Marine Firefighter

by M K Dwyer

  Gloria laughed, and Nikki took that as a good sign. At least, she wasn’t offended by her words. “Oh goodness. That is a dilemma. If you said that to him based on the example I set for you, then I’m sorry, and I hope you reconsider your stance knowing what you know now. You are a naturally nurturing person. You looked after your little brothers when they were young. You carried Aiden through college and gave him the gumption to start his own company. And you’re a great teacher. I know that because moms of your former students still stop me in the grocery store to ask how you’re doing.” Gloria paused while Nikki let her words sink in. “Let me ask you this: If he had told you about his son without knowing how you felt, would you have gotten as close to him as you did?”

  Nikki thought for a moment, but she really didn’t need to. Back then, she was so close-minded to the idea, she knew she would’ve pushed Will away after learning about Joe.

  “I’m going to take your silence to mean you wouldn’t have given him the time of day. What about his son? Have you met him? Is he a bad kid?”

  “No! I mean, yes, I’ve met him, and he’s a great kid. He’s actually a student in my class and smart as a whip. I liked him before I knew he was Will’s son, now I see so much of Will in him, it’s hard not to love him too.”

  Gloria was quiet on the other end, and Nikki realized what she said. She loved Will, and she even loved Joe. When did that happen? “So, you love him and his kid. What’s the problem?”

  “What do you mean? He lied to me.”

  “Sounds like he didn’t have much choice. He was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t.”

  She was shocked. Not only was Gloria telling her to ignore his discord with the truth, but she’d cursed! She’d never heard her utter even the word “darn”. Nikki used alternative curse words, but Gloria used no curse words, alternative or otherwise.

  “So, what? I’m just supposed to forgive him, and not worry about whether he’s going to lie to me in the future?”

  “No. You’re supposed to make him grovel.” She laughed. Nikki couldn’t remember the last time Gloria laughed during one of their conversations, or if she’d ever laughed because something Nikki said. “And you don’t have to worry about him lying to you all the time because once he’s done groveling, you’re going to assure him that no matter what he needs to say to you in the future, it won’t make you run. But don’t accept his apology until you mean it.”

  “So, make him grovel and then promise I won’t run.” Nikki chuckled. “Thanks, Gloria. I enjoyed this chat. It’s exactly what I needed. It’s given me a lot to think about.”

  “I’m glad, dear. It’s exactly what I needed too, and I’m sorry again, that it took so long for us to reach this point.”

  “I guess we’re both sorry about that.”

  “Call me any time you need to chat. I’m always here for you.”

  “Thanks Gloria. I’m always here for you too.”

  She hung up with a newfound respect and understanding for the woman who raised her when her own mother couldn’t be there.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Will

  A week since Nikki figured out Joe was his son, she still wasn’t taking his calls, but he wasn’t giving up. He would never give up. She was special, what they had was special, and he would be the biggest dumbass in history if he gave up so easily or at all. He left message after message pouring his heart out. Since he couldn’t be sure if she listened to all, some or none of them, he repeated himself in his messages. He felt like a broken record, but he hoped, if she was listening to them, that she understood how serious he was about the words he used.

  She would have to talk to him eventually. She was still Joe’s teacher after all, and she was the one who mentioned a parent/teacher conference. He would take any contact with her he could get. He missed the beauty she brought to his life. He missed their talks. He missed her. Period.

  He asked Joe about her whenever he got the chance, and his answer was always the same. “Fine.” But that’s about what one could expect from an eight-year-old boy. Joe seemed to be handling the new school well which took a load off Will’s mind. He knew he had Nikki to thank for part of that, and he wished she’d take his calls, so he could tell her so.

  It was Saturday night, and they were all sitting in the living room taking turns on the Xbox. Shortly after Joe came to live with them, War bought two gaming chairs, moved the coffee table up against the wall and placed the gaming chairs smackdab in the middle of the room. War swore the chairs were essential for gaming, but Will knew he bought them for Joe to have his own place to sit. All of Will’s roommates were amazing with Joe, but War had really surprised him.

