No Other One, Chapter 41
Title: No Other One, Chapter 41
Author: Duckie Nicks
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Yelina Salas, Horatio Caine, the whole Caine family
Author's Note: WARNING: SPOILER FOR SEASON 6.
Summary: Almost two decades ago, Horatio made a decision that would change his family forever. Will they ever forgive him? Will he ever tell Yelina how he feels? This is an alternative to the beginning of season 6. A Horatio and Kyle story; H/Y romance in the future.
Previous Chapters: Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24, Chapter 25, Chapter 26, Chapter 27, Chapter 28, Chapter 29, Chapter 30, Chapter 31, Chapter 32, Chapter 33, Chapter 34, Chapter 35, Chapter 36, Chapter 37, Chapter 38, Chapter 39, and Chapter 40.
Disclaimer: I don't own the show.
“The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable.” - Jim Davis
Would Horatio make a good father?
Yelina almost had to smirk at the question. After all, that was precisely why she was here, why Horatio had asked her to be here. The woman across from her, she thought, really was begging the question.
Of course, there was no doubt in Yelina’s mind what Horatio wanted her to say. But now, with the query put to her in such a blunt and stark manner, the brunette didn’t really know how to answer.
Or maybe that was a lie. Perhaps she did know what to say. But she was so angry at the way things had turned out: Horatio lying to her and Kyle essentially getting what she’d always wanted. And that somehow made the answer impossible to find. Or at least to say.
Running her tongue along her teeth, Yelina decided that the best thing to do at the moment was to… ignore what had happened these last few days. True, she thought, it was odd, forcing herself to forget the events that had brought her here. But if she were to answer this woman even remotely honestly, the brunette understood, sadly, that she couldn’t think about how Horatio had lied and how things had changed so dramatically between them.
Thinking back, she sifted through all of the years they’d known one another. Layer after layer of memory held lush detail of small smiles and the occasional conversation, and it was almost bizarre how such innocuous situations could hold so much meaning for her. And in between all of those tiny moments of happiness were the memories she had of Horatio interacting with children other than the one that was her own.
In their line of work, they had encountered children too many times for them to ever truly feel satisfied with the world as it was. But, despite the depressing nature of those memories, Yelina could distinctly recall how wonderful Horatio had been with them. The tiny victims had been abused, raped, watched their parents be murdered - but with Horatio, sometimes, their small faces lit up ever so slightly with hope and relief.
Her brother-in-law had been so good at it, always kneeling down and talking to them in quiet, gentle tones. Her eyelids fluttered shut of their own accord at the thought. At the time, Horatio had been so sweet and so paternal to those children, something Yelina (and just about everyone else) had found incredibly attractive; it had been almost intoxicating to watch him.
And yet now… the silver lining to the memory tarnished and faded.
Horatio had changed since then. Even before Kyle had come into their lives, she had felt the shift - seen it. It had been a slow change over time, but at some point, Yelina thought, the pace had quickened, effectively transforming into something else. The person she’d left to go to Rio was different than the one who stood out in the hallway now.
He was colder than that man had been, less sympathetic and understanding. They hadn’t spent a lot of time together since she’d returned, but… those few holidays that they had been in one another’s presence had left her cold. Because she could see that there was something cynical about his demeanor, could see how his edges had been made rougher, though his patience was well worn.
Yelina couldn’t begin to name the cause. In their family, there was so much pain, the result of so many mistakes and mishaps. It was impossible to tell which one had sent him over the edge, and she was no longer allowed to be near him enough to figure it out.
But there was no denying that something in him had shifted permanently.
Something was wrong.
And nobody, it seemed, had borne the brunt of that change quite like her son.
Before, Ray Junior and Horatio had been very close. In some ways, the two were as different as any two people could be. Her brother-in-law was reserved, her son… absolutely not. Horatio was usually determined to follow the rules set for him, while Ray Junior had taken after his father and was, therefore, determined to push every boundary he came across.
But unlike her husband, her son had always valued Horatio’s opinion, had never ceased to treasure their relationship. Even before Ray had died, the two had been close; the redhead had always been more than a man shoehorned into the role of father figure.
