A Presence in the Light

by AdoreBuckley

Summary:

In the aftermath of a catastrophic tsunami, Eddie is left to navigate the heavy burden of grief after losing his best friend, Buck, who sacrificed himself to save his son, Christopher. As Eddie struggles with his heartache, he begins to sense an elusive presence in his life—glimmers of warmth and comfort in the most unexpected moments. While grappling with the memories of Buck, Eddie finds himself questioning the nature of love and loss, unaware that something profound is watching over them, silently guiding him toward healing and hope.

Notes:

Hello everyone!
I've wanted to write this for AGES and I finally did it!

Thank you so so much to my beta reader Eli! ♡

Chapter 1: Prologue

 

PROLOGUE

 

Eddie had faced some terrifying moments in his life. He’d been to war, carried his son Christopher through hospitals and surgeries, buried his wife, stared down fires, but nothing had ever filled him with the pure, gut-wrenching dread he felt that day, standing in the chaos after the tsunami, his eyes scanning every direction, his heart pounding as he searched for his son and Buck. 

 

He had asked Buck to take Christopher to the pier, he’d thought nothing of it, believed it would be safe. He thought he was giving his son a good day with someone he loved, a friend who felt more like family, someone who meant more than Eddie could even admit to himself. He never dreamed that a natural disaster would tear through the coast, turning everything Eddie loved into a waking nightmare.

 

The minutes dragged on as he shouted Christopher’s name, his voice hoarse, barely hearing the chaos around him. He kept calling for him, pushing through debris and bodies, that were already tagged, his mind wandering between hope and terror.

 

Then, suddenly, he spotted him. Christopher. A stranger was carrying him through the wreckage, carefully holding his soaked body. Eddie could barely breathe as he ran to them, his hands shaking as he reached out and pulled him into his arms. Overwhelming, blinding relief flooded him. His son was here, alive.

 

But even as he held Christopher close, he knew someone was missing.

 

“Buck?” he asked, his voice almost a whisper as his eyes scanned the devastation around them. The stranger shrugged, shaking his head. “I just found him alone,” he said quietly, looking away, as if he couldn’t bear to deliver more bad news.

 

Alone. 

 

Eddie felt a chill run through him. His hands shook as he cradled Christopher against him, scanning the wreckage. For Christopher’s sake he tried to keep his panic down, he was convincing himself that Buck was somewhere, just out of sight, maybe hurt but alive. Buck was strong; he’d be fine, he had to be fine.

 

But as the minutes turned to hours and then turned to days, even weeks, Eddie’s hope began to dim.