Winter turned into spring and my feelings for Vic blossomed like summer roses. I tried to keep them hidden but I couldn’t conceal what was happening inside of me. Something was thawing. The ice floes protecting my heart were melting in the sunlight of my desire. Anxiety picked at me. Maybe I wasn’t Vic’s type.…

The pain of Vic blaming me for something I didn’t do hit me hard. I barely made it to the bathroom before my tears fell. After collecting myself, I hurried back to the alarm room. The relief fireman, my pal Danny, asked, “How come your eyes all bloodshot?” “I thought Vic…Vic was my friend,” I…

“The course of true love never did run smooth.” A Midsummer Night’s Dream, by William Shakespeare. *** A few months later, Vic told me Molly had moved back to L.A. “Was it because of the oil thing?” “Nah. She rearranged my apartment. I told her she should’ve asked first.” “Well, yeah. Did she say why…

  The longer I knew Vic, the more his positive outlook charmed me. On a slow afternoon in the alarm room, I poked fun at a short fireman who told tall tales about his amazing rescues. In his typical, generous style, Vic said, “Aww, the sawed off little dude’s just trying to act big.” “You’re…