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Opening it, my breath catches in my throat. It’s still beautiful, with the intricate engravings as clear to me as the day I picked it out. It’s a special commission that I went out of town to get. The man looked at me strange when I requested our initials be done in scrawling cursive intertwined with the lilies in the foreground. Even then, I knew that she would always be a part of my life. I can wait as long as it takes. She will be mine.
Pulling out my phone, I look at the time, and when I see that it’s after ten in the morning, I call Brian before I can change my mind.
“Hey, man. I need your help,” I say as the other man answers the phone.
“Anything. Just name it. You know that.”
“I’m gonna fight for her. And I’m going to need your help.”
“You’re going to need a lot more than that. You’re going to need Maya, and you know it. But I’m glad that you decided to pull your head out of your ass. Have you said anything to Laura yet?”
“Technically, I broke up with her in a text, but I think it was really done after I couldn’t tell her that I didn’t love Margot. Fuck, Brian. I could have lost her last night… before I ever got a chance with her again. What the hell would I do without her?”
“I don’t know, brother,” he answered honestly. “But I’m here for anything you need. You know the firefighter is going to be a problem, though. He’s a good guy too from everything I’ve heard.”
“I know.” I sigh. “I just can’t let her go. I did it once, and it destroyed me. I’m not going to do it again. I’ll do whatever I need to, whatever it takes.”
“Okay, well, I’ll send the warden over to help you figure out your game plan.” Brian is referring to Maya, and I can hear her anger in the background as she yells at him for calling her names again.
Laughing, I hang up the phone and try calling Margot, but it goes straight to voicemail.
That’s fine. I’ll have plenty of time to talk to her after she gets home and gets some rest.
At least that is the plan until I hear the fire call over the radio.
* * *
Margot
I wake up to the incessant sound of drumming on my door, unsure of whether I’m hallucinating or not.
“Margot, you open this goddamn door or I’m going to call Brian and have him come break in for me. You know I can’t do this shit. You better not be dead in there or so help me, I’m going to learn how to use necromancy just so I can bring your ass back and then kill you again.Open the door!” Maya is yelling now, and I know that she isn’t going to go away.
Slowly, so I don’t hurt my head anymore, I unlock the door and open it for my friend.
Maya gasps, and then tears start falling down her cheeks. “Oh, love. Your poor face.” She reaches a hand out like she is going to touch the bruises and then pulls it back. “You’re going to be fine. I brought you some essentials.” She holds up a plastic bag and then moves around me and into the living room.
Dropping the bag on the coffee table, she turns and pulls me into a hug. While I know that Maya only means well, I also know that the other woman won’t leave until she is happy that I’m taken care of.
“I’m fine. Ray is gonna come over when he gets off shift, and he said he’d bring food.” I move back to the couch and settle back into my nest.
“Yeah, that’s not going to happen. There’s a fire at Tidemoor’s Boat Yard. They’ve got the fire departments from three different towns there now. I only came by to see if you needed me to do anything for you. Obviously, you can’t respond to the scene.” My job as EMA director means that anytime there is a significant event, the department will notify me so that I can help facilitate assistance when needed.
“Well, I’m going to have to.” The last thing I want is to leave my house, but my job is important. “I can’t take any type of narcotic, so could you grab me some ibuprofen from the kitchen? I’ll put some other clothes on. I’m going to need you to drive me; is that okay?” I call after Maya as she disappears into the kitchen and I move slowly down the hall to my bedroom.
No one will care if I show up in a pair of yoga pants and a hoodie, so that’s exactly what I put on. Maya brings me a glass of water with the ibuprofen. After I take the pills, I move back to the living room and pick up my phone. As the two of us leave the house, I know that it’s going to be a long day.
I’m surprised to see multiple Birch County Sheriff Department cruisers on-scene as we pull up, but I should have known better. Jake is there, along with Brian and Travis. They are helping where they can, taking orders from the incident commander as easily as if he’s their boss.
The fire is raging in the background, and my breath catches as I hear the radio traffic of the men and women who are inside the giant warehouse trying to make sure no one is inside. I do my job, making sure that everyone who is employed there has been accounted for. Most of the employees are standing off to the side, and at the end I’m only missing two employees who were meant to be on duty at the time the fire started. No one can give me any further information, and I hope they aren’t still in the building.
As the firemen make their way out of the building, and the flames slowly die down, being knocked back by the teams working together, I know that they will find two bodies. It’s clear there is no way they could have survived what has happened.
“Do they know what started the fire?” I ask the fire chief, hoping he is going to tell me it was an accident.
“The person who called to report it said that someone had locked them in the building and lit it on fire from the outside. Margot, you can’t release that to the public. I know I don’t need to tell you that. But it looks like we’ve got a firebug, and a murderer on top of that.” He sounds weary, the fire and all its repercussions taking their toll.
After I organize emergency meals and transportation for those who need it, I make sure that the injured men and women are transported to the hospital. The firefighters who need assistance are taken as well. I won’t chance any of them going home with an injury, and thankfully the fire chief agrees with me.
