Marisol sat on the stairs going up to the upper floors of the apartment building, face buried in her hands. Nothing was wrong - not really, she was just incredibly tired. Crime tended to spike this close to the holidays. Work was busy at the precinct, and Marisol, always feeling a desire to prove herself, leapt into the thick of it. Her partner had been the first to comment that it was okay to slow down and she needed to rest. But it hadn’t been until her captain pulled her in, told her she was taking the rest of today and tomorrow off that she had gone home. Her previous sergeant must have communicated her idiosyncrasies to him because he followed it up by making sure she knew she was doing great work and he needed her to take care of herself to be most effective. Her partner had solidified this in her mind as she got her things to leave.
Still Marisol didn’t like that she had to go home. She loved her job and felt a little guilty that the other detectives (primarily her partner) would have to pick up her slack. On the way back to her apartment, she had stopped at the store for groceries, knowing that if she went home first, she wouldn’t be going back out. She was starting to carry them up the stairs to her apartment when one of her bags broke, spilling its contents into the otherwise pristine entryway of the building. Thankfully, nothing had shattered, but she was certain some fans had been dented. Currently it blocked access to the stairway. No one was usually around at this time. At least it hadn’t been her produce that had scattered. Marisol, as tired as he was sat down to collect herself.
Marisol was drawn out of her thoughts as three people entered. One of them was Maria, her land lord. Shit! She must be showing someone the empty unit! Marisol thought.
”Oh my god, you’re showing the empty apartment today. I’m so sorry - I’ll get this out of your way right away,” she said.
Maria interrupted before she could stand. ”Marisol, it looks like you’ve been burning the candle from both ends,” she said, a kind tone in her voice. ”I have a box in the office you can use to help with your groceries. Excuse me,” the last, directed a the other two.
Marisol stood up, flustered and embarrassed. She was wearing her suit pants and an MPD coat. ”Im so sorry - you have to waste your time because of this little mishap.” she began to pick things up and put some of them in the unbroken bag. Some she could put into the the box that Maria was getting. The woman, who she noticed at that time was also Latina, came over to help. ”Really you don’t —
”don’t worry about it. It’s fine.” the woman said with a smile.
Marisol felt a bit of the tension in her body ease. Sometimes all it took was someone being kind. ”thanks,” she said and she turned to look at the man, who was also approaching. He looked familiar, but she couldn’t place him. ”I’m Marisol. I rent the apartment across from the one you’re looking at. This is…not a daily thing.” she said, hoping this didn’t make Maria look bad. She really was a good land lord who cared.
Still Marisol didn’t like that she had to go home. She loved her job and felt a little guilty that the other detectives (primarily her partner) would have to pick up her slack. On the way back to her apartment, she had stopped at the store for groceries, knowing that if she went home first, she wouldn’t be going back out. She was starting to carry them up the stairs to her apartment when one of her bags broke, spilling its contents into the otherwise pristine entryway of the building. Thankfully, nothing had shattered, but she was certain some fans had been dented. Currently it blocked access to the stairway. No one was usually around at this time. At least it hadn’t been her produce that had scattered. Marisol, as tired as he was sat down to collect herself.
Marisol was drawn out of her thoughts as three people entered. One of them was Maria, her land lord. Shit! She must be showing someone the empty unit! Marisol thought.
”Oh my god, you’re showing the empty apartment today. I’m so sorry - I’ll get this out of your way right away,” she said.
Maria interrupted before she could stand. ”Marisol, it looks like you’ve been burning the candle from both ends,” she said, a kind tone in her voice. ”I have a box in the office you can use to help with your groceries. Excuse me,” the last, directed a the other two.
Marisol stood up, flustered and embarrassed. She was wearing her suit pants and an MPD coat. ”Im so sorry - you have to waste your time because of this little mishap.” she began to pick things up and put some of them in the unbroken bag. Some she could put into the the box that Maria was getting. The woman, who she noticed at that time was also Latina, came over to help. ”Really you don’t —
”don’t worry about it. It’s fine.” the woman said with a smile.
Marisol felt a bit of the tension in her body ease. Sometimes all it took was someone being kind. ”thanks,” she said and she turned to look at the man, who was also approaching. He looked familiar, but she couldn’t place him. ”I’m Marisol. I rent the apartment across from the one you’re looking at. This is…not a daily thing.” she said, hoping this didn’t make Maria look bad. She really was a good land lord who cared.