Don't let go: Joel Miller x OC

The One Who Was Left Behind

November 2026

Brisk with a certain sharp iciness to the air, it was the standard morning in Jackson at any point between mid October and March. The single glazed windows of the two story home only doing so much to trap the heat as the sun slowly emerged from behind the horizon, condensation beading on the glass panes. Outside, the trees were once again decorated with warm mesmerising shades of gold and red as autumn fully set in, the branches gradually becoming more bare with each passing day.

Although it had only just struck seven thirty that morning, the home was already in mayhem as each member of the household scrambled to get ready for the day ahead.

"Lily, please stop crying." Ava found herself resorting to begging as she finished breastfeeding the infant. She'd been up since before first light with the fussing child. She had fed her, changed her and soothed her but none of it seemed to settle her persistence squalls. It had been this way for weeks by this point. Relentless grumbles and wails at all hours of the day. It was exhausting.

Three days ago she had dragged herself and Lily over to the infirmary, in fear that something was terribly wrong. Why else was she so agitated all of the time? Teething and a little bit of colic - apparently. She'd mentioned the visit to Joel after he arrived home from yet another gruelling patrol, only to be met with a less than helpful grumble of, 'I could've told you that.' Before he disappeared upstairs for some shut eye that resulted in him not resurfacing until the next morning when once again, he left before the sun even came up...

After months of her only companion being the five month old that was constantly attached to her hip, Ava felt desperate to regain her sense of self- to feel like a human being. She found herself eager to pick up any small jobs around the community. A few hours here and there whenever Maria or Marlon had a minute to spare to babysit. A few hours where she could converse with other adults and breath without her hair being pulled. Today was one of those mornings, a menial task in the gardens that required her to check in for in forty five minutes... Forty five minutes and yet here she was, still stood in her kitchen, clad in a puke stained shirt of Joels and smelling like she hadn't showered in months. She still had to get ready and drop Lily over to Maria's yet...

Joel found himself hunched over the kitchen side next to the kettle, the lack of sleep pulling at his eyes and squandering his thoughts. His head pounding and ears ringing from the constant cries. Lily was practically screaming - why couldn't Ava make her stop? It was like this all the damn time yet as soon as he'd take over, the fussing would cease. He needed it to stop, needed a second of silence to recalibrate before heading out on another patrol. It was route four today, a six hour stint alongside Jesse that was scheduled to leave in just thirty minutes - how he was supposed to remain alert and on form was beyond him. Perhaps it was his age... maybe ten or so years ago he'd be sat here feeling as fresh as a daisy but that really wasn't the case. Had Sarah been this fussy? He couldn't remember her being like this... but Lily was also better for him. It had to be something Ava was doing, surely?

His head quipped around from the kitchen counter at his wife's pleads, his teeth grinding whilst abandoning the idea of a morning coffee to get him going, the need for a moments silence prevailing the need for caffeine. This morning it was either one or the other- never to be both... Oh, it was going to be one of those days. An exhaustive sigh heaving from his lungs as he trudged toward the kitchen chair where Ava was positioned, leaning over and plucking the five month old from her lap without so much as looking at his wife.

Ava's head rolled back to catch sight of him towering over her, her eyes pinching as she spoke so softly- so guiltily "Joel..."

She felt bad- terrible even. Yesterdays patrol didn't even arrive back though the gates until nine pm after a five am start. By the time he actually arrived home it was gone ten. She watched him enter the nursery, kiss his already sleeping daughter good night before collapsing into bed himself... only to have his few hours of sleep disturbed at least six times throughout the night before then having to peel himself from the mattress at the ass crack of dawn once again.