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Rafferty continued. “I remember it because the parents died in the fire and their daughter survived. The father was pretty heroic trying to rescue the daughter. When Pamela introduced me to Faith she mentioned how her parents died in a fire.”
Micah sucked his teeth. “She said that by way of introduction?” He made a scoffing sound. “That’s not cool.”
Rafferty tensed up. “Go easy on her, Micah. Pamela puts her foot in her mouth sometimes, but she means well. I think she was just nervous,” Rafferty explained. “She’s got a heart of gold. You just have to get to know her.”
Micah cringed. Heart of gold? Those words made him want to laugh out loud. Rafferty made it his life’s mission to stick up for his fiancée. While it was noble on one hand, Micah couldn’t help but feel that his best friend was being taken for a ride. He didn’t really know Pamela, and if he suspected she wasn’t all she pretended to be, Rafferty wasn’t acknowledging it to himself. He was purposefully wearing rose colored glasses. Sooner or later Rafferty would get crushed by reality.
“So, anyway,” Rafferty continued, “When Pamela mentioned that devastating fire I connected the dots. I remember reading all about it in the newspaper and seeing it on television.”
“You think it was Faith’s family who died in that fire?” Micah asked. He didn’t really remember the fire as much as Rafferty seemed to recall it. He had a slight memory of a bad fire in Pelican Bay but he hadn’t known the family at all. The little girl who’d lived in that gorgeous Victorian house hadn’t gone to school with him, his siblings or Rafferty. It made him feel badly that he hadn’t been more aware of the devastating blaze.
“I’m pretty sure it is.” Rafferty snapped his fingers. “Hey! You were away that whole summer. You went to visit your relatives in Cape Cod.”
“That makes sense since my memories of the fire are really vague,” Micah said, feeling better about not remembering all the details. That summer had been an amazing one. His family had traveled to Breeze Point, Cape Cod and spent months getting to know their New England cousins. Much like his own family, that branch of the Donahue family was blended as well, with all of his cousins being adopted from the foster care system. With Shayla being the only girl among fourteen boys, she had been treated like a true princess—one who enjoyed playing football, chasing salamanders and catching crabs at the beach. It had been idyllic. They had spent their days swimming and biking while their nights were made special by trips to the ice cream shack, catching fireflies, going to the double feature at the drive-in and making special visits to the Donahue family bakery, Sweet Treats. It did his soul well just to remember those carefree days of summer.
“There was something so tragic about that fire.” Rafferty shook his head. “I’ve never forgotten it. It’s just so strange that it’s connected to Pamela. Those were her relatives who died—her aunt and uncle. Faith was the sole survivor. No other siblings.”
“Wow. It’s pretty incredible that Faith survived that tragedy.” Micah’s heart went out to Faith. He couldn’t imagine losing your family in such a horrific manner.
“It is, but I imagine she’s been to hell and back because of it. Pamela also told me tonight that Faith came to live with Pamela’s family in the aftermath of the tragedy.”
Micah couldn’t imagine Faith moving in with Pamela’s family and having to deal with Pamela’s self-absorption. It made Micah sad just to think about it. He wasn’t sure what he would have done at that age if he’d lost his entire family. He would have been utterly lost.
Rafferty left the kitchen to head back to the party, leaving Micah with thoughts of fire and ash and a grieving teenager who’d lost her whole world in a blazing inferno. Try as he might, Micah couldn’t stop thinking about all that Faith had been through in her young life.
Micah felt so blessed to have his own family. They had always stuck by him, through the hard times and the good ones. He felt a pang of sympathy for Faith. Who did she run to when the storms of life blew in her direction?
“I’m really big on people showing you who they are. By their words and deeds. Kind people radiate goodness in everything they do, whereas the cruel ones just bring chaos into their midst. I always told my kids to gravitate toward the kind ones.” Penelope Donahue
Chapter Three
The engagement party was winding down, with guests saying their goodbyes. A cool breeze swept over Faith’s shoulders and she felt thankful for her long sleeves. From where she stood on Micah’s patio she could see glittering lights in the distance and the dark waters of Pelican Bay. All in all, Faith was happy she’d attended Pamela and Rafferty’s engagement party, even though her cousin had only spoken to her when she’d wanted to use her as a prop. She had surprised herself by being more relaxed and open than usual. She and Shayla Donahue had gotten along swimmingly. They had several things in common. She’d made plans to meet Shayla for lunch in the next few days. Shayla was funny and sweet, with a toughness that shone through her beautiful exterior. Normally, Faith felt a bit intimidated by beauty, but there was something about Shayla that radiated pure goodness. She needed more friends in her life. Lately she had been having conversations with God about coming out of her shell and being more open.
She knew part of it was ridding herself of all the layers she wore to protect herself and her scars from scrutiny. She was so tired of hiding them. Of hiding herself. The psychologist she used to see—Dr. Warbler—had told her that the scars were tied in to who she was but they didn’t define her. Faith knew that was true. The hard part was being brave enough to wear her scars like a warrior. She had been through the fire literally and come out on the other side. Was she being untrue to the memories of her parents by hiding herself away from the world? Her father had died trying to make it through the flames to get to her. She owed it to him to live her best life.
Faith gazed over at Micah. A man this stunning would never go for someone like her! As perfect as he was, Micah probably only dated women who were as divinely good looking as himself.
Goodness! Where had that thought come from? She barely knew Micah Donahue and it wasn’t right to judge him so superficially simply because of his exterior.
Wasn’t that exactly what she was afraid of people doing to her? Judging her by her burns? Unexpectedly, he turned in her direction and sent her a warm grin and a wave. Annoyingly, she felt a tiny flutter of attraction in her belly. It had been a very long time since she’d felt this instant like for someone. And even though it scared her a bit, it also felt liberating.
It really was time for her to head home!
“Don’t waste your time, cuz.” Pamela’s voice cut through the warm and fuzzy glow Faith was experiencing. Immediately she tensed up, sensing something negative was about to come her way. She was an expert in gauging Pamela’s moods. Her cousin’s eyes glittered with an emotion Faith recognized as simmering anger. What had she done this time to enrage her cousin? No doubt it was her mere presence at the engagement party. Although Pamela had needed her here for appearances sake, Faith knew her cousin really didn’t like her as a person. Strangely enough, that knowledge still had the power to wound her. If your own flesh and blood didn’t like you, what did that say?
Pamela’s upper lip curled with disdain. “He’s a male model in case you didn’t realize it. Micah Donahue is a bit out of your league,” Pamela said in a cruel tone.
“I-I’m not trying to be in his league,” she said in a low voice. Why was Pamela doing this in a venue where people could overhear her? During their teenage years Pamela had been very clever about being cruel to Faith in isolation. No one—not even Pamela’s parents—had suspected she was capable of a campaign of verbal harassment against Faith.
Why had she even come here tonight? She owed Pamela nothing!
“Good!” Pamela said. “Because it’s not possible. I invited you here tonight to support me,” she hissed, “not to make goo-goo eyes at Rafferty’s best friend.” S
he shot her an icy smile. “Don’t embarrass me.”
Faith felt her cheeks reddening with embarrassment. She looked around her. No one seemed to notice anything unusual in her interaction with her cousin. Suddenly, Faith spotted Micah gazing over in their direction with a quizzical expression etched on his face. Faith wanted to sink into a hole at that very moment.
“Pamela, I came here tonight to support you. That was my sole agenda. It was a lovely party, but it’s been a long night and it’s time for me to go home.” Her voice sounded weary to her own ears. Pamela’s poisonous personality always took a toll on Faith. It left her feeling jaded and wounded, time after time.
