✓VEGAS [CHICAGO FIRE]

fourteen.

╔═══*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*═══╗

𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧: 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐨𝐟
𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬.

╚═══*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*═══╝

Two days in her job and Maddie had already made friends she'd like to keep.

First, there was Brianna Holden who's hair and personality embodied sunshine. She was the receptionist for Brighton Builders and the first person to include Maddie in a conversation. The conversation (or argument rather) was whether or not Rickie Evans' daughter should wear the pink tutu or yellow tutu for her ballet recital. 

And there was her assistant: Jonathan James Boyle or JJ as he went by. At first, Maddie was shocked that a seventy-year old widower was going to be scheduling meetings or answering calls for her. JJ had white hair and creases on his face that only seemed to showcase his age and wisdom.

By the end of the day, Maddie had closed a deal with a client and was already in the works of sketching her next project. She was gathering her things and was about to pull out the box from under her desk that she had brought on her first day. It was mostly empty except there was a photograph left.

Curiosity creeping up on her, Maddie held the photo in her hands. It was Kelly giving a wide smile at the camera and the woman beside him was kissing his cheek. When flipped back, there was a text written in neat handwriting.

𝓻𝓸𝔂𝓬𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓴𝓮𝓵𝓵𝔂, 2012

𝓪𝓵𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼 & 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻.

It wasn't the fact that Maddie was staring at a photo of her husband snuggled up with another woman. So, maybe, the words written irked her up a little because Kelly may or may not have said the same thing to her in Vegas.

But, the view in the picture? It was all too familiar like Maddie had seen those buildings and been on top of Chicago herself. The feeling of uneasiness she felt at the diner or when she met Nicki Rutkowski comes creeping up on her again.

"Hm, who's that?" Brianna asks, sitting on top of her colleague's desk. The blonde was chewing on a chocolate bar and had pried the photo from Maddie's hands.

Maddie snaps back to reality, gather her pencils & rulers and keeping her blueprints in rolls. "That's my husband. Kelly." She answers, not meeting the blonde's eyes.

"Again, a peculiar name for a boy." This time, JJ waltzes up to them.

JJ had this aura that just made you feel warm and welcomed. It was like he was everyone's dad or grandpa. 

"His mom named him that because she was a big fan of Grace Kelly."

JJ points a frail finger to the photo. "And who's the girl kissing his cheek? It doesn't look like you, boss."