Considerations: Author's Notes

·         I managed to get this story finished on the 18^th, knowing that the last chapter was going to drop on the 25^th.  I usually have an entire story written and done before I publish, but this was a bit of a spur of the moment project.

·         As always, I had an idea of how I wanted the story to end so it was just a question of filling in the middle.

·         Back when I finished Shadows and Grays this summer, I found I enjoyed the character of Emma Couteau.  There’s a lot more going on with her, so I wanted to explore more of her life.  Again, I’m really not sure what’s going on with her parents, or even if they are alive.  How much of her life is real and how much is fake? as per Chapter 11.  Even her aunt and uncle are fake.

·         I borrowed the main idea of Chapter 19 from notes I had written for Shadows and Grays.  I had no idea in the beginning how well it was going to fit in where it did.

·         I wanted Emma and Donovan to go on this little journey of Christmas traditions, and honestly, I didn’t plan for the movie It’s a Wonderful Life to work like it did.  I randomly grabbed a traditional Christmas movie out of thin air, and then I was surprised to find how well it worked with all the other elements that were going on in the story.  The same goes for the angels as the Christmas tree toppers.  The story of Satan and Jesus at the top of the temple of Jerusalem was a happy coincidence as well.  I’m really surprised how all those parts worked out the way it did.

·         Donovan and Emma are just friends.  After all, he’s a cop and she’s – just a kid in college.

Considerations: Part Four: Epilogue

 

            “Donovan!  I’m so glad you could make it!” Emma exclaimed as she answered the door.

            He smiled.  “It’s good to see you, Emma.”  He gingerly stepped into the foyer, slightly worse for wear, and greeted Emma’s aunt and uncle.  “Juliette, Mark, Merry Christmas.  This is for you.”  He handed a bottle of wine to Mark.  He turned to Emma and handed her a slim package.  “And this is for you.”

            Her face lit up.  “I’ll put it under the tree.  We’ll open presents later.  Right now, it’s time for dinner.”

            They sat around the table, trading stories and news.  Donovan told amusing cop tales.  Juliette and Mark had stories about France and how they met.  Emma proudly announced that she had passed all her first semester classes.  Before long, it was time to gather around the tree to open presents.  Emma’s aunt and uncle lead the way into the living room, and Emma took a moment to bump Donovan with her shoulder.  “Traditions, Donovan.  It’s all about the traditions.”

            Since she was the youngest, Emma passed out the gifts.  Her aunt received a new leather wallet, her uncle loved his cashmere scarf.  Emma’s presents from them were a pen and pencil set and a leather-bound journal.  “Should I open this one next?”  She held up the gift from Donovan, who smiled and nodded.  When she unwrapped the box and opened it, she laughed and pulled out a light brown cashmere scarf.  “It’s perfect, Donovan.  But now you have to open yours,” she said with a smile, and handed him a gift bag.

            Curious, he took the bag and looked inside.  He started laughing and pulled out a scarf just like the one he had given to Emma.  “How are we going to tell them apart?” he asked, chuckling. 

            “Actually, Donovan, I got yours personalized.”  She pointed to a corner of the scarf where something was embroidered.

            He ran his fingers over the stitching and looked up curiously.  “Luke 4:10?”

            She nodded.  “For Scripture has it, ‘He will bid his angels watch over you.’” she quoted and then she continued, “The story goes like this.  Jesus went into the desert for forty days and was tempted by the devil.  Satan kept testing Him and at one point, took Him to the top of the temple of Jerusalem, and told Jesus to throw Himself off the edge.”  Emma paused and looked at Donovan.  “Then Satan said, He will bid his angels watch over you.”

            Donovan was quiet for moment, then his eyes opened wide.  “Emma, did you—”

            She smiled.  “Merry Christmas, Donovan.”

 

Considerations: Chapter 25

 

            “Donovan!  Are you okay?” the voice of Captain Gonzales startled him.  “What happened up here?”

            Donovan blinked rapidly and staggered back from the window.  “What??” he looked around.  “I don’t know.  I’m not sure.  I’m supposed to be dead.”  He grabbed the captain’s arm, “We have to find Lina…Ms. Meyer.  You have to arrest her, she tried to kill me.”

