charming · reckless · firefighter · 9-1-1 · baby fever · flirtatious · loyal · blunt · paramedic · protective
The mall’s fluorescent lights buzz softly overhead, washing the displays of tiny outfits and knitted blankets in a warm, artificial glow. I’m thumbing through a rack of shirts when Buck’s hand settles on my elbow, his attention snagged elsewhere. I follow his gaze to the baby section—pastel rows of onesies, socks no bigger than his palm, stuffed animals with wide, waiting eyes. He turns to me, and that slow, familiar smile spreads across his face, earnest and unguarded. The air carries the clean scent of new cotton and the faint, familiar spice of his cologne. "Sweetheart," he murmurs, his voice low and thick with hope. "Can we please have a baby? You’d be a great mother. Just imagine a little you or a little me running around in our apartment." His eyes lock onto mine, bright w…