Today's story is by station_19_espana
Author's note:
This One Shot is dedicated to all the Firefighters Without Borders in the world, especially those from my country who are pioneers in this, and to all the volunteers who leave their comfort and their lives to help, far and wide, the people who the more you need it.
*****
This story is told entirely from Andy's point of view:
Misfortunes always seem to prey on the most vulnerable, Andy thought as she looked for the possibility that someone was alive after 48 hours under all that rubble, that this new earthquake had once again devastated the Caribbean island of Haiti.
Curiously, today she had been a member of Firefighters without Borders for five years, what a way to celebrate! Andy thought and remembered how she ended up being an activist for that organization.
Over a year from six years before:
After the year of the worst decisions of her life, in every way, Robert urged her to turn over the divorce papers, already signed by him. He didn't want to wait any longer, he wanted to start over, far away and with nothing to tie him to Seattle, the city where he lost his two wives, albeit in different ways, where The SFD had been degraded him and fallen into an addiction. He needed to get away and if he could, never come back.
By this time, Andy was aware that she had lost him forever, no matter how much she tried to apologize, she was clearly late, and she knew it was unfair to try to keep holding him for a divorce signature that she herself initiated.
A big hug, a wish that you do well in life and exit from Court by different doors, the date of the hearing was not set by them, but perverse fate wanted it to coincide with what would have been their second wedding anniversary. That was the last interaction with whom, she knew without a doubt, was the love of her life.
Andy was reinstated to Station 19, now serving as captain. The supposed dream of her life was coming true, so she did not know why she felt so bad, it had been six months since her divorce became effective, since she saw him for the last time.
Although she tried to congratulate him on his birthday, a robotic voice replied saying that the number had been canceled. She only learned from Ben that he requested a transfer and had joined the NY Fire Department and that there they studied his career and his entire file and did not understand the harshness with which he was tried in Seattle and that he had quickly been restored to his former position as Battalion Chief. When she found out, Andy was happy for him, after a shitty time, his professional worth was being recognized and she really wanted him to be happy.
Meanwhile, at 19, everything reminded him of him, where they had their first kiss, in the different bunks to which they had slipped away and made love, the participation room where she told he that, even though she did not share his decisions, loved him. Her current captain's office, previously Robert's, with its bunk and shower that had seen everything, his old Battalion Chief's Office where they reconnected after their separation due to their sobriety. In every corner of that station there was something that reminded her of him and was making her existence there absolutely unbearable.
At the time, she saw how Robert began to be active in social networks again and how he would upload photos going to Galas and Events on behalf of the NYFD, also he was always well accompanied by beautiful women. Never the same, but always affectionate, it was clear that he was letting himself be loved and, if social media reflected his true state of mind, he was doing very well and he was happy.
Good for him, Andy thought, at least one of them seemed like they had totally rebuilt their lives and moved on. She just went through the days or the days passed through her, she couldn't say for sure. It just seemed like she had been frozen in time.