                “Yeah, about that…” Rodriguez said, looking down at the street below.  “She’s not going anywhere.”

Donovan’s face blanched with the realization of the captain’s words.  “Did she jump?  What happened?”

“You tell me, Donovan.” Rodriguez replied.  “We got a message from Interpol that Lina Meyer was no agent, that she was Mikel Weber’s sister.  We hauled ass over here thinking you might be in trouble, and when we get in here, you’re standing at your window all alone like you were gonna take a dive and Meyer is nowhere to be seen.”

Confused, Donovan looked around his apartment.  “Maybe she panicked when she heard you coming?”  He took in a shaky breath and sat heavily on his sofa.  “I really don’t know.  She was all ready to push me out the window, and the next thing I know, you were shouting at me.”

“You’re one lucky dude, Donovan,” the captain said.  “Christmas miracle maybe.”  He looked at the shattered window and shook his head.  “We’ll have someone come out and board that up for you.  Might be a little while.  After all, it IS Christmas.”

=

A few blocks away, there was the soft beeping of cell phone buttons being pushed.

“Exchange,” a voice answered.

“3-5-4.”

“Verified.  Authenticate.”

“Zulu, Echo, November,” Emma replied.

“Verified.  What can I do for you?” the voice said.

“Project update.”

“Go ahead.”

“Overwatch completed.  Status successful.  Threat neutralized and terminated.”

“Affirmative.  Update received and recorded.  Payment will be distributed to your account.  Do you need anything else?”

“Resources will need to secure the equipment and secure the platform.”

“Of course.  Anything else?”

            “One more thing.  Would you remind the two individuals that played my aunt and uncle that dinner is at six tonight?”

            “Affirmative.  Will that be all?”

            “Yes.  3-5-4 out.”

            “End call.”

            Emma took one last look through her scope and secured her rifle.  She let out a slow, satisfied sigh. 

 

Considerations: Chapter 24

 

Donovan blinked several times, wondering if he had heard what Lina Meyer said correctly.  The scotch that he had been drinking did not make matters any better.  “What did you say?” he asked.  The next thing he knew, he was on his hands and knees, shaking off a kick to the head.

She leaned down to speak to him, “I said, I want you to die.”

He shook his head, trying to clear the dancing stars and fog in his brain.  It was not making a lot of sense, and then it suddenly got worse.  Lina Meyer had a gun.  “I thought you were supposed to protect me,” he said.

“I lied...Now get up.”  She gestured with her gun, and he staggered to his feet.  “Go stand by the window.”  She watched as he moved to the glass and looked down at the street.  “Is this what it was like, Herr Donovan?”  she asked.  “Is this what it was like when you killed my brother?”

He turned, wide-eyed, to stare at her.  “Mikel Weber was your brother??”  He shook his head in confusion.  “What about Interpol?”

She gave a short laugh.  “Interpol?  It was easy enough to forge some documents to fool your captain.  And as far as Mikel goes?  Unfortunately, yes.  That incestuous pedophile was my brother.  He had his faults, certainly, but even so, he was still family.”  She raised the pistol and fired, the bullet smashing the glass behind the detective.  “It’s going to look like this.  You had too much to drink, fired off your gun, wandered over to the window, lost your balance, and fell over the edge.”   She moved to peek over the side.

Donovan closed his eyes and thought about the path his life had taken.  Maybe it was time to pay for all his mistakes.  He thought about what Emma had said, about the calm, quiet inevitability of what was going to happen next when it was time to go over the edge.

“Goodbye, Herr Donovan.  It’s time to die.”

 

Considerations: Part Three: Chapter 23

 

            Donovan had made some serious headway into the bottle of scotch when he heard his front door open.  Startled, he turned around and squinted to see who it was.  “What the heck?  How did you do that?”  There, standing in his doorway, was Lina Meyer. 

She smiled, “I got the passkey from the security office.  I thought I’d pay you a visit.”

  Oh great, he thought, on top of everything else, Lina Meyer decided to pay me a visit.  “Well hey, Ms. Meyer.  You want a drink?”

            She smirked.  “No, Herr Donovan.  I want you to die.”

