Cinders

~44~ Best Best Friend

Dad gets there in record time, and looks frantically around the room.

Mom isn't in the main area—she's in talking with Chief. Dad sees Taylor and me, standing by the kitchen area, and goes right over to us.

"Is she ok?" Dad asks in a panic, locking eyes on Taylor.

Taylor only nods slightly

"What happened?"

Taylor tells him the story, and I feel sick all over again. She was so close to getting crushed.

Dad bends over, puts his hands on his knees, and closes his eyes.

We watch him as he stays completely still, absorbing the crushing blow we're all feeling too. He straightens up after a minute and lets out a breath.

"Where is she?" He asks, scanning the room.

"In with Chief, getting her part of the report done. I'll go grab her," Taylor says, walking away quickly.

"How's he doing?" Dad asks me once he leaves.

"Not good"

Megan, Greene, and Keegan come over and stand by us.

Greene shakes dad's hand and clears his throat. "We were all pulling concrete off of her, but Taylor is the one who got to her—I don't know how he did it. He was throwing chunks of concrete off of her with ease. We've decided that strength was supernatural, or something—He's so in love with her. I don't know if she would've made it if he hadn't been there."

Dad shakes his head. "That's twice now."

What?

"There's only two people in this entire world that I truly care about—Ellie and Liam. He's officially saved both of them. How do you thank somebody for that?"

Keegan just puts his hands on dad's shoulder, saying nothing. There really isn't anything to say.

Mom comes out after a minute, with Taylor right behind her.

Mom looks at dad funny, surprised to see him. Then she walks over to him and he pulls her in, hugging her tightly.

You can see how much they truly love each other in this moment—It's obvious how deep it goes.

They stay like that for a long moment—Neither saying anything, but the hug saying everything.

They would be lost without each other...Dang. I never realized that until just now. Mom pulls away first and looks up at him.

"I'm so sorry, Alexander—I didn't mean it. You're not worthless," she cries.

Dad still hasn't said anything. He cups her cheek into his hand and carefully wipes away a tear with his thumb.

"I'm sorry I'm never who you need me to be," he says with so much sadness, it actually hurt me.

I look over at Taylor, and I can see that line hurt him too—There's no reason to be jealous. It's completely obvious to everyone that there's no romantic feelings.

I think what affected Taylor the most was realizing how much dad's been hurting all of these years. He's always known he wasn't enough, but he didn't know how to fix it.

That's when I realize something, and I think Taylor realized it in the exact moment I did. That's why dad ended their romantic relationship. He knew she was meant to have more—She was meant to have Taylor.

"You're exactly what I've needed. You're the only true family I've got—You're the best best friend ever," mom says with a goofy smile, making dad chuckle.

"The full custody bit was a low-blow too. He wouldn't be half the kid he is without you—You're a great dad," she says as she kisses his cheek and squeezes his hand.

"Thanks," he says simply, the word thick with love.

"I've gotta get back—It's crazy over there. You ok though?" Dad asks, brushing her black eye with his thumb lightly.

"I'm good," mom nods.

Dad nods and smiles evilly. "You know, that's a pretty good look for ya. This finally makes you look tough," he says, lightly pushing her and kissing her one more time on the head.

"Get outta here you jerk," mom chuckles as she lightly kicks him on his butt.

Once he leaves, Taylor comes over to her and holds her tightly.

"It's not a good look for you—I don't ever want you to look like this again," he says, stroking the hair off of her bandage.

"Why Lieutenant Preston, I thought you liked me for more than my looks."

Taylor smiles gently, but the smile doesn't reach his eyes. "You can't ever leave me."

"I won't."

~*~

The rest of shift is strained—The men are having trouble getting the call out of their heads. I overhear Mack, Greene, and Keegan quietly talking as they're playing cards.

"I'll never be able to get Preston's screams out of my head. That's gonna haunt me," Keegan says as he slaps a card down hard on the table.

"I thought for sure she was dead once he pulled her out," Greene says, sighing and shaking his head.

"Anybody text Diego yet?" Mack asks

"I did," Keegan says quietly. "He's in a bad way."

The other two men just look down, saying nothing.

Mom gets up and takes some Tylenol during dinner, and Taylor watches her every move. He glances at Megan, and she smiles at him gently. "She's fine. She's allowed to be in some pain, Preston. Calm down."

"I know that," Taylor snaps at her.

"This wasn't your fault," she says, barely above a whisper.

He looks at me and turns back to Megan, shaking his head. "Of course it is. Anytime one of my men make a mistake, it's on me. I'm gonna have to do a better job. Next shift, we're doing drills the entire time."

"Don't be too hard on Diego. He loves her just as much as the rest of them," she says softly.

"Doesn't matter," he hisses.

They quit talking once mom sits back down at the table.

"Have any more homework, buddy?" She asks, looking at me.

"A little"

She nods. "You ok?"

"Maybe you should take Uncle Jake's offer."

This is gonna make her mad

"Liam!" She says in a surprised tone.

"What offer?" Taylor asks, looking at her

"It's nothing," mom says, daring me to keep talking.

"What offer?" He asks again, only this time looking at me.

"To work with him as a trainer at his gym. He said he would pay her more than what she's making now."

Is mom gonna kill me?

"Oh," Taylor says simply.

"I'll take my chances with cement walls," mom says darkly, putting an end to the discussion.

Welp, I've officially decided—I'm gonna make my mom quit her job.

Even if she kills me.