precious time
Diego Santiago stepped inside the playroom where his two daughters occupied. He had been ordered by his wife to grab the girls to greet the new neighbors next door. It took only a second for his three-year-old to notice him. She practically dropped everything on the ground to charge into her father's arms. One of the most fulfilling moments for Diego will always be embracing his girls. Clearly, Josephine was more of a daddy's girl than Vanessa.
"Good morning to you, mija." He shifted Josephine on his hip, brushing her messy hair back to smothering her with kisses. "Where's my other princesa?"
Vanessa carried the barbie in her hand when she crashed into Diego's legs. "I'm right here, silly. Are we going to see the new neighbors today?" She inquired, staring up with her brown orbs.
The house next door had been taken off the sales market after bought in short time. Within a week, moving trucks have arrived and transporting the new family's belongings inside. Diego and Isabel thought to introduce themselves on the weekend to let them settle in the neighborhood. Meanwhile, their daughters hoped they will gain a new playmate preferably a girl declared by Vanessa.
"Yes, we are. Mommy asked me to bring you two downstairs, so we can go over there to introduce ourselves."
Diego took his eldest's hand as they exited the room and descend the staircase to find Isabel topping the dish container. When she lifted her gaze, her smile faltered. "Oh, Josephine. We have to fix your hair." She rushed up to her husband and steal their daughter from him.
"Do we have to fix mine too, mommy?"
Isabel seated Josephine on the stool and settled with pulling her hair into pigtails. "Your hair is fine, Vanessa. It's just your sister always has the tendency to let her hair get messy." She tugged the pigtail before pressing a sweet kiss onto her daughter's temple.
"I like my hair messy." Josephine pouted in her mother's arms.
"We know you do and you're beautiful regardless, my love. We just have to look a little presentable when we meet new people." Isabel fixed her shirt then set her down on her feet to grab the dish.
Josephine run to her father to grab his hand. He crouched in front of her to whisper. "I love your hair messy too, mija." He gave a cheeky wink causing small giggles to erupt.
The Santiago family walked outside to seek the new neighbors at the front of their house. There was a couple and a young boy who appeared to be around Josephine's age. He tugged his mother's hand and pointed out the incoming family approaching them.
"Good morning! I'm Isabel, this is my husband Diego and our daughters Vanessa and Josephine. We thought to welcome you into the neighborhood considering we're the house next door." Isabel greeted with a bright smile as she and her family came to a halt in front of the family. "As well to come with baked goods."
The wife let out a lively laugh, smiling in return. "You are so kind. It's nice to meet you, I'm Grace." She gestured to her husband. "Here is my husband Adam and our son Bryan. He's three years old." She glanced down at the shy boy clinging onto her hand.
Diego's eyes lit up, chuckling. "Josephine here is three years old too."
Both families watch their young children slowly make their way to each other. Bryan seemed hesitant at first although one look at Josephine made him trust her. Specifically, when she mentioned about having a swing set in her backyard. Gaining the approval by their parents as Grace and Adam were done moving boxes and enthused to come over at the house to get to know Isabel and Diego.
Josephine took Bryan's hand towards the house that day and they've never looked back.
"Shouldn't be surprised that Whitney's mom would go all out for the baby shower."
Josephine took long strides into the mansion covered in decorations while carrying the gift bag in one hand. Her eyes scanned the entry way where adorable maternity photos of the parents to be propped for incoming guests to see along with packed goodies.
Walking next to her, Bryan corrected. "You mean Whitney and Lucas' mom. He vented about their place cluttered due to baby shower planning. Besides, this isn't any different when your mom hosted Vanessa's first one." He reminded the extravagant baby shower Isabel hosted for Vanessa.
"Being a grandmother is a significant steppingstone to spoil their arrival of their first grandchild or another grandchild that is a first for their children." Josephine told then nudged him. "Just wait until your mom does the same thing when you the day you tell her about giving her a grandchild."
"She's actually counting the days." He mumbled where the brunette stifled a laugh as they stepped out into the spacious backyard where most of the guests gathered.
A squeal that belonged to the mother to be garnered the duo's attention. "You've made it! I'm so happy you're here!" She waddled in a white fitted dress and brought Josephine into a tight hug.
When they pulled apart, Josephine looked up and down at her friend in awe. "And you're glowing, Whit. Your families did a great job with the set up and decorations. Congratulations to the both of you." Her eyes loomed over at Lucas who followed after his wife.
"Your baby is going to be lucky with you two as their parents." Bryan wrapped his arms around Whitney then his best friend with pride.
"Okay, okay enough getting sappy. It's too early for my wife to start crying today." Lucas joked, slinging his arm around his wife.
The blond nodded, sniffling. "Hormones are definitely all over the place."
"Oh, I bet. I've experienced Vanessa's pregnancies already."