Considerations: Chapter 22

 

            When Donovan got to his apartment, he let himself in and tossed his keys onto the entryway table.  He ran his hands through his hair and spent a moment massaging his temples.  Emma’s somber assessment of her path in life unsettled him, and he was having difficulties sorting out his feelings about what she had said.

            He went to his bedroom and secured his gun in the lockbox in his closet, took his cell phone from his pocket and put it on his nightstand, then went to his bathroom to wash his face.  “Why does she have to be like that?” he asked himself in the mirror.  He shook his head wearily, then made his way into the kitchen to pour himself a drink.  He started to put the bottle back into the cabinet and stopped.  “Oh, the heck with it,” and he grabbed the bottle and made his way to his living room to stare out the window.

Considerations: Chapter 21

 

            In the squad room at the police station, the fax machine whirred and then chimed, but no one was around to notice.  It wasn’t until later that one of the detectives found the message.  He looked it over then called out, “Captain?  You gotta see this.” 

            Rodrigues made his way to his desk.  “What is it, Ryan?”

            The detective pushed a photo toward the captain.  “This came in from Interpol,” said Ryan and pointed at the picture.  “Look at this.  This girl.  She’s not what she says she is.”

            “What??”  Rodriguez grabbed the report and quickly scanned the contents.  “Crap!  Where’s Donovan?”

            Ryan checked his watch.  “I suppose he’s at home,” he said uncertainly.

            “Get the team together!  Call him!  Find him!” the captain yelled.

 

Considerations: Chapter 17

 

            Down in her car, Emma shook her head.  It was a rather awkward exit strategy, but she was sure he would be too confused to give it much thought.  A couple of minutes later, she was in the parking garage of an office building just two blocks away from Donovan’s apartment.  She made her way to the elevator and used the executive key to get to the top floor. 

The entire floor was empty except for a small setup with tables and computers that faced the apartment building.  She walked over, sat at a computer station, and turned on the monitor.  “Okay, let’s see what we got,” she murmured.  She tapped some keys and a view from the corner of Donovan’s living room appeared.  The camera in the Christmas tree angel was working perfectly.  “Someone to watch over you,” she said.  She hit different key and the scene changed; Donovan was rinsing the mugs out in the sink.  “And the elf on the shelf is doing his job,” she thought to herself. 

There was other equipment that required inspection; thermal imaging and night vision cameras, directional microphones, recording devices.   She looked over the tools of her trade, satisfied with the arrangement.  There was one more piece of gear; she pulled the long gun case from under the table.  Just then, her phone chimed.  It was 11 o’clock.

“3-5-4,” she answered.

“Verified.  Authenticate, please,” the voice said.

“Zulu, Echo, November.”

“Verified.  Resources requests a status update.”

“Everything is operating to specifications.  The equipment is in place and the signal is five by five.”

“Affirmative.”  Then a pause.  “The Manager wants to know--”

“I’m fine,” she said sharply.

The voice on the line came back slowly.  “He’s concerned, Emma.”

She rubbed her forehead and sighed.  “I’m good.  Just a little tired.”

“Acknowledged.”

“I just wish …”  Her voice trailed off.

“Understood.  Do you need replacement?”

“Negative.  I’m the best option.”

“We’ll log your readiness at…?”

“100 percent.”

“Noted.  Is there anything that you need?”

“Negative.  I’m good.  3-5-4 out.”

            “End call.”

 

Considerations: Part Two: Chapter 20

 

            After dropping Donovan off, it only took a couple of minutes for Emma to get to the office building.  She parked her car, then rode the elevator to the top floor to her observation post.

            She powered up the equipment, then hesitated for a moment before grabbing her gun case.  She took the stairs to the roof and made her way to a spot overlooking Donovan’s building.  Assembling the M2010 didn’t take long, and soon she was looking through the scope, scanning his apartment.

            “Where are you, Donovan?  Maybe tonight’s the night.”

 

Considerations: Chapter 19

 

            Donovan left the meeting with Meyer and made his way back to his car.  He ran his hand through his hair, his lips set in a tight line.  It felt like a noose was slowly tightening around him, and he began to worry about how dangerous it might be for the people around him.  He couldn’t help but to think about Emma and the hug she gave him last night.  Was she getting too close? he thought.  Then again, Emma had shown how perfectly capable she was at taking care of herself.  But still…

            The chime of his cell phone interrupted his thoughts.  He checked the screen and shook his head.  “Hello, Emma.”

