19. Becky

19

BECKY

T he sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the front yard as Becky leaned against the porch railing of her house. The air still smelled damp from the rain that had battered Phoenix Ridge for days, but the threat of disaster had passed. Becky watched the horizon, lost in thought. Her mind wasn’t on the recent floods or the emergency response efforts she had spent countless hours organizing; it was on Lucinda.

Just the thought of her sent a shiver down Becky’s spine. They had been through so much together, personally and professionally. The past few weeks had felt like a whirlwind of emotional highs and lows, but there had been one clear constant through it all: Lucinda.

Even when things between them were shaky, when the weight of their breakup had settled like a stone in her chest, Lucinda had always been there in some capacity. And now, things had shifted. They were standing on the edge of something new, something that felt terrifyingly real but also right.

Lucinda was... What was she to her?

Becky sighed.

She wanted to think about Lucinda's words. Becky always rushed in headfirst, but after the disaster of their first few months together, Becky wanted to think things through, especially after two days of little to no sleep. She needed a level head.

Lucinda loved her, and she believed her.

Now, as Becky stood on her porch, she tried to wrap her head around what this meant. There had never been any doubt in her mind about how much she wanted this. But the reality of blending their lives—both personally and professionally—was a little daunting.

Lucinda was the head of trauma at the city’s busiest hospital, and Becky was the fire chief. Their jobs were demanding and came with a stress level most people couldn’t imagine. They both knew that being in a committed relationship while managing such high-pressure careers wasn’t going to be easy. That's why Lucinda's past girlfriends had broken things off with her. But it was a challenge Becky was willing to face, as long as Lucinda was by her side, especially since she understood how demanding their jobs could be.

The sound of a car pulling into the driveway drew Becky out of her thoughts. She turned to see Lucinda’s sleek sedan come to a stop. Lucinda stepped out, looking every bit as tired as Becky felt. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun, and there were faint circles under her eyes, but to Becky, she was as beautiful as ever.

“Hello,” Lucinda said softly as she walked up to the porch.

“Hey,” Becky replied, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She felt a warmth spread through her chest just seeing Lucinda standing there. This was her person. The one she was willing to fight for, even on the hardest days.

Lucinda walked up the steps and leaned against the railing next to Becky, their arms brushing slightly .

They stood in comfortable silence for a few moments just watching the sunset together.

“How are you feeling?” Lucinda asked finally, her voice gentle.

“Better,” Becky said, turning to look at her. "You?"

"You think I would have passed out as soon as I got home, but I couldn't sleep." She laughed, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Me either." Becky sighed. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said.”

Lucinda smiled, but there was a hint of nervousness in her eyes. “And?”

Becky took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. “You know it’s not going to be easy. We both have crazy schedules, and we’re both stubborn as hell.”

Lucinda laughed softly. “Yeah, I know. But I think we’re worth it.”

Becky’s heart swelled at Lucinda’s words. There had been so many moments when she thought they might never get to this point, but here they were, standing on the edge of something that felt bigger than both of them. “I want this too. I want us. Even with all the pitfalls. "

Lucinda reached out and squeezed Becky's hand. "We don’t have to figure everything out right away. We can take our time and figure out how to make this work for us. I’m not going anywhere this time, Becks. I’m all in.”

Becky turned to face Lucinda fully, her heart pounding in her chest. This was what she had always wanted—to know that Lucinda was just as committed to making this work as she was.

“I love you, Lucinda,” she said softly, her voice thick with emotion.

They stood there for a long moment, holding each other’s gaze, before Lucinda leaned in and kissed Becky softly. It wasn’t a kiss filled with urgency or passion, but one that spoke of promises made and a future to come.

When they finally pulled apart, Becky smiled, feeling lighter than she had in weeks. “So, what’s next?”

Lucinda smiled back, her eyes twinkling with that familiar spark that Becky had missed so much.

“Well, I guess we should start by figuring out how to blend our lives, right?”

“Right,” Becky agreed, though the thought of how to do that made her head spin a little. “Where do we even start?”

Lucinda laughed, leaning her head on Becky’s shoulder. “One day at a time, I think. But maybe we start with the small things. Like, whose place are we going to stay at more often?”

Becky chuckled. “Good question. I guess that depends on who has the better coffee maker.”

“Oh, I definitely win that one,” Lucinda said, a playful grin on her face. “Your coffee tastes like motor oil.”

“Hey!” Becky protested with a laugh, pulling her by her belt loop. “That’s firefighter-grade coffee. It gets the job done.”

