Solitude || Evan Buckley [1]

chapter seventeen

He was currently massaging the pregnant woman's swollen feet on the couch in their apartment. While Sasha happily devoured a delicious slice of red velvet cake in which she packed from Athena's earlier. She and Bobby were having a cake test for their upcoming wedding with May and Harry tonight embarking a decision.

Sasha in delight took another bite of the flavored dessert. "Poor guy kept telling her he was taking over her usual mailman for a few weeks. I just hoped she realized he wasn't the bomber only a mailman doing his job."

"Or that misunderstanding didn't traumatize him." He shook his head and continued to massage her feet. "With the several false alarms, I want to think it's over."

She wanted to believe that too except these threats intend to have some sort of purpose. With one, that's life threatening likely indicates a message either an individual or the whole city. She's learned enough from observing the cases Athena has worked over the years to know it's a serious matter.

"We can only hope for the sake of everyone's sanity and safety."

A rough sigh escaped from Buck's mouth as he narrowed at Sasha's stomach. He couldn't deny knowing a serial bomber out there terrified him. Not able to suspect their next move yet ponder the fears about bringing his daughter into this world that can be cruel. When he omitted this to his colleagues, they were quite in awe to see him maturing.

Hen and Eddie told Buck that's part of parenthood— to have this paternal instinct to protect your child from anything in harm's way in the world

"By the way, what was in the backpack at Brookside Elementary?" Sasha wondered, being the one who answered the dispatch call.

Buck chuckled lightly when recalling that one. "Uh, it was a little girl's tuna sandwich. Apparently, she isn't a huge fan of tuna."

Sasha gasped, covering her mouth with a mouthful of red velvet cake. "I can't even imagine her parents' reaction on the phone." She could imagine the mortifying expressions to hear their daughter dragged out first responders and a bomb squad to the scene.

"Perhaps, never making another tuna sandwich for lunch." He joked before leaning forward for his girlfriend to serve him a piece of cake into his mouth. He moaned obnoxiously at the deliciousness and licked his lips, causing her to roll her eyes and laugh at him. "I hope Bobby and Athena picked this cake for their wedding."

Laughter erupted at a table in a restaurant between Sasha, Josh, and Maddie that afternoon. The trio opted the idea to go out to eat on their lunch break. They all agreed stepping out of the building was necessary once in a while. It became a weekly tradition. And with another wave of heinous calls and news of another bomb explosion at someone's doorstep continued to frighten civilians of the city.

The vibration from Sasha's phone led her to excuse herself and answer the incoming call on display. Nothing prepared the raven-haired woman after accepting the call. The smile on her face soon vanished as she inhaled sharply amid processing the news on the other end of the line.

After picking up the kids from school, Michael drove them back to the house. They were pulling out Harry's 1st place science project in which Michael couldn't help to gloat about from the trunk. Heading to the front door, a small mail package sat before them. By one glance, his paternal instincts kicked in guiding his children away before calling the police.

A swarm of first responders arrived, blocking the street with their vehicles and caution tape. Athena raced home after receiving the gutting phone call. Once she saw her family, relief washed over her face as she embraced them tightly.