In the gritty streets of Chicago, Katie finds herself at a crossroads, torn between her tumultuous past and an uncertain future. Escaping an abusive relationship, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery, determined to carve out a new path for her...
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"What's gonna happen to dad?" Lucas asks me in the car the next day, and I sigh, glancing at Connor next to me in the car.
I've been trying to put off answering his questions, but he's going to find out at some point, so I decide to tell him a little bit.
"Your dad, he's done some pretty bad things, and uh, he's going to have to go away for a while to make it better," I say, stroking the blonde hair on his head.
"Like to jail?" He asks, looking at me expectantly, his innocent eyes wide and glassy.
"Yeah," I breathe. "For a little bit." I open the car door and walk him into school, watching him enter his classroom. Then, I wait in the hallway to meet with the principal and the secretaries working at the school.
"No one takes him out of this building without my personal say-so, face to face," I hold up my badge to them. "He was in real danger yesterday; his dad's in custody right now. You know my mom; she'll be picking him up this afternoon."
"We're really sorry about the events that took place; your son's well-being is a top priority, along with the other children at this school," Principal Dickinson assures me.
"Can you just keep an eye on him, make sure he's holding up okay?" I ask, and Dickinson nods in reply before I head back out again.
Afterward, I drop Connor off at the E.D. so he can go to work. "Have a good day," he kisses my cheek, and I drive myself to work.
*
The station is alive with the buzz of officers, detectives, phones ringing, and the occasional murmur of conversation. My eyes catch Antonio, and he gestures for me to join him to the side.
"Hey, can I talk to you?" Antonio asks, guiding me away from the bustling center of the unit. "We can't get close like we did on the job last night again," he says, a hint of concern in his voice.
"Tony, it was part of the act, I know, don't sweat it," I reassure him, patting his arm. "Carry on as normal?"
"Yeah," he replies, heading towards his ringing phone on the desk. "Can you get that? I need to go shake hands with the president, if you get what I mean," he adds, laughing and heading toward the men's room.
I pick up Antonio's phone and answer, "Antonio Dawson's phone, Intelligence, how can I help you?"
"Where's Antonio? I need to speak with him," a lady says, her voice trembling.
"He's busy right now. Can I take a message, ma'am?" I ask politely.
"No, I'm Laura, his wife. It's our son; I need to speak with him right now," she cries.
"Antonio!" I shout, quickly putting my hand over the receiver. He comes out straight away, still zipping up his pants. Wow, men pee fast. I hand the phone to him. "It's your wife."
