Page 66 of Phoenix Rising

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 stresslevel 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 ofhow 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.”

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