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Lucy knew her giddiness was seeping out of her when she arrived home, and Tamara was there to give her a curious look. She didn’t care. Finally, finally, it felt like everything was falling into place like it was supposed to. Sure, she felt bad that she’d hurt Chris. That had never been her intention, but ultimately she had to make choices that suited her best. And the best choice had been returning to the station after her breakup so a certain sergeant could ask a certain question that she’d been dying to hear again.
And then as they slightly awkwardly said their goodbyes, he said he’d call after he finished his acting watch commander duties. He was going to call!
Geez, she felt like she was fifteen with a high school crush and loved every second of it.
She hadn’t realized what a breath of fresh air it would be to end the relationship with Chris, how much it had been pulling her down with its hefty weight of guilt and unmet expectations. How blind had she truly been? Denial was certainly a powerful tool, one she’d unwittingly used for far too long.
Lucy hastily made an easy dinner she could scarf down, tidied up the apartment, took a shower, got everything prepped for the next day, and felt like she was going to crawl out of her skin in anticipation, so unlike anything she felt with Chris, or really, anyone.
She could already tell how different this relationship was going to be.
It was going to be amazing.
An hour later, after distracting herself with mindless television, her phone lit up with his picture, a picture he’d sent her of him and Kojo after she'd begged for more pics of the dog. He had sent it shortly after, with the text happy now? She’d replied ecstatic, and she had been. It was months ago, but even then, it felt like they both were her boys.
“Hi,” she answered breathlessly.
“Hi.” Lucy could hear the smile in his voice and it was going to be her undoing.
“W-what are you doing?”
“Just got home a little bit ago, took the boy on a quick walk. You?”
Waiting to hear your voice, she wanted to say, nearly giggling. She was already such a goner now that she could actually let herself feel what she’d tried to repress for so long. “Watching TV, kind of bored.”
“Lucy Chen gets bored? Well, there’s something new about you I didn’t know.”
“Yep, she does, especially when waiting for cute boys to call.”
“Cute? That’s it? Just cute?”
“Very handsome boys.”
“Boys plural?”
“Very handsome boy! Geez, Tim, you’re impossible,” she said, laughing.
“And you’re easy? Trust me, I’m going to have my hands full with you.”
The images her mind conjured up from that sentence sent a jolt all the way to her toes. “I’m counting on it,” her voice husky.
“Lucy….” he trailed off, and she smiled knowing she was affecting him too.
“I can’t believe we’re really going to go on a date.”
“Took us long enough, don’t you think?”
“Yeah,” she answered softly. “But we figured it out. And now I want to figure out where you’re taking me.”
“Who says I’m picking where we’re going?”
“I will hurt you, Tim. Don’t mess with me.”
“I wouldn’t dare. But is there somewhere in particular you want to go?”
“Are you saying you want to subvert traditional social norms and let me plan this date?”
“I…uh…this is a trap, isn’t it?”
She giggled. “Relax, I’m just messing with you. It doesn’t matter who plans it or what we do. I think I’d be content even at a food truck.”
“So put no effort into this whatsoever. Got it.”
“Tim!”
His warm laugh on the other end was possibly the best sound she’d ever heard.
“Then again, maybe I want to put some effort into this,” he added softly.
Lucy was immensely grateful she was already sitting down, or her legs would have given out right then and there. “How about we both think on it and see what we can come up with?” she suggested.
“Sounds good. Listen, I’m gonna need to go. Kojo and I haven’t eaten yet.”
“Oh,” she responded, unable to cover up the disappointment in her voice.
“But we’ll talk soon.”
“Tomorrow?”
“I have the day off. The night watch commander is filling in while Grey is still gone.”
“Well, I could call you when my shift is over.”
“Yeah, I’d like that.”
“Ok. Goodnight, Tim.”
“Goodnight, Lucy.”
Tim was settled in one of the lounge chairs in his backyard, tossing a tennis ball to Kojo while his thoughts remained on
her.
He was still amazed how their phone call the previous evening had felt so comfortable and familiar, yet so wildly different.
