Fire Escape - Book Three: Troubled Heroes Series (An Action Thriller) (3 page)

             
“Well hell, have a seat, son!  Help yourself to the beer we got in the fridge.  The girls like wine for some damn reason, but I’d rather have a nice brew.”  He held the bottle up and took a long pull off of it. 

             
Michael shot a quick glance toward Eva, feeling as if someone had punched him in the gut.  “Thank you, sir. Maybe later.”  Now was not the time to be announcing his situation.  He had barely broken the ice with him, and things still seemed a bit awkward. 

             
“I’m gonna go help Ma in the kitchen. You guys enjoy the game.” 

She shot Michael a wink, and he wondered when they’d break the bombshell about their relationship status.  Things seemed okay now, but would they change once they found out they were engaged? He turned his attention to the TV, pushing the thought aside. 

“You can call me Albert.  That’s my oldest son, Edward.  My other one is around here somewhere.  He’s Roberto, or as he’d prefer, Robert.” 

“Good to meet you both,” Michael said, nodding toward Albert, whose attention was strictly on the game.  He hadn’t even made an effort to ac
knowledge that Michael was in the room. 

The small talk continued for a bit, and Michael felt relieved when they finally gathered around the table for dinner.  It was pasta with the biggest meatballs he had ever seen.  His mouth watered as Eva and Elana set the table.  He finally got his first glance at Robert, who was friendlier than Edward had been. 

After Albert said grace, they all dug in, and for the first few minutes of eating, it was silent.  Michael felt Eva’s hand grip his thigh, and it was all he could do not to choke on the piece of garlic bread he was eating.  She shot him a glance from the corner of her eye, almost as if she were preparing him for the news they were about to break. 

“You sure you don’t want any wine or something other than water to drink?” Elana asked, passing the bottle down the table. 

“No ma’am, water is fine, thank you.”  He felt like he had a big arrow pointed over his head for declining it, but it was likely his imagination heightening the fear of his drinking problem being revealed. 

Eva cleared her throat and set her fork down, “Mikey and I have something to tell you.” It gained everyone’s full attention, and all eyes were on both of them.  He held her hand underneath the table, feeling her clammy palms against his.  “Mikey asked me to marry him, and I said yes. We’re getting married.”

Michael wanted to close his eyes and run away.  The awkward silence was horrible, but it was like coming up on a bad wreck – he just had to look. 

“You’re getting married?” Elana asked, the joy in her voice not matching the expression on her face. 

Eva held her left hand out, showing the ring off.  “Yes! We wanted to tell you together.”  She looked toward her dad, who was chomping down hard on whatever piece of food he had taken a bite of before she had said anything.  “Are you guys going to say anything?”

“Congratulations, sis, that’s great!” Robert said from across the table. 

“I hope he takes care of you like he should,” Edward finally spoke up, his glare as chilling as ice.

“My little girl is getting married…” Albert trailed off, drinking down his beer.  “That’s uhh, that’s good.” He turned his attention to Michael.  “What is it that you do for a living again?”

“Dad, I’ve told you before…”

“I want to hear it from him,” he snapped back, cutting her off.

“I’m a firefighter, sir.”

Albert nodded.  “With the FDNY?”

“Yes sir.”

Albert clasped his hands in front of him.  “City pay?”

Michael looked at Eva and back to him, this all suddenly unraveling like he had imagined it would. “Yes, city pay.”

“Dad, that doesn’t matter! Together we are making it work.”

Albert slammed his hand down on the table, causing all of the dishes to clatter together.  “And what are you gonna do one day when they knock on your door and tell you that your husband isn’t coming home?  That he got burned up?  Or ran over?  What if you have children together and they grow up without a father?”  Again, he looked sharply at Michael.  “I have the utmost respect for what you guys do for the city.  But think about it.  What’s the tradition the FDNY has?  Dying young, yes?”

“Not everyone!” Eva spat back, the emotion thick in her voice. 

“I’m asking your boyfriend, not you.”

Michael felt his face heat up, and suddenly found it hard to look anyone in the eye.  He gripped his napkin tight, almost pulling it apart.  He couldn’t believe that this was being brought up so soon, right out in the open, in front of everyone. “Yes, dying young. But not always.” Albert’s words rang true.  He was living proof of a family that had to grow up without a father, and a mother without her husband.  It messed them all up. 

“I’m sorry, but I just don’t want that life for my daughter.  I don’t want her to be a widow before she’s ready. She’s part of the FDNY too, and has lost several of her close friends over the years. Nine-eleven makes me think the worst case scenario with the job.  I saw what she went through, having to bury so many people she knew.”

Michael nod
ded.  “I understand completely where you are coming from, Mr. Crisante.” He stood up and placed the napkin on top of his plate.  “I don’t know if I’ll die young.  Some of us do, some of us collect our pension and move on.  But there’s one thing I do know.  I love your daughter more than life itself.  I’ll do anything for her and I’ll make sure she is taken care of.”  He turned to walk out of the room, but paused in the threshold of the door, looking back at Eva’s mother.  “Much obliged for you taking the time to cook this wonderful dinner, Mrs. Crisante, and it was a pleasure finally getting to meet all of you.”

He heard a chair scoot across the floor as he made his exit out onto the front porch. He assumed it was Eva following him out, and allowed the screen door to slam behind him.  The sad thing about it all was that he saw it from Albert’s point of view.  There was no arguing with that, and he had no idea what to do about it.

“Hold on a second, son.” Albert’s voice made Michael stop on the stairs.  “I’m not trying to be harsh about this.  I can see it in both of you that you love each other.”

Michael walked back up onto the porch, suddenly not afraid to let his thoughts be known. “I understand your hesitation too.”

