It was like everything in the world around had shifted, even slightly. Nothing felt the same, and to Phoenix, it felt like nothing would ever be the same again.
Phoenix loses his badge, but there's always a light in the darkest of times.
Everything felt different after that fateful day.
It was like everything in the world around had shifted, even slightly. Nothing felt the same, and to Phoenix, it felt like nothing would ever be the same again. He was lost in the world, trying to find a place. Sure, he still had his friends, but they would move on. Helping people was literally his livelihood. He felt empty, like a hollow shell of his former self.
Miles and Maya were the only ones he told. He really didn’t have the energy to call a bunch of people and play a never-ending game of twenty questions with them. He’d explain things to everyone else.
Eventually.
Phoenix didn’t know why he still came into the office. He could probably sell it, and make enough money to keep him alive for a little while. But, for whatever reason, he kept it. Just in case, he told himself. Just in case.
And now, here he sat, in the office, lost in his own thoughts. The hopeless feeling in his chest wouldn't go away, no matter what he did.
He’s already had five full-on meltdowns in the past two weeks. He didn’t have the energy to cry now.
What snaps him out of his sad and bitter thoughts is the sound of the door opening. It’s Trucy. Zak’s daughter.
The kid who gave him that fateful piece of evidence.
But that didn't matter now. It was over and done, he couldn't change the past. And Trucy was just a little kid, after all.
“Hello Mr. Attorney!” She spoke, still bright as ever, “you wanted to talk to me about something?”
Phoenix took a deep breath. Even after taking care of Pearl, he still found it hard to talk to children. “Yes, since your father, um, isn’t here right now,” he really wasn’t sure how to phrase it. He didn’t even know what exactly happened himself. “And you don’t seem to have any living relatives, I was wondering...” Another pause. How do you ask a child if they want to live with you without it feeling weird? “I was wondering if you wanted to live with me. Just until your daddy comes back.”
Trucy looked down for a moment. Phoenix couldn’t imagine what was going through her head. Your dad suddenly disappears and this random, freshly disbarred attorney offers you a home.
“My daddy. He said I could trust you.” That was surprisingly reassuring. These days, he felt like nobody trusted him anymore. “And if I stay, does that make you my new daddy?”
“Uh, sure. You can call me whatever you want.” Everyone else seemed to call him whatever they felt like.
“Okay!” She seemed way too excited to be staying with some random stranger she met two weeks ago. “And daddy?” She frowned. “You aren’t gonna disappear like my last daddy, right?” She looked up at Phoenix with big, innocent eyes.
“No, Trucy,” for the first time in weeks, he smiled, “I’m not leaving anytime soon.”