“You’re up early,” I say, tugging my boots on by the door.
She turns with a mug in her hand, hair pulled back, eyes a little heavy. “I have a lot I want to set up in my classroom today, but I couldn’t sleep anyway.”
“I heard you on your phone pretty late,” I say.
She nods. “Yeah, I was just scrolling.”
I step closer, resting my hands on her hips, pressing a quick kiss to her temple. She leans into me like she always does.
“You okay?” I ask, quieter now.
She shrugs. “Just tired.”
She takes a sip of her coffee and winces slightly.
“That bad?” I tease.
She huffs a soft laugh. “No. It’s fine. I just—” She stops, then shakes her head. “Never mind.”
That pause gets my attention. “Hey. What?”
She exhales, leaning back against the counter. “I got up out of bed too fast this morning and got dizzy. But it passed.”
My jaw tightens instantly. “Megan.”
“I said it passed,” she insists gently. “I sat down. Drank some water. I’m fine.”
I look her over—color’s good, eyes clear, other than looking tired.
“You eating?” I ask, nodding toward the untouched food.
“I will,” she says.
I pull her into me, forehead resting against hers. “Text me today,” I say. “Even if it’s nothing.”
“Okay.”
“And if you feel weird, dizzy, shaky,anything, you call me.Me. Got it?”
She pulls back, her smirk cute and teasing. “Yes, sir.”
I kiss her again this time, slow and lingering, like I’ve got nowhere else to be.
“Have a good day, Mrs. Jennings,” I murmur.
She smiles. “You too, Officer.”
As I grab my keys, she calls after me, “I love you.”
“I love you too,” I reply.
* * *
The sun’s beating through my windshield, hot enough that the AC is running full blast even though it’s barely past noon. I’m parked at a gas station, finishing up a report, half listening to some guy inside complaining about the price of diesel.
Normal stuff.
I’m halfway through typing the last sentence when my radio crackles.
