Chapter Thirty-Five
Sam
Mia opened the door looking panicked. She was still in her dressing robe, her hair was a sexy mess, and her body language clearly indicated she had overslept.
I smiled. “Good dreams, huh?”
“I thought I set my alarm,” she sighed hurriedly, as she closed the door behind me. “And, I think Renni’s overslept, too.”
“Go,” I said calmly. “You help her get dressed, I’ll wait.”
“What a day to be late,” she said in frustration as she made her way down the hall towards Renni’s room. “Career day! Damn it!”
I smiled and busied myself in the kitchen. I decided to put some eggs and bacon on the pan. While they were cooking, I got out the bagels and cream cheese, set the table, and poured out orange juice for three. I was spooning the eggs onto a flat dish when I felt Mia’s hands come around me and then run down my chest.
“Now that’s not fair,” I said, turning to face her. “Is there any point in getting me all hot and bothered now?”
She smiled and held up her hands so that I could see them. “I’ll stop.”
“Awww, why?”
Mia laughed, and then she leaned in and kissed me softly on the lips. When she pulled away, her green eyes were soft with affection. “You made breakfast.”
“I did.”
“Thank you for that,” she said, infinitely calmer than she’d been when I had first walked in. “And, for doing this today for Renni. She couldn’t be more excited.”
“I’m glad to do it,” I insisted. I hesitated for a moment. “Umm…you don’t mind that I’m doing it, do you?”
Mia smiled and took a seat at the breakfast table. “I know I probably should be a little miffed that she completely sidestepped me in favor of you, but I’m not. It’s nice for her to have a male role model. She never really got to know her father in that way. She was too young when he passed.”
“Well, I’m honored to have been asked at all,” I said. “I’m actually kind of nervous.”
“Don’t be,” Mia said, with a laugh. “Renni’s been talking you up all week. I think everyone in that classroom already knows who you are and what you do. They’re just excited to meet you.”
“Oh, wow,” I said. “So no pressure?”
Mia smiled. “You’ll be fine,” she said reassuringly. “You’re great with people – kids especially.”
“Are you sure you can’t be there?” I asked again.
“I have an early deposition this morning,” she replied. “And in any case, the kids are allowed to bring only one person today. And that would be the person who gets to talk about their career.”
I sighed dramatically. “Just thought I’d ask.”
Mia placed a kiss on my cheek just as Renni rushed to the table. “Sam!” she said. “Are you ready?”
I couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. “I am ready!” I said. “And pumped!”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I’m excited.”
“Oh,” Renni said, and I could see her storing away that phrase for later use.
“How about some breakfast?” I asked. “Then we can head off?”
Renni nodded and sat down next to me, but she barely ate a thing. She was visibly excited, and it seemed she lost her appetite when that happened. She did manage half a bagel and some eggs at Mia’s insistence, but that was all.
Mia dropped Renni and me off at the kindergarten and together, we climbed the steps to her school. When we walked into her classroom, there were already a bunch of students sitting at the tables next to one of their parents. A kindly-faced, middle-aged woman with an interesting perm and sparkling brown eyes approached me.
“Hello, Mr. Burbank,” she said. “I’m Alison Ray, Renni’s teacher. Welcome.”
“Thank you,” I nodded, not surprised that she knew my name.
“Why don’t you and Renni sit down, we’re just about to start. We’re just waiting on a few more students.”
“Thank you, Ms Ray,” I said, figuring out that that’s what everyone would be calling her.
Renni and I found a seat in the back of the classroom. I noticed that all eyes were on me as we moved through the miniature tables and chairs. I sank down in my tiny little chair, feeling like a giant in a fairytale. Renni sat down next to me, looking as proud as punch. A couple of her little friends gave me tentative smiles, which I returned with ready waves.
“You might be the most popular one in here at the moment,” one of the parents said to me. “To be honest, I don’t know why the rest of us even showed up.”
I smiled at him. He had deep blue eyes and dark hair starting to gray at the temples. He was dressed in a suit, but he didn’t look stuffy or pompous. He looked like he was quite comfortable.
“I’m Sam,” I said, stretching my hand out to him.
“I know,” he laughed. “I’m Joseph, Jolie’s dad.”
“Jolie’s dad is a surgeon,” Renni told me.
“That’s right,” Joseph smiled. “How are you this morning, Renni?”
“Happy,” she replied simply.
She and Jolie sat between us and started exchanging items in their backpacks. There were pictures, bits of string and even a ball of clay. I turned to Joseph.
“Have you done many of these?”
