Chapter 6 #2
“Well, good for him. He must know a lot about the world, having been around that long,” I replied, slowly rising to a standing position as my legs started cramping.
Lou caught me off guard when she grabbed my forearm and quickly jumped.
I raised my arm so as not to drop her, and I was rewarded with a loud giggle.
She was swinging from my limb, using me as her own jungle gym.
“Higher, Linc!” she yelled, and I couldn’t help but obey.
As I placed her back on the ground, she bounced side to side excitedly. “Can I see the truck now? Will you take me?” she asked.
“Sure thing. Let’s check it out!” I told her, and was gifted with a toothy smile as she skipped next to me, trying to keep up with my large strides. A couple of kids from her class followed us in, and there was a collective sigh of awe when they saw the inside of the truck.
“Alright, Lou. You’re up first. Why don’t you see what this button does?
” For a minute, the girl looked shy, then excitedly stepped away from the group to check out the dash.
Pressing the button I’d indicated, she gave a squeal when the truck lights came on full force, red, white, and blue filling the space.
Kids hollered, clapped, and stuck their heads out the window to see them.
“Make the siren go on!” someone yelled from the back as the others cheered.
“Well, you heard them, Lou. Why don’t you try that switch there?” Her eyes got big before she lunged for the control, hitting it quickly before covering her ears.
The siren rang out, far too loud, reverberating off the walls of the closed garage.
I let it run for a bit as the kids squealed and ran around before shutting it off.
The slight ringing in my ears was an easy price to pay to see the smile on everyone’s faces.
Lou stuck close the rest of the day, asking a variety of questions.
She was an interesting kid, a mix of curiosity and shyness.
“Class! It’s time to go. Say thank you to the firefighters, then line up for the bus!” the teacher yelled from the edge of the room. A sad look crossed Lou’s face, so I crouched next to her.
“Thanks for helping me out today, Lou. You did a great job on the truck,” I told her, and she puffed out her chest with pride.
“Really? I helped?” she asked, her eyes big.
“Yeah, you did! You’re a natural,” I told her, and she smiled.
“Eloise! Please line up with the rest of the class,” the teacher yelled, looking frazzled as he tried to herd the kids into a straight line.
“Bye, Linc! Maybe I can ride in the truck next time?” She looked at me hopefully, then back at her teacher’s unimpressed face.
“Think about it, ’kay? Gotta go!” She darted off, and I shook my head. Eloise was a spitfire. I was sure she was going to give her parents hell as she got older.
The rest of the day was quiet in comparison.
No calls came in, and the rest of my shift was uneventful.
Arriving home, I easily maneuvered through the familiar space.
It was one of the first things I bought when I moved back to town.
The house had been in foreclosure, and no one wanted the huge job of fixing it up.
Even though I had enough cash to purchase it, I needed my father to co-sign the mortgage because of how badly Lindsey had wrecked my credit.
It was a tough pill to swallow, but I had finally gotten out of debt and my credit back up to a respectable number.
And as the years progressed, I took my time renovating the run-down house, focusing on each space, working on everything piece by piece when I had time.
Collapsing in my large bed, a feeling of unease washed through me.
I loved my job and my house, but there was something missing.
Feeling restless, something I couldn’t name settled over me.
After my disastrous marriage, I avoided serious relationships.
I wasn’t a saint, but anyone I took to my bed knew the score.
Enough time had passed, though, and I knew it wasn’t fair to assume all relationships would be like what Lindsey and I had.
We had thought we were in love with each other, but I didn’t know how that could be possible when neither of us even knew who we were as individuals yet.
I realized now that while I definitely had love for Lindsey, it wasn’t the same as being in love with someone.
I thought of my parents, their clear devotion to each other.
Their love for each other shone through whenever I was around them and could be seen in the smallest of gestures between them.
As much as I tried to ignore my parents’ suggestions that it was past time for me to settle down, a new restlessness was building in me.
I looked at my buddies and their partners and felt envious.
Thinking of Lou and her classmates running around with their endless streams of questions, I knew I wanted more.
I wanted someone to come home to, someone to share my day with.
I wanted what my parents had. That connection, the easy companionship, the passion they never lost for each other.
I wanted a family of my own…I just had to meet the right woman to start one with.