From taking fishing trips to helping her teach Ray Junior to stay out of fights, Horatio had embraced it all. And it seemed almost ironic, she thought, how her brother-in-law, who’d always talked about the importance of family, had been the one to essentially pull away.
Not that her son really talked about it much to her, but she had caught on that the two were no longer as close. And the brunette only needed to look at how Horatio had ignored her this past year to decide whose fault it was. Maybe it wasn’t fair to do that, but she thought almost immediately, she couldn’t see Ray Junior pushing his uncle away.
Her son had many faults, but he wasn’t one to do that. If anything, he was almost obsessive about keeping family members close (even as he threatened to drive them insane). Ray had never really talked to her about this either, but it was pretty clear to Yelina that this was another result of his father dying. And so that meant… Horatio had to be the one behind this.
Which made her so angry that, at that moment, she felt as though she’d been punched in the gut. And it hit her then that maybe her anger and resentment towards her brother-in-law had been growing for months now. That the feelings she was experiencing so keenly now hadn’t been solely the product of his most recent betrayal, but something that had been a long time coming. Because, thinking about it now, it was one thing to be lied to about Kyle (though dishonesty filled her with rage and disgust period). But it was something else completely to see Horatio disengage himself from the rest of his family. And while she could handle not seeing him unless he wanted something, Yelina couldn’t bear the thought of it happening to her son.
Would Horatio make a good father?
Ten years ago, she would have responded immediately with an emphatic yes. But now, she thought ruefully…
In all honesty, if his behavior recently were to be the deciding factor, the mother would have said no. Horatio was just too standoffish these days to truly connect with anyone. And Yelina couldn’t see how that quality would help Kyle Harmon at all.
But… part of her recognized that her answer couldn’t be based on the last few years alone. Whether it had been asked of her or not, Yelina understood that she had to look at the big picture. Because, aside from the rightness of it, she hated to think how someone might judge her based solely on the past several months with her own son. Regardless of how she felt about the past year, she knew it couldn’t be the only thing she looked at.
And yet, looking at all the years she’d known Horatio didn’t exactly yield an immediate answer either. Because now, Yelina had to decide which Horatio was the most real - the kind and gentle one or the one who was cold and sometimes killed without thought.
It was almost an impossible decision to make.
She’d known the nicer side to the redhead for years, but the crueler side weighed heavily on her mind. Truth be told, both personalities seemed equally real and equally a lie. When he had been softer spoken, Yelina had believed that there was something more lurking underneath. She’d been convinced that, for all of his coolness, there had been a well of emotion waiting to be tapped. And now, it seemed like that had happened. The only problem was that the only feelings he seemed capable of displaying lately were resentment and anger.
But then… Yelina wasn’t entirely sure that that represented all of Horatio now either.
She sighed quietly, but it was loud enough to make the brunette acutely aware that she still had an audience. Glancing at the social worker, Yelina could tell that the other woman was becoming impatient. However, she wasn’t at all interested in giving a quick response. Because, while Horatio had asked her to be here, ultimately this was about making sure Kyle ended up in the best place. And if her brother-in-law were capable of doing to that boy what Horatio’s own father had done to him, then…
No.
No, she told herself rebelliously, unable to finish the thought. Horatio turning into the man she’d only heard about through her husband just wasn’t possible. Her brother-in-law could be dark, violent with criminals, but he had his limits.
Even if so much recently suggested to the contrary… Yelina couldn’t picture him going that far. As much as Horatio tried to keep himself hidden, she did know him. Knew the core of him anyway, and she couldn’t believe that underneath everything, he was that person. Thinking any differently would mean that every moment Horatio had spent with her son had been a lie.
If he really were that bad, every time she’d gone to him for help with her son… she would have been putting Ray Junior in danger. Yelina would have left her baby in the care of someone who would - or could - hurt him. And for all of her weaknesses as a parent, she couldn’t believe that was true. No matter what had happened, she trusted him that much.
So too did she trust her own recollections of Ray Junior fishing with Horatio, of her brother-in-law holding her infant son. Try as she might, Yelina couldn’t ever believe that all of those sweet moment had been a lie.
And if there was still some truth to be found in those memories, then…
“Yes,” Yelina said suddenly, her voice startling even to her own ears. “Horatio would be a great father.”
