𝐃𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐕𝐀𝐍

𝐒𝐈𝐗𝐓𝐘-𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄

Charlie Taylor hadn't felt like this before in his life. 

His bones ached. This longing felt like a hole in his chest...and what could he do about it but wait for that part of him to come back? Her calling was in the weird and terrifying...not in the safety of a small town medical practice. Not in his bed, in his arms...his.

So if he knew that, why did he spend so long staring into the display window of a jewelry shop? Not at nothing.

At a ring that immediately reminded him of his favorite person. 

Was it selfish of him to even consider this? To consider asking her for forever when he knew about where her heart was? Of course it was with him, in that sense...but hunting is her. 

Sophia stops talking when she realizes Charlie isn't next to her anymore. She does a half circle and finds him about ten yards back, staring into a window like he's in a trance. 

"Charlie?" She sidles up beside him, his dark eyes still locked on an object inside. Immediately, she knows which one it is. A grin splits accross her face as her blue eyes dance over the glittery pear-cut solitaire. "She likes gold," Sophia whispers.

The corner of his mouth turns upward before his dark eyes find Sophia's. 

"Do you think it's selfish?" He whispers back. "To ask her...to ask her to stay out of it all?"

"No," Sophia softly returns.

"What if she says no?"

"She won't." Sophia grins. "Well...she might go, "No. What?" But I think that's more of a disbelief thing." Charlie chuckles. 

Charlie always knew he was going to spend the rest of his life with Katherine. Now it seems real. He'd had dreams about it, longed to return to a home with her all over it. Their kids. What would they cook for dinner? What would they do on the weekends?

He'd bought a vacant lot just before he met her, and when the three of them started hanging out together, he'd put on those house flipping shows. Listened to what she liked. What she hated. 

He started building four months ago. There had been some delays, but Katherine's dream home had been built right under her nose. It's easy, what with her being gone so often. Not even Sophia knows.

It'll be finished in three weeks. That puts it at the fourth of July weekend. 

"I think I'm gonna go in there," Charlie murmurs. Sophia grins and hugs herself. Tears spring to her eyes, and she quickly, wordlessly nods. Charlie waltzes right into that shop. Sophia watches an employee's hand reach into the display and grab the rock that'll be sitting on Katherine's finger soon. 

If only Charlie had a brother and Sophia loved him. Then they'd really be sisters.

✕

"You always have those dreams, don't you?"

Katherine rubs her eyes, willing the grogginess away. Willing the eyes to go away.

"What?"

Dean doesn't sit up from the sofa. "The nightmares, I mean."

Katherine stares in his direction in the dark. "Yeah," she whispers. 

"Every night."

"Yeah." Katherine swallows and glances to the moonlight streaming through the curtains. "Yeah, he always comes back. It's like...it's like part of him just stuck in my brain when that bullet hit." She gnaws on her lip and turns over.