The Family We Choose

Chapter 48

Emelia slowly started to feel the literal distance between herself and May, it was really small but it was already coming to the end of the week and they hadn't seen each other once. Not even facetime. It was messages and calls and even then it was interrupted by something.

She did her best to push those thoughts away. It has been like this ever since she graduated, but sometimes she has to push herself to be grateful for the little things. Even when it sucked not to see her.

"I heard someone die today." May says as Emelia picks up the phone. She removed the focus from the party she was planning for her girlfriend to her phone.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asks simply, leaving that door open if she chooses to walk through it.

"Yes, no, maybe." She can see the frustrated look on her face from over the phone. "It just all happened so quick, one second she was calling about some kids down the block and the next someone is breaking into her backyard to shoot her."

Her first homicide, Emelia thinks to herself. Something that definitely didn't warrant a party. Her heart felt for her, this was the one part of the job Emelia didn't understand. Even with Eddie, how do you move on from that when you know it's just going to happen again. All she knew to do was be there for them.

"But that's not your fault."

"What if I had dispatched the police sooner?"

"Even if you had, there is no guarantee they would have got there before she died. You did everything you could." Emelia did her best to comfort her, wishing she could be there in person for her.

"It just doesn't feel like enough." And Emelia knows it never will. That's the thing about first responders, you can do everything in your power but sometimes you still lose them.

"I know. Maybe you should talk to Bobby," she thinks out loud, knowing her dad has gone to him many times in the past few years for his input. "He has quite the experience in this department."

"Maybe."

–

Eddie knew the second he told Emelia the horror story of Buck's parents that she would want to plan something with him, if only to remind him that he wasn't alone. Parent issues were right in her department and she remembers how alone she felt when her mom left, she never wanted Buck to feel like that.

Which is how they ended up on Buck's doorstep with a giant tin of food from Abuela. Buck wasn't one to say no to any of the Diaz's so they used their own key to sneak in. Well it's not really sneaking when he knows your coming but the idea was fun. Chris grabbed his attention first, begging him to play the new video game he bought. Specifically the one he refused to even take the wrapping off of until he saw Buck so they could break it in together.

Emelia brings the food to the kitchen while Chris busies himself with the TV.

"Hey, if you want to be alone just say the word." Eddie whispers, the last to enter Buck's apartment. He shakes his head.

"Nah, seeing them helps. A lot. So thanks for bringing them." He's relieved to see them, seemingly the only friendly faces he has at the moment.

"Anytime Buck." Eddie grabs his shoulder, the way Buck absolutely loves, in an effort to comfort him. It works.

He can feel a pair of eyes staring a hole into the side of his head and he turns to catch Emelia staring at him. She quickly turns away, popping the food back into the oven to warm up.

"She okay?" He asks, the pair wordlessly making their way over to her.

"She just gets nervous when people she cares about are alone when they're at their lowest. It was her idea to come over."