The woman across from her looked just as surprised by the answer. But more importantly, there was almost immediately a clear look of doubt in her eyes. “You hesitated,” she said simply.
Yelina shook her head. “No. I didn’t.”
“But you -”
“You asked me if my brother-in-law would be a good father, not what time it is or what color my eyes are.” Yelina sat straight up in her chair. “You asked me about parenting, which is something requires a little more consideration. Wouldn’t you agree?”
The silence descending on them once more was proof enough that Yelina was right. And she smiled a little, knowing that she wouldn’t have to justify her thoughts to this stranger.
But the conversation didn’t stop there. “What in your mind would -” The social worker paused thoughtfully. “No, I have a better question for you. What makes a good father? What are your criteria?”
Raising an eyebrow, Yelina folded her arms across her chest. “You think my reasoning is faulty?” she asked.
“I’m curious” was the simple response given to her.
And so Yelina shrugged, naming the first few qualities that came to mind. “Compassion, guidance, and an unconditional tenacious need to love.”
“I see.” At that, the social worker began to write something down in her note pad. Looking up as she did so, she told Yelina, “I noticed that you didn’t mention discipline. Do you not believe that would be important for a boy like Kyle?”
“Do you not believe that protecting someone from making bad decisions is an inherent part of love?” Yelina threw back at her. She wasn’t sure why, but there was something else about the social worker’s attitude that bothered her. “You make it sound as though Kyle is an unruly child,” she added as an afterthought.
The woman gave her a pointed look. “Well,” she scoffed, throwing up her hands. “Let’s be honest: your nephew is here, because he broke the law. He’s no alter boy, Ms. Salas, I can assure you. I’ve been his caseworker for years now, and in all that time I’ve known him, Kyle Harmon has been little more than disrespectful and recalcitrant.”
Yelina thought about her own experiences with Kyle. For sure there’d been attitude from him, and she couldn’t deny seeing what made the social worker think those things. He’d been rude at times, accusatory. But the brunette was also certain that there was more to Kyle than that.
Even if she hadn’t seen him today, Yelina would have been sure of it - though his current disposition seemed to confirm it. When she’d met him, the teenager had been suspicious of her, incredibly distrustful, and that could hardly make for a good, friendly conversation. Especially since he was… well, breaking the law and convinced that she was a cop, she doubted if he ever thought about letting his guard down.
But even taking that into consideration… Yelina realized that those things didn’t explain everything about the boy. After all, he had stepped in when that waiter had persisted in being an ass. Which, a long time ago, she would have considered to be a person’s duty, but she’d learned quickly that not everyone else felt the same. Kyle, she realized, didn’t have to help her, and yet he had, despite knowing that it would probably call attention to himself.
And, if only because of that, Yelina was sure that there was more to this boy than the social worker realized. “He’s sixteen years old,” she countered. “Name me someone that age who isn’t difficult.”
The woman across from her smiled, but there was no warmth in it, no kindness to be found. “I would say participating in a kidnapping goes beyond the realm of typical teenage angst.”
Yelina frowned. “Of course it does. But…” She shook her head as she tried to find the right words. “But… I don’t think that’s all there is to him.” After all, the mother mentally added, there was more to her son than the stupid things he had done.
“Even though you barely know him, you think -”
“I think,” Yelina interrupted, “That Kyle Harmon is a secretive child. Given what he’s been through, I doubt anyone would consider that surprising.” She let the words sink in before continuing. “What he needs is someone he can trust, someone to guide him. Someone who can foster whatever goodness is there.”
“And you’re confident that that is not only possible but that Horatio Caine is the person who can make that happen.”
Once again, a part of her dangerously wanted to say no. But Yelina ignored it, nodding her head and uttering an emphatic, “Yes.”
She was done then; she’d said, apparently, all the social worker wanted to hear. And Yelina wasn’t sure if she’d helped Horatio all that much, given her own desire to hurt him. Which made her feel sick, as she stepped out into the hallway.
The brunette had spent her whole life trying to do the right thing. And now… maybe she’d done that here, maybe not. But it scared her - she felt completely unsure about the whole conversation. Could Kyle Harmon really be helped? Was Horatio the right person to do it?
And how would this affect her son?
Returning to the lobby once more, Yelina couldn’t help but think:
If she’d done the right thing, why did she feel so guilty?
