It was a hot muggy summer evening. I was just reaching home. Bosco and I
had had a very busy shift. A few domestics, a stabbing, some purse
snatchings and a rather strongly worded complaint about a Peeping Tom.
All I wanted now was a hot bubble bath, a cold beer, and a chance to curl up on the sofa with a good book. It had been three months since Fred had left the kids and I. And we were doing okay. I had been working a lot of extra hours to make the extra money, but we were managing just fine. The kids got along well with their new babysitter, Christina. And everything seemed to be getting back to normal.
I turned the key in the lock and stepped inside the hallway.
"Christina! I'm home." I called.
"Hi Faith!" she called from the kids' room.
"Are they still up?" I asked as she came out to greet me.
"They're in bed. I just tucked them in, they said that you always used to let them watch Charmed on Thursday nights." She said.
"I used to indeed, they love that show." I replied, walking down the hall to say goodnight to my children.
I poked my head through the door, it was quiet, I was just turning to leave when I heard my daughter Emily speak up.
"Mom?"
"Yeah honey, its me." I said.
"How was work tonight?" she asked
"Tiring." I replied. "But ok."
"How's Bosco?" she asked.
"He's ok." I said, "Now get some sleep."
I left the room, closing the door behind me. Christina called out to me that she was going home, and I said goodnight to her. And after she left I grabbed a cold can of beer from the fridge, and headed for the bathroom.
I stopped in my bedroom to strip off my clothes, and I put on my bathrobe. I made my way into the bathroom, and turned on the hot water, I like my bath as hot as I can stand it especially after a night like tonight. I added some Lavender scented bubble bath to my water, and pretty soon the scent of it filled the whole bathroom.
I waited for the tub to fill, and then I submerged myself into the hot sudsy water. A soft moan of contentment escaped me, and I cracked open my can of beer.
Just then the phone rang.
"Shit!"
I pulled myself out of the water and wiped the bubbles off of myself with a towel, I threw on my robe, and ran out to the living room to grab the cordless.
"Hello, Yokas residence." I said.
"Faith?" replied Bosco's voice.
"Bosco...why are you calling me? What's going on?"
"Its my brother Mikey...he's been shot Faith." Said Bosco, his voice shaking.
"WHAT?" I asked, not thinking I had heard Bosco correctly.
"Mikey's been shot. He's over at Mercy right now...He's in critical condition Faith. They're not sure if he'll survive the night." Said Bosco...a sob of terror escaping him.
"OK, let me call my sitter, and ask her if she'll come back, and I'll be right over." I replied.
"Please hurry Faith.... I need you." Said Bosco.
I picked up the phone and dialed Christina's number.
"Hello?" she said drowsily...Shit! I'd woken her.
"Christina, its Faith. I just got some bad news, Bosco's brother has been hurt and he's in hospital.... Bosco wants me to come to him; can you come back and watch the kids? I'll pay you extra on Friday." I said.
"Faith, calm down, it's no problem, and you don't have to pay me extra...however, would you mind if I sleep in your bed? I'll listen for the kids."
"No, knock yourself out...the bed's a Queen size" I said.
"All right, I should be there in about a half hour." Said Christina.
"All right, see you then." I said.
I hurried into my room, and dressed quickly. I wore my NYPD hooded sweatshirt, with an old faded pair of jeans, and I pulled my hair back in a ponytail.
I put on a pair of sneakers, and was out the door like a shot. I ran downstairs and jumped in my car, and was off to the hospital.
Just then my cell phone rang. I picked it up and answered it.
"Hello?"
"Faith? Are you coming?" asked Bosco, God he sounded scared.
"Yes Boz, I'm in the car now...I should be there shortly." I said.
"Hurry Faith....I really need you." He said.
I arrived in the ER...and ran up to the desk.
"Boscorelli?" I asked.
"He's in surgery...in the ICU, if you go up, you can probably ask at the nurse's station." Said the clerk behind the desk.
"What floor?" I asked.
"Third." Said the clerk.
I ran down the hall and ran up the three flights of stairs so fast, I thought I was flying.
I ran down the hall to ICU and as I passed the waiting room I heard Bosco call out to me.
"FAITH!"
Bosco ran to me, and I stood there with my arms outstretched, ready to take him into my arms.
"Faith, I swear I'm gonna nail the sonofabitch who did this." Said Bosco.
"Did anyone get a good look at him?" I asked.
"There were three witnesses. They all co-operated with the police, and each of them gave a really good description." Said Bosco.
