I feel her sniffle against my chest and look down to see tiny tears spooling down her face. She cries for a few minutes as I continue to caress her and snuggle with her. After she calms down, I pick her up and bring her to the bathroom so we can use the potty and wash up for breakfast.
We play airplane as I feed her a homemade waffle. “We are going to get some cookies today.”
She gasps. “Cookie?”
“Haha, yes! Cookies and maybe some cheesecake!”
She lets out a shriek. “Cake! Oooh, yummy in my tummy!”
“Yes, we will go a little bit later okay? After you take a bath.”
We finish breakfast and I tidy up the kitchen as she plays with the new Barbie I bought for her yesterday. Watching her brush Barbie’s hair is so sweet. As I wash the dishes, she sneaks up behind me and wraps her arms around my leg.
“What is it baby girl?”
She reaches up to me. “Cookie?”
I let out a small laugh. “Not yet. It’s a little early. Let’s watch a movie. How about Mickey Mouse?”
“Yay! Mickey and Goofy now.” She rushes to the sofa, grabs the TV remote, and pushes the buttons all at once. I finish up in the kitchen and snuggle with her on the sofa as we watch the newest Mickey movie.
A couple hours later, we hop on the train and head north into the Bronx for our field trip. The subway is a new experience for her; she looks around in awe and waves to all its passengers. The conductor announces that Buhre Avenue Station is the next stop, so I gather up our things and strap her in the stroller. As we approach the stop, I bend down and whisper, “Almost there baby girl.” She smiles wide and kicks her feet in eagerness.
We exit the train and approach the stairs leading up to the street. I contemplate taking her out of the stroller and just carrying her but a gentleman walks up to us.
“Do you need help miss?”
I smile. “Oh, yes please. Thank you.”
He grabs hold of the bottom end of the stroller and we carry it up the stairs together. Then he helps me place it gently onto the sidewalk.
“Thank you so much.”
He smiles. “No problem. Have a good day.” I watch him as he crosses the street and heads into the Irish pub. That was nice of him.
I push the stroller as we make our way onto Crosby Avenue and I spot the bakery a short way up the street. “There it is. I hope they have éclairs today.”
“Cookie!”
I pull the entrance open and push the stroller inside. The amazing aroma of pastry and sweetness hits my nose immediately, causing my stomach to grumble with hunger. I plan on ordering everything in this place. I’m going to end up in a sugar coma.
I chuckle at myself and push the stroller toward the sugar cookie case. “Look Layla. We found the cookies!”
She stretches to reach the glass case, so I unbuckle the belt and release her from the stroller. She walks up and starts banging on the glass. “Teetee Mewanie. Cookie. Pwease!”
At that moment, an older Italian woman comes out to greet us. “Welcome, how may I help you?”
“Hi, do you have any éclairs today?”
She hesitates. “Hmmm, let me check. A customer purchased a bunch recently, but I’m sure we have to have a couple left.”
“Oh yes, please. I have been craving your éclairs for the past week.”
She walks over to the pastry case and announces, “Well, it’s your lucky day.”
I can’t help but jump a little. “Oh, thank god! I’ll take all the ones you have left!”
The Italian woman laughs. “Okay, anything else for today?”
“Yes, I’ll also have one black and white cookie and a strawberry cheesecake.”
She looks at Layla, who is still staring at the abundance of cookies. “And what about you little darling? What cookie do you want?”
Layla examines the case before deciding on the sugar cookie with pink sprinkles. “Dat one.”
The woman gathers my order and before she boxes it up she asks, “Will you be eating here or carrying out?”
I look over at the little seating area and decide to stay for a bit. “We’ll dine in. Please box up the cheesecake and we’ll eat the pastries now. Thank you.”
She cashes me out and Layla and I sit at a round table by the window. We eat our treats in a comfortable silence, enjoying the warm sweetness. I give her a small nibble of my éclair and her face lights up.
“Good huh?”
She nods. “Yummy in my tummy!”
