The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman)

The heart of a woman is as mysterious as a needle at the bottom of the ocean. Monica thought that figuring out a man's heart was like trying to straighten a paperclip-bent and twisted, impossible to understand. She followed Jason to the police department's parking lot and said, "I've got something today, so I'm going to skip this one."

Normally, Monica would be the first to jump on a new case. But when it came to the Anastasia case, she wasn't exactly eager.

Jason was curious, "What's going on? Something important?"

"I've got a blind date," Monica admitted, "My mom set me up with this college professor-super cultured guy."

Jason frowned at the mention of the blind date. "Whatever floats your boat."

With that, he climbed into his car, slamming the door shut so hard that Monica jumped. His temper seemed worse than usual.

Muttering to herself, Monica drove off to her date. Whether she liked the guy or not, she had to show up and play her part.

Rejected, Alisa stepped out again with a thermos in hand, but Jason and Monica were long gone. Alisa felt a wave of resentment. Jason never used to refuse her home-cooked meals, but ever since Monica came along, things had changed.

As a widow of a fallen officer, Alisa was still greeted warmly by many at the precinct. She stopped a young officer and asked pointedly, "Is that Monica always hanging around Jason?"

"Yeah," the officer replied, "They're always out solving cases together. Monica's got a nose like a bloodhound; she's helped Jason crack some big ones."noveldrama

Alisa's voice dripped with sarcasm, "So a sharp nose solves cases now? What about the K9 unit? Don't they have sharp noses too?"

"The dogs might have the noses, but they can't talk. An animal is still an animal," the young officer said, missing the bitterness in Alisa's tone.

With a darkened expression, Alisa muttered, "I bet Monica's cozying up to Jason on purpose."

"Anastasia, I gotta run. Busy, busy."

"Sure," Alisa said, her spirit deflated as she walked away.

...

Anastasia's life was busier than ever, with numerous design orders to fill. Immersing herself in her passion made the days fly by with purpose.

Pattie was now coming home from school eager to learn herbal medicine from James, full of excitement. Tavon's health was improving daily, and with Salma's support, he was starting to move around the yard and speak more clearly. It was a good thing James had been there to treat him, or Tavon might have been paralyzed for life.

Lately, Tavon had begun to suspect there was more to his stroke than bad luck; it all seemed too strange. Salma would say he was being punished for his misdeeds.

Seeing James heal Tavon, Anastasia began to harbor other hopes. After finishing a couple of designs, she headed downstairs to the pharmacy to find James.

To meet James's requirements for treating Tavon, Herman had cleared out a room in the house to store various herbs and medical equipment. Herman was busy with the company, often leaving early and returning late into the night.

Anastasia entered the pharmacy to find James weighing out herbs to prepare Tavon's medication. He looked up and asked, "What can I do for you?"

Anastasia hesitated, "Dr. James, I... I was wondering if you could prescribe some herbal treatments for me too."

James gave her a knowing look. "You're thinking about trying for a baby with Herman?"

Blushing, Anastasia nodded shyly.

"Let me take your pulse and assess your condition," he offered.

"Thank you, Dr. James."

Anastasia followed him to a side room where James felt her pulse, his brow furrowing with concern. Watching his expression, Anastasia's heart sank, "Dr. James, can I... can I still have children?"