"Oh god Faith, if he doesn't make it..." Bosco's voice trailed off, as he broke into a fit of sobs.
I tightened my arms around my partner.
"Sssh! Don't you dare talk like that, he's gonna be fine." I reassured him. Although I sort of wished I hadn't said it...I didn't know if it was true.
Just then the doctor came through into the waiting room.
"Doc, how's my little brother?" asked Bosco.
"Officer Boscorelli, I'm very sorry to have to tell you this.... We did everything we could to save Michael...but he hemorrhaged on the table, and we lost him." Said the doctor.
That was it! I now felt like a total heel! Here I was saying that Mikey was gonna be fine, and he was dead.
Bosco tensed up in my arms for a second, and this noise escaped from him, it was like a strangled scream.
"No! Faith.... please tell me its not true." He said breaking down and sobbing hysterically.
"I'm so sorry Bosco." I said.
"Faith let's get outta here." He sobbed.
We left the hospital, and I drove Bosco back to his apartment.
When we got there, I took him inside, and I went into the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee for us.
We sat at the kitchen table, and there was an awkward and eerie silence as I sat there waiting for him to say something...anything.
"You really should try and get some sleep Bos....you're gonna be worn out for work tomorrow, why don't you go to bed, and I'll stay here on your couch." I said.
"Actually, Faith, would you come into the room and stay with me?" he asked.
"Bosco....I dunno." I said.
"Please, I just wanna know that I'm not alone." He said.
"All right then." I said following him.
Bosco had a big Queen-Size waterbed in his bedroom. There was a TV and VCR, and there was an en-suite bathroom.
Bosco crawled into bed and lay down on the pillows. He was asleep before long, and I laid there cradling him in my arms. Every now and then he would whimper in his sleep and it broke my heart hearing it.
He looked so peaceful there sleeping, and in a strange way, I was sort of attracted to him.
I didn't waste a chance to act on the attraction I was feeling.
I leaned over and lightly brushed my lips against his. I couldn't believe I had done it! Here he was, my partner, the man I had been working with for the last 13 years, and I just kissed him for the first time.
Bosco moaned softly in his sleep. And I kissed him again, this time a little harder on the lips, and one eye fluttered open.
"Faith! What are you doing?" he asked.
"I'm sorry, you just looked so cute there." I said embarrassed.
"No its ok.... Actually Faith, there's something you should know." He said. His voice trailing off again.
'What, what is it?" I asked.
"Faith, this is really hard for me to say...but when Fred left you and the kids, I was pissed at him for picking the worst possible time to go.... I mean, it was right after you were shot and everything." Bosco began.
"But then after he had left, and I noticed how much easier life was becoming for you. I was happy that he was gone. I felt really glad that I would never have to see his lying' cheating, no good face ever again." Said Bosco.
"That's sweet Bos." I said
"I'm not finished yet Faith." He blurted. "Lately, I've been noticing little things about you...the way you smile...the way you always seem to know when something is bothering me.... maybe it comes from being partners for so many years, but there were other things I noticed too...like the way the sun glints off your hair sometimes when we're sitting in the RMP, or the way you smell when you come into work at the beginning of our shift....your perfume...they way your eyes light up when you laugh...and it occurred to me...Faith...I really do think that I am falling for you."
I sat there for the next couple of minutes, completely dumbstruck. I had no idea what to say.
"Bosco...that's really sweet. And I'm very flattered, but it does come as a little bit of a shock to me...although I wanna confess something to you. For the last little while since Fred left...I've felt a strange sort of connection with you. I can't explain it, but when I come to work and see you there waiting for me...I smile like a kid on Christmas Morning....and sometimes when we're sitting in the RMP under our bridge on our dinner break...I feel happy that you are my partner, and no one else...." My voice broke off and I realized I was blushing.
"Faith, its ok. You know you can tell me anything." Whispered Bosco.
"Bosco, I love you!" I blurted out.
Bosco smiled at me.
"Faith you have no idea how wonderful it is to me to hear you say that!" he said and with that he reached for me, and pulled me into his arms.
"Bos..." I started, but his mouth came down over mine, silencing me with a kiss so sweet I thought I would melt right there.
I went limp in Bosco's arms. It had been so long since a man had held me. And Fred never did like to cuddle.
I snuggled in close to Bosco, and we lay there for the longest time, just holding each other. Neither of us moving, neither of us saying anything.
"Faith?" said Bosco
"Yeah Bos." I replied.