End (42/??)
Author: Duckie Nicks
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Yelina Salas, Horatio Caine, the whole Caine family
Author's Note: WARNING: SPOILER FOR SEASON 6.
Summary: Almost two decades ago, Horatio made a decision that would change his family forever. Will they ever forgive him? Will he ever tell Yelina how he feels? This is an alternative to the beginning of season 6. A Horatio and Kyle story; H/Y romance in the future.
Previous Chapters: Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24, Chapter 25, Chapter 26, Chapter 27, Chapter 28, Chapter 29, Chapter 30, Chapter 31, Chapter 32, Chapter 33, Chapter 34, Chapter 35, Chapter 36, Chapter 37, Chapter 38, Chapter 39, and Chapter 40.
Disclaimer: I don't own the show.
“The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable.” - Jim Davis
Would Horatio make a good father?
Yelina almost had to smirk at the question. After all, that was precisely why she was here, why Horatio had asked her to be here. The woman across from her, she thought, really was begging the question.
Of course, there was no doubt in Yelina’s mind what Horatio wanted her to say. But now, with the query put to her in such a blunt and stark manner, the brunette didn’t really know how to answer.
Or maybe that was a lie. Perhaps she did know what to say. But she was so angry at the way things had turned out: Horatio lying to her and Kyle essentially getting what she’d always wanted. And that somehow made the answer impossible to find. Or at least to say.
Running her tongue along her teeth, Yelina decided that the best thing to do at the moment was to… ignore what had happened these last few days. True, she thought, it was odd, forcing herself to forget the events that had brought her here. But if she were to answer this woman even remotely honestly, the brunette understood, sadly, that she couldn’t think about how Horatio had lied and how things had changed so dramatically between them.
Thinking back, she sifted through all of the years they’d known one another. Layer after layer of memory held lush detail of small smiles and the occasional conversation, and it was almost bizarre how such innocuous situations could hold so much meaning for her. And in between all of those tiny moments of happiness were the memories she had of Horatio interacting with children other than the one that was her own.
In their line of work, they had encountered children too many times for them to ever truly feel satisfied with the world as it was. But, despite the depressing nature of those memories, Yelina could distinctly recall how wonderful Horatio had been with them. The tiny victims had been abused, raped, watched their parents be murdered - but with Horatio, sometimes, their small faces lit up ever so slightly with hope and relief.
Her brother-in-law had been so good at it, always kneeling down and talking to them in quiet, gentle tones. Her eyelids fluttered shut of their own accord at the thought. At the time, Horatio had been so sweet and so paternal to those children, something Yelina (and just about everyone else) had found incredibly attractive; it had been almost intoxicating to watch him.
And yet now… the silver lining to the memory tarnished and faded.
Horatio had changed since then. Even before Kyle had come into their lives, she had felt the shift - seen it. It had been a slow change over time, but at some point, Yelina thought, the pace had quickened, effectively transforming into something else. The person she’d left to go to Rio was different than the one who stood out in the hallway now.
He was colder than that man had been, less sympathetic and understanding. They hadn’t spent a lot of time together since she’d returned, but… those few holidays that they had been in one another’s presence had left her cold. Because she could see that there was something cynical about his demeanor, could see how his edges had been made rougher, though his patience was well worn.
Yelina couldn’t begin to name the cause. In their family, there was so much pain, the result of so many mistakes and mishaps. It was impossible to tell which one had sent him over the edge, and she was no longer allowed to be near him enough to figure it out.
But there was no denying that something in him had shifted permanently.
Something was wrong.
And nobody, it seemed, had borne the brunt of that change quite like her son.
Before, Ray Junior and Horatio had been very close. In some ways, the two were as different as any two people could be. Her brother-in-law was reserved, her son… absolutely not. Horatio was usually determined to follow the rules set for him, while Ray Junior had taken after his father and was, therefore, determined to push every boundary he came across.
But unlike her husband, her son had always valued Horatio’s opinion, had never ceased to treasure their relationship. Even before Ray had died, the two had been close; the redhead had always been more than a man shoehorned into the role of father figure.
From taking fishing trips to helping her teach Ray Junior to stay out of fights, Horatio had embraced it all. And it seemed almost ironic, she thought, how her brother-in-law, who’d always talked about the importance of family, had been the one to essentially pull away.
