For Them, We Must

A turn of the truth.

"How are we doing?" Oakley looked in her rearview window at the twins.

They weren't crying anymore, but they both had tear stains on their cheeks. Oakley had just taken the twins to get their second dose of their MMR shots. Both were troopers, but that didn't mean there weren't tears.

"I hate shots, Momma!" Lee said.

"I know, baby," Oakley nodded. "But they protect you and keep you from getting sick."

"I still hate them," Lee mumbled.

"Momma, can we get ice cream?" Evelyn asked.

"Just like your father," Oakley whispered but pulled over in front of the ice cream shop.

It was warmer out today, as Oakley and the twins made their way inside the shop. The twins looked into the freezer at their options while Oakley dialed Kayce's number.

"Hey," Kayce answered.

"Hey..." Oakley smiled at his voice. "We're at the ice cream shop...got finished with their shots and I was gonna see if you wanted us to bring you something?"

"That's alright," Kayce said. "But thank you."

"We don't mind," Oakley stood behind the twins and looked at the flavors. "They've got strawberry."

"I do like strawberry," Kayce mumbled.

"We won't stay long," Oakley smiled. "I know you're busy...but we could stop by and say hi."

"I'll come meet y'all," Kayce said.

"You sure?" Oakley asked.

"Yeah...I need some air," Kayce sighed.

"Alright," Oakley frowned at Kayce's sigh. "We'll see you in a minute then."

"Bye."

Oakley hung up and looked at the young lady behind the counter.

A few minutes later, everyone had their ice cream. Cookies N Cream for Evelyn, Chocolate for Lee, Coffee for Oakley, and as Kayce walked into the shop, Oakley held out a strawberry for him.

"Daddy!" The twins smiled with ice cream over their lips.

"Hey," Kayce smiled at them, sitting down next to Oakley.

"Here," Oakley also handed Kayce a napkin.

"Thank you," Kayce held up the ice cream to his lips.

Oakley rested her hand on Kayce's thigh as she watched him. He'd been quiet since the news of Doyle. His team had been helping investigate the death too. The autopsy results should be back tomorrow and Oakley knew it was on Kayce's mind.

"Daddy?" Evelyn asked as she licked off the ice cream from her cone that was dripping.

"What?" Kayce looked at her.

"Did you get the bad guys today?" She asked innocently.

"Bad guys?" Kayce raised an eyebrow. "What bad guys."

"The ones Momma said you were trying to win against," Evelyn looked at Oakley to make sure she was right.

Kayce also looked at Oakley in confusion.

"She heard you the other night," Oakley mumbled to Kayce. "I told her it was because sometimes the bad guys win...but what did I also say?"

Oakley looked at Evelyn expectantly.

"That Daddy always wins in the end," Evelyn smiled at Kayce. "Because you're Daddy."

Kayce leaned his elbows on the table, moving closer to the kids. Lee was also acutely aware of Kayce now too, his eyes watching his father like a hawk.