Sophie Love - For Now and Forever

Emily was too panicked to feel guilty yet. All she could think was that her house was on fire and the puppies were trapped inside, their shrill barks echoing in her ears. Through the kitchen window she could see orange flames dancing upward.

“What do we do?” she cried, grasping her hair with panic, her mind blanking.

Daniel ran to the hose that was attached to the side of the house for watering the lawn. He twisted the handle and water began to gush from the end of it. Then he smashed the window in the kitchen door with his elbow and ducked as the flame was drawn toward the source of oxygen, shooting out above him. He put the hose through the window and blasted the flame with water.

“Go to the carriage house,” he shouted to Emily. “Call the fire department.”

Emily couldn’t believe this was happening. Her mind was swirling, filled with confusion and terror. Her house was on fire. After all the work they’d put into it, the whole thing was literally going up in flames.

She made it to the carriage house and pulled the door open. She grabbed the phone and just about managed to pump 9-1-1 into it.

“Fire!” she shouted when the call connected to the emergency operator. “West Street!”

As soon as she’d relayed that information she ran back to the house. Daniel was nowhere to be seen and the door was wide open. Emily realized he’d gone inside.

“Daniel!” she screamed, terror taking hold of her. “Where are you?”

Just then, Daniel emerged through the smoke, carrying the basket of yapping puppies, Mogsy rushing along at his heels.

Emily fell to her knees and scooped the puppies up in her arms, so relieved that they were okay. They were soot-stained. She grabbed Rain and wiped the ash from his eyes, then did the same with the other pups. Mogsy licked her face and wagged her tail as though she possessed the ability to understand the gravity of the situation.

Just then Emily saw flashing lights reflected in the glass. She turned back to see the fire truck screaming along the usually quiet street. It came right up to the house, then the fire officers inside leapt out and sprang into action.

“Is there anyone inside the property?” one of them asked her.

She shook her head and watched, stunned into silence, as they ran in through the kicked open kitchen door.

Daniel came up tentatively beside her. She looked across at him, at his ash-filled hair and soot-stained clothes.

“I’d only just fixed that damned door,” he said.

Emily let out a half sob, half laugh. “Thank you for coming back,” she said quietly.

Daniel just nodded. They turned back to the house and watched silently as the cloud of smoke turned into nothing more than a thin plume.

A few moments later, the fire officers emerged from the house. The lead one walked up to Emily.

“What happened?” she asked him.

“Looks like you had a faulty toaster,” he said, holding up the mangled object.

“Is there much damage?” She braced herself for the news.

“Just smoke damage caused by the melting plastic. You might want to air the place out for a while. The smoke is toxic.”

Emily was so relieved to hear that the house had only suffered some minor smoke damage that she threw her arms around the fireman’s neck. “Thank you!” she cried. “Thank you so much!”

“Just doing my job, Emily,” he replied.

“Wait, how do you know my name?” Emily asked, taken aback.

“From my dad,” the fireman replied. “He’s very fond of you.”

“Who’s your dad?”

“Birk from the gas station. I’m Jason, his eldest. You know next time you have a party, invite me too, won’t you? I don’t think Dad’s had as much fun in all his life as he did that night. If you’re that good a hostess, I want in.”

“I will,” Emily replied, a tad stunned by the events of the evening, and the way everyone knew everyone in this small town.

Emily and Daniel stood and watched the engine drive away, then went inside to assess the damage. Other than the stench, a black smudge running up the wall, and a melted rectangle on the countertop, the kitchen was fine.

“I can pay for the broken window,” Daniel said.

“Don’t be silly,” Emily replied. “You were helping.”

“It was hardly a fire at all. I overreacted. I just didn’t want Mogsy and the puppies to choke on the smoke.” He picked up Mogsy and rubbed her behind the ears and she rewarded him by licking his nose.

“You did the right thing,” she added. “Fires can spread quickly. Thanks to the hose you caught it before it spread.” She looked at Daniel, at his bowed head and stooped shoulders. “What made you come back?” she asked.

Daniel chewed his lip. “You didn’t give me the chance to explain myself. I wanted to clear my name.”

After everything he had done for her, Emily owed him that much. “Okay. Go for it. Clear your name.”

Daniel pulled up a chair and sat down at the kitchen table. “Dashiel is the name I was born with,” he began. “But it was also my father’s name. I was named after him. So I had it legally changed when I walked out of his house because I didn’t want to become a deadbeat alcoholic like he was.”

Emily shifted uncomfortably. Her own father had drunk often. Was that another thing she and Daniel shared in common?

“Those people in town,” Daniel continued. “They remember me as Dashiel because they want me to be bad. They want me to turn into him. To become bad.” He shook his head.

Emily felt herself shrink in her seat with embarrassment. “And what about the women?”

He shrugged. “We all have past relationships, don’t we? I don’t think I’ve had more than would be normal for a young guy in this day and age. Those women are probably suspicious because I never married, you know? They think I’m a lothario because I dated, had some long-term relationships but never settled down. I’m not a monk, Emily. I have had past lovers. But I think you’d be more confused if I hadn’t!”

“That’s true,” she said, feeling even more remorseful. “I’m sorry I let them get to me. That I let them convince me you were a bad guy.”

“Do you see now that I’m not? That I’m not that guy who puts people in the hospital? Who can’t take any responsibility and flunks out? Who would be stringing you along romantically and setting fire to your house?”

When he said it aloud, it did sound kind of ludicrous. “I see that now,” she said in a sheepish voice.

“And you DO know who I am. I’m the guy who sat with you one night in a storm nursing a puppy back to health. Who took you to a secret rose garden on a warm spring day. Who bought you cotton candy. Who kissed you and made love to you.”

He reached out for her hand. Emily looked at it, the palm open and inviting, then slid her hand in his and interlaced her fingers with his.

“Don’t forget that you’re also the guy who saves me from a fiery inferno,” she added.

Daniel smiled and nodded. “Yes. I’m that guy too. A guy who would never want to hurt you.”

“Good,” Emily said. She leaned in and kissed him tenderly. “’Cause I kinda like that guy.”

That night, Emily and Daniel rekindled their relationship, the drama of the day all but forgotten between the bed sheets, forgiveness coming in the form of caresses, ill feelings kissed away.

When morning arrived, shining a bright summer light in through the curtains, they both stirred awake.

“I guess I won’t be making you breakfast,” Daniel said. “Now that the toaster’s exploded.”

Emily groaned and let her head fall back against the pillow. “Please don’t remind me.”

“Come on,” Daniel said. “Let’s go to Joe’s for breakfast.” He leapt out of bed and pulled on his jeans, then extended his hand out for Emily to take.