Buddie: Partners in Fire

Chapter 57

Scene: Kitchen, Night

Back in the kitchen, Eddie's legs felt weak as he staggered to the nearest chair, the overwhelming weight of the news pressing down on him. He dropped into the seat, his elbows resting heavily on his knees, and buried his face in his hands. For a few moments, there was nothing but silence—save for the ticking of the kitchen clock. Then, the tears came, silently at first, just a few stray drops that traced a path down his cheeks. But soon, they turned into deep, gut-wrenching sobs that shook his entire body. It was as if a dam had burst inside him, and he was powerless to stop the flood of emotions that surged forth.

Eddie’s grief was all-consuming, a tidal wave of pain and loss that he had been holding back for so long. Memories of his abuela swirled around him, vivid and painful. He could almost feel her presence, smell the familiar scent of the flowers she always kept in her home, hear the melody of the lullabies she used to sing to him when he was a child, and later to Christopher. The loss of her hit him with the force of a physical blow. Eddie cried for the absence of her love and guidance in his life, for the things he would never be able to share with her again, for the fact that Christopher would never get to know her the way he had. His tears fell freely now, his body trembling with the intensity of his sorrow.

Eddie was so lost in his grief that he didn’t hear the quiet footsteps approaching, didn’t notice the figure that had appeared in the doorway. Buck, who had woken up to find the bed empty beside him, had gone searching for Eddie. When he reached the kitchen and saw Eddie sitting at the table, his body wracked with sobs, Buck’s heart clenched in his chest. Without a word, he quickly crossed the room and knelt down beside Eddie, his arms - now bandages free - wrapping around him in a protective embrace.

Buck: “Eddie… what’s wrong? Are you sick... Or hurt?"

Buck’s voice was gentle, concerned, but the urgency in it was unmistakable. Eddie leaned into Buck’s embrace, his tears soaking into Buck’s shirt as he tried to steady his breath, to find the words to express the overwhelming grief that was crushing him. But they wouldn’t come. His emotions were too raw, too tangled up in the loss of someone who had meant so much to him. Buck didn’t push him to speak; he just held Eddie close, one hand gently rubbing circles on his back, the other resting on Eddie’s shoulder, grounding him with his touch.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Eddie managed to choke out the words, his voice broken by sobs.

Eddie: “She’s gone, Buck… My abuela, she’s gone.”

The weight of those words hung heavy in the air, and Buck felt his own heart ache for Eddie. He could hear the depth of Eddie’s pain in every syllable, could see it in the way his body shook with the force of his sobs. Buck’s arms tightened around Eddie, trying to offer him whatever comfort he could in this moment of profound loss.

Buck: “I’m so sorry, Eddie… I’m so, so sorry. I'm here for you.”

Eddie buried his face in Buck’s shoulder, his grief pouring out in waves. For so long, Eddie had been the strong one, the one who held everything together, who protected those he loved from the harsh realities of the world. But now, in Buck’s arms, he finally let himself break, let himself feel the full weight of his loss. He couldn’t hold it back any longer.

Eddie: “I don’t know what I’m going to do without her, Buck. She was always there, always…”

His voice trailed off into a choked sob, the reality of life without his abuela beginning to sink in. She had been a constant in his life, a source of unwavering love and support. The thought of facing a world where she no longer existed was unbearable.