  Joe and Adam were taking their turn playing the Xbox while Jesus stretched out on one of the couches, and War and Will sat on the other.

  “You know, man. I owe you an apology.”

  Will had no idea what War was talking about. “For what?”

  “Back when you first moved in, Adam told us you had a kid that would be here on the weekends. I assumed you were one of those dads that sees your kid out of obligation. I was wrong to jump to conclusions like that. You’re actually a pretty okay dad.”

  “So that’s the beef you had with me in the beginning?”

  War just nodded his head.

  “Thanks man. I appreciate the apology, but it’s not necessary.”

  “Yes, it is. I was an ass. I let my own prejudices come into play, and I shouldn’t have. My dad was one of those assholes that only took my sister and me for the weekend, so he wouldn’t have to pay more in child support.”

  Will wasn’t sure what to say to War’s statement. “That sucks” or “I’m sorry” both seemed like empty sentiments. Every time he spoke to War, he uncovered another layer to his personality.

  Joe broke into his thoughts by jumping in his lap. He grunted at the sudden jab to his abdomen. “Hey buddy. Did you win?”

  “Yeah! Adam sucks at that game!”

  Will laughed and looked over at Adam who just shrugged. “All right, buddy. It’s bedtime. Go brush your teeth and put on your pajamas. I’ll be there to tuck you into bed in a few minutes.”

  Joe groaned but sauntered off to the bathroom.

  Adam turned off the Xbox and switched the input on the TV over to the cable box which was already set to a local news channel. He was just about to change the channel when Will stopped him.

  He caught a glimpse of his old apartment complex on the screen and wanted to see what the news story was about.

  The camera panned from the complex to the on-scene reporter.

  “Initial reports of a shooting at this complex came in around an hour ago. There is no word yet from officials, but residents speculate a robbery-gone-wrong. Here’s one of the victim’s neighbors now.”

  The camera zoomed out to include the unkempt person standing next to the reporter.

  “Why do they always interview the craziest looking people?” Jesus sat up on the edge of the couch to pay attention to the newscast. By now, all the guys had recognized Will’s old complex after helping him move out of it.

  Will was about to tell Jesus to hush when the neighbor with shaggy brown hair, missing teeth and a disheveled, rumpled, dirty, white t-shirt began to speak.

  “It was nuts, man. I was sitting on the couch, drinking a beer, enjoying my shows when it started. Two guys were arguing next door, and getting pretty loud, so I turned up my TV. That’s when I heard the POW! POW! I didn’t know, at first, it was gunshots. I thought my ears were playing tricks on me, but the arguing stopped. Right then, I ran into the bedroom and called the cops and didn’t come out until I heard sirens. I wasn’t taking no chances that stray bullets were coming flying through the walls! It was so crazy, man. Nuts, I’m telling you. Nuts!”

  “Thank you, sir, for that. Back to you in the studio, Bob.”

  “Thanks, Nancy. In fifteen minutes, a press conference is scheduled by the chief of police about this incident. Stay tuned to
this station for updates.”

  They went to commercial and Will sat there stunned. If he still lived there, he might’ve been there when it happened, and with his son, no less. He shivered just thinking about it.

  The anchors came back on the screen talking about another top story for the night, but Will wasn’t paying attention to what they were saying. Without speaking a word to each other, Will, Adam, War and Jesus stared, eyes glued to the screen, waiting for the press conference.

  “We go now to the press conference about the apartment shooting.” He reached for the remote and turned up the volume.

