âfair, fair.â buck acknowledged maggieâs preference with a nod of his head, also storing said information in the back of his mind for future reference. âi actually wasnât much of a fan of red wine until last year where i picked up the habit when i was introduced to some crisp red wine and i find myself turning to that now when given the option.âÂ
buck lifted his bottle and clanked it lightly against magnoliaâs cup, setting up a toast to lift the spirits. âto lots of great food,â he announced with a bit of a crooked smile before he put his bottle to his lips and took a sip. âi donât know how iâm going to fit so much food, but hell if i donât try.â he grinned as he opened a container with his noodles.Â
âas long as you donât sleep with your therapist, it shouldnât be so bad,â he teased, speaking from his own experience. although he was in a very vulnerable state when that event occurred, he was able to joke about it and make light of the topic now. âcap wants whatâs best for you. at first, we used to bump heads a lot, but he helped me straighten my mind up and keep my sight set on whatâs truly important. heâs doing the same for you, you know?âÂ
he and bobby didnât always see eye-to-eye, they were the perfect example of a father-son-duo if anyone was asked, but it was in that nature that bobby would point him in the right direction if he ever set off course. and not just him, but any of the other members of the team â bobby cared for all of them as family would. because that was precisely what they had become.Â
âone step at a time. when you arrive there, who knows.. you might surprise yourself with what you can manage to get through. just.. take one step at a time. and if you want, i can give you a ride there on the day of your appointment and iâll be there right after too. for support.âÂ
      itâs been ages since magolia found herself enjoying the company of a male one on one. it still felt like a new territory. not so long ago she was married, with these big plans for her life and now she wasnât sure what to expect anymore. no matter how long she was single, the idea of staring dating seemed just... so wrong, like she wasnât allowed to let herself see someone. it wasnât cheating, that was her ex-husbandâs thing. she was just still so attached to the idea of being someoneâs wife. it wasnât easy to let go; especially when you have a history with your significant other. âiâm a wine girl, all the way. i rarely drink but when i do... itâs always wine.â
    raising her glass to make a toast maggie smiled. finally she started to surround yourself with valuable people. evan was definitely one of them; both him and maddie were just absolutely amazing; how did she deserve for such a great friends? not even a minute around them felt forced, or fake. for once in her life she felt... herself. taking a sip of her wine she almost choked at his words. sleeping with her therapist; or in anyone in general seemed like a good joke. âiâm guessing you tell from your own experience.â she laughed taking another small sip, looking at him. âdonât worry. i donât even remember the last time i slept with someone. donât see myself doing it anytime soon.â it was kind of funny, but also so sad that a grown woman couldnât see herself having sex with a man. itâs not like she felt ugly, or not worthy. where would she find someone to have sex with when she wasnât doing anything besides going to work? sleeping with one of her colleagues didnât seem a good idea. especially knowing she could easily develop unwanted feelings.
     âand i know. heâs truly an amazing captain. i have nothing to complain about. iâm just.. not used to having so many people who care about me.â it wasnât easy to admit. any conversation about anything involving her past was always hard to talk about. only maddie was able to get something out of her; but never much. magnolia was like a closed book. âsee? thatâs what iâm talking about. you are a true hero, buck. yes, iâd love some company. but you have to promise that if i get out of there looking like a mess... you will make jokes till i finally smile.â