Burn, Babe, Burn

Bang. Crash. Boom! Screaming coming from across the hall. Firefighters yelling "GET OUT!" I stopped for a moment to think about what was going on, it was only 9 o'clock in the morning and it was my 5th anniversary! My husband already left for his first day as a first responder, and I was getting ready for work. I hurried out of the shower. Soap in my hair and water dripping from my feet. I dash to the window only to see the sight of panicking people. I threw on my clothes as fast as I could, fling my hand to the doorknob and I let out an unbearable scream. The doorknob felt like a boiling pot of water.

Many things were going through my head, what was I going to do next, and how long did I have? The screams, the sirens, the alarms they grew louder and more intense.  I sprint back over to the window and use my fist to shatter it into jagged pieces of glass and the rush of wind and came bursting through. At the top of my lungs the most forceful, loudest, sharpest scream came out of my mouth. I couldn't believe it, I was so high up. I begin hyperventilating and sweating as if I just finished a marathon. If I can tell you one thing I had a huge fear of heights and at that moment I was too scared to even move. I begin yelling and yelling from the floor of my apartment.

Then a powerful voice, a very strong and manly voice comes from the door. I couldn't believe what I had heard, but wasn't my door covered with fire?  Wasn't the building collapsing? Wasn't this the end? "Get back" he yells. The mysterious firefighter rams the door down and there I was. Lying on the floor as fumes and smoke fill the air above me. He picks me up in his muscular arms and covers my face. Before, I knew he's scurrying down the steps as water is being sprayed on the black walls. Ashes were everywhere and the smell of burning carpet and wood was extremely unpleasant, but I was so relieved it was finally over. Or was it? The damage to the stairs was very severe and in the blink of an eye, the stairs began the crumble under the feet of the man carrying me.

He stumbles and falls over, with me in his arms thus letting his grip loose and I roll down what was left of the stairs and bolt. To my surprise, we were right at the exit and made my departure. "Freedom" I yell. I was finally free. The firefighter though, covered in rubble and that smile on my face gone. I didn't quite know what to say, so instead, I fell to my knees and a stream of tears fell from my red irritated eyes only causing me more pain. The Chicago police came over directing me to the meeting spot, but I couldn't. I couldn't watch the building devour him. He was a good man, and I took the oxygen mask he covered my face with earlier and dash back in. The fire was contained, so I just had to get to him without the building collapsing over top of me.

I see his feet, and of course, I didn't think twice to tug and pull and I could feel him trying to get up, but with the layers and layers of equipment he wore and garbage suffocating his body, he weighed a ton. Then the building on its weak walls begins to crumble piece by piece! I threw the pieces of wall and wood off of his firm body as quickly as I could. Unbuttoning and unzipping his jacket weighing down his body, loosen the suspenders holding up his fireproof pants and yanking those bulky boots off his feet. Then his head emerges from the debris, then his arms and lastly his chest, and he sits up. Boom! A piece of the ceiling came crashing down. He got up as fast as he could on his bruised limbs and limped to the exit.

Finally, I could be happy. I tore the mask off my face with the grip of a gorilla and threw it with joy. Then before I realized he took his off he picked me up and planted a huge kiss on my face. I was in shock. Why would this man kiss me? He put me down and I could not have been more thrilled, all the words left my mouth and a tear fell. My husband risked his life to save me, but he lied? "Wait how is this possible?" I asked him. "Aren't you an EMT?" He looks at me with a grin of mockery on his face and says "I'm a first responder, as an EMT silly!" Suddenly all the pain I felt went away. I began to forget about the burnt objects I left behind in the fire. All I could see was my husband saving all these people and did not think for two seconds I could fall more in love.

Later that evening, we decided to crash at my parents' house while they were out of town this weekend. We had nothing left of what we worked for. I was heartbroken but remembered it was still my anniversary. I had one last chance to make this evening special. My husband was in the shower cleaning all the dust and dirt off and I decided to surprise him! I found two pumpkin scented candles in the china cabinet and leftover alfredo in the fridge. I took it all quickly and set up dinner on the balcony. When he finally finished getting cleaned up, I guided him to our evening under the stars. We sat together gazing into the eyes of each other and reread our vows. I couldn't help but feel the joy he's brought into my life and now I can keep living this joy.