  “Ladies and gentlemen of the press, thank you for being here. This press conference is regarding the fatal shooting at the Bonito Apartments tonight. At approximately 9:15 P.M. an unknown assailant shot and killed a man by the name of Norville “Tank” Jones. Based on the initial evidence found at the scene, it appears the assailant was attempting to buy drugs from the victim when the altercation occurred. A search for the assailant is underway. He is described as a Caucasian male with shoulder-length brown hair, standing approximately six feet tall. He was last seen wearing jeans and a black t-shirt. He is to be considered armed and dangerous. If you spot someone matching this description, do not attempt to approach the assailant. Get to a safe location and call our tips line toll-free at 800-555-TIPS. Thank you.”

  The screen cut back to the news anchors, but Will didn’t hear a word they said. He was dumbfounded. Not only was it his old apartment complex, but it was his old apartment. His old roommate was the one who had been shot dead, confirming his suspicions that the man was a drug dealer. His emotions were warring inside of him. On one had he was grateful he moved out when he did. On the other, he mourned for the man he shared an apartment with for a year. Tank had seemed like a genuine, nice person. Sure, he was a drug dealer, but he’d hidden it so well from Will that he still had a hard time reconciling the man he appeared to be with the life he led. Who knew what caused a man to take that path in life. He could’ve been trying to pay off his mother’s medical bills for all Will knew. He didn’t want to be around those things, but he still wasn’t one to judge, especially not a dead man.

  “You all right?”

  “I don’t know, Adam. That’s some heavy shit.”

  “Did you know him?”

  Will looked over at the guys for the first time. They all looked back at him with rapt attention, and he realized he’d never told his new roommates about his old roommate.

  “Yeah. I knew him. He was my roommate. It happened in my old apartment. I guess I never told you guys that the reason I was looking for a new place was because I suspected my roommate was a drug dealer.”

  They all sat there just staring at him.

  “He was good at hiding it, but I knew I had to get out of there. I also stopped bringing Joe to the apartment once I got suspicious. Adam, I think I mentioned to you that I used to get a hotel room when Joe was in town, and that would be why.”

  “Woah.” Leave it to Jesus to simplify everything.

  “Dad. I thought you were going to tuck me in.” Joe’s head peeked out of the hallway.

  “Yeah, buddy. I’m on my way.” Will put a smile on his face and walked back to the bedroom they shared. He appreciated the distraction from the heaviness in the living room and was glad the news story was over by the time Joe came looking for him. He wasn’t sure if Joe would’ve recognized Will’s old apartment complex, but he wasn’t keen to find out.

  He tucked Joe into bed as they talked about the fun day they had and the fun they would have the next day. He loved those moments with Joe. He didn’t get them every night because of his schedule at the firehouse, but the guys were amazing with Joe when he couldn’t be there. Hearing about Tank on the news reiterated how blessed he was to have found Adam, Jesus and War. Not only were they good roommates and fellow Marines, but they had become great friends to him and were like uncles to Joe.

  He walked back into the living room to find the guys speaking in hushed tones to each other. They stopped and looked up when they realized he was back in the room.

  “What’s up guys?” Will’s smile slipped from his face and nervousness set in.

  Ever the leader, Adam stood up and approached him. “We were just agreeing that whatever you need, man, we’re here for you.”

  The weight lifted again from Will’s shoulders and his smile came back. “Thanks guys. I appreciate that. I really do. You’ve all been so amazing already. You’ll never know what it means to me. I couldn’t express it adequately if I tried.” Usually it took Will a few beers to be this open about his feelings with other men, but these were extenuating circumstances. This was his crew, and they were offering their support.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Nikki

  Over two weeks after “the day of enlightenment” as she was calling the day she confirmed that Joe was Will’s son, Nikki took her aching heart to the pub. Joyce was supposed to join her, but just after lunchtime she went home not feeling well.

  It was Monday night, so there were very few people at their regular pub. She’d nearly gone to a different bar in case he was there but decided to stick with what was familiar. He wasn’t there though, thank God, but she spotted another face she recognized.

  “Hey, sweetness. What’s shakin’?”

  “Jesus. Fancy seeing you here. Are you alone?”

  “If you’re wondering if Will is here, no, he’s working today.”

