Robbery In Progress

*Kelsey*

I smiled when my dad opened the door on Sunday morning. After the debacle yesterday, I needed a break from...well, everything. And I was supposed to be here that Saturday after I met Emma so it was time to come around. "Hi Dad." He pulled me in for a hug and I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed tight. God, I loved him.

"Hey, pumpkin. Tough day at work?" I laughed at that and pulled back. *You have no idea*, I thought to myself. I walked past him and greeted my step mom, Heather, before I plopped down on their couch.

"Tough week. Or two." I finally grumbled in response. "Please tell me you've got some big, fun, distracting day planned." I added hopefully, looking up at both of them like I was asking for presents on Christmas. "Actually, I have to stop into work and check in on an animal. Would you like to come with us?" Heather asked. She was at their kitchen table sipping coffee, probably her second cup considering she was a morning person and it was almost 10

am.

"We're going to the zoo?" Heather was a vet at the Staten Island Zoo. That's actually how she met my dad which was kind of an adorable story. My mom had been gone for about two years at that point, I was twenty at the time. I came home from college to spend the day with him on my mom's birthday. But before we could get on with our day he needed to make a pit stop at the zoo.

He worked at a humane society, and someone came in the day prior and surrendered an armadillo of all things. No idea where they got it from because those certainly aren't native to New York. So he had contacted the zoo hoping they would take the little guy in.

The minute we met her I knew my dad had met his second love. Of course neither of them knew it at the time but it was fun watching them figure it out.

"Yes, we are going to the zoo. We don't have to stay long if you want to do something else afterward." My dad was offering me an out but honestly a day at the zoo sounded perfect. I don't really go anymore since it's kind of more of a kid's scene but it would be nice to escape my regular world for a bit. I hopped back up to join them in the dining area.

"Heck no, I'm calling in for a zoo day. It'll be nice." My dad visibly relaxed after my response which made me realize how long it had been since I spent the day with them. My cancellation a few Saturdays ago wasn't the first. Honestly, it probably wouldn't be the last either. I sighed at that thought, vowing to be better about visiting.

"That sounds great, pumpkin." I smiled at him, reveling in the comfort of this moment, the nostalgia of being home. After a beat of silence, my dad completed the picture of my childhood and sent my heart into overdrive with just one question, "any special girl or guy catch my daughter's heart yet?"

It was innocent enough but boy was it complicated. A picture of Emma soft from sleep next to me filled my mind. I shook it off and started for the door, "we should probably get going if we want to get there while it's still slow." I wasn't ready to answer that question because honestly, I didn't even know if I had an answer. It's not like I was actively dating, but then Emma's face popped into my head again and my cheeks flushed. That situation was a mess I wasn't quite ready to untangle, plus I wouldn't go around putting my heart on anything yet. Some other body parts? Hell yes. My heart? No way.

I came back to the current moment when my dad chuckled And then I realized I was thinking about other body parts while in the presence of my father. *Ick*. Better steer clear of Emma thoughts for the day. Just focus on my dad and stepmom, and not think about anything else. Just for one day. *How hard could that be?*

*Emma*

"Riley, you rascal!" My scolded my oldest nephew after he beat me at monopoly for *the third time*. This kid was born for our capitalist society, he just didn't know it yet. He giggled and kicked his feet excitedly in his chair across from me. I loved visiting my niblings because they forced me to feel, I've always loved them and every time I see them I'm reminded to set my own feelings and issues aside for a bit and just be with them. It was a nice break, almost like they were lifting the weight off my shoulders.

"Again!" He demanded.

"I don't think so, big guy. We don't have time today. But, next time I visit we'll have a go at it. And I swear, I will be practicing while I'm away so I can wipe the floor with you in round three." The likelihood that I would actually practice was slim to none, *not that I think it would help*, but he didn't need to know that.

His six -- almost seven -- year old body was getting a bit too heavy for me to pick up and swing around like I used to so instead I leaned over and ruffled his hair. "Now, where are your siblings? We have to get going if we want to see all the animals at the zoo before they close." Of course, it was only 11 am and the zoo was open for another five or six hours, but sometimes you have to tell a white lie every now and again to get kids moving.

Plus, my plan worked perfectly because he jumped from his seat and ran off in search of his brother and sister. I chuckled at that just as my sister came into the living room, just barely dodging out of the way of her son in the process. "Hey," I had already spoken to her when I arrived, before she disappeared to help her husband, Eric with getting Henry and Amy ready. Leaving me to keep the oldest occupied. She smiled at me in response and slid into the seat her son just vacated. "Thanks for letting me crash your guys' day to the zoo."

"Are you kidding? The kids adore you, they are over the moon that their favorite aunt is coming along."

I smiled at that and added, "only aunt." Meg waved her hand and scoffed.

"Details. Speaking of details, you ever going to tell me what happened with you and the detective on Friday?" This was only the gazillionth time she had asked me, causing me to roll my eyes.

"I told you. Nothing happened."

She shook her head at me, "I still don't believe you. One of these days, I'll get it out of you."

I shook my head, lightly kicking my leg out to make contact with her shin. "Good luck with that. Even if something had happened, which it didn't, this hardly seems like the appropriate time to be talking about it."

She waved me off, "it would go right over there heads. And Eric is rooting for you." Okay, I knew married couples told each other everything, but really? What could she have even told him that he'd be rooting for a...a whatever you call this. We didn't even talk after the robbery fell apart in front of us yesterday. We just packed up everything like we were in a trance and went our separate ways. I've been meaning to text her, I even had a lame "hey" sitting in my drafts at this very moment. But I couldn't get myself to hit send.

I feel like I'm in limbo. Like my whole life is just floating between decisions right now. And Kelsey is just *everywhere*, fogging up my mind and making it really hard to think. I spend most of my time these days reminding myself that she's off limits.

I *definitely* shouldn't have kissed her on Friday. I have no idea what I was thinking. She was just leaving so fast and I was desperate to stop her. I wonder if that's how she felt when I left that first morning. *Well, shit. Why'd I have to go and have a thought like that?*

"Em?" Meg asked, bringing my attention back to the present. "You still there?"

"Definitely. 100% here." Just to prove it I leaned over and pushed her shoulder, "stop gossiping with your husband about my non-existent love life."

"Never!" She tried so hard to say it seriously, but her smile won out, followed by a full out laugh. This is why I loved my sister, this is why she was my best friend. I laughed right along with her, and when Eric came into the room, holding their three year old in his arms he smiled at us.

"It's nice to see you two laughing together again. Hi, Em. Nice to see you." He leaned down and kissed my check and I took that as my opportunity to steal Amy from him.

"Hi Eric. And hello to you too, pretty girl. Are you ready to go to the zoo today?" I blew raspberries right on her stomach and she fell into a fit of laughter.

"We should definitely get going. Maybe if we start now, we will get out the door before the zoo closes." I could tell Meg was mostly kidding, but there was also a grain of truth in what she was saying. And if I hadn't believed her right then, I certainly would have when it took us three times going out to the car and coming back in before we left.

First, Henry couldn't find his shoes that were definitely on his feet when Eric saw him last. *He swears it*. Then Riley wanted a snack for the road so I ran in and grabbed some fruit snacks. But he didn't want fruit snacks, he wanted the goldfish. If this was any indication to how our day was going to go I had a feeling I would need a nap when I got home. It would be worth it, I love these kids to death. But yeah, I would definitely need a nap.

At least I would be too exhausted to think about a certain someone and a certain case that was driving me almost as crazy as the woman.