Daisy threw her head back and groaned.
A car honked and Bianca’s eyes flew back to the road, straightening her car in her lane.
“You’ll end up doing laundry and all sorts of things if we go home...and then we’ll be late.”
She didn't blame Daisy for assuming they would be late. They’d been late to several places lately, not for school as much, but whenever Bianca needed to catch up on chores at home.
“Can I play at the playground while we wait for the game to start?”she wheedled when Bianca remained silent.
Waiting for two hours at a playground while Bianca could be getting dishes or laundry done seemed like wasting time, but time spent with her daughter was never wasted. “I guess we’ll have to eat at McDonalds, then.”
“Yay!” Daisy clapped her hands, and Bianca didn't need to see her eyes to know that they were bright with excitement.
Mama didn’t mind eating leftovers, at least. Bianca didn't worry about planning for Mateo because it was hard to keep track of what nights he stayed at the house and the nights he stayed with his friends.
“Are you going to stay and watch me at my first practice?” Daisy asked.
Ezra being the coach, he and Leila had offered to get Daisy to her practice since Bianca worked on Wednesday afternoons, but she’d taken the first two Wednedsays off so she could watch. “I will be there.”
She slowed when she went over the speed bumps on Pria Street, following the jeep in front of her to the drop-off car line. Several kids and adults traipsed across the grass, heading to the brick building.
Bianca waved at the man in a yellow vest who held a stop sign as he helped direct the flow of traffic. She finally came to a stop when it was her turn to pull the car forward. The door to the van slid open.
“I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, Honey.”
“I can’t wait for soccer tomorrow.” Daisy hopped out, her Disney Frozen backpack on her back, then darted to join a couple of girls that Bianca recognized as her daughter’s classmates.
It wasn’t until Daisy made it into the building that Bianca drove off.
Daisy’s excitement for soccer was growing on Bianca. It warmed her to see how happy her daughter was. Even though sometimes she assumed Daisy was unhappy because she didn't have a dad like all her friends did, Bianca was going to do her best to be the parent Daisy needed. How she was going to do that while juggling two jobs, she had no idea, but she was willing to try.
“My lips to your ears, God!”
CHAPTER 5
As usual, Andrew’s twenty-four hour shift started at six-thirty am. Forty-eight hours at work would be followed by seventy-two hours off.
Although the rest of the crew would normally arrive an hour later, being one of the two captains at Firehouse 12, Andrew arrived early so that he could get a detailed report from the overnight shift’s lieutenant.
The station was a two-story brick building, with sleeping quarters and a gym upstairs. Both Andrew’s and the chief’s offices were downstairs to the side of the kitchen, living and dining room.
“Woof!” Rocky barked at the sound of the cheerful banter outside Andrew’s office. The ruckus usually happened while the overnight shift was departing and the morning shift was arriving.
Andrew tore his eyes off the computer and spoke to Rocky, who was now pacing back and forth between the glass window and the door.
“Ready to greet the team, bud?”
Rocky panted, sticking out his tongue.
Pushing back his swivel chair, Andrew rose, and Rocky sped past him as soon as he opened the door.
Andrew breathed in the smell of bacon, coffee and firehouse all mingled together as he wandered toward the kitchen. The kitchen, living room, and dining area were all adjoined in one big rectangle.
Before Andrew could register what his dog was doing, Rocky leapt for Mason’s hand.
"Dude!" The junior firefighter turned, snarling at Rocky, who was licking his lips. “You just ate my bacon! Do you ever wonder why your owner gave you up?”
Andrew had worked hard to train Rocky, but as far as chewing things and jumping after people’s food went, he hadn’t figured out a solution yet.
“Rocky!” Andrew snapped his finger to catch the Dane’s attention. Staring the dog in the eye, he said, “You can't keep eating people’s food.”
Mason grunted, “Yeah, right, as if he can understand what you’re saying.”
