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Noting her shivering, Ruby began to take off her heavy undershirt only to see she was too late as one of the other women had seen what was needed and was placing her own warm sweater over the girl’s trembling shoulders.
Coughing and choking, the mom looked at the group surrounding her and cried out, her voice thready from inhaled smoke. “I finally found a home that would take me and my baby. Finally!” She looked toward the heavens. “How could you take this away from us? Why?” The heartbreak in her voice would have softened the hardest of hearts, and it wasn’t surprising when the young man and all three women in the group made sounds of distress.
Unexpectedly, the young man spoke up. “I have a place where you can stay for now. My parents are gone for the winter, and they want me to house sit, but no way I want to travel that far every day to work. You can hang out there until you find another place.”
Everyone stopped talking to hear what she’d reply. Tears globbed in blackened eyes as she whispered loud enough for them all to hear. Shock grew with every word she spoke. “You’d do that for me… a stranger?” Her voice wobbled, and her lips quivered as she tried to stop crying. “Why?”
They all looked his way and it seemed to discomfort him so much, he crossed his arms and appeared at a disadvantage. “You were willing to risk your own life to save your baby. I-I can’t imagine that someone like that would be a threat.” He glanced at Ruby. “I guess it’s kind of corny.”
Now standing in front of Kurt, Ruby spoke up. She held out her hand and touched the stranger’s arm. “Not corny at all. You were the answer to my prayers when I needed help earlier.” Then she turned to look at the rest of those in the circle. “All of you.” She stared at each person in the group. “You cared enough to pitch in when you saw I needed help. I’ll never forget how brave you were to do so.” When she saw them looking sheepishly uncomfortable, she added, “Many others wouldn’t have gotten involved. Or put themselves in danger. Truth to tell, I’d been questioning humanity earlier. I needed to see there were still caring folks in the world, and you all stepped up.”
Filled with emotion, Kurt’s gruff tone to the mother made the words softer. “Take him up on his offer, sugar. It looks like you and your baby need the help.”
Ruby added, “But in the meantime, you have to let the medics check you and Mickie to be sure there isn’t any lasting damage from the smoke.”
The sudden loud cracking of the building beginning to collapse sent them all scurrying in different directions with Kurt guiding her to one of the ambulances. Looking over, Ruby saw that the kind-hearted male had made sure the mom and her baby had also gotten to safety and were at one of the other ambulances. She felt a smile break over her blackened face. Instinctively sharing it with Kurt, she saw him glance over her shoulder and knew he understood what had made her happy.
By the time she’d been cleared to leave, dawn was beginning to break through. One could see more clearly now the ugly mess that the flames and smoke had created from its fury. Heartsick, Ruby had to admit to being hugely relieved that the night had finally come to an end.
“I have to go back to my firehouse with the others, Kurt. Thanks for being here.” She reached up to leave a kiss on his cheek and grinned when his hands wouldn’t let her go. “I really do have to get back with the others.”
Slowly, she felt him freeing her and she whispered one word before she turned away. “Soon.”
