Chapter 2

She couldn't eat. She was like this every time they ended shift in the morning. She felt this nervous pit in her stomach. 7:56 AM. Time was taking so long. She knew he was waiting for her to finish shift. She took her phone out of her back pocket, she clicked the power button looking at the picture on her lock screen.

"Andy?"

"Andy?"

"Andy!" her friend yelled for the third time, adding a slight shove to get her attention

"What?"

"You should eat something"

"I'm not hungry Vic, so please," she said raising her hand to tell her to stop talking

7:58 AM.

"How has it only been 2 minutes" she was frustrated and more anxious than ever before

"What are you waiting on?" Maya asked curious as to what was making her friend so frustrated

"She's waiting for her boyfriend to call her. Come on Maya keep up" Jack said letting out a little laugh, which Andy replied to with a death stare.

"It's not funny. He always calls." just as she finishes her sentence the phone rings. She knows it's probably him but the number is different from other times.

"Hello?" she questions as she answers the phone, standing up to lean against the island

"Hi Baby," she hears the voice she has been longing to hear on the other end.

"Hey," she says a smile growing on her face

"Look at her, all smiley and happy," Travis teases

"Shut up Trav," she replies going back to her conversation on the phone

"How are you? I feel like I haven't talked to you in forever," he said into the phone

"I'm good. Tired but good. How about you? How was your day?" she asks

"Oh, I'm sorry baby," he said, she could hear him pouting

"No, no it's okay. I'm used to it. Working long shifts and waking up early for your call," she laughed lightly

She let out a shuddering breath walking out of the beanery

"Andy." she heard him say her name on the other end of the phone. She could practically see his furrowed brow. She looked up at the ceiling, trying to pray away the tears that threatened to pour out.

Don't Cry, don't cry, don't cry, don't cry-

"I love you." he said. She hated to admit it but he knew her so well.

Don't Cry, don't cry-

"I love you too, babe. I just miss you so much." she swallowed, attempting to keep the lump of sobs from bursting out.

"I miss you too. But it's only two more months. In two months to the date, I will be home with you again." he said using anything he could to try and make her feel better from thousands of miles away.

"Did you, what do you guys call it again. Oh, right. Did you leave the wire today" she asked letting out a laugh to mask the tears that were streaming down her face

"Yeah, leave the wire. No, I didn't today but I do tomorr-" Robert starts but is interrupted by the alarm.

"No, No, No," Andy cries out. "I'm sorry Baby but I gotta go"

"Yeah, I know, go, be safe. Love yo-" before he can even finish his sentence she hangs up, and runs to the barn to get into her turnouts.

"Five alarm?" she questions getting in the truck with Travis and quickly wiping her tears

"Five alarm," he replies

The fire just wouldn't stop growing. They have been fighting for hours upon hours. They were supposed to be off shift at 8 this morning. It was now almost 3 in the afternoon. They were trying. They were trying so hard but between the continuously growing fire and the absolutely nauseating smell of the burning garbage, she was ready to give up. It wasn't that she missed her bed, because she didn't. She hasn't had a good night's sleep since he left for his second tour and she most definitely wasn't going to start getting good sleep today. If she really thought about it, her sleep will be so much worse because she didn't get to finish their phone call. She let out a sigh as she switched out her oxygen tank.

"You, okay?" she whipped her head around to see Travis standing there probably waiting to switch his oxygen as well.

"You want me to be honest?" she asked handing him a new oxygen tank

"Always," he said squatting down as he began changing the tank

"No," she said letting out a forced laugh.

"Talk to me," he said looking up at her

"Trav, we are at a five alarm. My feelings don't matter right now." she offered her hand to help him stand

"They matter to me," he said as the both began to walk toward the burning garbage dump.

Travis has been someone that she has gotten close to in the times when Robert was away. She dared to say he was probably her best friend.

"Well, I was on the phone with my boyfriend who has been away for over a year. Our first call in over 48 hours was interrupted by a fucking burning garbage dump. Now I literally smell like shit, I am tired, I want to go to sleep. But on top of all that, Robert is going out to actually fight in a couple hours and I didn't even get to tell him to stay safe, or tell them that I loved him one last time before I had to hang up to save a dump and I can't lose him Trav. I can't, I wouldn't know how to survive that. I barely survived my dad. I barely held it together when my mom was sick, so losing hi...losing him will break me," she let it all out, and she felt a little better, but she was still so very upset. But she sucked it up. She had to. She took a deep breath, accepted Travis's comforting hand on her back, put her mask back on and went to get rid of this fire.

The engine, truck, and Aid car doors slammed shut as each member of the team exited the vehicles.

"Nineteen," Captain Bishop called for their attention. "Let's all go clean off our turnouts, hit the showers and then first round is on me at Joe's"

At this everyone cheered, well everyone except for her. She quickly took off her turnout laying it on the ground. She went to her locker to get her stuff to clean it with. She was the first to finish so she went and took one of the hottest, most intense showers she probably has ever taken. She shampooed her hair three times, almost considering doing it for a fourth time. For a minute she couldn't tell if she was still trying to wash away the garbage scent, or the sadness she felt all over her. When she gets out, she sees that there is literally a line of firefighters waiting to shower. Saying a quick and quiet sorry, she drifted past them and to her locker changing into her clothes she wore when she came in at the beginning of her shift. She sits on the bench to put on her socks and shoes and pulls out her phone. She scrolls to the number that called her at 8:00 this morning, her finger hovers over the number, she has never called him before, he always called her. They never talked about what would happen if she called the number back. She didn't know the rules over there and she didn't want to get him in trouble or anything.

"Just do it. You know you want to," she looked up to see a shirtless Travis staring down at her.