Lucinda shook her head, still smiling. “I think we’ll have to work on that. But seriously, Becks, we’ll figure it out. It won’t always be easy, but we’ll get there.”

Becky nodded, feeling more at peace than she had in a long time. “Yeah, we will.”

They spent the rest of the evening sitting on the porch, talking about how they might navigate the challenges ahead. They discussed practical things—like how they would juggle their demanding schedules, whose house they’d spend more time at, and how they would make time for each other amid the chaos of their lives. But they also talked about the bigger things, the things that really mattered.

How they would support each other on the hard days, how they would communicate better than they had before, and how they would build a future together, one that wasn’t defined by fear or hesitation.

By the time the sky had darkened and the stars began to twinkle overhead, Becky felt a sense of calm settle over her. For the first time in a long time, the future didn’t seem so daunting. They didn’t have all the answers yet, but they had each other. And that was enough.

Becky glanced nervously at Lucinda, who sat beside her in the car, scrolling casually through her phone. They had parked outside the diner where Ember, Josephine and Natalie were already waiting. Becky’s stomach twisted with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. Today wasn’t just any breakfast. It was the day she introduced Lucinda to her family as her girlfriend. And even though Ember and Josephine had met Lucinda plenty before, this time felt different—heavier with meaning.

Becky’s fingers tapped a rhythm on the steering wheel as she stared out at the sunny morning, trying to steady her nerves. Ember had grown up fast, and in many ways, their relationship had shifted from mother-daughter to something resembling friendship. Still, Becky felt the weight of her daughter’s opinion like a stone in her chest.

“You okay?” Lucinda asked, breaking the silence as she set her phone down. Her voice was soft but laced with understanding, always so in tune with Becky’s moods.

Becky exhaled, giving Lucinda a tight smile. “Yeah, just…nervous.”

Lucinda’s lips quirked into a half-smile. “We’ve met before, remember? Ember likes me. This is just making it official. I also saved her life, so she has to like me." Lucinda chuckled.

“Yeah, I know,” Becky muttered, fiddling with the keys in the ignition. “But this is different. This time, you’re not just some acquaintance. You’re my girlfriend.”

The word still felt new on Becky’s tongue, foreign though thrilling. Girlfriend. It hadn’t been easy getting to this point after everything they’d been through, but now that they were here, there was no going back. Still, Becky couldn’t help but feel anxious about how Ember would react. Despite their openness, Ember had never really seen Becky with someone in a serious relationship since her mom left years ago.

Lucinda squeezed Becky’s hand, pulling her from her thoughts. “Becky, it’ll be fine. Ember loves you, and she just wants you to be happy. We’ve got this.”

Becky took a deep breath and nodded. “You’re right. Let’s do this.”.

They got out of the car and headed toward the diner. The bell above the door jingled as they stepped inside, the familiar smell of bacon and coffee hitting them immediately. Josephine, Ember and Natalie were already seated at their usual booth near the back, Josephine laughing at something Ember said, her head thrown back. Ember was sipping on a large iced coffee, her bright red hair had grown longer over the past few months. Natalie was waving frantically, her messy red hair in bunches. Josephine’s gaze followed Natalie’s wave and she grinned across at Becky, beckoning them over. Ember followed her gaze, and when she saw Becky and Lucinda together, something softened in her expression. She smiled, setting her drink down.

“Mom! Over here,” Ember called, waving them over.

Becky’s heart fluttered nervously as she led Lucinda to the booth. Josephine stood up to give them both quick hugs, her eyes sparkling with the usual mischievous energy. Natalie stood on the seat hugging Becky, delighted to see her. Then Ember stood, embracing her mom tightly before turning to Lucinda. There was a beat of hesitation, but then Ember stepped forward and hugged Lucinda too.

“So,” Ember said, her eyes flicking between her mother and Lucinda, “you’re really doing this, huh?”

Becky chuckled nervously, sliding into the booth. “Yeah, kid. We’re doing this.”

Lucinda smiled, her calm demeanor helping to put Becky at ease. “Hope you’re okay with me officially being in the picture.”

Ember tilted her head, smiling warmly. “Of course. I knew you would be after that city hall meeting. "

"Ember," Becky hissed.

But Lucinda laughed loudly. "It was that obvious, huh?"

"A traditional enemies-to-lovers trope, I would say." Ember sipped her coffee.

"You need to stop reading those romance novels," Becky said, waving the waitress down for some coffee.

Ember smiled sweetly. "Absolutely not. It helps me know real love when I see it."

Becky’s chest loosened at Ember’s words, the tight knot of worry unraveling just a bit. Natalie sucked loudly on her milkshake with a straw. Josephine cleared her throat, clearly picking up on the seriousness of the moment and deciding to inject some humor.

