4. Sebastian
Sebastian
I ’m leaning against one of the trucks in the firehouse, surrounded by the guys, my uniform soot-stained from this morning’s drill. It’s been one hell of a morning.
Cap simulated a warehouse fire for our drill, complete with thick smoke and controlled flames. I had to lead the team through the dark and smoky space, practicing search and rescue maneuvers, and crawling on our hands and knees to stay below the smoke.
The heat was intense, and now, standing here in the aftermath, I look like hell. The guys are all laughing as I tell them how Libby called me again to get her cat out of a tree.
“I swear that cat waits until I’m about to start a 3-day shift to put me to work,” I say, shaking my head. “I walk over to the tree, and the damn thing jumps right on my head! I didn’t even have to climb up. Just landed on me like it was planned.”
My friends burst into laughter, shaking their heads.
“The cat has it out for you, man,” Mateo says between chuckles.
“Right?” I run a hand through my hair. “I’m telling you, she does it on purpose.”
The clock on the wall catches my eye, and my stomach drops. Shit.
“I almost forgot—I gotta head out,” I say, already pushing off the truck.
“Forgot what, Seb?” Andres asks, raising an eyebrow.
“Picking up Maya from school. I promised I’d bring her back here for a bit.”
Maya’s my six-year-old niece and, hands down, the coolest kid I know. She’s been begging me to come back here every day, and I finally caved. Her mom, my sister, Analyse, is a teacher at the elementary school, and since I wanted to spend time with Maya, I offered to pick her up for a few hours.
Luckily, we live in a town where nothing ever really happens, so it’s easy to bring her here. If the alarm does go off, Hilda runs right over to grab her. Ink she wants to be a ninja clown—clown by day, ninja by night.
She says she wants to make people laugh and protect them.
I gotta give it to the kid; she’s got her priorities in check.
By the time I pull up to her school, she’s already spotted me.
“TíO SEB!! You’re here!”
She’s running full speed, her backpack bouncing behind her, arms stretched out like she’s about to take flight.
“Of course I’m here, Maya,” I say, crouching down to catch her as she crashes into me. “I told you I would be, and I never break a promise to my best girl.”
“Are we going to the fire station now??” she asks, tilting her head and hitting me with her best puppy eyes.
I chuckle. “You bet we are.”
I lift her into my car, strapping her into the booster seat I always keep for her. “Ready to see some fire trucks.?”
“Yes! Yes! Yes!” she bounces excitedly, and I can’t help but grin. Her happiness is infectious.
Pulling into the station, I already see Mateo and Andres running around, getting everything ready for Maya’s visit. Their laughter and shouts fill the air—it’s like watching a bunch of big kids at recess.
The second I park, Maya bolts out of the car, heading straight for the kitchen. Her delighted squeal echoes through the station before I even make it inside.
I jog in after her, ready to make sure she has a day she’ll never forget. But the last thing I expect to see? A goddamn waterslide. A giant waterslide. The guys really did go all out.
Standing back, I watch as Maya runs straight into Mateo’s arms. He swings her up onto his shoulders like she weighs nothing, laughing as he carries her toward the waterslide, where Andres and a couple of the other guys are waiting,
I throw my head back, laughing. I was planning to give Maya a fun day at the firehouse. But this? This is next-level. With a grin, I take off after them, ready to join in on the chaos.
Maya is happily sleeping in one of the beds in the station, the sugar crash hitting her like a ton of bricks. There was nothing better than seeing her excited—shoving spoonfuls of ice cream in her mouth, laughing like a little maniac, chocolate smeared all over her tiny face.
She looks so much like Analyse—the same long, curly brown hair, tan skin, and those big brown eyes. Of course, she’d birth a carbon copy of herself. I glance down at my phone, re-reading Analyse’s last text:
Be there in 5. Have her ready.
Yeah, that didn’t happen.
I look back at Maya, curled up like a little burrito, her tiny hands tucked under her cheek. How the hell am I supposed to wake her up when she looks this peaceful?
Not even five minutes later, I hear the familiar sound of tires crunching on the gravel outside of the station. Analyse steps out of what she proudly calls her ‘mom car’—a white SUV that, despite her protests, is covered in stray crayons and forgotten snack wrappers.
She’s got a cup of iced coffee in one hand, sunglasses on top of her head, and an expression that tells me she already knows I let Maya fall asleep.
“Where’s my girl?” she asks, scanning the station.
I grimace. “Uh…in the back. Sleeping.”
She crosses her arms, tilts her head back, and sighs.
“Seb! I told you not to let her sleep. Now she’s gonna wake up with more energy than the Energizer Bunny himself.”
“I know, I know. But come on, have you seen her? How can I say no to anything she wants? She’s basically my boss.” I say, trying to keep a straight face.
Analyse snorts. “That kid knows exactly who to go to when she wants something and, of course, she’s cute—she’s her mama’s twin.”
She takes a sip of her iced coffee, eyes flickering around the station before landing back on me. Then, too casually, she asks, “Where’s Mateo?”
I narrow my eyes. “Why?”
Analyse shrugs, adjusting the lid on her coffee. “Just wondering.”
I cross my arms, giving her a long, skeptical look. “If I had to guess? Probably off being an idiot somewhere.”
She snorts, then quickly hides it behind her cup—but not fast enough. That catches my attention. I squint at her. “Why do you care where Mateo is?”
She rolls her eyes. “I don’t. Just making conversation.”
I don’t buy it. Analyse hates Mateo, always has. Says he’s reckless, immature, a walking red flag. Which is why it’s weird that she’s asking about him all of a sudden.
Before I can push, she sighs dramatically. “Seb, please. Mateo is your headache, not mine. I was just wondering if he was off ruining some poor girl’s life again.”
I make a mental note to keep an eye on that.
“Alright, Alright. Let’s get your kid.”
I head to the back of the station, stepping into the dorm-style room. Rows of identical metal-frame beds stretch across the space, each one neatly made—except for Maya’s.
Her blanket is pulled up to her chin, her wild curls splayed across the pillow. I place a hand on her shoulder and gently shake her awake. Not gonna lie, I’m a little scared. If she’s anything like her mom, I need to prepare myself for a major attitude.
She stirs, blinking sleepily before letting out a long yawn.
“Tio? Is it morning? She mumbles, scrunching up her nose and covering her eyes.
“No, but your mama’s here to get you.”
Maya groans and rolls over, pulling the blanket over her head. “Okay, tell Mama she can come back in the morning. Nighttime is for sleeping.”
I bite back a laugh. Yep. Just like her mom. I tug the blanket back. “Princesa, Mama’s waiting, and she’s gonna be really mad at me if I don’t get you to her.”
Maya sighs dramatically. “Fineee. But only so she won’t be mad at you, Tio.”
“I appreciate that, kid.”
She rubs her eyes, then looks up at me. “Tío Seb?”
“What’s up, princess?”
“Can we go get more books tomorrow?”
Seeing her tiny face light up at the thought of more books? Yeah, I’d take her every single day if I could.
“Let me ask your mom. If she says yes, I’ll take you to Ink & Paper.”
Maya launches into my arms. “Thank you, Tio!!”
Analyse was right—she does know exactly who to go to. And she always will.