Knight in shining fire armor.

Ten years ago, my wife Jacklyn “Jack” for short saved me from a fire at the apartment I was living at. I am watching my six-year-old run around in the back yard through the kitchen window and I just smile at how happy and adorable she is. I just think of how I would have not had my life or my precious little girl if it were not for my wife Jack, I can remember it like it was yesterday. I had just gotten home from working a twelve-hour shift at the hospital, I was a night nurse working in the emergency room and it was a full night. I was taking my shoes off and groaning at the relief I felt taking them off, giggling I head towards the bathroom to clean up for the night and decided on a bubble bath so I filled it half with hot water and then plenty of bubbles. Stripping I climbed in sighing at the feeling of all my muscles relaxing at once, thinking yes this is worth working twelve hours a day. I giggle again just relaxing and enjoying the feeling of comfort the water provides. Looking overseeing where I left my phone, I wipe my hands off with a washcloth calling my best friend Anna she answered on the other end with me hearing her yelling at her kids, I giggle just as she says, “What are you giggling at Aubrey?” I laugh again saying,” You, of course, you’re always yelling at someone when I call.” She gasps and starts saying, “No I don’t, but whatever doll what did you want this late?” I looked at the time on my phone smiling before saying, “I wanted to hear your lovely voice buttercup and I just wanted to say hi, we haven’t talked in a week. I miss my girl talk.” She laughs on the other end of the call making me smile, stretching I hear her ask, “You’re in the bubble bath without me aren’t you, you know that’s not fair these kids keep me running I don’t have the time to bathe and relax.” I giggle saying, “Yes you do it is just that they always interrupt your me time.” She agrees and we just talk about our days I smile when we hang up saying I love you and see you later. I yawn and get out of the tub draining it and drying myself off I go to my room and just lay down enjoying the fluffy comfort of my queen size bed. I smile and sit up drying my hair before putting my pajamas on and going to bed with the hopes of good dreams to follow.

Waking up from my sleep I am coughing and choking smelling smoke and I realize there is a fire somewhere, I freeze coughing and I know I need to move I grab my phone and purse before grabbing a washcloth and wetting it covering my mouth. I go to my front door and the doorknob is burning hot I scream when I touch it and jump back holding my hand to my chest whimpering and looking for a way out. I run to my bedroom window prying the window open I remember we don’t have a fire escape on my side of the building and I begin to panic with no way out, I am on the fourth floor and I know if I jumped I’ll either die or I will break several bones. I do not want to die, and I do not want to be crippled I look back seeing the smoke coming into my bedroom now and I know the fire has reached my living and kitchen area. I scream out the window as my only option is screaming, “HELP SOMEONE! SOMEONE, PLEASE HELP ME I AM TRAPPED!” I cry holding the cloth back to my mouth hoping someone heard me, I look back and my door begins to crack and buckle, and I feel myself getting dizzier from all the smoke in the room now. my eyes are watering and I suddenly feel myself being pulled out the window and into someone’s arms. I am distraught and crying saying thank you repeatedly as I feel these strong arms wrapped around me and I am being carried slowly down what I am assuming is a latter.

I was laid down as someone was telling me everything was going to be alright now, I was coughing and trying to take in breaths of air. I opened my eyes seeing the most amazing green eyes that I have ever seen looking back at me and they belong to a beautiful firewoman. She smiles down at me saying, “You’re alright now mam, I have to get back to it but just let these lovely paramedics take care of you.” I just nod in shock dumbfounded at the woman who just rescued me from dying, looking back at my building I whimper just as a paramedic put an oxygen face mask on me. My place is gone and so is all my belongings except what I have stored away in my storage unit, I close my eyes just thankful that I am alive and was lucky enough to be saved by a beautiful woman to top it off.

Taking In deep breaths of air I am put into an ambulance being rushed to a hospital, I move my mask slightly with my uninjured hand asking, “What hospital are you taking me to? I work at General M; I am an emergency nurse working night shift there.” I cough and put the mast back on breathing again as the paramedic next to me nods saying, “That is where we are going mam just another three minutes until we are there.” I nod and relax back on the gurney making mental notes on who I need to call and what I need to do about my place being up in flames literally. I sigh and picture that stunning firewoman again and smile inside my head, wanting to find out who she is making sure she is on my list of things to do. I giggle in my head arguing with myself on why I need to stop thinking of her and her green eyes, but I cannot think of anything else.