“Alright, alright. Now that we’ve got the mushy stuff out of the way, how about we order some pancakes? I’m starving.” Josephine grinned, grabbing the menu. “Natalie has already decided what she’s having. Why don’t you show Gran Becky what you are having, baby?”

Natalie enthusiastically brought the menu to show Becky what she was having and Becky held her tight and sniffed that sweet familiar smell of her hair as she played along with her .

Becky shot Josephine a grateful look. She had a knack for knowing when to change the subject. The rest of the breakfast flowed smoothly. Josephine asked Lucinda about work at the hospital, while Ember kept everyone laughing with her ridiculous stories from the firehouse and her latest car racing exploits. It was easy, comfortable even, and Becky felt herself relax more as the conversation moved on.

Toward the end of breakfast, though, as they lingered over coffee, Josephine brought up a practical matter that Becky had been avoiding.

“So, Becks,” Jo said, leaning back in the booth, “I’m guessing you’ve already handled all the city hall stuff?”

Becky stiffened, glancing at Lucinda, who gave her a reassuring nod. “Yeah, we’re going there after this. Gotta fill out the personal relationship disclosure forms. You know how it is.”

“Right,” Josephine said with a smirk. “Paperwork first, love second.”

Becky rolled her eyes. “It’s not that bad. It’s just procedure. You know the drill.”

“Still,” Ember chimed in, raising an eyebrow at her mom. “It’s a big deal, right? You don’t really do relationships. ”

Becky smiled softly at her daughter’s observation. Ember wasn’t wrong. Becky had always kept her personal life locked up tight, especially after everything with her ex-wife. But Lucinda was different. This was different.

“Yeah, Ember. It’s a big deal,” Becky admitted, her eyes flicking toward Lucinda, who met her gaze with a small, affectionate smile.

Ember nudged Josephine with her elbow. “Look at my mom, all grown up. You think she’s gonna start knitting sweaters or something?”

Josephine laughed, but Becky just shook her head, feeling the warmth of Lucinda’s hand resting on her knee beneath the table. It was subtle but grounding, a reminder of how far they had come.

A few hours later, Becky found herself walking through the corridors of city hall with Lucinda by her side. The sun filtered through the tall windows, casting long beams of light across the marble floors. It was quiet for a weekday, but that suited Becky just fine. She wasn’t in the mood for small talk with politicians and officials.

As they entered the Records Department, Becky felt a familiar tension rise in her chest. This wasn’t the first time she’d been here for relationship paperwork, but it felt heavier this time, more significant.

Maybe because with Lucinda, it wasn’t just about following the rules. It was about truly building something, about committing in a way that scared her more than she’d like to admit.

Lucinda caught the flicker of hesitation in Becky’s expression and squeezed her hand briefly. “It’s just paperwork,” she whispered, though her voice was laced with understanding.

That statement alone eased her tension. Lucinda would have never been so casual about official paperwork stating their relationship to all of Phoenix Ridge. Lucinda really did want to go all in.

Becky nodded, exhaling softly. “I know. It’s just so real now.”

The clerk called them forward, a middle-aged woman with glasses perched on the end of her nose. She barely looked up as she passed them the necessary forms.

“Personal relationship disclosure, correct?” the clerk droned, her fingers flying over the keyboard .

“Sign here, here, and initial here. Once it’s processed, you’ll get confirmation.”

Becky reached for the pen, but her hand hovered over the page for a moment. Lucinda stood beside her, calm as ever. Becky glanced at her, feeling the warmth of her presence. They were in this together.

With a deep breath, Becky signed the form, and Lucinda followed suit. It was such a simple act, but the weight of it settled in Becky’s chest in a way she hadn’t expected. They were officially recognized, not just personally but professionally. They were committing to blending their lives in more ways than one.

When they stepped out of city hall into the afternoon sun, Becky felt a strange sense of relief wash over her. It was done. They were official. As they walked back to the car, Lucinda slipped her hand into Becky’s, and for the first time all day, Becky felt completely at ease.

“You okay?” Lucinda asked, her voice soft as they reached the car.

Becky smiled, the tension finally gone. “Yeah. More than okay.”

Lucinda leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to Becky’s cheek. “Good. Because we’ve got a lot of life to plan together.”

Becky chuckled. “Yeah, we do. But first, how about we grab some coffee?”

Lucinda laughed, her eyes lighting up. “Deal.”

And as they drove away from City Hall, the future didn’t seem quite so daunting after all.