  “Oh, so he told you who I was.”

  “Of course, he did. He had to warn me off you.” Jesus winked, and she smiled. He had a way of putting those around him at ease.

  She took the stool next to him at the bar. “Hope this seat isn’t taken. You didn’t actually answer my question about whether or not you were here with someone.” She looked around the bar as she spoke.

  “I am here alone. War was supposed to meet me, but he got called into work. What about you? Drinking alone?”

  “Tonight, I guess I am. Joyce couldn’t make it either.”

  “Joyce is the one who was here with you last time?”

  “Yeah.”

  “She’s hot. For an older chick.”

  Nikki guffawed. “I’ll have to tell her you said that. She’ll love it!”

  Jesus smiled. If she wasn’t so hung up on Will, she’d describe it as a “panty melting smile”, but only one man currently melted her panties. She sighed.

  “Thinking about him?”

  She looked into his eyes expecting to find he was making a joke, but his sincerity took her by surprise.

  She ordered a Long Island Iced Tea when the bartender asked, and Jesus got another Guinness. Using the distraction to consider how much she wanted to say, she decided to be candid with him and returned his genuine question with a straight answer. “Yeah, I am. I can’t seem to stop. Everything makes me think of him. A part of me wants to stop, but a larger part of me doesn’t. Ever.”

  “So, you’re going to forgive him?”

  That was the million-dollar question. Wasn’t it? She took a sip of the drink the bartender set in front of her and tried to sort her thoughts. Gloria thought she should let him grovel for a while and then forgive him. Her head compared him to Aiden and feared getting hurt again. Her heart broke a little more every time she thought of never seeing him again. She wasn’t ready to forgive him, but she wasn’t ready to let him go either.

  “I understand why you’re hesitant. He should’ve told you sooner, but the guy is hurting. Do us all a favor and put him out of his misery sooner rather than later. Either way. Every time he calls you and you don’t answer, his face drops a little more. I think he thought you would at least talk to him again by now.”

  She thought about it for a moment. “I’m not sure when I’ll be ready to speak to him, but I do know I’m not ready for him to stop calling.”

  Jesus nodded. “I get that. Just know that even if you decide it’s over, I don’t think he’s going to accept that so ea
sily. He’s serious about you or he wouldn’t have kept Joe a secret from you in the first place.”

  “He told you all that?”

  “He didn’t have to. He thinks he was slick keeping you away from us in the beginning, but we knew he was falling for someone then. A grown Marine with a bronze star and a purple heart does not chat on the phone everyday like a teenager with just anyone.”

  Jesus chuckled, and Nikki’s jaw dropped.

  “Oh, he didn’t tell you how decorated his is?”

  She just shook her head.

  “Figures. And he probably never will. Most people who have seen combat won’t brag about it. Surely you’ve seen the scar on his side though.”

  Nikki’s eyes dropped to her lap and she blushed thinking about the night when she first saw the scar.

  Jesus chuckled. “I’ll take that as a ‘yes’. Did he tell you the story of how he got the scar?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then you know how he got the medals. The captain he saved pushed for Will to be recognized. He knew he wouldn’t have made it home to his wife and son if it hadn’t been for Will?”

  “How do you know all that?”

  “Let’s just say that Adam, our other roommate, has a knack for finding things out.”

  “Thanks, Jesus. This has been very enlightening.”

  “You’re welcome, sweetness. So, other than my asshole roommate, what’s going on with you?” He smirked at her.

  “He’s not an asshole.” She was mad at him, but he’d never been anything but wonderful, to her anyway.

  “I know he’s not. That was a test.” His smirk got bigger and she smacked him on the shoulder. “Seriously though, talk to me. Pretend I’m Joyce if you have to.”

  She smiled at him. She did need some girl-talk, but she never imagined she’d have it with “Buff Jesus”. Oh yeah. Will told her about his nickname. It totally fit the guy.