"Thanks for being here for me. If it weren't for you..." his voice trailed off as he started to sob again.
"Any time. Whenever you need me, I'll always be right here."
All I wanted now was a hot bubble bath, a cold beer, and a chance to curl up on the sofa with a good book. It had been three months since Fred had left the kids and I. And we were doing okay. I had been working a lot of extra hours to make the extra money, but we were managing just fine. The kids got along well with their new babysitter, Christina. And everything seemed to be getting back to normal.
I turned the key in the lock and stepped inside the hallway.
"Christina! I'm home." I called.
"Hi Faith!" she called from the kids' room.
"Are they still up?" I asked as she came out to greet me.
"They're in bed. I just tucked them in, they said that you always used to let them watch Charmed on Thursday nights." She said.
"I used to indeed, they love that show." I replied, walking down the hall to say goodnight to my children.
I poked my head through the door, it was quiet, I was just turning to leave when I heard my daughter Emily speak up.
"Mom?"
"Yeah honey, its me." I said.
"How was work tonight?" she asked
"Tiring." I replied. "But ok."
"How's Bosco?" she asked.
"He's ok." I said, "Now get some sleep."
I left the room, closing the door behind me. Christina called out to me that she was going home, and I said goodnight to her. And after she left I grabbed a cold can of beer from the fridge, and headed for the bathroom.
I stopped in my bedroom to strip off my clothes, and I put on my bathrobe. I made my way into the bathroom, and turned on the hot water, I like my bath as hot as I can stand it especially after a night like tonight. I added some Lavender scented bubble bath to my water, and pretty soon the scent of it filled the whole bathroom.
I waited for the tub to fill, and then I submerged myself into the hot sudsy water. A soft moan of contentment escaped me, and I cracked open my can of beer.
Just then the phone rang.
"Shit!"
I pulled myself out of the water and wiped the bubbles off of myself with a towel, I threw on my robe, and ran out to the living room to grab the cordless.
"Hello, Yokas residence." I said.
"Faith?" replied Bosco's voice.
"Bosco...why are you calling me? What's going on?"
"Its my brother Mikey...he's been shot Faith." Said Bosco, his voice shaking.
"WHAT?" I asked, not thinking I had heard Bosco correctly.
"Mikey's been shot. He's over at Mercy right now...He's in critical condition Faith. They're not sure if he'll survive the night." Said Bosco...a sob of terror escaping him.
"OK, let me call my sitter, and ask her if she'll come back, and I'll be right over." I replied.
"Please hurry Faith.... I need you." Said Bosco.
I picked up the phone and dialed Christina's number.
"Hello?" she said drowsily...Shit! I'd woken her.
"Christina, its Faith. I just got some bad news, Bosco's brother has been hurt and he's in hospital.... Bosco wants me to come to him; can you come back and watch the kids? I'll pay you extra on Friday." I said.
"Faith, calm down, it's no problem, and you don't have to pay me extra...however, would you mind if I sleep in your bed? I'll listen for the kids."
"No, knock yourself out...the bed's a Queen size" I said.
"All right, I should be there in about a half hour." Said Christina.
"All right, see you then." I said.
I hurried into my room, and dressed quickly. I wore my NYPD hooded sweatshirt, with an old faded pair of jeans, and I pulled my hair back in a ponytail.
I put on a pair of sneakers, and was out the door like a shot. I ran downstairs and jumped in my car, and was off to the hospital.
Just then my cell phone rang. I picked it up and answered it.
"Hello?"
"Faith? Are you coming?" asked Bosco, God he sounded scared.
"Yes Boz, I'm in the car now...I should be there shortly." I said.
"Hurry Faith....I really need you." He said.
I arrived in the ER...and ran up to the desk.
"Boscorelli?" I asked.
"He's in surgery...in the ICU, if you go up, you can probably ask at the nurse's station." Said the clerk behind the desk.
"What floor?" I asked.
"Third." Said the clerk.
I ran down the hall and ran up the three flights of stairs so fast, I thought I was flying.
I ran down the hall to ICU and as I passed the waiting room I heard Bosco call out to me.
"FAITH!"
Bosco ran to me, and I stood there with my arms outstretched, ready to take him into my arms.
"Faith, I swear I'm gonna nail the sonofabitch who did this." Said Bosco.
"Did anyone get a good look at him?" I asked.
"There were three witnesses. They all co-operated with the police, and each of them gave a really good description." Said Bosco.
"Oh god Faith, if he doesn't make it..." Bosco's voice trailed off, as he broke into a fit of sobs.