Not that her son really talked about it much to her, but she had caught on that the two were no longer as close. And the brunette only needed to look at how Horatio had ignored her this past year to decide whose fault it was. Maybe it wasn’t fair to do that, but she thought almost immediately, she couldn’t see Ray Junior pushing his uncle away.
Her son had many faults, but he wasn’t one to do that. If anything, he was almost obsessive about keeping family members close (even as he threatened to drive them insane). Ray had never really talked to her about this either, but it was pretty clear to Yelina that this was another result of his father dying. And so that meant… Horatio had to be the one behind this.
Which made her so angry that, at that moment, she felt as though she’d been punched in the gut. And it hit her then that maybe her anger and resentment towards her brother-in-law had been growing for months now. That the feelings she was experiencing so keenly now hadn’t been solely the product of his most recent betrayal, but something that had been a long time coming. Because, thinking about it now, it was one thing to be lied to about Kyle (though dishonesty filled her with rage and disgust period). But it was something else completely to see Horatio disengage himself from the rest of his family. And while she could handle not seeing him unless he wanted something, Yelina couldn’t bear the thought of it happening to her son.
Would Horatio make a good father?
Ten years ago, she would have responded immediately with an emphatic yes. But now, she thought ruefully…
In all honesty, if his behavior recently were to be the deciding factor, the mother would have said no. Horatio was just too standoffish these days to truly connect with anyone. And Yelina couldn’t see how that quality would help Kyle Harmon at all.
But… part of her recognized that her answer couldn’t be based on the last few years alone. Whether it had been asked of her or not, Yelina understood that she had to look at the big picture. Because, aside from the rightness of it, she hated to think how someone might judge her based solely on the past several months with her own son. Regardless of how she felt about the past year, she knew it couldn’t be the only thing she looked at.
And yet, looking at all the years she’d known Horatio didn’t exactly yield an immediate answer either. Because now, Yelina had to decide which Horatio was the most real - the kind and gentle one or the one who was cold and sometimes killed without thought.
It was almost an impossible decision to make.
She’d known the nicer side to the redhead for years, but the crueler side weighed heavily on her mind. Truth be told, both personalities seemed equally real and equally a lie. When he had been softer spoken, Yelina had believed that there was something more lurking underneath. She’d been convinced that, for all of his coolness, there had been a well of emotion waiting to be tapped. And now, it seemed like that had happened. The only problem was that the only feelings he seemed capable of displaying lately were resentment and anger.
But then… Yelina wasn’t entirely sure that that represented all of Horatio now either.
She sighed quietly, but it was loud enough to make the brunette acutely aware that she still had an audience. Glancing at the social worker, Yelina could tell that the other woman was becoming impatient. However, she wasn’t at all interested in giving a quick response. Because, while Horatio had asked her to be here, ultimately this was about making sure Kyle ended up in the best place. And if her brother-in-law were capable of doing to that boy what Horatio’s own father had done to him, then…
No.
No, she told herself rebelliously, unable to finish the thought. Horatio turning into the man she’d only heard about through her husband just wasn’t possible. Her brother-in-law could be dark, violent with criminals, but he had his limits.
Even if so much recently suggested to the contrary… Yelina couldn’t picture him going that far. As much as Horatio tried to keep himself hidden, she did know him. Knew the core of him anyway, and she couldn’t believe that underneath everything, he was that person. Thinking any differently would mean that every moment Horatio had spent with her son had been a lie.
If he really were that bad, every time she’d gone to him for help with her son… she would have been putting Ray Junior in danger. Yelina would have left her baby in the care of someone who would - or could - hurt him. And for all of her weaknesses as a parent, she couldn’t believe that was true. No matter what had happened, she trusted him that much.
So too did she trust her own recollections of Ray Junior fishing with Horatio, of her brother-in-law holding her infant son. Try as she might, Yelina couldn’t ever believe that all of those sweet moment had been a lie.
And if there was still some truth to be found in those memories, then…
“Yes,” Yelina said suddenly, her voice startling even to her own ears. “Horatio would be a great father.”
The woman across from her looked just as surprised by the answer. But more importantly, there was almost immediately a clear look of doubt in her eyes. “You hesitated,” she said simply.