“Still working on it,” Andrew patted Rocky on the head. “That’s if he’s going to make it as a station dog.”
At times Rocky seemed to understand what Andrew was saying, but it was hard to tell. Regardless, Andrew pointed toward the living room, to Rocky’s doggy bed. “Go and sit! No truck rides for you today.”
Rocky’s big eyes drooped before he ambled off to join two guys who were flopped on the cushy recliners, eyeing the morning news on TV.
Andrew apologized to Mason, something he found himself doing often whenever Rocky chewed another colleague's shoes or leaped for their food.
“That’s why you put your food on a plate instead of wandering off with a piece of bacon in your hand.” This from Zeb, the senior firefighter who was stacking bacon on a plateful of potatoes and eggs.
Even though they took turns cooking meals during their shifts, they’d decided to skip cooking breakfast. Since people in the community brought in doughnuts and pastries almost daily, there was no sense in preparing a morning meal. Zeb, on the other hand, insisted on making breakfast whenever it was his turn to cook.
“S’up, Buchanan?” Andrew’s close friend and fellow firefighter, Levi, greeted from the far corner of the counter, where he lined up three cups next to each other, pouring liquids into each one.
Levi's dream was to someday open a restaurant that would serve unique beverages. For that reason, he was always mixing drinks and looking for people to test his concoctions.
“Just don’t burn down the kitchen, Gilinsky,” Andrew said just as two guys tore past him and stretched their hands out to the marble counter, both reaching for the only chocolate donut in the box.
“Got it!” Chet said, grinning as he bit into the donut.
The other man grumbled as he put a plain donut onto a napkin.
Most of the overnight crew mingled with the morning shift around the long dining table, big enough to seat twelve. By their comments and snickering, Andrew had no doubt that the jokes were at the expense of another member.
One man had his head back, his deep laugh filling the small room.
Intrigued, Andrew grabbed a napkin, then cut a cake donut in half, leaving the other half in the box. He then went around the counter and leaned back against it, biting into his donut as he tried to grasp the conversation.
Andrew turned to check on Rocky, whose eyes were trained on the TV, occupying half the couch as if he owned it.
Taking another bite of his donut, Andrew listened to Peter from the overnight shift share his reasons for staying to work another twenty-four hour shift. He was afraid to face his wife after forgetting her birthday for the second year in a row. “I’ve been paying for it up until three months ago. You would think I’d remember.”
“Take her to a fancy dinner, somewhere she’s never been before,” Chet suggested,over a mouthful of the donut.
“Did that two years ago when I forgot our anniversary.”
“Forgetting is what you do best, isn't it?” A perky female paramedic said as she ate her cereal. “Take her on a shopping spree. Women like that.”
“What do you think, Cap?” Peter, peered at Andrew.
Even though Andrew was still new to the station, he was not confident enough to give advice in relationships, but he offered, “Honesty.” He brushed his hands together to rid the donut remnants. “ Best thing you could offer in a relationship.”
“Cap, try this!”
He spun, turning to Levi, who held a steaming ceramic mug toward him.
Andrew stared
at the brown, milky-looking liquid as if it were about to bite him. He then looked down at Levi skeptically. The last time he’d tried Levi’s apple-lemon juice mix, it had left his stomach churning for the rest of his work tour, so, no, thank you.
As if reading into Andrew’s mind, Levi glanced at the cup in his hand and shrugged, lifting his thick eyebrows.
“So that wasn’t my best creation. My wife threw up after she tasted it. I got carried away with the ginger.” He winced as if remembering the scenario. “You’ll like it this time, nothing hot chocolate can’t fix.”
“I need to know all the ingredients before I drink it.” Andrew took the mug from him.
Levi grinned and spoke with enthusiasm, as he counted on his fingers. “Hot cocoa, coffee, chai tea, a tad of vanilla and cinnamon.”
The hopeful expression on the man’s round face had Andrew tilting the mug to his lips, careful to take a tiny sip in case he ended up not liking it.