“Your daughter is adorable. How old is she? Three?”
I glance up to see the Italian woman standing near us. She bends down to take a closer look at Layla.
“Oh, she’s almost three and she’s my goddaughter. I’m babysitting this weekend while her parents are out of town.”
“Well, bless her. She’s so well behaved for her age. How is everything tasting for you ladies?”
I let out a deep breath. “Everything is delicious. Thank you. I used to come here all the time in high school and haven’t been back in a while since I moved into the city.”
“I was going to say you looked familiar when I saw you walk in, and once you picked out the éclairs, I figured it out.”
“These are seriously the best éclairs I’ve had. So so good.”
“Well, thank you. I’ll relay your graciousness to my husband.”
I express my thanks once again and decide it’s time to start heading back. Layla’s face and hands are covered in chocolate so I take a quick selfie with her. After cleaning her face with baby wipes, I gather our things and strap her inside the stroller.
I holler toward the back where Mrs. Zeppieri ran off. “Okay, we’re off. Thank you for the pastries!”
She walks out to the front and waves. “Thank you and please come again.”
As I look back at her to give a smile, I open the front door and push the stroller outside. Not paying any attention, I crash into someone who is trying to enter the bakery.
My head smacks right into a hard chest as the smell of men’s cologne hits my senses. Warm hands grab hold of my shoulders, steadying my tipsy balance. I step back and scurry out of his arms immediately, then look up to find a strong set of broad shoulders covered in a FDNY t-shirt. I look toward the ground with embarrassment.
I feel my face blush as I try to regain my composure. “I’m sorry, I’m such a klutz. I didn’t mean to—”
My eyes reach his face and at that moment, I’m in a trance filled with wonder and recognition. The handsome stranger stares back at me with a similar look of shock. He remains silent. He just stands there, frozen in place.
My mind instantly examines his face, trying to decipher where I’ve seen him. I know I’ve seen him before and he knows it too.
Just as I’m about to muster up some courage, Layla mumbles about Barbie, breaking me from our trance.
My mind comes back to reality and I shake away the feeling. I hear him clear his throat and open his mouth, about to speak.
I begin to panic and step around him. “Excuse me.”
I push the stroller across the street and head toward the subway. Just when Layla and I are about to turn the corner, I take a look back toward the bakery to find the handsome stranger is nowhere to be seen.
Roman
THE BUZZING OF my alarm startles me awake, ripping away the dream. My arms stretch out to hit the snooze button and my eyes groggily open. I glance around to see my fellow firehouse roommates waking up to start another day. Hopping out of bed, we make our way to the bathrooms and I take a quick shower to wake my body up.
The delicious scent of crispy bacon and cheesy eggs sneaks its way into the bathroom, causing my stomach to grumble for its next meal. Breakfast time. Minutes later, I race downstairs, hoping the other firemen haven’t eaten all the food. I arrive just in time.
“Good morning everybody.”
They all respond, “Hey Roman.”
I grab a plate and pile it with a scoop of scrambled eggs, that crispy ba
con, two buttermilk biscuits, three sausage links, and a slice of smoked ham. I walk over to the dining table and take a seat next to Carter, who’s already on his second helping. I nod to the carton of orange juice so he can pass it over. I thank him as I pour myself a glass. The ten of us eat our breakfast in a comfortable silence.
Twenty minutes later, I bring my empty plate into the kitchen and thank the captain for his awesome cooking skills.
“Those eggs were killer, Cap.”
He glances over as he washes up the dishes and I stick around to help him out.
“Thanks Roman. The wife revealed a few cooking secrets. I figured I needed to spice things up in here, instead of us just eating cereal and frozen waffles all the time.”
I grab a kitchen towel and start drying the dishes. “Ha, good idea. It certainly was a pleasant surprise. I remember waking up to breakfast every Sunday when I was younger. My aunt would spiff up buttermilk pancakes for my cousin Franco and me. It was the best part of my day.”
“How is your aunt? She still in and out of the hospital?”
