Can you Stand the Rain (Antonio Dawson)

Dinner with the Dawsons

I was finally able to drag my ass home around at 9 the next morning. Intelligence caught the bastard, some anti-government asshole who declared war on the CPD and the CFD. I took a shower and just before I could hit the sheets my phone rang, it was my mom

"Oh God." I said I have been expecting this call

"Hey mama." I said

"Oh, my baby are you ok? Where you there? Do you need me to come down there?" She kept firing off questions

"Mom I'm fine I just got home actually so I was going to take a nap."

"Good we've been calling you, but your dad told me not to worry but you know I can't help myself."

"I know mommy, but I am ok I saved lots of lives over the past 16 hours. So right now, I'm going to get some sleep. Is daddy around?"

"He just left for work, but I'm sure he's going to call you later."

"Alright mama I love you."

"I love you too baby and I'm so proud of you." She said then we hung up

I slept most of the day when I woke up my phone was ringing again.

"Hello?" I said still half sleep

"Oh, I'm so sorry I woke you up." Camilla Dawson's voice came through the phone

"No, no, no it's fine is everything ok?" I asked her as I sat up

"Yes, everything is fine I'm calling you to invite you to dinner,"

"Mrs. Dawson you don't- "

"So, I'll see you at 7 Gabriella will send you the address." She said then hung up, I looked at the phone and I couldn't help but laugh. She reminded me so much of my own mom it was hilarious. I looked at the clock and saw it was five thirty. I got up and went to shower and got dressed then I texted Gaby for the address when there was a knock at my door. I opened it to see Antonio looking handsome as in a black button down and his signature leather jacket and dog-tags

"Hey." He said

"Hey what are you doing here?"

"Gaby said you needed a ride to dinner." He said

"She was just supposed to send me the address I could've drove myself."

"Well I'm here so let's do this."

"Alright."

"So how are your kids?" I asked

"Good, they have a lot of questions about what's going on."

"Do you even know what's going on?"

"Not really she wants me to quit, I don't."

"Well it sounds like you know, she's scared I could tell from how she acted at your appointment."

"I get that but this job outside of my family means everything to me. It's apart of me."

"it's the call." I said and he nodded

"Yeah."

"My parents went through it, almost got divorced when I was in high school but some how found their way back to each other. When I asked my dad how, he said they compromised meaning he retired."

"That's what Laura wants."

"Well he retired from being a cop but he's best friends with a county sheriff, so he took a job with him as his bodyguard been doing it ever since. Not out late, pays better, weekends off, and they just renewed their vows last year."

"That's sweet I would appreciate if I could get that with Laura, but she won't budge. No guns, no badge, she wants me to come work at her bakery with her."

"I can't see you being the Pillsbury doughboy." I teased he laughed

"Yeah me either." He said as he parked in front a cute house

"You grew up here?"

"Yep they worked hard for this house since they got here from the Dominican."

"I should've brought something."

"Please Camilla Dawson would not have it."

"You know she hung up on me earlier." I said with a laugh

"What?" He laughed

"She invited me to dinner and before I could say yes or no, she hung up and told me to be here by 7." He laughed harder as he unlocked the front door

"Smells good!" he shouted as we walked in

I had a great time with the Dawson family Camilla's food was fantastic as usual they made me feel so welcome and I left with a hug plate of food and an invite to come to dinner next Sunday.

"So same time next week?" Antonio asked as he pulled up in front of my house

"I can drive myself; you know."

"I like having you on as my ride along."

"It's a date." I said then I stopped myself

"I-I um I didn't mean, that was stupid, not like a date, date but.... You know what I'll drive myself." I said opening the door he grabbed my hand before I got out

"I'll see you next week it's a date." He said with a smile, I smiled back then I got out and walked inside

"Don't go there Alayna, he is still married." I said to myself once again I just had to keep repeating that until it stuck.

______________________________________________________________________________

It did end up becoming a regular thing as long as I wasn't working I was present at the Dawson family dinner. The nights I did have to work Antonio would bring me a plate to the hospital. As much as I tried to separate myself from him we just kept getting closer. We liked a lot of the same things, foods, book, music, our biggest disagreements  were about our sports teams. He was having a tough time with his divorce and lately it had turned nasty with Laura trying to keep him from the kids. We would meet up  the nights we worked late and go out to eat and just talk. I was feeling really conflicted because I was slowly falling for a married man