We arrive at the hospital where they take me into one of the cubicles and I am sat waiting for a doctor, knowing my luck it will be someone I know, and I will get a talking to. I sigh and close my eyes just breathe the sweet, sweet oxygen I was receiving. Hoping everyone else in the building got out safe and alive at least. I hear a curtain being pulled back so I sit up seeing my friend Arron looking me with sympathy and worry in his eyes, I shake my head moving the mask slightly saying, “Don’t you give me that look I’m ok and probably better off than most that came in tonight not get your butt over here and fix me up man.” He smiles and I cover my mouth again with the max smiling back at him. He begins filling out my chart with all my information as I give it to him between deep breaths, then he starts examining me starting with my throat and airway before moving onto my hand and the back of my arm and legs. I just now noticed they were burned as well and I finally felt the pain whimpering as he poked around before saying,” Well Aubrey you have a third-degree burn on your hand and second-degree burns on the back of your right arm and both of your legs. What I mostly am worried about is your hand because a third-degree burn can cause nerve damage and then your throat and lungs you breathed in quite a lot of smoke but that should clear in a day or two.” I nod with tears in my eyes saying, “I didn’t know about the other burns until you pointed them out and now, I am feeling everything.” I gently swatted his arm with my left uninjured hand and he smiled at me saying, “I know hon but you were also still in shock, I’ll have nurse Cathy come in to assist me we need to get these burns cleaned and wrapped before I can give you pain meds so bear with us, you know the drill.” I nod and just lay back whimpering and waiting for him to come back with Cathy.

I look around me and see my purse and remember I grabbed it and my phone, I reached over looking for my phone find it under my purse and I call Anna, the moment she answers her phone I cry some more saying, “Anna can you come to the hospital, please? My apartment building caught on fire and I am in the emergency room.” I hear her gasp on then yell at her husband Frank telling him to watch the kids before she says, “I am on my way sweets, I’ll see you shortly.” We both hung up just as Arron and Cathy came back into the cubical to fix me up, I smile and say, “Well let’s get the torture over with shall we friends.” They both smile sadly and nod before they both get to work cleaning and dressing my burns, the whole time I just thought about that sexy firewoman to distract myself from the pain. When they finished, they said they would move me to a recovery room, so I let Anna know through text as they moved me.

I must have fallen asleep after that because when I woke again, I was in another room and Anna was there holding my good hand, I smiled up at her. She had fresh tears in her eyes but held them back saying, “Well don’t you look like a burnt piece of bacon.” I giggle at her silliness saying,” Just because I have this fabulous mocha skin doesn’t mean that I am burnt bacon with these burns.” She laughs smiling and leans down kissing my head saying, “Well doll you are coming home with me once you're released, I know the kids can be hand full but until your healed up and find a new place you stuck with us.” I smile thanking her and yawn asking,” Can you do me a favor?” she nods and I wink at her saying, “I met my knight in shining fire armor tonight and I wish to find out her name and number, so when tomorrow comes around I need your help tracking her down.” I smile at her and she begins laughing with tears in her eyes saying, “OH my gosh woman you are amazing! You just survived a fire and now you want to find your rescuer.” I giggle nodding so she just smiles and nods telling me to get some more sleep, so I close my eyes dreaming of green eyes and strong arms wrapped around me.

