“Because, my sweet, brave, incredible daughter, what’s on the other side is more than worth it.”
I know we’re not talking only about Davey or Miles now, but our entire life. The decisions Mama made for the both of us.
How hard she fought to give me a normal damn life so I could do the very thing I wanted to do.
I straighten as a car horn honks outside our apartment and set my shoulders back. “I should go.”
“I’ll see you tonight. Or not, if you need to talk to Miles.”
I—
My mouth opens, but she grabs my chin in her hand. “Don’t throw one thing away over the other. Life is never that black and white. We know this, hey.” Her forehead presses to mine.
With a quick, tight hug, I leave the apartment, shutting the door behind me and making my way to the small blue car on the curb where Owens stands, her dress uniform on, her cap in her hands.
“Wasn’t sure you were going to come down,” she says, greeting me with a hug as I reach her little car.
“The thought crossed my mind more than once.”
“In the car, so I can reprimand you accordingly.”
I huff a laugh and she rounds the car as I drop into the passenger’s seat.
We pull away from the curb and Heidi glances at me. “How you doing?”
“Still breathing.”
“I see that. But I meant in here,” she says, patting a hand over her heart.
Her long blonde hair is up in a bun, earrings in her ears, and light makeup much like mine. She’s neat as a pin and so pretty. I rarely see her dressed up.
Her blue eyes snap to me again when we slow for traffic. “Miles is worried about you, London.”
I let my focus drift out the window.
I don’t know how to respond to that.
I miss him so bad it hurts all over.
But every time I think about being with him, being fucking happy, guilt takes me down in one swift blow. Davey was just starting to build a life. He’d met someone. He was stupid happy over texting the nurse he met. Now...
“London?”
“Yeah?” I turn my head to meet her gaze.
“You signed up for this, right?”
Firefighting?
“I did.”
“And you know the risks we take every shift.”
“I do.”
I think I know where this is going.
“Babe, the bad things hurt, but that’s the entire reason we keep doing what we do. So the good things stand a damn chance. You know Davey would want you to keep going.”
