fallintofallfestival prompt fill

[lovemeanyway]

In the past year and a half there have been a handful of calls traumatic enough they linger after Eddie’s signed out at the end of his shift as a Los Angeles 9-1-1 dispatcher. Calls with children are always the hardest. Today’s wasn’t nearly as bad as some others he’s had, or things he saw in Afghanistan even, but the memory gives him trouble all the same - the cries of Lily, the little girl, playing over and over in his mind, in tandem with that gunshot that had left him filled with so much fear.

In that moment, not knowing what had happened or if Lily was okay, Eddie’s thoughts had gone to his son, Christopher. Every fear for him coming to the forefront of his thoughts. He hadn’t been able to breathe normally until Firefighter Buckley had come onto the line, reassuring him Lily wasn’t hurt.

Even now, driving home, Eddie can’t stop the anxious feeling from bubbling up again. 

Loss isn’t something new for him. What memories he has of his birth parents are fleeting. Most of them he’s fairly sure he made up, recreated through the memories of other people - his grandparents or aunt and uncle, given life through photographs he doesn’t remember being taken. Eddie doesn’t remember them dying either, just the never ending rotation of foster homes before he’d finally found one that became home.

For the first time he could remember, he’d felt safe. His foster parents and older sister, Shay, loved and supported him, giving him a family for the first time. They’d chosen him - adopted him. When his brother came into their lives, Jack had clung to Eddie, sinking into that safety with him for almost two years. But he’d lost them, too. 

Fire had ripped through their house, killing their parents in what felt like an instant. None of the social workers had cared about keeping them together, refusing to allow Shay to take over being their legal guardian once she turned eighteen. Instead they’d sent Eddie and Jack to different foster families across the city, leaving Shay in the dark. Eddie hadn’t seen either of them again until they were adults. 

But it was in Afghanistan, after he enlisted, he lost the most people - men and women he’d considered family, their bonds forged in the fire of combat. Those deaths tore open old wounds every time, leaving Eddie reeling from loss he’d been forced to bottle up as a child instead of truly feeling it once his birth family had found him. Distance from the aunt and uncle who had taken him in allowed him to finally grieve. 

Back home, in El Paso, after he’d gotten a Silver Star and gone back Stateside on leave, Shannon had given up on him with only a note as goodbye, reinforcing his belief he wasn’t enough for anyone to stay. When she’d died a year later, victim of a hit and run, the news had reached him while he was in a hospital bed mourning the loss of his leg and wondering how he was going to take care of his son all by himself while he recovered. 

Ever since that day, he’s tried to keep his fear of losing Christopher at bay. Most days it’s easy, soothed by the knowledge he has Shay and Jack there whenever he can’t be. Then comes something that reminds Eddie how fragile life is - how easily it can be stolen away, and makes him know he won’t feel better until he has his son in his arms. Until he has tangible proof Christopher is safe. The twenty minute drive after work is excruciating, to say the least.

The moment he pulls his truck into the driveway he breathes a sigh of relief, unable to get inside fast enough.

“Eddie?” Carla calls from the kitchen as he closes the door behind him, putting his wallet and keys on the small table beside the front door. “The news called earlier. Something about you saving a little girl this morning?”

“I didn’t,” he says tiredly. Even in his own home he can’t escape it. “I just answered her call. There was an officer and a firefighter who did the actual saving.”

“Well that firefighter said you were the real hero during his interview a couple hours ago,” Carla says, her back to Eddie when he rounds the corner as she searches for something in the pantry. Triumphantly she holds up a box of Cheez-Its he didn’t even know was there, turning toward him and continuing, “I looked up the clip. They didn’t air your name, but he definitely said the 9-1-1 dispatcher deserved all the credit.” 

“That’s ridiculous.” Eddie shakes his head. “All I did was keep her calm.”

Carla makes a noise that sounds suspiciously like she disapproves of his words. “You didn’t talk to the intruders at all?” she asks. “Convince them to leave that poor girl alone?”

“Barely,” Eddie concedes, holding up a hand to stop her when it looks like she’s going to say something more. “The officer was right outside, she was just about to go in. Trust me, I didn’t save anyone.”

“Edmundo Diaz.” Carla gives him a look that makes him feel like he’s being scolded by his aunt. Only worse, because he knows with Carla, it’s actually coming from a place of love. She might be Christopher’s caregiver, but she’s also become Eddie’s friend. Truthfully, she’s family. “Stop discounting your part in this. You helped save her life. Take the win.”

“It’s my job,” Eddie can’t help but point out. “It doesn’t make me a hero.” He doesn’t need to add how much he dislikes that word in relation to himself. Carla already knows.

“We’ll agree to disagree,” she says softly, giving him a look that’s almost apologetic as she gently squeezes his arm while passing him on her way to the family room where he can hear Christopher watching cartoons. 

“And I’m not doing an interview,” Eddie feels the need to add on.

“I already warned them that was probably going to be the case,” Carla says, pausing at the entryway to the kitchen. “But you should know, they know about the medals. I think they’re going to run an article anyway. It’s public record.”

Eddie chooses to ignore the spike of panic those words cause him to experience in favor of following her into the family room. A hug from Christopher is even more necessary now.

“Dad!” Christopher’s face lights up from where he sits on the couch, warming Eddie’s heart immediately. He doesn’t protest in any way as he’s enveloped in his father’s arms tightly, the pair of them rocking back and forth a few times before Eddie gives him a kiss on the top of his head and lets go. 

“Hey, kid. How was school?”

“It was awesome!” Christopher tells him excitedly, bouncing a little. “We’re doing a play and everyone wanted to be the sun and not the raindrops but I got picked. I get to be the sun!”

“No way.” 

Eddie knows the basics of the play - if one can even call a dance to the song Singin’ in the Rain a play - via a letter sent home earlier in the week. The sun, being a stationary role, was likely chosen with Christopher in mind as the rest of the kids in the class would be raindrops dancing around the sun on stage with small umbrellas and comically oversized sunglasses. Regardless of how he got the role, seeing his son so excited about it makes it impossible for Eddie to not match Christopher’s grin. 

“Tell him about the costumes,” Carla prompts, dumping Cheez-Its into a bowl on the coffee table that’s mostly empty - only a few Goldfish remain - before taking a seat on the other side of Christopher.

Rather than answering, he grabs a handful of snacks, shoving them into his mouth. 

“We get to make them ourselves,” Christopher says around the half chewed crackers.

“Manners,” Eddie reminds him with a gentle tap to his knee. 

Once he’s swallowed, with a sheepish grin at the reprimand, Christopher continues, “Miss Bailey has lots of fabric we get to choose from and I like the shiny one best. Do you want to see? She gave us squares to bring home and think about.”

“Of course,” Eddie says, feeling truly at peace for the first time that day. 

Comments

[mkrobinson]

I think this is a great start to your story!