Always and Forever || Evan Buckley || 9-1-1 (Book 3)

N-I-N-E-T-E-E-N

Looking back on these past two weeks made me realize how sick and weird I've felt. There were two possibilities of why I was not feeling well. It was between my lack of sleep and poor nutrition, or I must have caught Maia's stomach bug. Either way, I felt like complete utter crap.

- - - - -

    Thankfully, the rest of the shift went by quicker than I thought it would go.

    Especially after the captain made the decision of benching me after I almost got sick again as we were about to leave for another call in the middle of the night.

    If he had assigned me to desk duty while the others went out any other day, I would've thrown a fit, but this time I was silently grateful that I could stay behind. So thankful that even the others quickly noticed how I didn't try to object to his decision.

    Oh, I was definitely sick.

   "I must say that this shift was the first time in almost three years of working with you that I see you get sick during calls," Eddie said as we were all getting ready for it to be 8 am to be able to go home. "Has working at a hospital made your stomach soft?"

    Slamming the locker door shut, I turned to face him. "Funny. None of the calls grossed me out. My stomach was simply not being my best friend."

    "I did tell you to stop stuffing yourself with mini cinnamon rolls and soda all day yesterday, didn't I?" Uncle Bobby gave me an 'I told you so' look from across the room.

    In return, I did the only mature thing to do in this situation; I stuck out my tongue at him. "I can't help that cinnamon rolls are the most beautiful and delicious things ever created."

    Surprisingly my uncle started laughing along with the others. "It's quite frankly amusing how every day you are turning more into your mother and not just physically."

    My heart sank at the mention of my mother, but I still put a smile on my face.

    These days I've caught myself missing my mother more than usual. I've been experiencing some significant milestones and life experiences in this disastrous life that is mine. I wished she was here to be part of every single one of them: the good and the bad, especially the bad, because I genuinely needed my mom for guidance.

    I would give anything in this world to have my mom back, even for just a day. I would've loved for her to see me being a mother. I still have many things I have to learn about motherhood, but I honestly hope I've been doing my best with Maia.

    I would've also let her hold me until I ran out of tears when Evan shattered my heart into pieces. My mother would've told me to let all the pain out but hold my head up high and not let a guy put me down because I was worth more than that.

I felt my phone buzzing in the back pocket of my jeans. I pulled it out and saw Daisy's name flash across the screen.

"Good morning, sunshine. What's up?" I answered.

"Aggs, Theo needs us." She said in a hurry, not even bothering to say hello.

I immediately stood up straighter at the sound of her serious yet desperate tone. Something that was indeed unlike her.