Kelsea"C'mon you two, we're running late," I yell through the apartment as I throw open the closet door, looking for my flats. If we need to run to make it on time, at least I'll have proper footwear."Dad, I don't know how to tie my tie!"It still gets me, hearing him call us Mom and Dad, today, all of that becomes official. "Be there in just a second," Nick yells back as he stands up from the bed, tucking his button-down into his slacks. "I can't believe we overslept.""It's not our fault the power went out, and it knocked out the cell phone service too," I grab a tube of gloss, putting it on my lips as I run a brush through my hair."Okay, so for the tie," Nick looks at Darren. "That's something we'll get your grandpa to do, D-man, I still can't tie my own tie."The quiet in the room is deafening before we all bust out in nervous laughter. "Let's go," I point towards the door. "Everyone's gonna meet us there."* * *We're quiet as we make our way to the Laurel Sp

TuckerWhen did I become the kind of guy who sits in a police car outside his ex-girlfriend's apartment? Especially when we didn't even put a label on it and it was never meant to be more than a couple of hook-ups.My conscience blasts me for being the asshole I am. You became that guy when you decided to be a jerk and break it off with her because you couldn't handle the feelings she evoked in you. At this point I tell my conscience to shut the fuck up, even though it's completely right. If I were anyone else, I'd tell them to get over it, stop going by her apartment and move on, but I can't. Not in a skeevy way either. There's nothing nefarious in the feelings I have for Karsyn.I fucking miss her; I miss the way she made me feel, the way she took care of me, and the way she allowed me to be myself, even when the days were harder than I cared to admit. Behind me, my K-9 Major barks, letting me know I've been sitting here for too long."I hear ya, but just a few more minute

Tucker"You're slippin'." Nick gives me a grin as he comes into the conference room at the biggest hotel we have in our small town.It's time for a meeting of the Laurel Springs Emergency Response Team, and any of us who can attend have convened here. "What do you mean, I'm slippin'?"He chuckles. "Heard through the grapevine you only sent one rose to Karsyn this week."The grapevine means Kels, and I did only send one rose. "Fuck you, she knows what it means.""Does she?" He nods to the door, where she's walking in beside one of the new EMT's working with Cutter. I don't know the asshole's name, but she's smiling and he's grinning. They laugh at something, and it's like a damn knife through my heart. She doesn't even look at me as she takes a seat next to Stella. Major, sitting at my feet, sniffs as he smells Karsyn and looks up at me. "Go on." I give him a gentle nudge.Just because she's blocking me out doesn't mean she'll block him out. For that I'm grateful, because

TuckerI don't do well with days off, not anymore. They used to be filled doing mundane shit with Karsyn – her teaching me how to bake a cake, going with her to pick out a dress for a work event she had to attend, helping her wash her car. Back then I didn't realize how much I looked forward to the mundane shit. I believe I even grumbled a time or two. Funny how you don't miss what you had until it's gone.Today I would love to bake a cake with her, help her wash her car, just have her here. The loneliness is the worst. Some days it eats at me, other days I don't mind it much. Today, it threatens to drive me out of my fucking mind.Major lays on the couch with me, his head resting on my thigh. He looks up at me, a little whine escaping. He misses her too, the hole her being gone has left in our lives is big. I'm not sure I can take my company anymore, and I'm almost sure he's sick of me too. "I know, we need to go and do something."Even in the middle of my pity party, I kno

TuckerFriday night in Laurel Springs can sometimes get a little crazy, but nothing can remove the smile from my face. I looked at the letter from Karsyn before I left the house, and it's put a spring in my step. "Tucker, come in."The blaring sound of the radio indicates dispatch wants to speak to me. Hitting the button on my shoulder, I speak quietly, hoping she can take context clues. Sabrina is new, just hired in the last few months, but damn someone needs to give her a heads up she doesn't have to scream every time she talks to us."10-4, what do you need?"It screeches again as she all but screams over the line."Cruise is requesting a dog to sniff his traffic stop. Can you respond? Ransom and Rambo are on lunch."She still hasn't learned the ten codes either, but we needed help and she was an applicant, so we'll take what we can get at this point. "Show me as responding. I'll be there ASAP once you send the address over.""Sorry." This time her voice is a lit