Nebulous || Evan Buckley [1]

chapter twenty four

a clean slate

"You can't avoid your mom forever."

Mark voiced to his girlfriend walking out of his bathroom. He sat up in his bed shirtless watching her get ready for work. Between their busy work schedules, the new couple found ways to spend time together. They've been bouncing back and forth from their places mostly Mark's considering Alexis lives with Josephine and crave for their privacy. The two have been quite inseparable.

Josephine picked up her pair of jeans and slipped them on. "Then you missed the part where I talked about my upbringing and the time, we stopped speaking to each other when I decided to become a firefighter." She mused.

It appears Isabel rang in the new year with a resolution, contacting her daughter to have a sit down.

Ever since Diego's passing, they've always butted heads. It wasn't any easier during Josephine's teenage years.

"So, nothing came out of the time about calling off the wedding and when you went to her after that huge earthquake?" He curiously asked after Josephine opened up to him of her past relationship from Bryan to her mother.

Josephine lowered her gaze from his concerning look as she grabbed for her shirt. "The only time my mom and I had a heart-to-heart moment was her explaining my dad's passing. Our relationship isn't exactly like the ones in the movies to your dismay." She said, throwing her arms into the sleeves of her shirt. "So, no I didn't talk much with her after the earthquake. All the trauma dumping was the therapist from work really."

"Look, do I wish our relationship could be better? Yes, but there's a lot to patch up that relationship to the point I accepted as it is." She casually said.

Mark nodded along as he didn't want to press his girlfriend. "All I'm saying is don't take things for granted. I'm sure we both know from working our fields." He calmly spoke. "What if she's willing to put in the effort to fix your relationship?"

She knew what he meant. The amount of people they saved in life threatening situations experience how life can flash before your eyes. She did. Specifically, back to the earthquake guaranteed one of the roughest shifts she's endured.

A sigh slipped from her lips before sauntering towards the bed. She crawled to straddle her boyfriend's lap. Her arms snaked around his neck, "I guess I can try to see what she wants to talk about. It's probably time since I doubt Vanessa wants to play middleman forever."

Mark rested his hands on her waist. "Just remember to not overthink it. I'm sure it'll go well.

The couple shared a blissful kiss to which Josephine deepened it. Mark hummed in satisfaction though slightly pulled away. "Hate to say this but don't you have to head out soon?"

"I have time, plus it's really hard to resist you sitting like this without a shirt." She whispered against his lips sealing another kiss.

He chuckled, running his hands down her sides. "But you just put your clothes on."