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CHAPTER10
david
Ihope that askingWidowinWAfor her phone number doesn’t change anything between us. If she’d rather not at this point, it’s okay, but typing out these long messages is time consuming. The guys have even started to question who I’m chatting with, and I’ve not decided if I’m ready to admit what I’ve been up to.
I’ve led them to think it’s Tori and that’s kept them off my back for now, but I know that’s not always going to be the case. It feels weird talking to a stranger like this, but it’s also comforting too.
Speaking of Tori, I’m a little shocked when she calls to see if I’d stop by the house to check on things. While I think that getting away for a while is going to do her a world off good, I’m sorry that she had to make the trip alone. It’s too bad we couldn’t have coordinated something the few days I was off last week.
If I’m being honest, I did enjoy going out to eat with her and I’m going to make a point to spend more time with her when she gets back. Though I’m starting to anticipate the time I’m spending online withWidowinWA, I’ll always make time for Tori.
I check to see ifWidowinWAhas read my message yet and when I see that she has but didn’t take the time to leave me a response, I wonder if asking for her phone number was the wrong thing to do. I had a feeling she might not be up for something like that so soon. I’ll give her some time in case she needs to think about it first.
It's nearly dusk when dispatch alerts us to a possible fire. I shift my focus fromWidowinWAto getting suited up in my turnout gear. Adrenaline kicks in even more when dispatch comes back to say it’s likely children are inside, and they could be trapped. I’ll never forget the day Kyle lost his own life saving someone else’s and it’ll haunt me for the rest of my life.
* * *
It takes three engines, fifteen men, and four hours to fully extinguish the blaze, and by the time we pull back up to the station, I’m ready to collapse. Never mind the fact we have to prepare the truck for the next call before we are dismissed to get cleaned up.
As it turned out, no one was home when the fire broke out but that didn’t stop the father from trying rush inside to save a few momentous things that belonged to his kids. It was heartbreaking watching the parents hold one another as everything they owned was destroyed. As soon as we realized the house was too far gone to be saved, we had to shift our focus on the other houses surrounding it.
Standing underneath the hot stream of water, I’m completely numb. My body begins to tremble as the dispatcher’s voice replays inside my head—the voice from two years ago as well as the voice from earlier. I lean my head against the side of the shower and weep uncontrollably. Thank goodness no one can hear me over the sound of the water.Why? Why did it have to be Kyle? Why couldn’t it have been me?
I get several stares from a few of the guys when I’m done but no one has the heart to say anything. They all know it’s a battle I’ll deal with as long as I remain a firefighter. I pull my phone out of my pant’s pocket and flip it back and forth between my hands. If only I had someone to talk to right now.
I pull up my messages and my heart drops when I see there’s still not reply fromWidowinWA. I made a mistake and I realize that now. I just hope it doesn’t change things. I’ve grown quite fond of our chats, and I’d hate to know we may never converse again because of that.
But my heart begins to pound in my chest when I see she’s actually responding at this very moment. Maybe she just needed some time to think about it. Who knows, maybe she’s getting ready to tell me we’re done, that she’s deleting me from her contacts.
If my heart was beating rapidly just moments ago, it nearly bursts when her reply finally appears on the screen.
(206)118-1412
Though I don’t memorize phone numbers anymore, I would recognize that one anywhere.
Tori’s.
Instead of getting any sleep, I spend the rest of the night and the first hours of the morning on the phone with my best friend. Because that’s exactly what she is. Someone that I care deeply about that knows everything about me. Well, almost everything.
The guys all think I’m crazy for being on the phone for so long and yeah, well, maybe I am. As soon as I get home, I punch in the number for the airlines and wait to find out how soon I can catch a plane to Sechelt. Though I could drive there, doing so after having no sleep wouldn’t be the smartest or safest thing to do.
With my phone pressed tightly to my ear, I begin to throw things into a carryon. If this trip is meant to be—.
“Sir, I apologize for the delay,” the airline host says.
“It’s okay. Were you able to find out anything?” I know I sound like an overzealous kid waiting for the release of a new video game, but I want to see Tori so badly.
“How quickly can you get here? I have a direct flight into Sechelt leaving in an hour.”
“I’m on my way,” I blurt and end the call.
