𝐆𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢 (𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐙! 𝐟𝐟)

𝙲𝙷. 𝟸𝟿 ☯︎︎ 𝙾𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚒𝚗 𝙿𝚝. 𝟹

𝙴𝚟𝚊𝚗 𝙰𝚗𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚠𝚜
𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙰𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚝

☯︎

The alarms at the fire station are the first things that worry him, the next being the address where their next fiery fight will take place.

His home.

The day had started like any other. He was in his station, talking to a colleague of his as he usually does on Monday mornings in his usual work uniform with his usual cup of coffee.

They were chatting about last night's football game, complaining to each other about the team that won and talking about how they must've paid the other team to lose when the announcement came into the fire station, alerting them of an ignited building waiting to be put out.

But it wasn't until he saw with his very own eyes the address they were being sent to, that he truly began to worry.

"Hey, Evan! Isn't this your home address?" One of his co-workers that was already sitting up-front in the driver's seat of the large, shiny-red fire truck called out to him.

Suiting up, he walked on over to where the screen displayed the address. His body froze the moment he saw their next destination and his breathing hitched. For a moment, the world stopped.

Evan! One of the other officers called for him as he desperately ran into the burning condominium.

Evan! His wife cried as her skin burned up and fell off her bones in the house fire.

EVAN! The police called as the crowbar slammed against the culprit's head time and time again, staining his hands with that crimson color.

☯︎

"Evan?... Mr. Evan?" The feminine voice of the cashier in front of him snaps him back to attention, calling out worriedly when she notices that he's spaced out again.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" He makes her repeat herself and she taps at the screen that displays how much he owes for his stuff.

"You're total is $27.52. Will that be cash, credit, or debit?"

"27 dollars?" He raises his eyebrows at the total, bringing a hand to scratch the stubble on his chin. "Why so much?"

"Well, you did get all of those lottery tickets and packs of gummy bears." The cashier reminds him.

"Yummies!" A little voice chirps to his right where his two-year-old daughter sits on the baby seat of his grocery cart, throwing her little hands in the air at the mention of her favorite treats and giggling to herself after.

"Yes, yes, yummies." Evan echoes after her, a faint smile ghosting his exhausted features that are covered by his face mask and cap. "The things I do for you, little one." He shakes his head, looking back at the cashier after taking out his wallet. "It'll be cash."

Handing a 50 dollar bill, the last fifty dollar bill that he'd see until who-knows-when, Evan pays for his things, waiting to get his change handed back to him and placing the grocery bags in his cart.

"$22.48 is your change and with the receipt, you're all set!" The cashier offers him a tight-lipped smile, glancing over with piteous eyes at the man and his child.