Red_Roses_and_Black_Dahlias_-_Macy_T

"In my heart?”
“In your heart, but also all around you. They’re watching over you from
above.” Her lips pulled up and she grabbed my hand in her much smaller
one.
“I love you, Mads.” My eyes actually stung at hearing her say that. The
love I felt for that little girl was immeasurable.
“I love you too, Pretty Girl.” Bending slightly over, I kissed her forehead
and she simultaneously kissed my stubbled chin, since that’s where her lips
reached given our height differences. That was something I saw her do often
with Sofia, like a little ritual. I was glad she included me too.
I smiled at her and said goodnight before leaving her door slightly ajar. I
wanted to still be able to hear her if she had a nightmare about those
monsters she seemed so terrified of. It had actually been a while since she
had one of those, but you can never be too careful.
Once I was out of her room, I had to stop and let myself slump against the
wall in the hallway. Closing my eyes in defeat I tried telling myself that
Valentina was too young to really care for closure on her parents’ case, that
growing up with me and Sofia would be enough for her, but to no avail. My
brain made up all sorts of scenarios where she grew up to resent me for
never finding her parents’ killers. Where she went in search of answers
herself and ended up being hurt.
Fuck, I couldn't let that happen.
I still had all night to work on it. It was barely eight thirty, Sofia would be
back around ten and then she’d probably be too tired to stay up late. That left
me some time to comb through every last detail of that goddamn case.
Tomorrow, I’ll get to Piersons’ office with some fucking answers.
Grabbing myself a cup of coffee, I set everything up on the coffee table.
The lights were deemed inside the living room and I was sitting on the sofa,