Caught in the Middle

Chapter 41

My love, my love, my love, my love
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She Keeps Me Warm – Mary Lambert
(https://open.spotify.com/track/3EDZSW3ATfhqt7li3K4kji?si=717c3e5bf4fe46d8)

We make a quick stop for burgers and milkshakes, unpacking it in the cargo space of her SUV with the door open. The light drizzle outside doesn't bother either of us as we look out at the skyline of Seattle, comfortably sitting with our feet dangling off the back of her car that's parked in a safe spot at the pier. "Why does everything taste better after sex?" She stuffs a few fries into her mouth, moaning when she swallows them down with a sip of her milkshake. "I don't know. Some things taste pretty great during sex too."

She raises her brow at me, still clutching the straw between her teeth, which earns her a quick kiss to the cheek. "Your mother was right, you know? You look breathtaking in the moonlight." I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, before going back to my own burger. The faint blush on her cheeks makes me feel a hundred feet tall. We both finish our meal in silence, enjoying the pitter patter of the rain around us. Clearly, we've both built up quite the appetite. 

After licking our fingers clean, she hands me a napkin to wipe our hands before cuddling into my arms against the back seat. "We're okay, right?" She's sitting between my legs, reclined into my chest with my arms wrapped around her neck. "We're perfect, bambina." I kiss her neck, holding her tighter when a gush of wind twirls into the cargo space we're sitting in. A small shiver makes the hair on her own arms stand up as she intertwines her fingers with mine in front of her face. She becomes obsessed with the gold band on my left hand again. "I remember where I left my ring..." My eyes widen involuntarily since I know the memory of when she took it off, must have been painful to relive.

I run my fingertips over her empty ring finger, kissing her neck again, which makes her look up at me. "I guess that means we're going back to our apartment after this?" She scootches back in my lap to cuddle deeper into my arms. "Don't I need to say the magical words first?" I roll my eyes, enjoying her happy giggle as she clears her throat for a big speech. "Lieutenant Maya Deluca-Bishop..." We both start laughing at how formal she sounds instead of romantic as she tries to come across. "Actually, the probies started calling me DB at the station. Much to the amusement of the boys."

I relish in the sound of her deep laughter, loving how it's laced with the same teasing and wonder, just like Beckett's after the first time the youngsters called me that. "Oh, dio, Maya. That sounds like a foreign bank. Excuse me, I'm just going to make a quick deposit at LTDB" I pinch her sides because I actually like the new name. It symbolizes the new me. The happily married me. "You can always go by Lieutenant Deluca, you know?" I scoff while pretending to be offended. "That seems fair, Dr. Bishop?" She slaps my arm on another laugh, shaking her head at the absurd ideas.

"Va bene, va bene." Just because the name on her white coat and office plaque changed, doesn't mean she not still Dr. Deluca at work. Just like I'll probably stay Bishop at my job for as long as there is someone who knew me before I became this version of myself. "You can always let the probies call you Bishy. They are basically kids after all." I push her off my lap when she burst into loud laughter, rolling around the floor of the car. "You will probably make them run drills until they puke if they dare." I can only shake my head as she curls into herself, holding her stomach as she keeps laughing.

She finally sits up when I start throwing her with our disregarded fries, leaning her back against the side of the car to look at me with wonder in her eyes. It takes a little more teasing and a few more fits of laughter before we settle down, just as the heavens above us open up for a heavy downpour. "I'm sorry that I made today weird by bringing up dreadful memories for you. And you should know that I booked an appointment with Diane to discuss how I reacted to it." She frowns at her bent knees, scratching at her thighs.