Not bad. He turned to Levi, whose eyes were wide as he waited for the verdict. “I think that’s a winner there, Gilinsky.”
“Yes!” Levi pumped a fist in triumph. “Feel free to finish the rest.”
“You’re forgetting that I don’t drink coffee.” He did, but rarely. It tended to interfere with his sleep, but it was still early, the beginning of a forty-eight hour shift. He lifted a shoulder. “I guess today can be my caffeine day of the week.”
Andrew broke up the gathering at around eight o’clock, when the night crew left.
The roar of saws being started filled the firehouse as some of the men made sure the equipment was in working order before their first call came in. Andrew spoke over the noise, going through the day’s agenda. Responding to fire, medical calls and all scheduled activities were altered depending on emergency incidents.
“We will do ladder drills between our calls,”Andrew continued. He looked at the calendar on his tablet before gesturing his chin to Lydia Bryant, one of the EMTs. “Bryant, don’t forget the fire safety training at the nursing home in a couple of hours.”
“While you’re there, don’t forget to get your vitals checked, too,” one of the guys joked, earning a hand gesture from the EMT.
Andrew was easily connecting with the team. It was either because he was the captain, or because he’d invited them to the family barbeques, like Ezra often did with his colleagues. It had given him the chance to know his team outside of work.
THEIR FIRST CALL OF the day was at a construction site. One of the workers had fallen into a sinkhole that formed as the crew tunneled through the basement. His injuries had not been complicated as far as construction site accidents went.
They returned for their mid-morning ladder drills, then cleaned the truck while Zeb and two others cooked lunch.
Just as they settled down to eat Zeb’s simmering ribs, another call came in for the middle school in the neighborhood.
A fourteen year old is on the roof, and threatening to jump.
Since the Engine truck was the only one called, Andrew and Levi, with the junior firefighter, rolled together. No heavy gear would be required.
In a few minutes, Andrew had climbed the stairs to the roof access and was squatting beside Preston, with a little help from the gym teacher, who had turned on loud music in the gym long enough to allow Andrew to sneak up on the slim boy.
Preston had a hood over his head and was staring down, as if assessing the drop from the roof to the grass. A teacher stood on the grass below, watching Preston in silence. All the other students had been sent inside the building when Preston had been spotted on the rooftop.
“Preston...”
He startled and spun around upon hearing Andrew’s voice. He was within reach for Andrew to grab him if the boy decided to jump off, but from the frantic way he’d stilled himself when he thought he was falling, Andrew guessed he was bluffing about throwing himself down.
Andrew kept his voice calm as he spoke to the teen. “So, tell me, what was it like to climb up here?”
“How do you know my name?” Preston scooted away from the edge, raised his chin and crossed his arms.
“You’re popular. Not many kids your age climb up on a roof at a school playground.” Preston probably wanted to stand out—otherwise why would he climb up here, and then scare the teachers that he was going to jump?
“Do you know that you could easily get hurt?” In case he didn’t care about his life, Andrew assumed he was old enough to understand the repercussions. “Your teachers would be devastated, and blame themselves for not keeping you safe at school.”
Preston’s brown eyes bore into Andrew’s, as if listening. “Then your parents...”
“I don’t have parents.” Preston averted his gaze down to the field. "Mom’s dead... Dad’s in jail.”
Poor guy. Andrew’s heart constricted as he sensed fear and vulnerability in Preston’s voice. Perhaps he was doing all this to get attention.
Andrew had always had parents who gave him all the love and assurance he needed to boost his confidence. He let out a heavy sigh. “Who...who takes care of you?”
Still not meeting Andrew’s gaze, Preston said, “My grandma.”
Thank goodness for grandparents. “Don’t you think your grandma would fall apart if anything happened to you?”
He shrugged. “I guess.”
