This Is Just The Beginning

Chapter 62

-6 weeks later-
~Stella's POV~
I've been training to become a Lieutenant while also instructing the class at the academy for about a month now. And it's been hectic, to say the least. Trying to balance everything has been stretching me quite thin.
It's 8pm and I just finished instructing my class at the academy, and earlier from 8:30-noon I had my lieutenant's training classes. All right after shift. So I've been on the go all day.

I got home and walked upstairs. I opened the front door and saw Kelly sitting on the couch looking at some papers. He saw me walk in and put his stuff on the coffee table as I sat down next to him.
"Hey there sunshine." He chuckled and moved the hair out of my face to give me a kiss.

I looked at him and let him kiss me. I was exhausted.
"Do I look like a zombie? Cause I feel like one..." I joked.
"A hot zombie maybe..." he laughed.
I laughed under my breath and looked at the ceiling.
"Why don't you try to back down from all this stuff? Just take a small break?" He asked me.
I shook my head.

"No, no... it's ok... Chief is giving me all these great opportunities and helping me with all this lieutenant's stuff... I don't want him to think I don't got the goods..." I joked
"He won't, he'll think you're human... you can't be over working yourself like this." He told me.
I looked around.
"Where are the kids?" I asked him.

"Sleeping, it's already 8:30." He told me. I looked at the time and he was right. I was so tired, I leaned my head on Kelly and closed my eyes.
"Maybe you should go to bed. Get some rest." He said.
Pretty soon we both just went to the room and we both went to sleep.

-few days later-
Kelly and I were getting ready to leave shift. I was so tired and I felt like my eyes would barely stay open.
"Hey, babe." I heard Kelly's voice.
I halfway closed my locker so I could see him.
"Yea?" I asked him.

"Are you sure that you want to go teach that class right now?" He asked me.
I nodded my head.
"Yea... I just... I need some strong coffee and a solid 20 minute nap in my car and I'll be good to go." I said, looking in my locker to gather everything.
I heard him chuckled under his breath and then he grabbed my arm.

I looked his hand on my arm, and then looked up at him.
"You're over working yourself... trust me, I'm scared something's going to happen to you..." he told me.
I smiled at him.
"I'm ok. Yes I'm tired, but it's ok. I only have to teach that class today." I told him.

He gave me a look.
"I'm serious babe." He said, getting more serious now.
I gave him a kiss.
"I promise." I told him.
"You'll be home by what, 12:30?" He asked me.
I shook my head.

"No, uh. I'm seeing Grant after my class. I'll be home by... 3? I don't know, you know he likes me to stay a while..." I said.
"Ok, I should head out and go get the kids now." He said.
I looked at the time.
"Yea, I gotta head to the academy." I said.
We went out separate ways and left the firehouse.

~~~~~~~
"Alright great work everyone! I hope to see you all next week!" I called out to my class as it ended.
I went inside the academy and to the locker rooms to change out of my instructors uniform. Once I got back in my street clothes, I grabbed my duffle bag and walked out.

As I was walking out, a wave just hit me and I got so tired all of a sudden. I grabbed onto a bench just outside of the academy building. Then I felt someone's hand on my shoulder.
"Instructor Kidd, are you ok?" I heard a voice and saw one of my students there.
I looked up at him.

"Yea, yea... thanks Johnson... I'm good..." I said, pulling myself back up from the bench and I made my way to my car.
I got in my car and sat there, debating if I should just go home. But I know I shouldn't. I usually see Grant once a week, but last week, I canceled the one time he was free because I had a lieutenant's class. And he wasn't free any other time.