Suzie’s House 135: A Word, If You Please

“Drew is leaving?” Miranda couldn’t believe it. She stared at Suzie then at Ben in turns. “Why on earth is he leaving?”

“Work,” Ben said morosely. He slumped over the kitchen table, one wrist wrapped over the top of his head.

Suzie nodded. “His job here was temporary. He’s been re-assigned.”

“Pft. As if that was reason enough.” Miranda didn’t wait for Suzie or Ben to respond. She marched upstairs to set Drew straight.

“Drew?” She tapped on Suzie’s door first. To her surprise, he wasn’t in Suzie’s bedroom. Instead, she found him sitting on his own bed. He slumped forward as if someone had taken a big spoon and scooped out everything from his front. “Drew, do you realize Suzie and Ben are in the kitchen eating their hearts out right now?”

“Yes.” His voice came out lifelessly.

“Well, go down there and do something.”

“Like what?” He looked up, eyes burning with pain and anger.

The depth of his feeling put hers in the shade. For a moment, she actually felt inadequate. It wasn’t a sensation she could tolerate when she was so sure she knew what was best for everyone. After all, wasn’t this household important to all of them? They were family, as close to family as she’d ever been. She wasn’t about to give that up because of some thick headed man.

“Go tell her you love her and that you aren’t leaving!”

“That would be a lie.”

He couldn’t have shocked her more of he’d slapped her. “You don’t love her?” Miranda’s voice screeched out, forced through too tight an opening.

“Of course I love her. She knows that. But I’m not going to stay.”

Miranda’s knees felt weak. She stumbled to his bed, and slumped next to him heavily.

“If you love her, why can’t you stay?”

“It’s time. I said right from the beginning I was on temporary assignment. Now the assignment is over, and I’ve been re-assigned. That’s the way it is.”

“So quit!”

Drew swore as he shoved off from the bed.

“This is what I get for letting the lot of you help me with my case.” He went to the dresser where he mouthed a swearword, his back partly turned toward her for several seconds before he rounded on her. “You all think you know what it takes to be an FBI agent. You all think it’s something trivial that anyone can do. Well, it isn’t. I worked hard to become what I am now. I’m not going to throw that away. Not for anything. Not even for love.”

“You have got to be kidding.” Miranda couldn’t believe anyone would forsake love when they finally had a chance for some. Her vision of a happy household with Suzie playing mother and Drew playing father evaporated.

She thought back to when they all first moved into the house, how she had originally thought she would love Drew instead of Vin. At the time, when Drew made it clear he preferred Suzie, Miranda had felt let down. Now, she felt as if a bullet had narrowly whizzed past.

So Vin really was a better love.

But that still left her home without a father. Just like always.

“No. No, I don’t buy that! Nothing says you can’t be both and FBI agent and here with the rest of us.”

“Except my boss,” Drew said coldly.

“Well talk to him! Convince him! You belong here, not… wherever it is you think you’re going.”

“I’ve already put in a request for transfer. It was denied. I’m going to New Mexico on Friday.”

So cold. So very cold of him. Miranda opened her mouth to argue, but Vin stepped into the room.

“No, Miranda.” Vin took her into his arms. “Don’t argue with him. Can’t you tell this is already killing him?”

But she couldn’t. She let Vin guide her out of the room, but she thought if he understood this, he was going to have to explain, because the only thing she understood was how devastated she would be if Vin left her.

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