Water Under the Bridge || Evan Buckley [2]

chapter six

the doorstep surprises

The members of the 118 enter the new year much to their relief. A clean slate waited for them as they wished to leave their troubles in the previous year. The firehouse appeared to be at whole again though dynamics definitely changed merely with Josephine. Her distant behavior trailed behind her into the year. With Buck's return to the 118, it didn't go unnoticed of their straining relationship for a duration. However, Josephine and Buck remained cordial on the job. Neither would jeopardize their jobs. For the most part, she kept more to herself along with the reluctance to join the team for casual hangouts off the clock.

Her relationships at the firehouse weren't the only ones that she kept at bay. Since the argument with Vanessa back in Halloween, neither of them spoken until it came around Christmas to bring gifts for the kids. Josephine couldn't be more content to be working on the holiday than others. She wasn't in the Christmas spirit to bring herself around to be with her relatives that year. But the surprise Christmas meal orchestrated by Athena and Buck warmed everyone's hearts. Her mother Isabel shown up for her youngest daughter. It broke her heart that both of her daughters weren't speaking to each other. Yet, she understood Josephine's choice to stray from the family for some time after being told of the miscarriage when Josephine dropped by at the house and consumed a few glasses of wine. 

Now, three months into the new year, Alexis and Josephine were strolling down the courtyard of the mall. They urged for some retail therapy, more so, Alexis exhausted from working shifts at the hospital. Josephine sipped on a strawberry smoothie while listening in to some interesting gossip about the blond's colleagues. 

"They were caught in the supply closet?" Josephine asked curiously upon hearing one of several inclusive couples Alexis discovered in the last shift. She twirled the straw in her drink, "Are you sure we aren't talking about plot of a Grey's Anatomy episode?"

Her remark caused Alexis to erupt in giggles, dismissing a hand. "Oh, the relationships on Grey's Anatomy surely parallel at the hospital."

Josephine craned her neck at the blond, "What about you? Any sexual encounters with a hot surgeon, doctor, nurse?"

"Few meaningless hookups." Alexis shrugged before there was a glint in her eyes recalling a significant memory. "Speaking of meaningless hookups, make sure your guy takes all of his things. I found a black hoodie lying around."

"Noted."

She squinted at her. "So, are you going to tell me about this guy?"

The brunette simply shook her head, pursing her lips. "Meaningless hookup, not worth the conversation." She winked as they continued their venture in their retail therapy that afternoon.

"What do you think? Any feedback that I should work on the presentation? Does the pitch make sense?"

Bryan stood nervously in the middle of the living room at his condo in front of Josephine eating her dumplings on the couch. He invited her over that evening to gain another perspective on his presentation for the investors flying in from the UK this week. And in order to get the brunette to agree to come over was offering to buy takeout from their favorite Chinese restaurant with anything that she desired. Without any hesitation, she agreed to the help him out.