I walk through the front doors of the station, and Martha, the dispatcher for the night shift, greets me with her usual warmth. Her voice cuts through the fog of my thoughts, and I’m grateful for the distraction.
“Hey Gabriel, how were your days off?” She asks, her smile wide and welcoming.
“Good,” I grunt, giving her the same half-hearted response I always give. I don’t mean to be rude, but sometimes small talk feels like a chore.
It’s not that I’m antisocial. Well, maybe I am, but I appreciate the simplicity of small exchanges. Besides talking too much when I’ve only had a few hours of sleep rarely ends well for anyone.
She grins like she can tell that I’m barely awake. “Glad to hear it. You look like you could use another day off.”
I chuckle softly, the corners of my mouth tugging upward despite myself. “Yeah, I’ll get right on that.”
Her knowing smirk lingers a second longer than I’d like. People around here think I’m made of stone, but lately, I’ve caught myself smiling more than usual. She’s probably noticed. Damn it.
I head to the locker room, relieved to see no one else is here yet. Looks like I’m early. It’s not a bad thing. Gives me time to check in with Millie. I grab my phone and shoot Josh a quick text, reminding him he’s on tonight. As usual, I get a quick response—“mhmm” followed by the usual nonsense.
I sit down on the bench, unzipping my duffel bag. Inside, I pull out my clothes and start hanging them in my locker. Then I grab the container of mac ‘n cheese Millie made for me before I left.
She’s always thoughtful like that, even when she’s got a hundred things on her plate. I set it on the bench beside me, hoping I wouldn’t forget to take it with me during the shift. I’mnotorious for that. Forgetting things, I mean. My brain’s a little scattered on a good day.
I stare at the container longer than I should. It’s just food—but the fact that she thought of me, with no reason to, hits me in a way I can’t quite explain.
Just as I’m finishing up, Josh shuffles through the door, looking half asleep. He doesn’t have the best track record of being punctual.
“Dude, get here on time for once,” I grumble.
He shrugs, stripping out of his civilian clothes and into his uniform with all the grace of a sloth on tranquilizers. I’ve told him a dozen times that it’s a lifesaver to come in already suited up, but it never seems to sink into his thick skull.
“Okay, let’s go,” he mutters sleepily, his words slurring a little.
We manage to hit the road only three minutes later than planned. It’s no big deal, but it still bothers me. Precision matters. Even if most of our night shift will be quiet and uneventful.
And tonight, quiet is an understatement. The streets of Cherry Falls are eerily still. Almost too still. The night that makes you feel like you’re the last person awake in the world. We’ve only stopped one person for speeding—a guy going 10 over the limit, but that’s it.
“So, Mills is watching Aura tonight, huh?” Josh asks, breaking the silence that’s settled between us.
“Yeah, she is,” I answer, my voice betraying a hint of affection as I think of Millie.
I try to play it cool, but even I can hear the way my voice softens when I talk about her. It’s a change you don’t notice until it’s too late.
I can’t help it. It’s hard not to when she’s so good with Aura. It’s not something I expected from her when I first met her. I knew she had a sweet and sassy side. But the way she bonded with my daughter so effortlessly, like they’ve always been connected. Hits me in the heart in the best way.
I glance at the clock on the dashboard. It’s already nine. Iwonder if Aura’s asleep yet. It doesn’t matter when she falls asleep. She’s always up every three hours anyway.
I bite my lip, feeling that pull again. I send Millie a text, even though I know I’m probably interrupting her routine.
“Mills is good. She has loved kids for as long as I’ve known her. Pretty sure she was originally going to college to get her teaching cert,”Josh says, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“She was going to be a teacher?” I ask, surprised. I can’t imagine her doing anything other than running the café. But she’d be an incredible teacher—there’s no doubt about that. Millie has a way with kids. She’s patient, and kind, and has a natural warmth to her.
“Yeah, man,” Josh continues, his tone softening. “She was always making her brothers and me concoctions when we were kids. At first, we hated it cause we weren’t into coffee. But then, when we started getting older and tired all the time, she made us these drinks that had us wide awake at 2 a.m. Sometimes I’d swear she knew exactly what we needed.”
I chuckle. I can picture it now—Millie with her apron on, creating these elaborate drinks for her brothers, always making sure they were okay.
“That’s cool,” I mutter, though it’s more than cool to me. I think about how that could be Aura one day. If Millie stays in her life, she could teach her so much. Not just about kindness, but about the joy of taking care of others.
“Yeah, she’s a good kid,” Josh says, almost like he’s reading my mind. “She’s always been that way. Cares about everyone, no matter who they were.”
“That’s what I want for Aura,” I say, more to myself than to Josh. “Kindhearted, loving.”
