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Soon we are driving to my home. I'm both nervous and anxious during the drive. Isaac looks over at me and holds my hand. He gives it a gentle squeeze. I look over at him and give him a tiny smile. We are quiet for the rest of the trip.
When we arrive at the house, we see the fire crews are still there. I let out a quiet gasp when I see the house. Isaac pulls over and parks on the side of the curb. I hurry out of the car.
The fire chief looks up as I approach. “Is this your house, miss?” he asks.
“It was,” I reply, staring in absolute shock.
The house is in ruins. It's pretty much burned to the ground. There is basically nothing left. I stand there, unable to say anything, feeling overwhelming sadness. All that is left if my childhood is gone.
The fire chief looks at me. “You know, it's almost as if someone wanted everything to burn to the ground. The way the fire spread and started, just not natural,” he explains, going over his notes. “We'll get back to you in a few minutes. We are still going over everything.” He nods and walks away.
I don't know where to turn as I feel the panic and confusion building up inside of me. Suddenly Isaac is there. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me to his chest. I cuddle against him for a moment. Then, all at once, I feel safe and secure.
“I'm so sorry,” Isaac murmurs into my hair. I hear the sympathy in his voice, but I move away from him and try to wipe my tears. “Have you been able to get ahold of your dad?” he asks gently.
I look up at him in surprise. I had completely forgotten about Dad missing. But, from the look we both share; I realize that Isaac knows my dad is missing too. “He’s one of my oldest friends,” he offers in explanation.
I’m shocked, but I can't focus on that right now. Isaac stands near me but gives me some space. I'm still in tears as I pull my phone out. My hand trembles a little as I dial my mom's number.
“Mia. Finally, you call,” she scolds me when she answers the phone.
“Mom, I have something important I need to tell you,” I say in a quivering voice.
“What is it, dear?” she asks in a bored tone, apparently ignoring the sound of my emotions.
“I stopped by the old house really quick…” I start to explain.
“I thought I told you to stop going over there and just leave things be,” my mother snaps.
I roll my eyes despite my tears. “As I was saying, I stopped by the old house, and well, it caught fire and burned to the ground.” There is silence from my mother's end of the line. “Mom?” I ask curiously.
“Huh? Oh,, I'm sorry, Mia. What did you say?” she asks in a distracted tone. I can hear light laughter in the background.
“The old house burned down, mom. It's completely gone,” I explain again.
“Oh….that's a shame. But listen, dear, are you almost done there? I need to know if you still plan on spending your summer here with me because I need to start making my vacation plans as well.” I grimace in response.
“Listen, mom, I'll call you later,” I reply.
“Okay, I'm actually busy right now,” Mother says and hangs up.
I sigh and put my phone away. Isaac gives me another consoling hug which I'm in desperate need of. After a moment of embracing, Isaac moves away with his phone in his hand. “I have something to do really quick,” he says. I nod and turn to look back at the remains of the house.
“Ken, it's Isaac. I don't know how to say this but….the house burned down,” Isaac says softly in the background. I can hear him talking to my dad, but I keep my eyes trained on the house. “Oh really?” Isaac asks. I hear his tone change slightly. “Okay, yeah, Mia and I are already here.” He hangs up the phone and walks back to my side. “That was your father. He is around the corner, but I need to talk to you about something before he gets here.” His voice is low and urgent. I look at him suspiciously.
We walk a distance away from the house and stand on the sidewalk facing each other. “What's wrong? Is my father okay?” I ask.
Isaac makes a face. “He….started the fire. He’s on his way to turn himself in,” Isaac explains softly.
I'm absolutely speechless. Isaac wraps around me. I remain rigid for a few seconds, then relax into the hug. “I don't understand why he would do that,” I admit.
“He'll explain when he gets here,” Isaac assures me.
After our hug, we walk back towards the burnt house. Isaac holds my hand, and I feel comforted once more. I can't stop staring at the ashy ruins. All my childhood is gone in an instant.