            “Dinner and a movie.”

            He raised an eyebrow.  “What?” he laughed.

            “That’s tonight’s agenda,” she replied.  “Dinner, because I’m hungry.  Movie, because it’s part of your Christmas Re-indoctrination Tour.  Where are you?  I’ll pick you up.”

            “I’m on my way home.  I’ll be there in 15 minutes,” he said, climbing into his car.

            “I’ll text you when I get there.”

=

            Twenty minutes later, Donovan was seated in Emma’s car as she wove her way through the downtown streets.  She zipped in and out of traffic, squeaking through yellow lights, and checking her rearview mirror often.  In no time at all, they had made their way to a popular Mexican restaurant, where Donovan proudly declared, “I know this tradition!  Holiday tamales!”

            Emma smiled solemnly at Donovan, “You’re learning quickly, my young Padawan.” She checked her rearview mirror one last time, positive that they had not been followed. 

After they polished off a plate of tamales, they were off to the next stop, a theater that had a slate of holiday movies.  They spent the next couple of hours polishing off a tub of popcorn, immersed in the life of George Bailey and the town of Bedford Falls.  Donovan seemed unusually quiet and thoughtful as the end credits rolled; Emma gave him a sideways look and poked him in the arm.  She asked softly, “Are you okay?”

“Hmm, yeah,” he said absentmindedly as they made their way back to Emma’s car.  Once inside, he turned to Emma and said, “That movie got me to thinking…”

She turned on the ignition and put her car in gear to start the drive back to Donovan’s apartment.  “About what exactly?”

“Well,” he mused, “have you ever wondered how your life might be different, or changed, if you just had some different experiences, made some different choices, when you were younger?”

Emma glanced at him and said, “You mean like George Bailey.”

“Exactly.” He nodded emphatically.  “I mean, I might not be a cop.  You might not be --” he stuttered to a stop.

“—a private contractor,” she said softly, completing his thought.

Donovan stared out the window, avoiding her gaze.  “Yeah.  I’m sorry.”

She took a deep breath.  “No, I get it.  You’re still having trouble accepting what I do.”  They drove in silence for a while, and then she started speaking again.  “You chose to become a cop, Donovan.  You could have become something entirely different.”  Her expression tightened.  “But some people don’t have choices.”

He looked at her.  “What do you mean, Emma?  A person always has choices.”

“Not everyone, not always.”  There was a catch in her voice.  “Sometimes, you’re put on a path and that’s all you know.  It’s kind of like riding a bicycle down a country road.  There’s trees and fresh air, and it’s an easy pleasant ride.  It’s kinda fun.  The road dips a little so you pick up speed and you’re enjoying the wind rushing through your hair.” 

Her grip tightened on the steering wheel as she was getting lost in thought.  “Then, as you’re humming along, you go around a curve and the road drops away.  The road you’re on is now too steep to stop, there is no shoulder on which to stop, and it’s so steep and so fast and it’s terrifying because you started on this road and there is no getting off.”

Her voice was strained.  “And suddenly you sense that at the end of this road is a precipice, and you know that when you fling yourself off the edge, all that terror you had of being on that road, that road that was so steep and horrifying….  All that terror will be replaced by this calm, quiet inevitability; a knowing of a truth of what will happen next.  There’s nothing left to do except hurl yourself off the cliff.”

The car jerked to a stop.  Donovan was so horrified at her words that he barely noticed they had arrived at his apartment.  Emma stared straight ahead, her voice soft.  “It’s so very quiet, and so calm, when you’ve flung yourself over the edge.”

After a few moments of silence, she turned and looked at him steadily.  “It’s okay Donovan.  Everything is fine.  You should go inside.  It’s late.”  His mouth worked as if he wanted to say something, but no words came out.  Finally, he shook his head and made his way out of the car and into his building, not looking back.  Emma stared at his retreating figure, then put her car in gear and drove away.

