan the room for the gun. What will Mark do?

“Ed Hayes is hidden in the basement.” Mark’s tone is stone cold so is his expression. He footsteps are heavy and pronounced. The opening of the front door announces Mark’s exit. He is met by a dozen blaring sirens coming around the bend.

**************************************************************************

One year later…

I peacefully inhale as the sunset rests on my face. The colors of pink, orange and purple glow on my skin. I love Cedar Creek. Iowa is my heaven on Earth.

45 minutes ago I got word Detective Hughes received the death penalty today. Justice has been served. I didn’t cry, I didn’t scream…I simply smiled. I nearly giggled. My mother, Evan, Ainslie and Aunt Clara can now rest in the peace they deserve. I sneer at the thought of Hughes’ near escape. He was caught that night boarding a plane to the Cayman Islands. Coward.

I think back to those two days that changed my life forever. I am not haunted by them. My heart will always bleed for the lives cut short but I cannot live with their deaths being in vain. I have to believe that everything happens for a reason. It is nearly impossible to see the ‘reason’ but I know it is there. I feel it.

I will never forget seeing Ed Hayes for the first time that day. After Dan committed suicide we trusted Mark’s admission and ran to the basement where we found Ed gagged and tied up. He was all alone except for a TV tuned into ABC.

I stopped in my tracks. Ed Hayes’ emerald eyes set off sparklers in my heart. “Daddy” is all I said. The word floated out of me. I didn’t think, I only reacted. It sounded beautiful. I knew him. I felt connected to him. I wonder if this is how my baby will feel when she is born. An instant connection to me and Brad. A tear drips from my eye…such a beautiful thought.

I cannot wait to meet Ainslie Hayes Callahan. She was made from pure and true love. I guess my mother and I have a lot in common after all. I fell in complete, all encompassing love with the man who saved my life by believing in me and standing by my side. Luckily, I also learned from her mistakes too. I know true love takes work to stay true. And we are truly perfect.

Brad and I had some adversity to overcome. We were national sensations overnight. It was so overwhelming. We blew the Chicago PD wide open and it was ugly. I reported the case we cracked up as my final report as a reporter. It was also Brad’s last interview as a detective.

Brad and I decided to leave the Windy City behind us and find our personal tranquility. Cedar Creek. It is delightful. The trees are enormous, the lakes are crystal clear, the grass is pillow stuff and the four seasons are filled with love and hope. And, the best part, my father lives down the street. He is an amazing man. We are beyond happy. A much simpler life than I had predicted for myself. I was so off base back in Chicago. I now know what is important and what is not. My life is nothing but bliss. Brad consults the local police departments on their tougher cases and I am babbling in a writing career.

Lizi left Chicago as well. She was accepted to Georgetown to study law. She is eager to pursue a career with the FBI. If ever there was a woman who could hack it in the FBI it is her. She is a physical specimen. I am so proud of her. Ainslie and Aunt Clara surely are too.

I haven’t heard from Mark in months. He was arrested for his role in the case. It’s true on some level he was an innocent bystander but the information he knew could have set Ed Hayes free and stopped the situation from getting worse….saving Ainslie and Aunt Clara’s lives. But he couldn’t do that. He was so selfish. The courts went easy on him in some ways. He did not have to serve jail time but he lost his law license for life. My guess is he will live miserably for the duration of his existence. I didn’t see it during our 5 year courtship because I wasn’t looking but it is so obvious to me now. Mark simply wants, wants and wants. He doesn’t know how to garner what he has.

“Hey babe.’ Brad kneels down beside me. He tenderly lays his hand my baby bump. “How are my girls?”

“Wonderful.” I gush just as Ainslie kicks.