He had no idea if Preston had visited the fire station before, but he needed to get him down without forcing him, and a bribe seemed his best option. “If we survive making it down that ladder together...” Andrew motioned to the ladder, trying to make light of the situation. “I’ll talk to your grandma. Maybe you can come over to the fire station and hang out with the firefighters.”
Preston rolled his eyes as if bored by Andrew’s proposal, then raised an eyebrow in a disinterested way. “Do I get to ride in the truck?”
Why would he want to hang out with a bunch of adults? "I can arrange that."
“For reals?” Preston’s voice grew louder as he exposed his braces with a crooked smile.
“Sure. If we’re not too busy, you can even join us on the hose and ladder practice drills we do in a parking lot.” Seeing he had Preston’s full attention now, Andrew warned, “None of that will happen if you throw yourself down and end up in the hospital with broken bones.”
“Oh...” Preston chewed his lip. He probably hadn't thought it all through.
“I’ll stay in touch with your teacher to make sure you’re on your best behavior for the rest of the week, though.”
“I will be, Mister.” His face softened.
Andrew stretched his hand. “Ready to get down?”
Preston obliged and accepted Andrew’s hand in his small one. When they reached the ladder, Preston froze, looking down in surprise. “My grandma’s down there.”
“I’m sure they called her. She’s probably worried about you.”
Preston scrunched up his face. “I’m in trouble, huh?”
“Maybe not,” Andrew assured him. “They will probably just ask you some questions, make sure you’re not going to hurt yourself.”
Preston’s shoulders slumped in resignation, but he took another step toward the ladder. Andrew let out a breath as he guided the boy safely down with him.
With Preston safely in the school counselor’s office with his grandmother, Andrew stayed behind with the teacher in charge to get a detailed report, normal procedure whenever they responded to a call.
Andrew spoke to the frantic teacher outside in the playground. The clear blue sky with the spring breeze was exactly what Andrew needed after dealing with the teenager. “What exactly happened?”
“The janitor forgot the ladder outside, and when we walked to the playground for recess, I didn’t even look around. The next thing I hear is Preston’s voice calling from the rooftop.” The teacher switched the conversation to Preston’s shift in behavior lately. “His dad came out of jail last month, but then he went back last week.”
Andrew's iPad clicked a
s he jotted down the notes, which he would be transferring to the detailed report on his computer before the end of his shift.
They were back at the firehouse fifteen minutes later, and polished off their lunch.
The rest of the afternoon, while his teammates caught up to their training and workouts, Andrew shut himself into his office to type a report of the school incident, then took care of a few invoices that needed to be sent out by the end of the day
When night came, sleeping was hit and miss, which was not unusual. The firefighters responded to a domestic violence call at midnight—an overly drunk man who’d gotten in a fight with his wife. The wife had called 911, and Station 12, being the closest, had been the first to respond until the police arrived and took it from there.
The second call had been a simple medical call at two am, which made it hard for him to get back to sleep afterward.
They stayed busy for the rest of their forty eight hour shift, and when it came to an end, Andrew was exhausted and ready to catch up on sleep. He was grateful that he didn't have anything scheduled for the day as he passed on the overnight report to the next shift Lieutenant.
Ten minutes later, Levi walked beside him out to the parking lot. He adjusted the strap of the duffle bag on his shoulder.
“Coming to Zeb’s tomorrow night to watch the basketball game?” Levi asked.
“I have plans.”
Levi snorted. “Mid-week evening plans for a single dude?”
“I have a life beyond the fire station, you know.”
The early morning sent a brisk breeze as they approached the cars that were parked far apart behind the building.
“Dating again?”
He spoke to Levi more than the others, but Andrew hadn’t confided much about his relationships yet, except when Callie’s name had slipped out in one of their conversations and Levi had pried, demanding to know who Callie was. Andrew explained she was his ex, and that they’d broken up when she moved out of state.
“Nope, I’m coaching kids’ soccer tomorrow.”
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