Neither one of them noticed Lina Meyer standing in the doorway of the security office, taking in the scene.

 

Considerations: Chapter 18

 

After a restless night spent tossing and turning, Donovan woke to the incessant buzzing of his phone.   He peeked at the screen with one eye, groaned, then answered.  “Hey Captain,” he said groggily.  “What’s up?”

“Sorry to call you so early,” Rodriguez apologized.  “When can you come down to the station?  Meyer wants to give you a progress report.”

“Yeah, I was wondering if she actually was doing anything.”  Donovan rubbed his eyes.  “I can get there after lunch.”

“I’ll let her know.”  The captain paused.  “I have another meeting to go to, so you’ll be there by yourself.  Promise to behave, Donovan.  Play nice.”

“Oh great.  Tell her that I’ll be there in a bit.  Talk to you later.”  Donovan hung up and groaned.  “Why do I have to do this?”

=

            When Donovan got to the police station, he made his way to the meeting room.  He could see the Interpol agent through the glass nervously pacing back and forth.  When he entered, she quickly made her way to the head of the table and sat down.

            “Good afternoon, Herr Donovan,” Meyer began.  “Please have a seat.”  She shuffled some papers that were in front of her and continued.  “My superiors at Interpol have directed me,” she said uncomfortably, “to be in closer proximity to you.”

            Donovan leaned forward, incredulous.  “Like a bodyguard??  No, thank you.”

            “No, not a bodyguard.  We don’t want to scare anyone off.”  Her mouth was set in a tight line.  “Just tighter security,” she said.

            He looked suspiciously at her.  “What do you have in mind?”

            “Your building has on-site security with video monitoring,” she said.  Donovan nodded, and she continued.  “I’ve arranged to have access to the security office in order to view the video feed in the building.  I will be able to observe the entrances to the building and parking garage, as well as the corridors and common areas.  There is a studio apartment next to the office and I’ll be staying there for the duration of this assignment.”

            Donovan sighed heavily, but he understood the rationale behind the move.  She would be close, but not too close.  “Have you made any progress in your investigation?  Any idea who the killer might be?” he asked.

            Meyer shook her head and frowned.  “Nothing concrete.”  She cleared her throat and sat up straight.  “But do not worry, Herr Donovan.  Interpol is very dedicated to solving this case.”

            “Well, I hope so,” he said drily.  “I really don’t care for the alternative.”

 

Considerations: Chapter 16

 

[im downstairs i have ur ornaments]

[I know it’s late but im coming up to help u decorate]

            A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door.  Donovan checked the peephole, then opened the door to invite Emma in.  “Thanks for bringing that stuff up,” he said.  “I didn’t mean to leave that in your car.”

            She walked in and placed some bags on the coffee table.  “It’s all good, Donovan,” she replied.  “You seemed pretty distracted the other day.”

            “Yeah, I apologize.  I just wasn’t expecting to see—Lina-, there,” he stumbled.  “She’s--”

            “-An old family friend,” Emma said.  “I remember.  It’s okay.  Like I said, it’s all good.”  She looked around the apartment and spotted his Christmas tree in the corner.  She said, “Oh!  That looks good there.”  She grabbed the bags from the table.  “I hope you don’t mind but I got a couple of extra things,” she said and pulled some lights from one of the bags.

            Donovan laughed.  “I didn’t think I bought that much stuff.  This tree shouldn’t be as much work as yours though.”  They started in, and he was right.  It didn’t take too long, and before they knew it, it was time to put the angel on the top of the tree.  Donovan turned to Emma and asked, “Would you like to do the honors?”    

Her face lit up, “May I really?” she asked.  She took the angel and carefully placed it on the top.  “To keep an eye on things,” she murmured.  Donovan turned on the lights and they stepped back to admire their work.  “A couple of more touches though,” she said.  She pulled two mugs from one of the bags followed by a box of instant cocoa.  “Heat up some water?”

Donovan smiled.  “Sure,” and busied himself in the kitchen.  Meanwhile, Emma pulled some decorations from the bag and before long, had a centerpiece with a small wreath and red candle set at the dining room table.  She was finishing it off when Donovan glanced over and noticed that she was placing a small figure inside the decorative piece.  “Hey,” he laughed, “is that—”

Emma grinned.  “An Elf on the Shelf?  It sure is.  To make sure you’re not naughty.”