“She’s doing better for now. I’m hoping the new treatments start to take effect. Her illness has been especially hard on my uncle, but we are all trying to pull through. Speaking of, today is her birthday and I’m vising her later at the bakery.”
“Well that’s nice of you. How old is she?”
“She turns sixty-two today. She’s still a beauty though. My uncle still—”
The ringing sound of the fire alarm signals throughout the firehouse. Captain and I drop the remaining dirty dishes and sprint into the lobby to gather our gear. In seconds, I’m fully geared up with my mask and helmet in tow. I slide my feet into the fire retardant boots and follow Carter onto the fire truck.
Captain yells out, “Gas leak at 42nd and 8th Avenue apartment building! Two trucks!”
We all respond, “Yes sir!”
Within seconds, the garage door opens and the trucks speed off into the busy city streets.
I notice Carter strapping on his helmet and give him a nod. “It’s go time.”
******
Two hours later we stroll inside the firehouse, confident in our day’s work. We managed to infiltrate the building and secure the apartment residents to safety before anything got worse. Captain and a few others found the leak, ensuring everything was shut off properly and securely.
Looking at the time, I realize my shift ended an hour ago so I drop my gear off and race upstairs to shower and change into a fresh FDNY t-shirt. Thirty minutes later I say my goodbyes to everyone, informing them I’ll see them in two days.
With the number of members at this fire station, we are all separated into groups. Groups one through five have twenty-four hour leave. Groups six through ten have forty-eight hours. Each group rotates the morning and night tours and every three weeks, I get a nice long weekend.
Since I’m still a newbie, I usually stay a little bit longer to ensure proper training and learn as much as I can. You can never be too prepared for this kind of work.
I race to the subway and catch the six train heading to Pelham Bay Park. The thirty-minute train ride allows me to relax and just enjoy some alone time, and I listen to some new playlists on Spotify. After spending three to four days with a group of burly men, it gets kind of crowded. I have my own apartment in the city but I’m hardly there. With work and heading up to the Bronx all the time, there’s really no point to it. I end up paying $1200 a month for a one bedroom for nothing, but it’s in a great location and I can’t give that up.
As I step off the train platform and make my way downstairs to the street, I see the florist setting up some new arrivals and decide to purchase Aunt Maggie a bouquet of tulips, her favorite. Handing over a few dollars, I gather up the fresh bouquet and make my way down the street toward the bakery.
I smile instantly, thinking about how much Aunt Maggie is going to love these flowers. I hope she has a nice vase for them.
Walking up to the bakery, I notice a female customer exiting while pushing a baby stroller. I step aside, careful not to knock into her. I glance down at the little girl and she gives me a warm smile. Her tiny smile is adorable and I can’t help but smile right back at her.
I hear the lady yell back inside, “Okay, we’re off. Thank you for the pastries!” and as I glance away from the little girl, she crashes right into my chest. Out of habit, my body immediately goes into ‘firefighter mode’ and I grab hold of her, making sure to steady her so she doesn’t lose her balance and fall.
Her golden locks brush along the bottom of my chin as her body freezes up and she looks away in embarrassment.
She steps out of my grasp and turns her head to me. “I’m sorry, I’m such a klutz. I didn’t mean to—”
At that moment, my heart beats a million miles per minute as the beauty from the past stands there before me. Is this for real? Is she really here? I could never forget those emerald eyes; they’ve haunted my dreams for years.
A million and one questions race through my mind, each dying to be answered. I can’t help but stare at her and I get lost in the wonder of possibilities to come. My body is frozen still and my lungs ache for a breath of air.
What are you doing? Speak to her you damn idiot. Don’t just stand there.
The little girl starts to mumble about her Barbie doll and I shake away the frozenness. Clearing my throat, I open my mouth to say hello, but she interrupts and steps aside.
“Excuse me.”
Before I can delay her exit, she races across the street. I have the sudden urge to go after her.
My eyes follow her along the other sidewalk. My body yearns for her warm touch and my heart continues to pound in my chest.
