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Starting her journey from college-age student, to dispatch superstar, to a police officer in training was surprisingly not the most interesting thing to happen to May in the last few years.
No, that would be Maddie Buckley.
She had known Buck for years as the almost-brother that worked underneath her mostly-dad, but for most of that time, she didn’t even know he had a sister. It took until she was eighteen for her to finally meet the elusive Maddie Buckley and May wasn’t sure her life had been the same since.
Maddie was beautiful, that much was obvious–from her bright smile that rivaled the sun to her long brunette hair that was always perfectly styled to the kindness she offered to every single person she met, May included. Each conversation had May falling a little bit more in love with someone she thought she couldn’t have.
Then, somewhere in the whirlwind of hospital visits, dispatch emergencies, and birthday parties, Maddie started to love her back.
And three months later, neither of them had found the nerve to tell, well… anyone.
Even in the crowded living room of her family’s home during their many get-togethers, they kept it together, only stealing glances and brushes of hands underneath the tablecloth.
So, color May surprised when her lips suddenly connected with the familiar warmth of Maddie’s.
In the middle of a room. Where every single person they cared about was sitting around a table. All of their eyes wide and all of their jaws dropped open.
“Oh no,” May muttered.
“Oh no,” Maddie repeated.
As if on instinct, their hands laced together in support. May’s eyes darted to her mother, stepfather, and girlfriend’s brother who had become like her own. In their stares were confusion, surprise, and just a little bit of worry. May didn’t know how to squelch any of it. She had months of dispatch calls and prided herself in how calm she stayed in a crisis, but at that moment, all of that training seemed to fall from her mind.
May watched as her mother took a step around the table, her eyes like lasers on Maddie, but as she moved, Buck stood up and blocked her path.
“Why don’t we all just take a breath, yeah?” Buck requested, a nervous chuckle falling from his lips.
“Yeah, exactly,” Bobby agreed. He stood and rested a hand on Athena’s shoulder as if to stop her from moving but she waved both of them away.
“My gun is in the safe. I’m not going to shoot her,” Athena reassured. Buck’s eyebrows drew together like that thought hadn’t crossed his mind.
“It’s okay, Evan,” Maddie said softly. “This is between me and Athena.”
“That’s not true!” May exclaimed. “Mom, Maddie, this is between all of us. I think we can be adults about this, can’t we?” Athena raised an eyebrow at her daughter, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Adults, huh? Baby, you are twenty-one years old,” Athena reminded her like she wasn’t painfully aware of her younger age.
“Last I checked, I was an adult starting three years ago, then,” May sassed. Maddie squeezed her hand gently like a warning, a muttered plea to stop following shortly after. “I’m not a child, mom. I live on my own, I have a job that I love and that I’m good at, and Maddie is even helping me figure out what to study when I go back to school.”
“That’s great and all, May, but Maddie is–”
“In love with your daughter,” Maddie interrupted, stepping forward. Her shoulders were pulled back, her chin tilted high, and her body radiated a confidence that May had never seen from her before. It took a few moments for Maddie’s words to register in May’s brain but when they did, she gasped and tugged Maddie to face her.
“You are?” she asked in disbelief.
“I am.” Maddie chuckled like she could barely believe it herself. “I know there are… so many barriers for us to figure out and I’m willing to try because I love you. And,” she turned toward May’s mother, “I promise you that my intentions were never to fall for someone so much…”
“Younger?” Athena offered. May shot her a glare in return which had her holding up her hands in defense.
“Different. I was going to say different,” Maddie corrected softly, “but I am willing to do anything to convince you that I won’t do anything to hurt her and do nothing to hold her back from what her future can be. I know what it feels like to be young and easily taken advantage of and I refuse to do that to someone else.” There was a fire in her voice that had May biting back a smile. “She’s incredible, Athena. You’ve raised a daughter that makes her own choices no matter how ridiculous they might seem and for that, you should be proud.”
“You’re not a ridiculous decision, Maddie,” May corrected as she moved forward to stand at her girlfriend’s side. “But she’s right, mom. You know that I wouldn’t choose anyone less than perfect to give my love to. I had you as an example my entire life. I’ve learned to love through you and Maddie. She’s been through too much for you to take that away.”
There were a few moments of silence only filled with soft sniffles of their teary-eyed pseudo-family around the table. Their eyes darted from May and Maddie who stood together in solidarity, to Athena who seemed to contemplate every word that had been offered to her. She shrugged off Bobby’s hand that had found its way back to her shoulder and patted Buck’s arm as she passed before standing in front of her daughter and Maddie.
“I taught May what she needs to know, I’m sure of that. If she trusts you–loves you–then you’re everything I could want for her.”
May surged forward and wrapped her mom in a tight hug that was easily returned. When she let go, Maddie held out her hand to Athena tentatively. Athena held it tightly and shook, Maddie wincing at what May assumed was the unnecessarily strong grip, before her mother pulled her girlfriend in for a tight hug. They exchanged a few inaudible whispers that May strained to listen to, but the conversation was over before she could strain her ears enough.
“Well, what are you all staring at? The food is gonna get cold if you all don’t eat!” The table followed her orders as May and Maddie sat down to do the same.
When everyone was distracted, May leaned over to Maddie’s ear and whispered, “What did she say to you?” Maddie chuckled, her eyes sparkling mischievously.
“She just reminded me that you were her only daughter and that she knew how to get away with crime more than the usual mother.” May gaped at her girlfriend who only smiled in return. “Relax, May. She also told me to take care of your heart, which I promised I would.”
“I have no doubt about that,” May agreed. She kissed Maddie gently in front of all of their found family except that time it was with purpose.