Your Favorite Crime

12. Precious Gems

Luna was far too eager to accept any invitation to the modest but homey Bradford residence. She walked into the backyard with Wade to find Angela, Wes, Nyla, James, Tim, Lucy, and their kids talking, laughing, and eating; it was a sight she had grown accustomed to seeing pretty much every other month for years now, but it was still special every time. This was their family, and family is precious.

She saw Wade dart over to the kids playing; as a retired police officer, he maintained his stamina nowadays by chasing the young children every chance he got, and he had never seemed happier, especially when he was greeted with a chorus of young voices calling him "Grandpa Wade" along with the melodic chuckles of the little ones.

Luna let Grandpa Wade have fun in the grass while she hugged all of the adults before sinking into a patio chair where Tim handed her a cold glass of water. "Thanks, Tim. You're such a good boy."

"You're welcome," he replied warmly.

"That wife of yours gets more beautiful every time I see her," she commented. After wishing for so long that her pseudo son would find someone, Luna was thrilled that Tim settled down with such a lovely woman. She had heard from Wade about the allegations made against Lucy, but she could not find it within herself to care when Tim was so happy with the blissful life she always knew he deserved. Allegations be damned.

"I'm inclined to agree," he grinned, and his eyes flitted over to where Lucy was having yet another spirited debate with Wes.

"You got him off on a technicality," Wes insisted.

"What's your point, counselor?" Lucy sassed.

"He should've gone to jail."

"I don't think so, and if you do, tighten up your case, so I don't have a gaping loophole to use."

"It wasn't GAPING. I didn't see it," Wes pointed at himself. He was still kicking himself that he had been outsmarted by Lucy in the courtroom yet again. It happened far too many times for his liking.

"That's because I'm a better lawyer than you are," she pointed out, eliciting an eye roll from the District Attorney.

"I thought cops and lawyers didn't get along. Who knew Public Defenders and the District Attorney had so much beef?" Angela asked and shrugged at her husband and Lucy who always had a case to argue about.

"No more work talk, baby. Let's round up the kids," Tim called over to his wife.

James observed as Lucy started herding the kids towards a long plastic folding table for all the young ones to eat at. "Doesn't it ever bother you that you were supposed to arrest her years ago?" He asked Nyla.

"It should, but when we found out the charges won't stick, there was nothing we could do. Besides, she's giving back in her own way as a Public Defender. I know criminals who have gotten away with worse and done less to make the world a better place," Nyla justified.

"That's true. Plus all the volunteer hours she puts in at the community center," James nodded.

"Leah! That's mine! You can't take what isn't yours. That's stealing, and that's bad!" Jade Bradford insisted with a pout.

"I'm sorry," Leah Murray apologized.

"Daddy? Can you get a juice box for Leah?" Jade asked.

"Sure, sweetie," Tim replied and went to get some juice for Nyla's daughter.

"You're raising 'em well. No one would know their mom used to be a thief," James joked to Lucy.

"Allegedly," Wade, Luna, Angela, Wes, Nyla, Tim, and Lucy corrected in unison as if rehearsed; they all agreed no one would ever receive confirmation about a past life that Lucy never revisited. She promised Tim and all of their friends that she would never steal anything again...other than a kiss from her husband or a hug from her daughters.

"Mommy, I object to having to eat my carrots," Amber Bradford said firmly.

"On what grounds, counselor?" Lucy asked her daughter, somewhat amused at how the young girl had proven she had a real knack for the law.

"On the grounds that I don't like 'em," Amber shot back.

"Too bad. They're good for you. Motion denied," Tim replied. "I didn't know we'd have two lawyers in the family," he commented under his breath.

"Your daughters prove that even without your genes, they're still turning into mini versions of you," Luna smiled.

"I've heard of unplanned pregnancies but never an unplanned adoption before you two," Angela snickered,

"I knew we'd have one hell of a honeymoon in Cyprus. I just didn't expect us to meet the most adorable little orphans and fall in love with them! We just KNEW they were our daughters," Lucy beamed.

"When you guys came back after months of being away, and Bradford said he had news, I thought he was gonna tell me you guys were pregnant. Not that you already found twin toddlers," Angela remembered the nervousness in Tim's voice when he called asking to come over and talk to her all those years ago, and she was pleasantly surprised to be introduced to her new baby nieces.

Jade ran over and climbed into Tim's lap.

"You okay, honey?" He asked his daughter.

"I don't want to talk to the other kids. I wanna be with the grown ups," she explained and laid back while she felt her dad loop his arms around her. "What were you guys talking about?"

"Precious gems," Tim answered and kissed Jade's head.

"At least this time you got the precious gems legally," James joked.

"Allegedly," Tim groaned and felt Lucy reach for his hand, "Wait, never mind, you're right."

The rest of the table erupted in laughter.