HAPPIER ❪ E. BUCKLEY ❫

𝟎𝟎𝟒. BIG BALANCING ACT

"BIG BALANCING ACT"
AKA; WORST DAY EVER

"I hate this show. Turn it up." I said to Chimney, taking the remote off the bed table to raise the volume of the trashy soap playing on his hospital television.

He chuckled, adjusting his position in the cot. "Me too."

I refused to leave Chimney alone following the rebar incident.

Whenever I could, before and after bakery shifts, I made it my mission to get to the hospital to hang out. I felt it was the least I could do with his family being unreachable and his girlfriend gone.

We spent most of our time picking on reality TV and soap operas while eating whatever baked goods were left over from Fiona's. It was almost like we were at the station actually, except neither of us had to worry about Buck stealing a bite of our food.

Fiona tutted from my phone speaker, "You two are such a pair. How was the day?"

I ripped my gaze from the show and smiled into the Facetime screen. "It was fine. Emma stayed until close, and we deep cleaned the ovens. I'll count the til before I go to bed later."

I had also been put in charge of the bakery for the week. Fiona did meet up with Oliver in Belize, where she was supposed to relax and take time with her son. That didn't stop her from calling me every night to make sure everything was going well on my end, and every night I assured her it was.

"You should have counted it before you left Mariquita." She scolded, but her tone was light. She wasn't that mad, just parental.

"I didn't wanna miss visiting hours." I explained.

"And I didn't want to miss these muffins." Chimney chimed in from the cot, his mouth full of blueberry and cinnamon muffin.

I chuckled, almost sure I could hear Fiona's eyes roll at that. Her face turned up soon after though, "Just make sure it gets done. I better go, Oliver and I are grabbing dinner. I miss you Bluey."

I sighed and beamed back, "I miss you too. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

The woman nodded, "Buh-bye. Bye Chim!"