I take a step after her but my feet stop as I take in the newfound revelation. Wait, she has a child. She’s got to be married now.
A hurtful ping of pain flows through my body as a frown spreads across my face. I’m too late. I let out a deep breath and take one last look at her, silently begging her to turn around and come back. As she continues her journey away from me, I bow my head in defeat. I hope you’re happy. With that, I step inside the bakery, closing the door behind me.
I pull the flowers to my chest, making sure they are ready. “Aunt Maggie?”
I hear her call out from the back. “Roman?” She walks out, covered in flour, and I bust out laughing.
She clasps her hands and her face glows with love and pride. I hold up the flowers and walk toward her. I pull her into my chest and plant a kiss on her cheek. “Happy birthday. I got these for you.”
She takes the tulips and gushes, “These are my absolute favorite. Thank you darling.”
“I know they are. The best aunt in all of New York City deserves to have a display of her favorite tulips on her special day.”
She sniffs the flowers and her face lights up. “They smell like heaven. I love them Roman. Thank you.”
She steps away and I follow her to the back of the bakery. She places the flowers on the cooking island as she hunts for a vase. I step toward the opposite side and check the taller cabinets, hoping to find a large enough vase. I open a top cabinet in the corner and discover a glass vase. Success.
I pass the vase to her and she cleans it up, placing the tulips inside.
She gasps. “It looks perfect Roman.”
“You’re welcome.”
I turn to walk toward the front of the bakery as she says, “Oh I almost forgot. You will never guess who came in today.”
I instantly know whom she is talking about. Melanie.
A little bit of resentment sneaks into my voice. “I know. She ran into me outside.”
Aunt Maggie follows me. “Really! Why didn’t you say anything? It’s been years since she’s been here. What happened? Did she remember you?”
I shrug my shoulders. “Nothing happened. I completely choked once I realized it was her and she practically ran away from me. It doesn’t matter anyway. She’s married and has a kid.
”
Her face fills with confusion. “What do you mean married and a kid? That child was her goddaughter, not hers, and I didn’t see a ring either.”
“Wait, how do you know that?”
My aunt shakes her head and pats my shoulder. “Roman, they were here for about a half hour. We talked for a little bit. She had a craving for some éclairs and she is babysitting her goddaughter for the weekend. They came all the way from the city.”
My eyes roll and I throw my head back at my own stupidity. I groan. “I’m such an idiot. I should have gone after her.”
My aunt chuckles at my exasperation. “You’ll get another chance. Be patient.”
I turn around and walk toward the back, pissed off at myself for assuming the worst. “She was right there in front of me. I blew it in high school and I just blew it again. It’s been ten fucking years!”
Aunt Maggie slaps my back. “Don’t you dare use that language in front of me, I don’t care how angry you are!”
I shrug off her hostility and sit on top of the counter, bowing my head. “I’m sorry.”
She rubs my shoulder, consoling me in my pain and torture. “You know I don’t like that language. Now, come. Let’s close up early and head to the house and celebrate.”
I let out a long breath and relax my body, giving my aunt a reassuring smile. “Yes, I’m being an ass right now. Sorry.”
“No worries darling. Your moment will come.”
Melanie
IT’S BEEN TWO WEEKS since my run-in and I still can’t get him out of my mind. I can’t pinpoint what it is, but there’s a strange sense of familiarity. How do I know him? Is it from college? Maybe he’s a friend of Rob’s?
The handsome stranger clogs my thoughts as I sit on the sofa in the nurses lounge, staring at the TV. Gia comes crashing in and grabs a soda out of the refrigerator. She plops down on the sofa next to me and grabs hold of the remote.
As she channel surfs she asks, “Wassup Melanie, ready for Saturday?”
My left brow curls as I give her a confused look. “Saturday?”
She snarls. “Yes, remember we have a girl’s night. Oh don’t tell me you forgot. Come on Melanie this will be fun. I have everything planned.”
Little Moments Page 4