I tightened my arms around my partner.
"Sssh! Don't you dare talk like that, he's gonna be fine." I reassured him. Although I sort of wished I hadn't said it...I didn't know if it was true.
Just then the doctor came through into the waiting room.
"Doc, how's my little brother?" asked Bosco.
"Officer Boscorelli, I'm very sorry to have to tell you this.... We did everything we could to save Michael...but he hemorrhaged on the table, and we lost him." Said the doctor.
That was it! I now felt like a total heel! Here I was saying that Mikey was gonna be fine, and he was dead.
Bosco tensed up in my arms for a second, and this noise escaped from him, it was like a strangled scream.
"No! Faith.... please tell me its not true." He said breaking down and sobbing hysterically.
"I'm so sorry Bosco." I said.
"Faith let's get outta here." He sobbed.
We left the hospital, and I drove Bosco back to his apartment.
When we got there, I took him inside, and I went into the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee for us.
We sat at the kitchen table, and there was an awkward and eerie silence as I sat there waiting for him to say something...anything.
"You really should try and get some sleep Bos....you're gonna be worn out for work tomorrow, why don't you go to bed, and I'll stay here on your couch." I said.
"Actually, Faith, would you come into the room and stay with me?" he asked.
"Bosco....I dunno." I said.
"Please, I just wanna know that I'm not alone." He said.
"All right then." I said following him.
Bosco had a big Queen-Size waterbed in his bedroom. There was a TV and VCR, and there was an en-suite bathroom.
Bosco crawled into bed and lay down on the pillows. He was asleep before long, and I laid there cradling him in my arms. Every now and then he would whimper in his sleep and it broke my heart hearing it.
He looked so peaceful there sleeping, and in a strange way, I was sort of attracted to him.
I didn't waste a chance to act on the attraction I was feeling.
I leaned over and lightly brushed my lips against his. I couldn't believe I had done it! Here he was, my partner, the man I had been working with for the last 13 years, and I just kissed him for the first time.
Bosco moaned softly in his sleep. And I kissed him again, this time a little harder on the lips, and one eye fluttered open.
"Faith! What are you doing?" he asked.
"I'm sorry, you just looked so cute there." I said embarrassed.
"No its ok.... Actually Faith, there's something you should know." He said. His voice trailing off again.
'What, what is it?" I asked.
"Faith, this is really hard for me to say...but when Fred left you and the kids, I was pissed at him for picking the worst possible time to go.... I mean, it was right after you were shot and everything." Bosco began.
"But then after he had left, and I noticed how much easier life was becoming for you. I was happy that he was gone. I felt really glad that I would never have to see his lying' cheating, no good face ever again." Said Bosco.
"That's sweet Bos." I said
"I'm not finished yet Faith." He blurted. "Lately, I've been noticing little things about you...the way you smile...the way you always seem to know when something is bothering me.... maybe it comes from being partners for so many years, but there were other things I noticed too...like the way the sun glints off your hair sometimes when we're sitting in the RMP, or the way you smell when you come into work at the beginning of our shift....your perfume...they way your eyes light up when you laugh...and it occurred to me...Faith...I really do think that I am falling for you."
I sat there for the next couple of minutes, completely dumbstruck. I had no idea what to say.
"Bosco...that's really sweet. And I'm very flattered, but it does come as a little bit of a shock to me...although I wanna confess something to you. For the last little while since Fred left...I've felt a strange sort of connection with you. I can't explain it, but when I come to work and see you there waiting for me...I smile like a kid on Christmas Morning....and sometimes when we're sitting in the RMP under our bridge on our dinner break...I feel happy that you are my partner, and no one else...." My voice broke off and I realized I was blushing.
"Faith, its ok. You know you can tell me anything." Whispered Bosco.
"Bosco, I love you!" I blurted out.
Bosco smiled at me.
"Faith you have no idea how wonderful it is to me to hear you say that!" he said and with that he reached for me, and pulled me into his arms.
"Bos..." I started, but his mouth came down over mine, silencing me with a kiss so sweet I thought I would melt right there.
I went limp in Bosco's arms. It had been so long since a man had held me. And Fred never did like to cuddle.
I snuggled in close to Bosco, and we lay there for the longest time, just holding each other. Neither of us moving, neither of us saying anything.
"Faith?" said Bosco
"Yeah Bos." I replied.
"Thanks for being here for me. If it weren't for you..." his voice trailed off as he started to sob again.
"Any time. Whenever you need me, I'll always be right here."