Waking up feeling refreshed but in pain and stiff from the night before, all my memories come rushing back at me and I sigh look over at the clock on the side of the bed. It is eight in the morning and I feel like I have been through a cheese grader on how my hand, arm, and legs are feeling. I stretch as gently as I can sitting up before limping my way to the kitchen for coffee, I hear Anna, Frank, and the kids all very lively this morning and I smile as I walk in seeing them all at the table. Little Grace looks at me and squeals yelling,” Hi aunty Aubrey!” I laugh and smile saying,” Hi darling and good morning to everyone. Anna buttercup can you get me coffee please.” She smiles at me and sets a cup in front of me as I sit slowly down onto a stool, looking around me I smile saying, “Well how is all my favorite family members?” they all smile back saying they are good, Anna sits pancakes down in front of me and I sigh smiling up at her saying, “Thanks mom this looks delicious.” She smacks my head and giggles just as her kids and husband do the same, I look over at little Gracie and little George winking at them making them giggle more before eating their pancakes. We all clear our plates and once everyone is finished the kids and Frank are rushed off to school and work. Anna comes back to me kissing my forehead saying, “Well now since your injured did you call into work?” I shook my head saying, “Arron took care of it last night for me before we left and I am to be off for at least a month and regular doctor visit to make sure I don’t get any infections and that my dressings are being changed regularly.” She nods and winks at me asking, “Well are you ready for your firewoman hunt?” I blush and giggle nodding my head saying,” Heck yes I am! I need to find her Anna I don’t know what it is, but I need that woman in my life.” She shakes her head at me saying, “Well let’s get ready then we have at least six fire stations to hit this morning because I don’t know which ones in the area responded to the fire.” I nod and slowly climb off the stool whimpering and slowly shuffling my way back to my room to dress in some clothes Anna gave me, going for comfortable I went with a sundress and flats because I didn’t want fabric running against my wounds.

Making my way out to the car after we both got dressed for the day and I took my pain meds we proceeded to ask around fire stations for those who responded last night being told two of the fire departments responded and only one of them has a woman of the description I gave so we head Hendriks fire department. We arrive and I see a lot of firemen and women doing drills and cleaning their vehicles so I look over at Anna saying, “Well wish me luck buttercup I need it, it has been a long morning and now I am nervous as I get out.” She laughs and says, “Go on now doll we ain't got all day.” I giggle and stick my tongue out at her making my way out of the truck and limping slowly toward the station. I hear whistles and catcalls like I did at the other stations and role my eyes asking the first firemen I see, “Do you have a woman that works her, she is about six food, deep green eyes, and long black hair?” the firemen in front of me smiles nodding he head before yelling out,” HEY JACK! You got an admirer out here!” I blush profusely and wait for her to come out, when she does, I am frozen in my spot and speechless she even more gorgeous now that I can see her clearly and in daylight. She smiles at me and asks, “May I help your mam?” I blush and nod saying, “Well yes you can, you see I was rescued from a fire last night and need to find my knight shining fire armor who saved me.” I blush more and so does she before she clears her throat asking, “You’re the one I pulled through the window last night?” I nod and she smiles saying, “Well it is nice to meet the princess I rescued.” I blush more and giggle before coughing saying, “My name is Aubrey and it is nice to meet you to Jack, I think that is what your buddy called you.” She nods saying, “Yes my name is Jacklyn Anders, and it's Jack for short. Now that you found me Aubrey what do you want me for?” I look at her like she lost her mind before saying,” I want you, and I wanted to see if you would have dinner with me Friday night.” She laughs lightly and nods giving me her number and saying, “Well mam' a captain of her ship has to go back to work, so I look forward to your call and dinner Friday night.” She winks after we say goodbye and I walk back to the truck, climbing in Anna bombards me with questions and I just giggle saying, “She called me princess and said she will see me Friday night!” Anna and I both squeal in happiness and I could not wait to see her Friday.

I am broken out of my memories when I hear my wife Jack yelling,” Darling the burgers are done get out here Anna and the family will be here shortly.” I smile and turn around walking out the back door saying,” I’m her honey I was just finishing up some of the dishes.” She kisses me and I kiss her back snuggling into her arms looking over at our daughter saying,” Hey sweetheart you ready for burgers momma bear just finished some.” I hear a squeal and see my little girl running to us and I sweep her off her feet saying,” How is my little firewoman in training doing?” she giggles and says,” Good mommy, momma has been running drills with me.” I smile kissing her cheek and looking back at my wife saying in my head,” I am the luckiest woman in the world having the two most amazing people in my life right next to me.” I hold them both just as the rest of the family arrives and I know that if that fire hadn't happened, I would not have this life and this wonderful family.