Is This Forever?

Life Without You

Amira's Story
_________
January 9th, 2025
The Ask

"You wanted to see me captain?" She asked.

It was weird hearing anyone but Tommy address him in that manner. But, she was going to be here awhile. He had to get used to her.

"Yes, I was thinking of how you've been here for a week and I barely know you." He started.

Before he could finish she spoke up. "We can get coffee one morning and we can get to know each other."

"You took the words right out of my mouth." He smiled. "How's tomorrow afternoon after our shift?" She asked.

"Consider it a date." He said without thinking. "Not date. I meant it as a-"

"I know what you meant. It's a date." She spoke, cutting him off. "Just tell me where and I'll be there."

With that she walked out of the room.

~-~
Later in the day Owen told her that they'd go to his favorite café. The same one he just so happened to bring his last two girlfriends.

The same girlfriends that broke up with him.

Maybe he should pick another place but he wasn't looking for a relationship with this woman. But he was looking for a friendship with the paramedic captain of his firehouse.

After their shift they did what they planned to do. He insisted that she tried a Gibraltar.

She told him it was probably the best cup of coffee she'd ever had.

"So what did you want to know?" She asked. "What do you want me to know?" He responded.

"I'm not really into small talk." She informed. "So how about this?" She started.

"About what?" He asked. "What if we both share five facts about ourselves. Then we talk like we've known each other for years." She asked.

"Okay." He agreed. "Yes?" She asked. "Yes." He smiled.

"Okay, I'm forty-six, I was born in New York but moved here when I was seventeen. I have a best friend her name is Imani and I've known her since high school. I've been in the field since I was twenty-one and I love to travel." She finished.

"I lived in New York for almost three decades. Which part where you born?"

"The Bronx." She said. "Okay, your turn."

"So, I'm fifty-one and I'm originally from Santa Monica and moved to Manhattan when I was around thirteen."

He left out the part of why he moved to New York and the grief he was still recovering from.

"I started off as a lifeguard but have been a firefighter for almost four decades. I have a son and he's actually your paramedic."

"I kind of put that together with the last names." She smiled.

"Technically I have two if you count my son-in-law, Carlos who is a police officer. Lastly, I moved here five years ago after building my firehouse again to come and rebuild the 126." He finished.

"Rebuild your firehouse?" She asked. "After 9/11 I was the last survivor of my firehouse. So the fire commissioner asked me to become captain and help build the firehouse back up and i'm sure you know about the 126." He informed.

"I do but I'm so sorry Owen." She said. "I don't want to talk about that anymore. Let's have a real conversation."

They stayed in the same spot until the coffee shop kicked them out at eight.

They continued their conversation in a nearby park. They spoke until ten o'clock. It was like they were old friends and they were catching up.

They did something like this for the next two weeks after every shift. Owen knew they be destined for something great that's why he asked her out.

It was an immediate yes from her. She told him that she'd been waiting for him to ask her out since the first time they got coffee together.

Their date was the start of something fresh, something new.

_______________
September 8th, 2025
Present Day

Now she lived her life without him. Maybe he had been holding her back. She found her permanent home at the 122. They treated her with care just like the 126 did but Owen wasn't involved now.

She and Imani were taking a real go at it. Before Tommy's wedding Imani asked Amira to be her girlfriend.

She doesn't think she's ever been loved the way Imani is loving her.

She kept her promise to Owen as well.

She made sure she and Tommy became friends; and that they did. The woman of the 126 their dispatcher, she, and Imani went out to brunch most Saturday's.

They had their own group chat where they all spoke about everything under the sun.

So maybe the best think that Owen gave her was the new friendships and relationship she had.

Breaking up with Owen made her realize what she needed or more or less who she needed.

She needed to find someone who knew her well. Who has been by her side since she was seventeen. Someone who has constantly showed her that she loved her.

Maybe she was blind to see it all before. Or maybe she saw it but didn't want to believe it.

It had been obvious that Amira loved Imani but maybe she wasn't in love with her at the time.

But now every fiber of her being revolved around Imani and the love she held for her.

Imani was the reason she was still here. It had been so many times where she felt that she wasn't worth anything to anyone.

Until Imani showed her that she meant everything to someone. That someone being her.

________________
A look into her future
2027

It was a day that every girl dreamt of.

The day Imani asked Amira to marry her.

They took a walk down the beach, hand in hand. When they approached a candlelit dinner in the sand.

"Wow, Imani." Amira gushed. "Before we sit down baby." She started.

"I have something to ask you." She spoke. She got down on bended knee and pulled out an extravagant ring.

There wasn't anything thing that could say other than yes. It would be stupid not to.

_____________

If she didn't get nothing from her story; she got this. Marry your best friend and live the life you always dreamt of.

TBC