Their playful banter was still a fixture, but he wasn’t expecting how freeing it would feel to actually say what he was thinking. He’d been stuffing down feelings for so long that it was second nature. But the openness they shared on that call had left his heart racing, and feeling an excitement he hadn’t come anywhere close to since first meeting Isabel.
And somehow at his core, he knew what he and Lucy were starting was going to be better than anything he’d experienced before.
Lucy was different.
Lucy was amazing.
And Lucy was calling him apparently. His phone lit up with a photo of her he’d snapped at one of their many lunches on the job. He couldn’t remember what had her so tickled, but she’d laughed harder than he’d ever seen her laugh, carefree and with total abandon, and that night he’d made it her contact photo. And if he happened to have stared at it every night while she was at UC school, well, that was his business.
With a shaky inhale, he answered, “Hello?”
“Hi! What are you up to?”
“Just hanging out with the boy. You slacking on the job?”
“Nooo,” she insisted. “I’m at lunch. I’m riding with Aaron today, and he went to place our orders. I did try to call you earlier before roll call but got your voicemail.”
“Couldn’t wait ‘til tonight to talk to me, huh?” he asked, feeling smug. “Yeah, I had it on silent while at the doctor’s office.”
“Wait, doctor’s office? Why were you there?”
She’d taken on the same tone as when he’d been in the hospital, with that worried edge that had flooded him with warmth from the way she cared for him, unlike his girlfriend at the time who’d been more interested in discussing his retirement.
“I just had a follow-up appointment with my surgeon. Everything is looking good.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? I could have come with you.”
“It was nothing, really. I’m fine. I just forgot to mention it. Besides, I’m not going to have you come to my doctor’s appointment before I can take you on our date.”
“Well, as long as you’re ok. Just promise me you’ll share important stuff with me. If we’re going to last, we have to be honest with each other, and, ummm, maybe I need to backtrack a little here. Why do I keep sticking my foot in my mouth around you?”
“Because you’re an honest person, Lucy, and maybe you know as well as I do that this is real, and that it’s going to be good.”
“Tim,” was all she said, her voice so soft he almost questioned whether he had heard her at all. “Listen, I…oh wait, Aaron is coming over. Yes, mmhmm, I completely agree, Tamara. Yes, we can talk about it more when I get home tonight. Ok, have fun in class. Bye!”
Tim couldn’t help but chuckle as he hung up.
“Tim? I told you I’d call you tonight! Why are you calling me?” Lucy asked as she hurriedly set her keys in the bowl by the door and made a beeline for the couch.
“Am I not allowed? I can just hang up then….”
“No! Don’t you dare. Just let me get my shoes off and get comfortable. But seriously, why did you call first?”
After a lengthy pause, she heard a quiet, “Maybe I missed you today.”
Wow. “I missed you, too.”
“And somebody abruptly ended the last phone call, so I figured I’d take the reins this time.”
“I’m sorry, would you have preferred I told Aaron I was on the phone with his boss that I happen to be starting a relationship with?”
“Nope.”
“Although I think he suspects something anyway.”
“What did you say?” he asked accusingly.
“Well, I did ask him if he had connections to any romantic restaurants, and he immediately gave me one that sounds fantastic, and I just need to let him know what day I’d be going. After that, he kept interrogating me on who I was going there with, and I don’t know, it was something in his tone like he figured it out on his own.”
“I suppose it’s possible. He’s worked with both of us. Although I’ve always kept an air of professionalism, so I don’t know what he would’ve picked up on.”
Lucy burst out laughing.
“What?”
“I don’t know how professional we’ve kept things lately, Tim. Let’s face it. You’ve been a big softy for a while.”
“Only with you.”
“And don’t you forget it. So, how’s this Friday for dinner?”
“Friday sounds perfect. And I’m sure the restaurant will be great. But you are going to let me plan a date for us eventually, right?”
“We’ll see,” she smiled. “So, do you need to go? Or do you have a few more minutes to talk?”
“I’ve got all the time in the world for you, Lucy.”