Yelina shook her head. “No. I didn’t.”
“But you -”
“You asked me if my brother-in-law would be a good father, not what time it is or what color my eyes are.” Yelina sat straight up in her chair. “You asked me about parenting, which is something requires a little more consideration. Wouldn’t you agree?”
The silence descending on them once more was proof enough that Yelina was right. And she smiled a little, knowing that she wouldn’t have to justify her thoughts to this stranger.
But the conversation didn’t stop there. “What in your mind would -” The social worker paused thoughtfully. “No, I have a better question for you. What makes a good father? What are your criteria?”
Raising an eyebrow, Yelina folded her arms across her chest. “You think my reasoning is faulty?” she asked.
“I’m curious” was the simple response given to her.
And so Yelina shrugged, naming the first few qualities that came to mind. “Compassion, guidance, and an unconditional tenacious need to love.”
“I see.” At that, the social worker began to write something down in her note pad. Looking up as she did so, she told Yelina, “I noticed that you didn’t mention discipline. Do you not believe that would be important for a boy like Kyle?”
“Do you not believe that protecting someone from making bad decisions is an inherent part of love?” Yelina threw back at her. She wasn’t sure why, but there was something else about the social worker’s attitude that bothered her. “You make it sound as though Kyle is an unruly child,” she added as an afterthought.
The woman gave her a pointed look. “Well,” she scoffed, throwing up her hands. “Let’s be honest: your nephew is here, because he broke the law. He’s no alter boy, Ms. Salas, I can assure you. I’ve been his caseworker for years now, and in all that time I’ve known him, Kyle Harmon has been little more than disrespectful and recalcitrant.”
Yelina thought about her own experiences with Kyle. For sure there’d been attitude from him, and she couldn’t deny seeing what made the social worker think those things. He’d been rude at times, accusatory. But the brunette was also certain that there was more to Kyle than that.
Even if she hadn’t seen him today, Yelina would have been sure of it - though his current disposition seemed to confirm it. When she’d met him, the teenager had been suspicious of her, incredibly distrustful, and that could hardly make for a good, friendly conversation. Especially since he was… well, breaking the law and convinced that she was a cop, she doubted if he ever thought about letting his guard down.
But even taking that into consideration… Yelina realized that those things didn’t explain everything about the boy. After all, he had stepped in when that waiter had persisted in being an ass. Which, a long time ago, she would have considered to be a person’s duty, but she’d learned quickly that not everyone else felt the same. Kyle, she realized, didn’t have to help her, and yet he had, despite knowing that it would probably call attention to himself.
And, if only because of that, Yelina was sure that there was more to this boy than the social worker realized. “He’s sixteen years old,” she countered. “Name me someone that age who isn’t difficult.”
The woman across from her smiled, but there was no warmth in it, no kindness to be found. “I would say participating in a kidnapping goes beyond the realm of typical teenage angst.”
Yelina frowned. “Of course it does. But…” She shook her head as she tried to find the right words. “But… I don’t think that’s all there is to him.” After all, the mother mentally added, there was more to her son than the stupid things he had done.
“Even though you barely know him, you think -”
“I think,” Yelina interrupted, “That Kyle Harmon is a secretive child. Given what he’s been through, I doubt anyone would consider that surprising.” She let the words sink in before continuing. “What he needs is someone he can trust, someone to guide him. Someone who can foster whatever goodness is there.”
“And you’re confident that that is not only possible but that Horatio Caine is the person who can make that happen.”
Once again, a part of her dangerously wanted to say no. But Yelina ignored it, nodding her head and uttering an emphatic, “Yes.”
She was done then; she’d said, apparently, all the social worker wanted to hear. And Yelina wasn’t sure if she’d helped Horatio all that much, given her own desire to hurt him. Which made her feel sick, as she stepped out into the hallway.
The brunette had spent her whole life trying to do the right thing. And now… maybe she’d done that here, maybe not. But it scared her - she felt completely unsure about the whole conversation. Could Kyle Harmon really be helped? Was Horatio the right person to do it?
And how would this affect her son?
Returning to the lobby once more, Yelina couldn’t help but think:
If she’d done the right thing, why did she feel so guilty?
End (42/??)