He handed her a mug of hot cocoa and chuckled, “No worries there.”  He looked about his apartment.  “It’s nice, Emma.  Thank you.”

She raised her mug in a mock salute.  “Just making spirits bright, Donovan.”

“Hey!  Speaking of making spirits bright…”  He grabbed his keys.  “Follow me.”  He opened the apartment door and walked to a doorway at the end of the hallway.  On the other side of the door was a short staircase the lead up to the roof.  “There’s a common area up here, but you have to see this.”  Donovan opened the door and as they stepped out, Emma gasped.

“Downtown is so pretty up here!” she exclaimed as she took in the view of the skyline and neighboring buildings.

“Yeah, it’s nice.  I come up here to relax sometimes.  But what I really wanted to show you is this.”  He walked to the railing and pointed downward.  Emma made her way over to him and as she looked down, her breath was taken away.  Spread out below was the Riverwalk, resplendent in all its Christmas lights and decorations.

“Well dang, Donovan.”  Emma turned to look at him.  “All this time I thought you didn’t really care for Christmas,” she said with a smile.

He smiled back.  “I think I just needed a reminder about what Christmas was all about.”

“You ARE coming for Christmas dinner, right?” she asked.  “It will be you, me, my aunt and uncle.  Just one big happy fam— Crap!  What time is it?”

He checked his watch, “It’s 10:32. Why?”

“Dang it!  My parents are making a special trip into Phnom Penh and they’re trying to set up a video call to the house at 11:00.  I gotta run, sorry!”  She gave him a quick hug and ran for the stairs.  “I’ll call you tomorrow!” she called out over her shoulder and disappeared through the door.

Momentarily stunned, Donovan stood there in shock.  “Did she just hug me?” he thought to himself.  “What am I supposed to do about that?”

 

Considerations: Chapter 15

 

            When Lina Meyer arrived at Police Headquarters the next morning, she was notified that someone was waiting to see her.  She made her way to the meeting room and opened the door, only to be confronted by a visibly angry Kyle Donovan. 

            He stood up, placed his hands flat on the table, and glared at her.  “Would you mind explaining what yesterday was all about?”

            She replied coolly and calmly, “I should ask you the same.  You certainly seemed rather cozy with that girl.”

            Seething, he retorted, “I already explained that we’re just friends, and that I was helping her with some errands.”

            “Is it common to become friends with someone from a case you worked on?” she smirked.  “I did some research.  She was part of a love triangle that you investigated when the other two people died.  So, how did it happen?  You gave her a shoulder to cry on?”

            Donovan was stunned.  “What the--” he sputtered.  “That would be unethical, improper, and very unprofessional.”.

            She shot back with, “Maybe that’s who you are, Herr Donovan.”

            “That’s absurd.”  Donovan gave her a cold look, gathered himself and said, “I think we’re done here.”

 

Considerations: Chapter 14

 

            The drive back from Fredericksburg left Emma a little confused.  Meeting with Donovan’s childhood friend Lina Meyer had left Donovan uneasy, but Emma couldn’t think of a reason why.  Was it really because he was embarrassed to be seen with her?  The day had been pleasant enough up until they met up; he seemed very uncomfortable when they were talking.  It must be something about that Lina Meyer.  As soon as Emma got inside her house, she made a call.

“Exchange,” a voice said.

Emma responded, “3-5-4”

“Verified.  Authenticate.”

“Zulu, Echo, November.”

“Verified,” the voice replied.  “What can I do for you?”

“Research.”

“Subject?”

“Lina Meyer.”

 

Considerations: Chapter 13

 

            He almost didn’t recognize her.  First of all, Lina Meyer was smiling, and long wavy tresses framed her face.  Not only that, but her severe business suit had been replaced by a pair of jeans and a casually comfortable loose-fitting sweater.  “Are you going to introduce me to your friend?” she asked sweetly.

            “Um, sure,” he stammered.  “Emma Couteau, this is Lina Meyer.  She’s a-”

             “-Longtime friend of the family,” Meyer interjected.  “Kyle and I have known each other since we were children.”

