ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟝𝟚 #3
She laughed. "I'm not going to betray her just like that."
"I wasn't asking for secrets."
"Sure you weren't."
I smiled despite myself. "Okay, yeah fine."
"Well, I can tell you one thing. She definitely misses you."
My smile disappeared. I picked up a poster flicking away any specks of dust.
"She does?"
"Of course she does."
"How would you know?"
"Because she's Dixie."
"That doesn't explain anything."
"It does if you know her."
I frowned, waiting for her to speak again.
"She tries really hard to act like she doesn't care when she cares way too much."
That sounded exactly like her. Dixie could argue with someone while secretly worrying herself sick over them.
I knew that woman too well.
I'd spent years knowing her.
"So if she misses me," I said quietly, "why won't she come home?"
"She's probably being stubborn." Dannah sighed.
"She said she'd come back when she was ready."
"Then maybe you should let her be ready."
"Mm."
I hated that answer, but I knew she was right. I couldn't force her back through the front door.
Dannah spoke again. "I could always talk to her."
"You would?" I looked down.
"Yeah."
"I'd appreciate that."
"Of course."
I hesitated. "Just don't make it obvious that I asked you."
"I'm not going to walk up to her and say, 'Your husband called me and asked whether you still love him.'" She laughed.
I winced. It sounded even worse in simple words.
"Please don't."
"I won't." She chuckled.
"Thank you."
Dannah's voice softened.
"Oh by the way, Cameron, I'm sorry about Molly."
I went quiet. "How do you know about Molly?"
"Dixie told me."
I stared ahead. "She did?"
"Yeah."
I didn't know what to say. Dixie had talked about Molly with someone else?
She'd actually said something?
"She's been worried about her," Dannah continued. "A lot."
I swallowed. "Dixie told you?"
"Yes."
I looked down at my socks.
I don't know why I dwelled on that so much.
She'd been angry with me, left me, she's barely spoken to me, and she'd still been talking about Molly.
About me, and about what was happening. Maybe she hadn't been as detached as she'd tried to make me believe.
"Cameron, are you okay over there?"
"Yeah." My voice came out quieter. "Yeah, I'm good."
I wasn't.
But for the first time in days, I felt a little lighter.
Dixie had been talking about me.
She had been worried, and she missed me. She'd been carrying Molly's disappearance around with her too.
I looked toward the missing-person posters.
"Thanks, Dannah."
"Of course!"
"I appreciate you checking on her."
"Yeah, I'll talk to her."
"Okay."
"Take care of yourself too, Cameron."
I gave a small smile. "I'll try."
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
The call ended.
I lowered my phone slowly.
Dixie had been thinking about Molly. She missed me, and yet she'd still walked out that door.
I didn't understand her- maybe I never had, but it was obvious she cared.
I really missed her.
~
"Cam Wam! Where are you today, chief?"
I held the phone between my shoulder and ear while looking over the pile of missing person reports spread across the kitchen table.
Right.
I had been planning to go into the station today.
Then Dixie had shown up at my front door in the middle of a storm, crying so hard she could barely breathe.
After she left again, I felt even worse than before. Dixie always had that effect on me. She could change the entire course of my day without even trying.
I rubbed my hand over my face.
"Cam?"
"I'm here."
"Where are you, man?"
"Decided to work from home."
Brody gasped dramatically. "At home? Are you sick?"
"No."
"Did someone kidnap our captain?"
"Unfortunately not."
Brody laughed. "You skipped work for a woman, didn't you? I hope it's Rachel."
I sighed at the mention of her name.
"I skipped work because I have work. I'm looking over Molly stuff."
That quieted him down immediately. "Oh."
Brody then cleared his throat. "Well...the station misses you."
"Oh, does it?" I leaned back in my chair.
"Yeah."
Then I heard Brody shout across the station. "Hunter! Say hi to your favorite captain!"
A second later, I heard Hunter's voice.
"Cam! Is he alive?"
"No, he sounds horrible." Brody whispered, though I could hear him on speaker phone.
A couple of the newer firefighters apparently gathered around too.
"Hey, Cap!"
"When are you coming back?"
"Hey, guys." I smiled faintly despite myself. I guess it was kind of sweet to have the whole station look up to you.
The phone shuffled around again before Brody returned. "Okay, all the children have said hello."
"Very much appreciated."
"So." Brody laughed, then he lowered his voice dramatically.
"No, stop."
"You don't even know what I was going to say!" He lagged again.
"Yes I do."
"What if I was going to ask how you've been?"
I sighed. "How've you been, Brody?"
"No, no. That's my question."
I looked down at the papers.
How had I been? Well, my little sister was missing, my wife had left me, and I still woke up every morning pretending I knew what I was doing.
"I'm alright."
Brody snorted. "You're a terrible liar."
I looked toward the rain outside the window.
"I guess I miss Dixie. And Molly." I blurted out.
"But other than that..I'm okay."
"That just reminded me of something." Brody said.
"Yeah?"