Family Is Forever ~ A One Chicago Story

Chapter 9 - A plan

I was in a very good mood the by the time my parents got home the next morning.

I had had a lay in and a lovely breakfast of waffles and now I was sat in the porch of the back garden throwing a ball for Ellie.

My injury had ment that I couldn't take her out on long walks anymore as I so often did but I made up for it by playing with her whenever I had a spare minute.

At first my parents had been reluctant to get a dog as they worked 24 hour shifts, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions ever. I was a lot more comfortable being home on my own, I felt safer when Ellie was around and not that he'd admit it but dad had quite a soft spot for her too.

I hear the crunch of tyres on out gravel driveway and get up and headed back In to the house.

I'm greeted by my parents who both seem to be In a good mood

"Good shift?" I ask them sitting down at the kitchen table

"Yeah not to busy" mum said coming over and giving me a hug while dad said hello to Ellie.

"Oh yeah, I saw Dr Manning at Med today and she said you could probably stop wearing the knee brace now" mum tells me

"Excellent" and I immediately start taking it off

"But you need to take it easy for a few weeks" she finished

I pretend I didn't hear this and carried on undoing the brace.

I stood up and moved my knee around a bit it felt OK but I was a little apprehensive as I hadn't put my full weight on it for a while.

Carefully I moved around  the kitchen. I noticed a smile on both my parents faces

"I'm no doctor but it seems to be in full working order" dad says happily

"Yep" I say bending my knee some more

"Yeah thats all good your knee is healed but I'm hungry so I'm going to make some lunch" mum says rummaging around in the cupboards

"Ooo I agree with that" I reply

"Hang on by the looks of it you already ate"

I look around to see the pile of dishes I had just abandoned in the sink and smile

"Well I ate over 2 hours and now I'm hungry" I say trying not to laugh.

We all fix ourselves some lunch and decide to sit in the garden and eat it as its such a nice day.

Most people my age would say I'm weird for spending so much time with my parents and having such a close relationship with them.

But I've grown up in an environment where you have to live in the moment and love people while you still can as you may end up losing them. A little over a year ago 51 had lost Oits who died a hero saving the lives of several Firefighters and a few years before that they'd lost Leslie Shay, who I was named after, I'd never met her but my mum and Kelly always talked about her and I felt like I knew her. I think I would've got along with her.(I know that Shay and otis died closer together but I needed it to be this way for the story)

Later that evening my parents bring up the subject of virtual learning. They had now seen the letter from the school and had apparently come up with a plan.

"So Jess we've been thinking" my dad starts "we don't really want you to be on your own here all the time with no one to talk to"

I laugh slightly at this because when they weren't here I often found myself having a full on conversation with Ellie even though she couldn't talk back, but I wasn't ready to share my secret with them just yet

"We spoke with chief boden and he agreed that its best your not on your own so what do you say you come to the Firehouse with us and do your school work there"

That's not what I was expecting and I wasn't really sure I'd get a lot of work done but I really did love spending time at the Firehouse.

"I'm assuming that smile means your in" dad says looking looking at me

I nod at them both "100% I'm in"

"Great i'll let the cheif know" mum says walking out

"Now what do you say we take Ellie for a walk" dad askes

I jump up from my seat, dad and I often went on long dog walks together and I had missed going while I was injured so of course I wanted to go with them

"Remember Jess needs to take it easy" mum calls as we walk put the door

"She doesn't trust us does she" I say smirking

"Haha no probably not"

And we start to take our usual route which took us all the way to the Firehouse and then past the 21st District and then home again