Otto.

                                    

                                          
 Carina 
Over the last few weeks, it happened gradually, I had gotten used to the idea of having my wife back before she was once again pulling away and getting lost in the responsibilities of her job. Usually I didn't mind, I loved how passionate she was about her job, how much she took pride in helping the only city she's ever known deeply. I just wish she would include me in her passions, to not lock me away from her mind and take on more work without considering me.
That was the aspect that hurt the most, the way blue bubbles on my screen remained unread for entire days at a time or the way Maya took on an unprecedented 36 hour shifts. Now it was 9:30pm and she hadn't told me if she was coming home or if I should even expect her home. I'd been in the car outside of the station for 45 minutes until I ultimately decided to just bite the bullet and go inside.
When I walked in everyone was in a serious scurry, I smiled at the firefighters who gave me a brief wave before continuing their work. Somehow everyone was still working at 9:30 and not in bed as I wanted to be was again odd. They weren't on any calls, all the trucks seemed to be more polished than ever. Even the tires looked as if they've never driven anywhere.
"Gym." I heard someone say as I peeked in Maya's office to find it dark. When I turned it was Travis holding a tub of cleaning supplies with smudges of dirt up his arms and on his face. "She's been in there for the last hour."
"Thank you, I'm just going to.." I pointed at the stairs and he nodded. "Get some rest Montgomery."
"Get her out of here," he said low and I frowned confused. "She's already done a 48 this week, the whole team feels it when she doesn't rest."
I nodded at him as I slowly made my up the stairs, cursing my wife just a little for making me climb up these stupid steps. The gym was empty, quiet, only sounds of plates clacking against the metal bar with every rep. Following the sound I found my wife, headphones in and bench pressing the bar with plates on each side.
It wasn't often I got to enjoy such a view. Except she was grimacing as she tried to push up her last rep. It started to fall closer to her chest and she groaned louder as she pushed it and got it up onto the rack. I stopped halfway in seeing as she was able to get the bar back up. She sat up and took deep breaths, stretching for her water when she saw my shoes and looked up to see me. "Hey, what- what are you doing here?"
"Missed you, it's been 38 hours and I would like to see my wife at least once every 24 or at least hear from her every few," I crossed my arms, trying not to show that I was a little frustrated by her lack of consideration. We hadn't spoken since yesterday night when she sent me a goodnight text. A TEXT.
"I'll be home." She leaned back to start another set, but I put my hand on the bar and looked down over her. Not wanting that next set to end up with the bar falling on her face.
"Come home with me." I offered.
She sighed and looked at my hand as I offered it to her, as if questioning it's motives. The sound of Velcro cracked the tension between us as she slid off her lifting gloves. "I'm going to shower first."
"Okay." I closed my hand and followed her with my eyes out of the gym.
I waited at her desk chair while she showered, eyeing the photo she had of me. It was a nice picture, it was the only personal item on her desk. At least I was close to her at work, or that's what I liked to think. That she wanted to keep me close even if all I felt from her right now was distance.
My thoughts made me swirl in the chair and look up at the medal that was laid on a plaque against the wall. I lifted it up and raised the heavy piece of metal in my hand. The weight of it not bearing resemblance to what I imagined it weighed for Maya. In the stories I've heard about this medal, I can't quite pinpoint how I actually feel about it. Mostly proud, it's an awe that my wife is as amazing as she is and won such a high-end award to show that, but on the other made me think of a teenage blonde girl working herself to the bone because she felt she had too.