Stuck with Me

Fusco had settled himself on the edge of a park fountain, to sit and eat his lunchtime hot dog. The rush and roar of traffic was muted here, not many people were around, and almost the only sound was the twitter and chirp of birds. But he was so lost in thought that he never noticed the approach of the young woman with the big dog, until the latter bounded up to him, tail wagging ingratiatingly.

Fusco started out of his reverie and looked around. "Shaw! Didn't hear you coming."

Shaw shrugged a little. "Just needed to get out for some air."

Bear was poking at the cop with his nose, appeal written all over his face. Fusco tore off a piece of his bun and threw it to the dog, who snatched it neatly out of the air. "How's the dynamic duo?"

Shaw sat down by him. "Not so dynamic," she said, flatly.

Fusco studied her profile. She sat very still, expressionless, as she watched Bear snuffling around for crumbs.

"Yeah, well," he said finally. "No wonder. They lost . . . a good friend." He sighed heavily, scuffed the ground with a shoe. "We lost a good friend. Leaves a mark on you."

"I wouldn't know." The blunt words made him look at her again. She had spoken in the same matter-of-fact tone as before. Was it his imagination that something flickered in her face?

"I hear you've lost a few people before, Shaw."

"It was different." Shaw kicked an acorn past the dog; he bounded after it to the end of his leash, where he stopped short, whining softly in frustration. "I don't have—friends—not the way other people do."

"You have me," Fusco said.

It was Shaw's turn to look up quickly. But there was still a cynical twist to her mouth.

"Just because I saved your kid, Fusco . . ."

"Hey—" He cut her off. "There's no 'just' about that."

"I was doing my job. That's all."

"I don't care what you call it." Fusco leaned a little closer and spoke quietly but emphatically. "We're friends, Shaw, and there ain't nothing you can do about it. You're stuck with me."

Her gaze shifted and dropped under the intensity of his. But it was definitely there now, lingering around her eyes and mouth, that subtle lightening of her expression.

When she finally spoke, her voice was low but clear.

"I guess I can live with that."