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Aiden is no longer pointing the gun at Amy, and I never bothered to check if he ever did so in the first place. Knowing him, he would rather risk his life and give her the benefit of the doubt than shoot her. In my line of work, that’s a dangerous way to think. For Aiden, it’s just who he is, and I love him all the more for it. He tries to see the best in everyone.
I point to the exit of the warehouse and say, “We should go outside, get out of the way, and leave these guys to clean up.”
When I open the door, bright sunlight hits my eyes, forcing me to squint. Jessie and Jerry wave us over but immediately reach for their weapons when they see Amy trailing behind. “Put your guns down. Amy saved our lives, and Aiden has granted her an audience. We’ll stand by and remain close but far enough away to give them a little privacy.”
They don’t like it—and neither do I—but it’s Aiden’s life, and he’s free to do as he pleases. I make sure I’m close enough to hear what’s being said in case things spiral out of control. I listen in as Aiden asks bluntly, “Which Amy am I talking to? Amy Smith or Amy Potslawski?”
Amy’s eyes tear up. “Amy Potslawski.”
“Thank you, Amy, for saving our lives; but it begs the question of why you were here in the first place. Why have you been following me? I thought that we agreed that if you take the medication, seek help, and follow the restraining order, it would eventually be lifted.”
“I know Mr. Shaw, but I had something I needed to say. I was hoping you would see me and approach me—not your bodyguards, but you,” she says.
“You have my undivided attention. What is it you want to tell me?”
Amy reaches for her back pocket, and I immediately raise my weapon. She has no idea the bullets will merely knock her out and once again raises her hands. “It’s just a letter!” she exclaims.
I pull out the note from her back pocket and hand it to Aiden before returning to my spot. As he reads it, Amy begins talking.
“Mr. Shaw, this is an apology and a thank you letter wrapped into one. Dissociative Identity Disorder isn’t easy to live with. It’s like you’re sharing your body with another human being. Sometimes, only hours pass. Then there are times when days, weeks, or a year of your life are missing. If my ‘other’ personality hadn’t taken up the hobby of writing in a journal every day, I wouldn’t have any idea what was happening. Imagine how it felt to see a restraining order on the table once I got home from the doctor. They gave me an antipsychotic that took a couple of days to kick in, and I’ve been talking with my psychologist nearly every day as a check-in.
“The journal is how I knew what I had done to you. I’m so sorry. That’s what I wanted to tell you. I also wanted to say thank you for not giving up on me and helping me get the treatment I needed. If it weren’t for you, I would probably be back in an institution or someplace even worse.”
“Amy, everyone deserves a second chance, including you. If you continue your treatments, per our agreement, the restraining order will be lifted in time,” Aiden tells her.
Amy shakes her head. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d like you to keep it in place indefinitely,” she says, stunning us all.
“Why?” Aiden asks.
“For one, I,” she says, pointing to herself, “hate hockey and don’t have any reason to come near you after today. And two, if for some reason I relapse, you should be protected.”
Aiden embraces Amy when their conversation ends and asks one of the FBI agents to give her a ride to her car parked down the road. She had snuck in when the FBI stormed the warehouse, risking her life just so she could say thank you.
Aiden saunters over with an “I told you so” expression on his face.
“Don’t say it!” I warn.
“Say what?”
“You’re a smart man, Aiden. It’s best to let sleeping dogs lie because that one bites!” Jerry quips, pointing to me in the process.
I chomp my teeth at my teammate.
“See what I mean. She’s dangerous!”
Aiden chuckles but then becomes serious, with sadness in his eyes. “I can’t believe Swank betrayed me in such a way. I never saw it coming.”
I stroke Aiden’s cheek. “That’s because you see the goodness in people and not their faults; except for me. You questioned me right out of the gate,” I tease.
He pulls me close and kisses my lips softly. “That’s true, but you won me over in the end.”
As Aiden continues to pepper me with kisses, Jessie and Jerry start singing Another One Bites the Dust by Queen, causing us both to giggle.
Aiden whispers in my ear, “One hard conversation down, one more to go. Tomorrow, your mom is coming over to visit.”
We all stayed home on Saturday and watched the last game of the regular season. Swank didn’t play because he was sitting in a jail cell, while Aiden was benched due to a pending investigation. Once Aiden is cleared of any wrongdoing, he’ll be allowed to play. With two of the Rockets star players sidelined and morale at a low, the team ended up losing 5-2.
The family decided to forego church today as well. All of us need the time to recuperate after Friday’s ordeal. However, we opt to watch the service streamed live on social media from the comfort of the living room. My team is packing up and preparing to leave tomorrow since the threat has been neutralized. I’ll need to pack later tonight if I plan to leave with them. There’s no way I’m driving the piece of junk car that Ethan sent me down here with.
