Deputy Chief of Police of Ferry Grove Diana Jackson had taken remarkably few days off in her entire career. Outside of maternity leave when she was pregnant with Whitney, the only times she took a day off was to attend her sister Crystal's graduations from high school, undergraduate, and then law school. Whitney's junior high school graduation was on her scheduled leave day, so it didn't count as taking a day off.
On a Tuesday morning, at the end of April, Diana Jackson felt like she needed a day off.
Diana assumed she would wake up first but was genuinely surprised to be alone in Riley's bed. It was six in the morning, but Riley had gotten the jump on her. Her body's natural cycle woke her up before an alarm most days. Diana found her phone on the nightstand next to the bed and checked her messages and calls. Whitney's late reply to a message informing her to not wait up. A reminder from her calendar of meetings. Her phone often started to get messages by seven, so she wanted to get ahead of her daily work message traffic.
Diana called Staff Sergeant Gerald Hopper. His desk phone rang several times before he answered, out of breath like he ran back into his office.
"Sergeant Hopper," he said.
"It's me," Diana said.
"What's up Chief?"
"I'm feeling a little under the covers today," she said. Gerald's confused hesitation echoed through the phone.
"Uhhh, what? You mean under the weather?" Gerald asked.
"No, I mean covers. Could you do me a solid and sit in at my meetings? I'll let the Chairman know in advance. I just need a day," Diana said.
"Yeah. Sure," Gerald said. "Damn, I don't remember the last time you took a day."
"It's been a minute," Diana said, and thanked him before ending the call. Diana sent the Chairman Ethan Drake a message, and he replied with a thumb up emoji.
Diana, now knowing her day was open, laid back in bed and looked up at the ceiling. She took a deep breath, imagining what this day should be. Diana Jackson's Day Off. Maybe go to Chicago, just like Ferris, only Diana wasn't fond of Chicago in the same way. Since moving to Ferry Grove, she'd only been back five times in sixteen years.
After loafing around, Diana forced herself to leave the bed. It was only when she was looking for her uniform did she remember her phone should have been in her pocket and not on the nightstand. Riley stripped Diana so fast she never cleared her pockets out. Her phone and other items were removed, but her uniform was missing. Unsure of what to wear, she found the shirt Riley wore yesterday, and used it to cover her body.
Diana had already accepted the fact she had a boyfriend but leaving his room in nothing but his shirt made it feel real. That was a level of comfortability she hadn't felt. Ever. She had no real long-term relationships to compare the current one to. Diana had been a single mother since she was eighteen, so her trek through the dating pool had always been in shallow water.
It felt like Diana had met Riley at the right time in her life. She didn't worry about her sister Crystal anymore. Not in the same way at least. Whitney was better at taking care of her mother than the other way around. She already had enough years to retire from the police if she wanted to try to settle down. Diana didn't think it was likely, but knowing the option was there was mildly comforting.
Diana exited the bedroom with a shirt that reached her lower thighs. Riley's office immediately across from his bedroom was vacant. She turned toward the living room to the right and saw nothing. The kitchen was out of view, and she could hear Riley talking with Tilly. Diana entered the kitchen and saw Riley scrapping a yellow potato against a cheese grater over a strainer that was in a bowl. There was evidence he had done this to several potatoes after peeling them.
"Morning," Riley said. Diana kissed Riley's neck and placed her cheek onto his shoulder.
"White onion next. Remove the skin, same thing. A quarter to half of it. Not the whole thing," Tilly said.
"Hash browns?" Diana asked.
"Sure is," Tilly said.
"I kind of cheated. I sent Whitney a text and asked for your breakfast order. I didn't have any steak unfortunately," Riley said. Steak and eggs were Diana's number one.
"Where's my uniform?" Diana asked.
"I put it on a hanger and hung it in my bathroom. I figured you'd shower, so the steam would help a little," Riley explained. Small things.
"Breakfast in bed?" Diana asked.
"Until you woke up at least. Coffee?" Riley asked. Diana face expressed reluctance to the offer. "I swear it doesn't taste like ass."
"I made it," Tilly said.
"Start with that next time," Diana said, and was directed to a cabinet for a mug.
Diana watched in fascination at Tilly instructing Riley in the basics of making breakfast. She wanted to confirm Whitney's observation of their relationship. That Riley was a big brother to Tilly. She teased him in the same way a younger sister would attempt to embarrass her brother in front of his girlfriend. He took the prodding in good fun and poked at her height and her strange habit of pointing at him when she stressed important steps of her recipes or processes.
"You're like siblings," Diana said after watching them for several minutes.
"No kidding. He's just like my brother was. Couldn't boil eggs or iron a shirt," Tilly said.
"He can't iron a shirt?" Diana asked. On their first date, his shirt was crisp and the fact he took the time had delighted her.
"She wouldn't let me walk out of the house looking like a schmuck. She taught me, and I've been doing it since," Riley replied.
Diana slowly smiled at the two of them. They were making each other better, and that was resonating outside of the house. Tilly was part of the reason their date was successful.
"Could you put some shorts on after breakfast?" Tilly asked Diana. Diana looked at her bare legs extending out of Riley's shirt. "CPS should be coming by to inspect the house today."
"You got a pair of sweatpants, because I literally have nothing else here besides my uniform," Diana said. Tilly said she'd be back and walked toward the stairs. When Diana heard her footsteps, she turned back to Riley. "I'm going to admit. I was worried."
"Because I live with another woman?" Riley asked. It impressed her he wasn't entirely oblivious to the perception. "I knew that would come up eventually."
