The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman)

Monica was letting loose with a tirade that could strip paint. If Gianna were here, her language would probably make a sailor blush.

Back when things were good, Gianna was a regular at Monica's salon, taking advantage of a generous friends' discount and all sorts of perks. Who would've thought such a sweet-seeming person could harbor such venom? Monica was beside herself with frustration. "Ana, is there really no way to fix Pattie's voice? Isn't James supposed to be a pro? He's her mentor, for crying out loud. Can't he do something?"

Anastasia shook her head. "I've talked to James. He's exhausted all options."

"Just like that, a healthy person is voiceless? Pattie's future is wrecked," Monica fumed, anxiety seeping through her anger.

"Shhh, keep your voice down. We don't want Pattie to hear," Anastasia cautioned, glancing upstairs.

Pattie was playing with toys in her room, a sliver of normalcy amidst the chaos.

Monica quickly softened her tone, "Ana, now that Gianna's been caught and Pattie's safe, try not to dwell on it. Who knows, with advances in medicine, there might be a way to restore her voice. Anything's possible. And you need to take care of yourself, especially with the baby on the way."

"Yeah." Anastasia clung to hope for the future, grateful that Pattie was back where she belonged.

Monica asked, "Any updates on your brother-in-law's situation?"

"Not yet," Anastasia replied. "Flynn's still under investigation."

"Herman will figure something out, I'm sure. I talked to Jason, and it sounds like there's some leeway in this case."

Anastasia casually asked, "You still in touch with him?"

"Every now and then..." Monica's words trailed off as her phone rang, Jason on the other end. Talk about timing.

Monica let out a nervous laugh before picking up. Jason needed her help again, this time to check out some evidence for a case.

While Monica playfully grumbled about being used as a detective's nose, she agreed, "Alright, give me a bit, I'll be there in half an hour."

After hanging up, she proudly told Anastasia, "They sent me a commendation flag, you know, for serving the people."

Anastasia managed a rare smile. "Look at you, all proud. You better get going."

"Okay, I'm off. Let me know if you need anything."

The moment Monica left, Anastasia heard a commotion upstairs and rushed to see what was up.

In the kids' room, Pattie was having a meltdown, and Anastasia hurried to scoop her up. "Mommy's here, Pattie, calm down, look at me, I'm here."

Pattie could only scream, her voice lost to frustration.

Anastasia was baffled by the sudden outburst until she saw the Peppa Pig toy flung in a corner, a painful reminder of Gianna's cruelty.

She quickly tossed the toy aside and softly reassured her, "Pattie, you're safe now. No one can hurt you. Come to mommy."

Slowly, Pattie calmed down and fell into Anastasia's arms, both of them wrapped in a moment of shared sadness. Salma, watching from nearby, dabbed at her eyes.

...

After helping Jason at the station, Monica was ready to head out.

Jason stopped her, "Why haven't you been around lately?"

Monica chuckled, "Jason, this is a police station. Why would I show up without a reason? People come here either for business or trouble, and I'm neither." Jason, hands in pockets, just looked at her, making Monica shift uncomfortably. "I'm going back to the salon."

"Great timing, I'm off too. I'll give you a lift."noveldrama

"I have my car..."

"Then you can drop me off. Mine's on the fritz."

Monica: "..."

A few minutes later, with Jason in her car, Monica set the navigation to his place.

Muttering under her breath, "Since when do guys get rides from girls?" she couldn't help but question the modern twists of chivalry.