Lucas clamped his hand upon Bryan's shoulder. "Well, we're going off for some drinks." He decided to drag his best friend away for the ladies to catch up.
Josephine volunteered to take Bryan's gift to the table for him. "Want me to get you something?" He inquired once passing the bag.
"Would love that, thanks." She smiled in return then watched him led by his best friend at the bar.
Whitney looped her arm into Josephine's towards the gift table. "Is it me or sparks are flying for you two again?" She teased lightly.
"It is definitely you, Whit. Bryan and I are friends that will likely remain nothing more than that." Josephine baffled at the assumption.
"Then at some point, former lovers will find each other again."
"We're in a good place because our friendship. To even think of anything romantic with him is something I'm not particularly willing to open." She declared as she set the gifts in the knotted basket on the table.
The pregnant blond hummed, nodding along. "You want to play it safe because of what happened. Understandable."
Josephine pursed her lips before meeting her gaze, "I'll always love him. Although, obtaining at a friendship level is best for us."
"Because there's someone else?" Whitney arched her brow, unable to help herself to instigate the brunette's love life. "Alexis might've mentioned it to me." She admitted quietly.
A disbelieving scoff left her mouth, "She's lucky that she got called in for work. However, that someone was solely no strings attached. That is another friendship I want to obtain at the level since it's been rocky."
"Okay, we need to plan a lunch or anything, so I can hear the whole story. Right now, I'm craving for a something sweet at that desert table."
Meanwhile, Lucas narrowed at Bryan after they received their drinks.
"You and Josie came here together."
Bryan snickered into his drink, "Don't start."
"I thought you playing hero to her by picking her up the morning after her partying or hook ups was amusing." Lucas mentioned, his eyes remaining intact on his best friend.
"She was going through a rough time. Felt like she needed someone that she can still trust."
He gave a short nod, "And now, you two have been hanging out more often. Despite the women, Whit and myself have tried to set you up with recently." He eyed at him with a questionable look.
Bryan kissed his teeth, throwing his head back. "Come on, Lucas. Work has been wild. I barely had time to squeeze in a lunch or dinner with Josie. I needed to be around someone that isn't a colleague at least." He argued.
"You and Josie are just friends." Lucas snorted. "Definitely haven't heard that before."
"We're just friends." Bryan repeated in a firm tone. "She's one of the most important people in my life. I lost her once because of my selfish behavior. I don't even deserve a second chance at being her friend yet somehow, she values our friendship at the end of the day. That isn't something I want to take for granted. I'll always love her." He casted his eyes across the party where Whitney pulled Josephine to the dessert table.
Towards the end of the baby shower, Josephine and Bryan stood in one of the rooms of the house with the couple. Whitney held a cheery smile throughout this emotional day. "So, Lucas and I wanted to talk to you privately to give you a special gift." She motioned her husband to give a box.
Lucas looked between the duo, "You two have been a part of this relationship since the beginning."
"We wouldn't be here together if it weren't for the both of you." Whitney glanced up at her husband with a loving look.
"Seeing how strong your relationship remains despite it all, makes us a little content that we've chosen the perfect people." He truthfully told, giving Bryan a box while Whitney did with Josephine.
Bryan and Josephine shared a look before opening the box. Lucas and Whitney observed their friends' faces go in shock. The pair lifted their gazes at the new parents.
"We want you to be our baby's godparents."
"To us being godparents."
Bryan pronounced to Josephine, handing a bottle of beer from his refrigerator. He joined her on the couch back at his apartment after today's event.
Josephine accepted the drink, "Godparents." She elicited a smile then clinked their glasses and took a swig. "Hey, you can tell your mom that you're one step closer at least. You're going to be a godfather now."
"Lucas is like a brother and another son to my parents. That's something." Bryan mused.
They basked in the comfort of silence that evening when Josephine turned to him. "Do you think you're going to have kids one of these days?" She asked curiously.
He shrugged his shoulders, "At this time, probably not. Between work and my nonexistent dating life. I do hope in the future I will." He answered.
She nodded silently in response then looked ahead. She bit down her bottom lip, drumming her fingers against the bottle. "Would it be crazy if I proposed to make a pact that if neither of us aren't in a relationship and don't have any kids in several years, we should have one together?"
"Is that the alcohol talking?" Bryan furrowed his brows, bringing the bottle to his mouth.
Josephine leaned back, moving her eyes slowly back to his. "I'm serious, Bryan. My job will always be unpredictable, and I can't control it. Accepting the miscarriage might've taken a long time because I've let myself wallow and continue to blame myself due to the job. But I can at least try to control my own life and future. One of the things I've learned from the miscarriage is that despite the continuous burden feeling...a tiny piece would like a baby down the line." She confessed the thought that she's never shared to anyone except her therapist.
Feeling the awkward silence, she backtracked embarrassingly. "It's a ridiculous idea, never mind."