So, she did it. She clicked the number putting the phone to her ear. It was ringing, and ringing, and ringing, and then the ringing stopped.

"Hello?" she heard an unfamiliar voice answer

"Uh Hi, umm I'm calling back for Robert Sullivan," she stuttered out. She didn't really think there would be an answer

"I'm sorry ma'am but I can't connect you right now, it's against policy," the man answered

"Oh, I'm sorry is there any way I could just talk to him for 5 minutes. He called me this morning but I am a firefighter and got called out to a fire. If there is any way I would really appreciate it." she said crossing her fingers that whoever the man on the other end of the phone was, that he had some kind of soul and understood what she was asking. After a pause which felt like forever the man responded.

"Okay ma'am let me see if I can find him. If I find him it will have to be really quick."

"Okay sir thank you so much." a smile began to grow on her face she looked over at Travis who say as her eyes lit up

"Hello ma'am are you still there?" the man came back to the phone

"Yes, I'm still here," she replied hope building up inside her

"I'm sorry, I looked all over for him but according to this sheet it seems as though he is a part of the first group that went out today. I'm sorry but he left the wire about two hours ago." a tear fell from her eye, she sniffled and let out a breath

"Okay can you give him a message when he gets back,"

"Certainly ma'am. Let me just get a paper and I'll write it down for you."

"Okay whenever you're ready," the man said

"Just tell him, I made it back safe. Tell him that I love him and tell him to come back home to me." she said, tears steadily streaming down her face. She didn't even notice the entire A-shift standing around her.

"Yes, ma'am I will give that to him as soon as he gets back. Have a good rest of your day ma'am."

"You too," she hung up and dropped the phone to her lap. She wiped her tears looking up at the ceiling taking in a deep breath. She was going to be okay. He was going to be okay.

She didn't really want to go to Joe's to begin with, but after a lot of bugging and begging, she decided she would go for one round and then leave. She genuinely just wanted to be alone.

She sat at a booth with Travis and Vic, while the rest played pool or darts or whatever else they were doing.

"So, Andy tell us-well I'm sure Trav already knows, so tell me about this mystery army man of yours," Vic said taking a swig of her beer

"Well, he isn't in the army, he's a Marine. He's actually a sergeant. This is his second and last tour. When he comes back, he's going to go into firefighting. He went to the academy before he left for his second tour. We've been together for 3 years. Umm I don't know what else to tell you. He is really sweet and caring, such a gentleman. Travis met him once I think. Right Trav?" she asked looking at Travis who nodded in agreement.

"Aww look at Andy fangirling over her man," Vic teased, which got a little laugh out of Andy.

"But how is he in bed? That's the real question," Vic asked leaning in close to Andy and raising her eyebrow.

"I don't think amazing even covers it," Andy said blushing like a school girl as she began to think back on the various times, they had been in bed together.

"She looks like a love-struck teenager," Vic said nudging Travis as the two break out in laughter

"Whatever. I gotta get going anyway," Andy said getting up from the table

"You sure you can't stay for a couple more rounds?" Travis asked

"Yeah, I want to hear more about Sergeant Robert Sullivan," Vic teased

"No, I have to go, I'm exhausted," Andy said, giving Vic a quick hug and rustling Travis's hair before walking out of the bar.

Getting to her car she sat there for a moment. Vic managed to distract her for a moment but she was still sad deep down inside. The drive back to the apartment she shared with him was a silent one. She didn't even bother to turn on the radio. She pulled into the drive-way seeing someone sitting on the steps. She quickly got out of the car trying to figure out who was on her front steps.

"Excuse me? Can I help you?" she asked closing her car door and getting her out the back seat. The person sitting on the step looked up.

"Mami?"

"Hello Andrea," her mother replied

"What are you doing here? I was going to come out to see you tomorrow, you didn't have to drive all the way here" Andy said hugging her mom. Andy and her mother, Elena, had a good relationship. It was a little rocky because they used to argue a lot especially after her father died but they were mother and daughter, if they didn't argue every now and then it wouldn't be normal.

"I came here to see my favorite daughter," Elena said with a smile

"I'm your only daughter Mami. Let me unlock the door and we can go inside, it's a little chilly out here." Andy said letting her mother go inside first before double checking to lock her car and getting inside herself.

"Do you want something to drink? To eat?" Andy asked, taking off her jacket and dropping her things by the door. She made a mental note to throw all the contents of her duffle bag in the laundry machine later.

"Just some water. And then come sit and talk to me Mija."

Andy came back with the glass of water for her mother, taking a seat next to her, throwing the blanket over her already freezing feet.

"How are you Mami? Have you been going to your appointments?" Andy asked. Her main concern was that her mom's cancer came back and that's why she drove out here to see her.

"I'm doing great, baby. My doctor says everything is going well. They see no cancer." her mom said, allowing Andy to let out a sigh of relief.

"But how are you doing Mija. Being in this house all alone. I know it must be difficult." her mom says taking a hold of her daughter's hand

"It's hard. I talk to him almost every day but this morning we got interrupted by the alarm going off for a five alarm and then I tried to call back but he was already out fighting and I'm just constantly worried about him, you know. I just want him to come back home and be safe. But I guess the bright side is that he comes home in two months" Andy said looking into her mother's eyes and letting out a little laugh.

"Well, you can always come to stay with me if you get too lonely," Andy smiled in response.

"Yeah, I could,"

"But in two months he will be back. You two will be back together in each other's arms and things will all go back to normal." Elena said with a big smile. Andy took a minute and looked over at the picture that was sitting on the floating shelf under the TV, the two of them took this picture when he came back from his first tour. She turned and looked at her mother.

"Will they? Will everything go back to the way it was? Will it be normal?"