“Yeah?” Albert leaned on the railing of the porch and pulled out a cigarette, offering him one.  Michael declined.  “A firefighter who doesn’t smoke or drink?  I might need to call the city and make sure you really are on the job.”  He let out a laugh and exhaled a long line of white smoke. 

“I understand your hesitation because I lived that life.”  It felt good to let it out.  He usually didn’t talk about his past much, but this was an appropriate time.

“Explain, Michael.”  He held the cigarette between his parted lips. 

“My dad was on the job and died when I was a kid.  I know how it feels.” He spread his hands as he relived the day the red car pulled up and the doorbell rang.  “My mom was a widow before she was ready.  I lost my dad before I was ready.  Your concerns ring true.  But I love your daughter.  That’s all I really know what to say to it all.”

Albert sucked down more of the toxic smoke before flicking the cigarette out into the yard.  “Love is a powerful thing. I want Eva to be happy, and it's obvious you are making her happy.” He clapped his hand against Michael’s shoulder.  “We could all die tomorrow, firefighter or not. Smoking can do the same thing to me. It’s a sad perspective to have, but it’s true.” He reached for his packet of Marlboros, but didn’t get one out. “I’ll come around.  I just gotta soak this all in. It’s a lot for an old man like me to comprehend.”

“Yes sir,” Michael replied, relief pouring over him at the sudden change in the older man’s mood. He didn’t want to leave Staten Island without his approval. There wasn’t much else to be said, so they both stood against the wooden railing, staring out into the yard, the silence speaking louder than words. 

Eva came out a few minutes later, her body language defensive as she stared her father down.  “Everything okay out here?” She placed her hands on her hips, not looking amused. 

“We’re good,” Albert replied.  “It’s all under control.”

She looked over at Michael, obviously needing clarification.  “Mikey?”

“It’s fine.”

“I’m gonna go back in and finish my meal.  You two are more than welcome to come back inside.  Sorry I caused a scene.”  Albert leaned in and kissed Eva on the cheek, but she still had an uneasy expression on her face. 

The screen door creaked behind him and Michael stayed where he was on the porch, staring out into the yard that would soon grow dormant.  He was still befuddled about what had happened, so much that all he could do was laugh about it. 

“I’m so sorry about that, Mikey.”

“He came out here and explained himself.  It’s okay.”

She tucked her hair behind her ear and stood at the railing with him, hugging her sweater against her midsection.  The breeze off of the water was chilly.  “I guess the only thing I can say is that he’s always been that way.  Right to the point, nothing hidden.  Honesty is definitely his strong suit, even if it’s not what people want to hear.”  She laughed and shook her head.  “It’s the only thing I’ve known my whole life, and it still caught me off guard in there.”

Michael glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “Like I said, it’s fine.  I can somewhat agree with him. You and I have both lost tons of friends on this job. It’s sad that our thoughts go automatically to what could happen.  I guess even our families are programmed that way, my mother included.” He thought about Darryl and how he too, had died young and left his wife and son behind. 

“The fact that he came out here so fast and talked through it with you is a good sign.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

Eva grabbed his hand.  “Whether you believe it or not, it could’ve gone a lot worse. Let’s go back in and finish eating. That’ll speak volumes to my family.”

Chapter Three

Eva was relieved to get home after the
evening they had at her parent's house.  After they went back in and finished eating, things seemed to have calmed down, but the awkward feeling was still there.  They didn’t say much after her father’s outburst, except for small talk ranging from the weather, to the Mets and Yankees, to other random things she tried to forget about. 

Michael was quiet during
the ferry ride back to Manhattan, and she couldn’t read if he was upset or just in one of his moods.  Swiping her palm across the top of his hand, she forced a smile.  He returned it with a quick grin, but his gaze went back to the water. 

“You okay?” She nudged him, noticing his eyes weren’t the vibrant green they usually were.  He
was frazzled, and guilt shot through her at the thought that it was possibly her dad’s fault.

He raked his hand through his dark hair, but the breeze made it shoot out in every direction.  She loved when his hair was out of control, like it had a personality all
its own.  “Yeah, I’m good.”

“You just seem quiet.  Like I said, today went a lot better than it could have.”  She shifted her gaze toward the skyline as it got closer.  The sun was setting, lending a beautiful light to the tall buildings.  Seeing the view made her love for the city heighten. 

“Just got a lot on my mind.  I’ll live.”

He pulled her in for a hug and kissed the top of her head, making her knees weak.  She had been in love with him for a long time, but now that they were engaged, it seemed stronger than ever.  The thought of being with him forever and sharing his last name made her stomach fill with butterflies.  She couldn’t wait to have kids with him, to share so much with him, to have him as hers and only hers.  Even his sudden moodiness was something she grew to love about him.

She buried her face in his chest, taking in his manly scent.  He smelled musky with a hint of the fresh air.  It was a place she felt comfortable, completely nestled up to his body with his strong arms around her.  There was nowhere else she wanted to be, and for a split second, she felt saddened at the fact that the ferry had docked and it was time for them to get off.  She followed him down the ramp and back into the city again. 

His pace was quick as they
weaved through the people.  “Jeez, Mikey, what’s the urge in urgency?”

Michael looked over his shoulder at her, smirking.  “It’s cold. I wanna get home and relax for a bit.  We both have to work in the morning.”

She finally caught up to him and clasped her hand in his.  The breeze made her shiver.  “Thanks for going out to the island today.  The hardest part is over.”

“I wouldn’t say that with so much confidence.”

Arching her eyebrow, she tried to ignore the negativity.  “I wouldn’t be so negative about a big milestone in our lives.  We have the planning coming up, the joining of our families, the whole thing.”

“Exactly.  I’m glad the woman makes most of the choices.  I don’t even know where the hell to begin.”

“I’m gonna want some of your input.  It’s just as special for you as it is for me.”