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"It’s good to see you two are alright. Let's go see the damage." She motions for me to unlock the door. "Honestly, I expected so much worse when I got the call," she explains as we walk in, eyes darting all over the room to assess potential damage.
It's eerie for my shelter to be completely quiet. Usually, there's always some shuffling happening in the back. Or Morticia and Gomez sing a duet, accompanied by the sound of little tippy-taps or scratching on the ground.
"I knew those new windows would pay off," Malina finally declares with glee. "I put them in right before I rented the building out to you because there was a forest fire a few provinces over and I became paranoid," she explains and walks over to the huge one facing the main street. "I have them in my own house too, so I’m glad to see they paid off."
Apart from the faintest scent of coal, about the intensity you’d smell if Evan fired up a grill at his shop on the other side of the Main Square, everything seems okay. Hannah and I get to work opening the windows to let some fresh air in and hopefully make the faint, burnt smell disappear.
Said main square is one giant coal-black scene. From afar, the fire didn’t seem to do much damage, since it was more high than vast. I was wrong. Almost the entire main square park burned down to a crisp.
It's tragic. All the trees we used to carve our names in when we were unruly teenagers and didn't know how much it harmed them. The benches our grandparents already had ice cream or lemonade dates on, the little space in the center of them where we used to draw with chalk as kids. All our favorite spots to disappear in during a game of hide and seek.
“Such a shame,” I whisper as I pull the next window open.
"We need someone to come by to check out the HVAC," Malina declares and jots something down on the notebook that suddenly appeared in her hand. "I’m sure I can get them down here no later than the end of the week. Honestly, Brooke, there is not much damage I can see at first glance."
"Okay, that's fantastic news." My shoulders slump. At least one less thing to worry about long term.
"I'll hire someone for a professional deep clean, just in case." Her pen flies over the paper again. "I'm sure I can find someone who specializes in smoke damage to let me know if we need to take further steps. But I think we might have been lucky."
She leans in and lowers her voice.
"You know Billy? My brother, who's renting out to your brother?” I nod slowly. This is the first time I’m learning they’re related, but I’m not surprised. “He’s got way more work ahead of him. Have you seen the house?"
"Oh, yes." The entire exposed brick facade is hidden under a thick layer of pitch-black smoke residue. Evan is probably thrilled to have a black façade to match his black-and-white interior.
“At least, he was smart enough to listen to me when I told him to get some better windows.” She nudges me with her shoulder. "Your brother should be fine to reopen his studio soon. But the facade?" She bursts into laughter. "That's going to need a power wash or twenty.”
“Knowing Evan, he’s not mad about having a black facade, so this is all on Billy.” I join her, and Hannah chuckles too. “I'm glad, though. Things could have turned out so much worse."
"Right? And at least it's winter and not a dry summer. The fire could have done much more damage had they set off those fireworks near the forest." She shakes her head.
"No use thinking about it," Hannah declares and, out of habit, organizes the papers on the counter. Some toys are scattered around the ground, and with the urge to keep busy, I lean down to pick them up.
"I wonder what Kinstead will do about the Christmas market." Malina crosses her arms in front of her chest. "I was really looking forward to it this year."
My heart drops and my hand freezes in the air. Right as I thought one-third of the shitshow got cleaned up, an even bigger one is revealed.
"Right." I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose, slowly straightening my back and trying not to burst into tears.
The Christmas market. Fuck.
"Anyway, girls. I have to get back home and cook lunch for my kids. I'll ring you as soon as I get an appointment with the cleaner and the HVAC people. I assume you'll be staying at your parents'?" she asks me.
"You’re assuming correctly.”
"Okay, good. If there's anything you need from me in the meantime, you've got my number."
She hugs us goodbye and scurries off.
“The Christmas market.” I stare at Hannah, whose expression is about as shell-shocked as mine as she stares after Malina. Blindly, she grabs my arm, fingertips digging into my jacket.
"Fuck," she curses under her breath. "The funding. What are we going to do?"
With trembling steps I make my way to the couch and sit down, knowing my knees will not hold me much longer.
I know you're supposed to grow with your challenges, and I do believe Kieran when he says there’s always an end in sight.
But, damn, for once I’d love to go one challenge at a time.
