"Mamma?" Carina heard someone ask from the door frame of the room "Are you awake?" A little blonde asked as she played with her sleeves, looking down at her bare feet.
"I am" the brunette answered as she looked to her daughter's direction "What is it bella?" she asked pulling herself up with her arms, sitting to be able to have a better look at the ten-year-old. Emma, however, didn't respond. She just stood still, looking down without daring to say a word. Of course, this didn't go unnoticed for the Italian, who immediately patted the empty spot next to her "Come here" she said smiling lightly.
Emma quickly, rushed to her mom's spot of the bed, which was now empty due to a late shift. She climbed on the bed and into the sheets, placing herself as close to her mom as posible.
Silence filled out the room as Carina ran her fingers through the girl's hair, tangling and untangling little curls she created. She could feel the girl's unsettledness. She could hear it on how her breathing hitched and how her body trembled.
"You can say it baby" she broke the silence knowing whatever was occupying the girl's mind, it was better to let it out "It's okay" she added, still, Emma was quiet, scared that if said it, it would become more real. If she said it, she wouldn't be able to hold in the tears that were threatening to come out.
It was late night and Carina looked at her phone intently as she heard her older daughter playing with the boy of the house. Maya should have been at home by now, and that had Carina going crazy internally. It wasn't rare for the blonde to have to stay late at the station whenever she had a late shift, however this time was different. The blonde wasn't picking her phone or even answering texts. It was like she had disappeared.
"It's mom coming home soon?" Emma, who lifted her gaze from her drawing to look at her mamma from the dining table, asked.
"I don't know" Carina answered truthfully, managing to give the girl a little smile "I'm sure she will be here soon" she said leaving her phone on the counter walking towards the living room "Now, you bambino, have been up for way too long" she said grabbing the boy from her sister's lap "It's time to go to sleep"
"Go night-night?" he asked placing his head on her mom's shoulder earning a nod from the Italian. Although he loved the fact that he had been able to stay up for a little longer, it was evident he was tired and that he wasn't going to stay up much longer "Night-night" he said repressing a yawn while hi waved to his sisters.
"Good night monkey" Luna said giving the boy a little smile, before checking her phone
"See you tomorrow Andrea" Emma said without taking her focus off of her drawing.
Once Andrea was asleep, and comfortably tucked in his bed, Carina came back to the living room where she was found with a ten-year-old still drawing and a thirteen-year-old with a frown captured on her face.
"Mom..." Luna called making the Italian worry. When she reached the teen and sat next to her, the little brunette handed her her phone, before giving her sister a quick look.
When Carina grabbed the phone to take a look at what was on the screen, she couldn't help but to gasp. The video looked recent and was filmed from a car that drove near the place. A huge flame was coming off some buildings illuminating everything around them. A smoke covered the rest of the place causing nearby houses to turn into shadows. Even though the car wasn't even that close, you could still tell this wasn't just a fire.
"Sofia sent it to me" Luna suddenly said "She was coming home from a trip with her family and there are so many streets cut off that she realized something was up" she explained with a low voice, she was almost whispering "Do you think mom's in there?" the girl asked but the answer never came. Carina could only pray that Maya had not been called to a fire as big as that one, but she knew the probabilities were almost none.
"What is that?" a serious Emma asked from behind them. Neither of them had heard when the blonde got up from her spot in the table and walked towards them.
Immediately Carina put the phone down trying to cover the image for the younger girl, but it was too late. Emma had seen it and it was written all over her face.
"Do you think mom's okay?" Emma finally let out not really knowing if she wanted to know the answer "Do you think she will come back?" she whispered looking down at her shaking hands.
"She will always try to come back to us" Carina said, feeling an emptiness in her stomach and a lump in her throat.
"That's not what I asked" the girl whispered making the room fall silent. She didn't ask any more questions, she understood that no matter how much she wanted for her mom to have an answer, she didn't have it.
