*Ripley's POV*
I softly closed the door to my office and hung up her jacket, and I smiled thinking that to myself just a few months ago, it was mine. She took care of it, I noticed some of the patches were more vibrant and the wool had been teased and brightened.
"It's just complicated, Ripley." Natalie sighed.
"Lay it on me." I sat beside her, leaning over to hand her a blanket to cover herself. She sat back and flattened her palms against the blanket, taking a breath.
"He wants to be my boyfriend, and it's just...I feel like it's too soon."
I nodded, "Okay."
Natalie's face was flush with frustration and her eyebrows furrowed, "Desmond said I'm 'making excuses' but I'm not. I care about him so much," her voice wavered at the last word, "but I'm not ready, not to be what he needs, or even what he deserves. Every time I'm around him, I completely forget what I feel. He makes me feel safe exactly how we are, and I know I'm hurting him every time I change my mind."
"Take a deep breath," I watched her breathe in and out, and thought of what I should say. "I think you should do what makes you feel secure. If you're not ready for a relationship, he's just going to have to accept that. But you have to be okay too if he doesn't wait for you."
She leaned into me, laying her head on my shoulder. "I'm not waiting for him, and I don't need him to wait. I just- need him to be okay with me not being okay." Natalie whimpered and leaned her head back, touching the backs of her hands to the corner of her eyes, "Why am I so broken?"
I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and tried my best to comfort her, "You are not broken, you are grieving, and having a hard time is normal when it comes to grief. You need love and support, and to let yourself know it's okay to not be okay. You are not expected or required to change your feelings in any way to make other people more comfortable."
I handed her a tissue box and she took from it, "Thank you," she whispered.
"You know, I'll be there for you anytime you need me" I cleared my throat, and tried to muster up a smile when she looked up at me, "I love you kiddo."
Natalie leaned into me and put her arms around me, her face on my chest. "I wish I'd had a dad like you growing up, instead of the one I had." She chuckled, "He would've just told me to suck it up."
My heart cracked wide open.
I had to breathe to stop from sobbing right here. It was quiet for a moment but then she spoke again.
"Speaking of, they're throwing me a birthday party." She scoffed and laughed at the same time.
"For your 26th birthday?"
"25th, according to them."
"They don't even know your birthday?" I was trying not to raise my voice, but I felt her body immediately stiffen at my change in tone. I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound critical of your parents."
"My dad was so nice to me on the phone," she opened her fist, revealing the marks on her palm. I took note of that, too.
"When are they coming?" I asked, mentally preparing myself. Seeing Betty again, her husband, I hoped that I would be able to tell her before they could, but then again, would she even bother?
"Not until the 10th of February, they're staying at some fancy hotel."
"Craig can afford a suite, of course." I scoffed. I shouldn't have said that. Fuck.
Natalie was quiet for a moment, "How did you know his name?"
I didn't really know how to recover this one, so I shrugged. "Uh, your mom introduced us a couple times, uh, listen, there's something-"
The door opened and Raleigh stood in the door. "Sir, I'm sorry but you have a visitor, Fire Chief Nash is waiting for you." Natalie stiffened and let me go, taking the blanket off and standing up.
I sighed, "Looks like this will have to wait. Natalie, sweetheart, can you help Huxley hand out supplies to anyone who might need them?"
She nodded, "Sure, yeah, happy to help." Natalie moved past me and walked out of the room.
Fire Chief Nash was a very vigilant chief, albeit a sloppy fireman in my day, but he really shaped up to scoop up the position after Robbie died. Freddie was known to punch a guy every once in a while, definitely a mixed bag.
I stood up and walked outside the room to see Natalie frozen and staring down at Freddie in tears.
"Natalie, are you alright?" Raleigh said beside her and she looked petrified, shaking her head.
"I'm sorry, that man, he-" she shuddered, a tear falling down her face, "He... he was the one to tell us," she looked up at me, then wiped her face, "I didn't mean to get so emotional, I'm going to go downstairs in a few minutes," she strained her face to smile.
"Hey, just take your time," I rubbed her shoulder, "I didn't think you remembered, you were just a little girl."
"I remember everything about my uncle," her eyes beamed, "he was the only man to love me like a father should."
Natalie cleared her throat and jumped at the sound of Nash's voice cutting through the heartwrenching silence. "Ripley! Weather's looking rough today," he started racing up the stairs and she cleared her throat, trying to quickly compose herself. "Oh, who's this breath of fresh air?"
Natalie looked shocked and then at me, "Natalie-" she cleared her throat and put her hand out, "My uncle was Robert-"
"Carter!" He smiled and his grasp on her hand looked strong, and I noticed her body language change from sad to intimidated in a second. "Hell of a firefighter, I thought I recognized you, I would say you look a lot like your father," he winked at me, "but you've got your uncle's smile, all the Carters smile like that, your mom- is she still around?"
Natalie looked at me confused, but widened her eyes that said 'help me out here' so I stood up a little taller and put some space between them once he let her hand go, "Nash, you were saying about the weather?"
Freddie laughed and put his hand to his head, "Sorry I am such a chatterbox today, yes, we should discuss this in your office." He looked at Natalie, "It was so nice to meet you, Natalie dear."
Natalie looked at me and I nodded, and she smiled, "You too." Making a quick escape down the stairs and then looking back at me confused, and when she was out of sight I glared over at Freddie.
"I haven't told her yet," I hissed.
He cringed, "Oh- all in due time"
I sighed, "I hope so."