Juliet somehow keeps a straight face when she says, “Like a sleepover.”
Tinsley eyes me warily. “Will you hurt her?”
Her words are like a red-hot poker slicing through my chest.
“No,” I say firmly, my throat thick with emotion. “I won’t hurt your mum or you, Sprout.”
“Okay,” she says with a shrug, and picks up a chicken teriyaki sushi roll.
“Do you have any more questions about what this means?” Juliet asks.
Tinsley shakes her head. “I like Blake.”
I grin. “The feeling’s mutual.”
She scrunches her nose at me. “What does that mean?”
“I like you, too.”
We don’t rushany sleepovers, wanting to ease Tinsley into our relationship, but I do spend all of my free time at their house. The week after our aquarium date is my final week of placement, and while I’ve loved the hands-on work and the adrenaline of knowing someone’s relying on you to save their life, adjusting to the long shifts was challenging, and I’m looking forward to some downtime as I explore this new thing with Juliet and Tinsley.
I finish on a Friday day shift and head straight home to celebrate after my twelve-hour stint. I’m exhausted, but underneath, I’m charged. Being on the front line lit a fire in me. Being a paramedic is what I want to do. In three and ahalf months, I’ll graduate, and for the first time in my life, I’m excited about what’s to come.
Juliet and Tinsley are already here, helping in the kitchen. Tinsley’s standing on a chair in front of the stove, stirring the mince under the strict supervision of her brother. Juliet and Emily are chopping the toppings for the potatoes, which are baking in the oven.
For so long, I barricaded myself behind stone walls, blocking people out, convinced I was better left alone. But coming home to this, knowing they’re cheering me on, I feel the shift. I don’t have to do it alone anymore. I have people in my corner.
“Smells delicious,” I say, dropping my bag on the end of the couch.
Tinsley jumps off her chair, runs over, and launches herself at me. I laugh as I catch her, swinging her into the air. “Hey, Sprout. How was your day?”
“I made this for you,” she says, thrusting a folded-up piece of green card into my hand after I set her back down on her feet.
Crouching down to her level, I look down at the card, a lump forming in my throat as I take in the drawing she’s done of an ambulance with three people standing next to it.
“Is this me?” I ask, pointing to the tall person closest to the ambulance wearing the paramedic uniform.
“Uh huh.” She nods, then points to the other two people. “And that’s me and Mama.”
She’s drawn herself in the middle, holding both of our hands.
I pull her in for a tight hug, trying to keep my emotions in check. “Thanks.”
When I move to stand up, she tugs on my hand to keep me there, then leans in to whisper in my ear. “You make Mama really happy.”
Jesus Christ.
This little girl has the power to bring me to my knees.
Grinning, I whisper back, “You and your mama makemereally happy.”
I let her lead me into the kitchen, stepping in behind Juliet and wrapping my arms around her waist. “What can I do to help?”
“Absolutely nothing,” she says, pressing a kiss to my cheek.
“We’re almost done,” Emily adds.
Just as she says it, the oven timer beeps.
