𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐗 ━━ 𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐤 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐝

seventy five | settle

"How is the investigation going?"

"What was the cause of the crash?"

The representative from the airline company is the first to speak after the survivors' representative lists out everyone affected by the crash.

"The investigation could take years. That's why we want to help you put this tragedy behind you."

"I think you mean your clients would like to put it behind them."

"So I am authorized at this time to propose a one-time settlement." A folded slip of paper is then handed to Derek. "Bayview Aeronautics takes your loss seriously."

He glances at the contents of the page before passing it along to me.

"Now, the settlement agreement must be unanimous. And it releases Bayview Aeronautics from any and all other claims, known or unknown."

One by one, we view the large number written out by the representative.

"But, most important. . .it will allow you to put this painful time behind you and move on with your lives."

Owen, the last of us to see it, raises a brow.

"You have three days to come to a decision."

That night, my mind is occupied by thoughts of the offer as I lay in the massive bed with Derek, the room yet to have been decorated due to our sudden move into the house.

However, Derek's unruly movements tell me he's thinking the same thing.

"Should we settle?"

"What happens if we don't?"

"I don't know."

His arm is secured under my frame, thumb padding against my hips in feathery circles. I stare up at the pale blue ceiling.

"I'm gonna make cookies."

"You need to sleep."

"Snickerdoodle or chocolate chip?"

Derek pushes himself into an upright position and rubs his eyes awake. "You're not sleeping tonight, are you?"

"I wanna make cookies." My lips tighten. "I haven't made snickerdoodles since. . ."

"Let's make snickerdoodles, then."

Out in the kitchen, I take out all of the ingredients needed to make a fresh batch of cookies, and Derek continues discussing the settlement.

"Should we settle? It's a lot of money." He cracks open an egg. "We could stop work, travel for a while, maybe even start trying again."

"We could do all of that with the money I have from my dad dying." I blend the mixture of creamed butter, sugar, and eggs together.

"Okay, so we don't settle." He stirs the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

"Not settling means we get an answer."

Derek gradually pours the dry batch into the wet one, allowing me to mix them together and make the cookie dough.

"We don't get Mark, Lexie, and Meredith back. No matter how hard we try, they can't come back."

We roll the dough out into proportionate balls before pressing them into the cinnamon sugar.

"Traveling the world sounds better, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it does."

The cookies rest on the greased baking pan in preparation for the heated oven. My legs cross, one over the other, and I prop up on the kitchen island.