Carina felt Emma laying closer to her, if possible. The girl closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on her mamma's embrace while she tried to control her own breathing.
It wasn't the first time Maya was called into a big call. The blonde had to jump into building on fire multiple times. However, Emma had never had to see one. The image was not set into her brain before, it was as it hadn't clicked to her.
"I don't want mom to die" she blurt out finally breaking. Feeling how tears streamed down her face uncontrollably as her breathing changed, not deciding which pattern to follow. She cried, and cried, and cried hoping for that horrible feeling to go away.
"Come here bella" Carina said as she accommodated the little girl on her lap, trying to contain the tears that had started forming. She started to rub soft patterns on her back, feeling her daughter's feelings as her own, hating to see how affected the little blonde was. Hating even more the fact that there was nothing she could say or do to make that pain disappear.
Carina had gone through this process of accepting her wife's job. Endless of sleepless nights, that fear running through her body, and finally relief when she received a phone call or a text from her wife telling her she was on her way home. It was hard, she could only imagine how much harder it was for Emma.
She tried her best to accompany her daughter, to hold her tight and let it feel whatever she needed to feel, even if those feelings hurt.
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"Getting ready to go home Bishop?" Vic said playfully as she watched a newly showered Maya grabbing her bag and closing her locker.
"Can't wait to go home" Maya said letting out a sigh. Today's calls had left it burned out, almost literally. That last call had come unexpectedly and honestly, she couldn't be happier that it was over and that she was able to go home.
"See you tomorrow then" the woman said before leaving her friend to let her finish doing the last details before going
As Maya drove home, she couldn't stop her mind from drifting back to the last call. To the flaming building, to the people there, to the heat, to the fire... Unfortunately, there were too many losses, when the station was called the fire had already claimed the lives of several people who lived in the place.
She was so grateful to find herself in her car, heading home, knowing that her wife, daughters, and son were waiting for her there. Everyone safe.
When she got home, it was almost as if her feet were moving on their own. Faster and faster, wanting to get to her house. With a bit of clumsiness, probably due to exhaustion, she was able to unlock the door with the key and proceeded to enter as quietly as possible. It was late, and in her mind the most likely thing was that everyone was sleeping.
What she didn't expect was that, as quickly as she opened the door, a small body collapsed against her wrapping its arms around her waist. Emma had heard her mom's keys and didn't waste a minute before jumping off of the bedroom's bed. When Maya looked down, she was met by a blonde head of hair that held her tightly, almost afraid to let go.
"Well, hi" the blonde said while kneeling down a little to pick her up. When she did, she felt the girl still held her tightly, hiding her face in her neck.
"It's been a long night" Carina said as she walked closer to them, giving her wife a little peck.
"It's okay" she said holding the girl close "I'm here" she whispered feeling how the girl relaxed little by little.
"Mamma..." they both suddenly heard a voice call from the hallway, making the Italian turn to the direction the voice was coming. A sleepy Luna made itself present, stopping in her tracks once she saw her mom at home "Mom!" was the last thing she said before practically running towards her mom.
Her night wasn't exactly easy, but she was older and better at these situations. She had already gone through what Emma was going, and although she still had that fear in her, she was able to deal with it. She trusted her mom would always try her best to come back to her.
"I missed you" Maya said doing her best to give her eldest daughter a sided hug.
"Missed you too" the brunette responded before taking a step back, recharging herself against her mamma.
The silence filled the room, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was familiar, it was warm and most definitely it was safe. All of a sudden, a little noise was heard. It was the cry of a little someone which made Maya chuckle.
"I'll go" the Italian said as she started to walk towards the little boy's room.
"You should go to sleep" the remaining adult in the room said, noticing the tiredness in her daughter's eyes. Luna could only nod, the night she went through was beginning to take its toll.
Beginning to walk towards her own room with Emma in her arms, hearing her wife humming a song for her son, she closed her eyes for a second in realization.
She was home.