"No, no, no. It's not ridiculous. Are you sure you want to do this with me?" Bryan stared at her with a serious look.
The corners of her lips tugged into a soft grin, "Of course, you're my best friend. I know it sounds odd since it's part of the reason it broke us. But I feel I'm in a better place of the idea."
"If life doesn't change course for us in the next several years, then I will be happy to accept this pact to raise a baby with you."
Neither of them will know if this pact would actually come into fruition. There are so many possibilities where life will redirect them to their fate. Yet, at the end of the day, they always had each other.
"That should sound promising to your mom."
Josephine stared down at the fresh pan of tamales with pride in the kitchen at the firehouse. Next to her, Bobby grinned in delight due to results of their work. The strong smell may have caused the pair to salivate. Good ole' Santiago family recipe. Josephine could recall racing into the kitchen when her abuela whipped up a batch. Eventually, abuela had her attached to her hip to help prepare one of many dishes like this. Which was helpful considering the neighborhood were willing to pay for a batch. They still do till this day though abuela finds herself making a batch then send it to the neighbors.
"Lunch is ready!"
Her voice hollered in the firehouse to which ignited the attention of the firefighters. If it wasn't her voice, then it would be the smell that had gravitated the starving first responders to the table.
The plate of tamales was set at the center of the table once they set it up with plates, utensils, and drinks in preparation for their meal. Eddie elicited a smug grin like a child peeking at a jar of cookies on top of the counter. His hand went to reach for the serving utensil for first pick until swatted by Josephine.
"Wait until everyone is here!" She scolded. "Have some table manners, Edmundo."
He shot her a glare at using his legal name. She sent him a smirk while Bobby, Hen, Chimney, and Buck stifled a laugh at the latter's exchange. Buck nudged his friend, "Yeah, Edmundo. Have some table manners." He mocked causing Hen and Chimney erupting in laughter as they couldn't help themselves anymore.
"Shut up." Eddie mumbled.
"I cannot wait to devour this." Hen expressed happily, eyeballing at the tamale served onto her plate by Josephine. "Been looking forward to this all week!"
"The fact that you bless us with a meal every other blue moon is unacceptable, Josie." Chimney commented with his mouth full.
Bobby darted at the man, "Are you saying my cooking is bad, Chim?" He interrogated teasingly.
Chimney choked while the others snickered at the table. He cleared his throat, "No, Cap. What I mean is that we should get a fair share of Josie's cooking." He stammered out. "She cooks when she's at her happiest."
"He's not wrong." Hen hummed in agreement. She narrowed at the brunette woman. "What's the special occasion, Josie?"
She shrugged her shoulders, "Nothing. I was in a really good mood this week where I felt like cooking." Her lips elicited a tight-lipped smile as she scooped a piece of her tamale into her mouth.
"Well, if you don't mind me. I will be going for seconds." Buck happily announced to the table until protests were heard.
Doors to the ladder truck slammed shut when the 118 encountered a dispatch call in the evening. To a few felt like déjà vu at the tragic site of an airplane crash though on land. Pieces of the airplane scattered amongst the survivors and unpronounced fatalities. Several firehouses and search and rescue teams reported due to the massive tragedy that struck to be able to cover the area. Unwarranted scenarios are part of the job description, yet it doesn't mean it could hit close to home nor imagine a loved one placed in a danger unexpectedly.
"Listen up! It seems like we have a long night ahead of us. They're going to need all hands on deck to assist at the triages set up and scout the area. Parts of it won't be pretty but that's what we've been trained to do. Keep your head up and move forward."
Following their Fire Captain's orders, the team dispersed into action to lend assistance to the paramedics loading victims endured fatal injuries into the incoming ambulances, survivors resided in a section of the triage, and the first responders scavenging through the destruction.
Venturing into a crash site leaves a trail of the victims. There are lives that are lost and the survivors who felt a piece of themselves tore away after a traumatizing experience. Having to be subjected into an abruption between life or death emphasizes of life being precious. Precious as the physical items left behind that may never be touched or seen again by the owner.
As a first responder, Josephine has crossed paths of those items that entail a story of the person who endured to what felt like life slipping from their fingers. When she strolled further down the site, a sudden light from the ground practically blinded her. Her hand covered from the strong beam for her to navigate its origin. She squatted on the dirt and extended her other hand to pick it up. Turned out to be gold black leathered vintage watch. The glass had been broken likely due to a rough landing.
She rose from the ground and flipped it over to find an engraving in the back of it.
Her stomach dropped.
-A treat for the holidays! At first, I had planned a longer chapter but decided to cut it into two parts. What do you think about Josie and Bryan??? Hope you like it! Tell me what you think! Don't forget to vote and comment! Stay tuned!-
WRITTEN: 12/23/22
PUBLISHED: 12/24/22