“This is my first time actually,” Joseph replied. “My wife did it last year. She’s a chef.”
I nodded. As I glanced around the classroom, I noticed that the kids weren’t the only ones shooting me curious glances. Quite a few of the parents seemed to have an interest in me.
“Don’t mind them,” Joseph said, from beside me. “It’s just new.”
“What is?” I asked.
“The fact that you’re speaking today,” he replied. “I think you might be the only non-parent.”
“Ah,” I said, understanding.
Finally, career day started, and Ms Ray invited Molly’s mother to come up and speak. Molly’s mother turned out to be an executive at a marketing firm. I tuned her out after the first five minutes – and apparently, so did everyone else. Eleven speeches later, it was finally my turn. It was with a strange sense of nostalgia that I made my way up to the front of the class.
“Hi, everyone,” I greeted the eager faces that met me.
“Hi, Sam,” they chorused loudly.
“Whoa…okay,” I smiled. “Thanks for the welcome. So I’m here on behalf of Renni to talk to you about my career. I’m a fire fighter.”
I launched into a small explanation of my job, how I decided to become a fireman, and what I did every day. I explained what the inside of a fire engine truck looked like, how we got distress calls, and how we responded to them. They listened with rapt attention, and when I was finished, I asked if anyone had any questions. Every single little hand in the room shot into the air. I smiled.
“Okay,” I nodded. “Let’s start over here.”
The questions took so long that Ms Ray had to step in and cut them short, reminding everyone that we had a couple more parents to get through. She promised that if we had time at the end, they would be allowed to ask me more questions. I spent an enjoyable day fielding questions from Renni’s friends. And then finally, Ms Ray announced that career day was over.
As all the adults turned around to say goodbye to their kids, Renni came running up to me. “Hi, kiddo,” I smiled. “So…how’d I do?”
“You were great!” she said emphatically. Then she leaned in and whispered to me. “You were the best one.”
I laughed. “I’m glad you thought so.”
“Thank you for coming, Sam.”
She said it in such a mature, grown up way that it melted my heart. All I could do was draw her to me for a big hug. When she pulled back she stared up at me with those pretty green eyes that were so much like her mother’s.
“I love you, Sam.”
I was taken aback by her words, and they made me freeze in place. Love was not a word I threw around lightly. The only people I really ever said it to were my brothers, and even then it was not always in a serious context. But despite my surprise, I recognized the surge of emotion that rose up to meet Renni’s words.
“I love you, too, Renni,” I said, and as I said the words I knew instinctively that I meant them. Who would have thought that the first time I said “I love you” would be to a five year old?
I said goodbye to Renni and made my way outside. Since Mia had dropped Renni and I off, I didn’t have my pick up with me. The station was not far off anyway, and I had wanted to walk back and enjoy the day. I exchanged a few words with Joseph, said goodbye, and headed for the station.
It was a blustery day; the wind was strong but not uncomfortable. I thought about Renni and her parting words the whole time I was walking. In fact, I was so engrossed in that moment, that I barely noticed the burning stench in the air.
When it finally caught my attention, I realized that this was no fledging fire. Frowning, I glanced around, trying to find the source of the smell. And then I saw it. There was a building facing away from me on the adjoining street that seemed to be on fire. I grabbed my phone and called in it, just in case no one had spotted it yet, then I ran straight for the building.
The fire seemed to be coming from the upper floors. There was a massive sign on the front of the building that read that it was in foreclosure. I hoped that meant there weren’t any people inside. On the heels of that thought, an older man stumbled from the entrance, coughing and retching. I rushed towards him.
“Sir?” I said. “Sir, are you alright?”
“My wife,” he gasped. “My wife is still in there. I couldn’t carry her out… I couldn’t… She was too heavy…”
“Is she unconscious, sir?” I asked, in my calmest voice.
“I think so,” he replied. “She’s in a wheelchair.”
“Are there any more people in the building?” I asked, looking around desperately for any sign that help might be on the way. Where were the first responders?
“One other family that have yet to move out,” the old man replied. “But I think they’re at work.”
Relieved, I stared up at the building. “Can you help me?” the man asked desperately. “My wife, she’s sick.”
I paced on the spot, wondering what the hell I was supposed to do. This was my job, but I was not prepared. I had no gear and no back up. The promise I made to Mia rang in my ears, and I knew this would be going against it. But there was a woman in that building who needed my help.
“Stay here,” I told the man. “When the fire fighters get here, tell them what you told me.”
Before he could reply, I took a deep breath and headed straight into the burning building.