            He raised an eyebrow.  “What are you doing here?” he asked suspiciously.

            Meyer seemed not to notice.  “I’m in the area for the next few weeks and someone suggested that I visit this quaint little town for a taste of home.  It’s very charming,” she observed.  Then she reached out and put her hand on his arm.  “I’m so glad that I ran into you,” she continued.  “I was hoping that perhaps you could show me around San Antonio.”

            He gave her a blank look.  “I’ll have to look at my schedule.  I have a couple of things going on.”

            “Oh, I apologize!” she exclaimed and raised her hand to her mouth.  “I didn’t mean to butt in on you and your girlfriend’s holiday plans.”

            Emma smiled pleasantly, “I’m not his girlfriend.  We’re just friends and Donovan has been helping me with some errands.”

            “That’s so sweet!” Meyer turned and gave Donovan a flirty glance, “Maybe we can get together sometime.  I’ve got your number somewhere.  Why don’t I give you a call?” 

            “I look forward to hearing from you,” he replied stiffly.  He turned and took Emma by the arm, walking her back to her car.  She gave him a curious look but said nothing.  The drive back was quiet; Donovan’s emotions ran the gamut from angry, to confused, to annoyed.  Emma kept glancing over at him and when they arrived at his apartment building, she finally spoke up.

            “I’m sorry if I embarrassed you.  I know that us hanging out together with our age difference looks bad,” she said quietly.

            “No, that’s not it,” he said awkwardly.  “This is just…complicated.”

            She nodded.  “It’s not like we’re dating or anything.  If you want to go out with her, go ahead.  I don’t mind.  I mean, she IS closer to your age.”

            He gave her a sharp look.  “I can’t talk about this right now.”

            “You can talk to me,” she offered.

            He sighed deeply.  “Especially not with you.”  He swung open the car door and climbed out, leaving her staring at his back as he entered his building.

            “But you forgot to take your ornaments…” she sighed.

 

Considerations: Chapter 12

 

Donovan’s phone chimed with a text notification.  He was only slightly surprised to see that it was Emma.

[Hey, it’s Emma  ru busy?]

            [I was just going to set up my tree.]

[U havent even set it up? so u havent decorated yet]

            [No]

[I thought I’d just go to the supercenter and get some balls]

[Nooo! ☹ Im going to pick u up and take u shopping for ornaments]

[Be downstairs in 20]

            [Wait, you know where I live?]

[Dude…]

            [Oh, of course.]

[LOL]

            [😊]

=

            Twenty minutes later, Emma drove up and stopped in front of a downtown apartment building.  Donovan made his way to the car, and as he got in, Emma said, “Seriously, Donovan?  You were just going to get some plain ornaments?”

            He shrugged his shoulders.  “I just thought some balls would be nice, some blue ones since I’m a cop.”  Emma burst out laughing, and with an innocent look on his face, Donovan asked, “What?”

            “No,” she replied, still laughing.  “We are NOT going there.”

            He grinned, “Well, where ARE we going then?”

            “Donovan,” she said, “if we’re going to do right by ‘O Tannenbaum,’ then we have to get some traditional ornaments.  We’re going to Fredericksburg.”

=

            Ninety minutes later, Donovan and Emma were browsing through the shoppes on the main street of downtown Fredericksburg.  “I have to admit,” said Donovan, “there are some really nice ornaments here.”

            Emma bumped him with her shoulder and smiled.  “I told you so.”  She pointed to a display in one of the shop windows.  “I mean, if you want to go traditional, you could go with the red and green decorated balls.  Not blue,” she said with a smile.  “Personally, I think you should go with something that says something about you.”

            “I don’t know… Do you see anything that says ‘I’m a cop?’” he said.

            She shook her head and smiled.  “You’re hopeless, Donovan.”

            He settled on a set of small wooden ornaments, “Small, since my tree is small.” Then he decided to get an angel for the top of the tree.  “I hope you don’t mind; I liked your thought of having an angel looking over people.”  He paid for his choices, and as they made their way out of the store, he was startled to hear someone call out, “Kyle?  Kyle Donovan?”

            It was Lina Meyer.