I was sitting in a McDonald’s on a cold February Saturday morning sipping my coffee and eating my Sausage McGriddle. I was sitting by the playground entrance watching the children climb and play. I don’t know why I continued to do it to myself, but it was my ritual on my days off. I was there so often, the employees all knew me, even though I was still fairly new to town.

I moved to the area six months before, to get a new start and I guess, to run away from the pain I hoped to leave behind.

I got a job with the local fire department and found a small house that fit my meager needs. I didn’t get out much, but I always ended up watching the kids play on my days off.

I saw a beautiful woman there with a friend and their two little girls. They looked to be about three years old and were little firecrackers. Everything they did exuded the joy and the happiness of childhood. They were just like my Tyler was.

One of the mom’s got up and left the playroom. She was absolutely lovely. Her mop of red curls bounced as she walked and her cool blue eyes seemed to sparkle.

She breezed by me and smiled as she noticed my eyes lift to hers. Her perfume trailed behind her and smelled amazing. It was always my favorite - Amazing Grace. My wife Rebecca wore it.

I smiled at the wonderful memories that the scent made me recall. Our first kiss. The first time we made love. Our wedding. The good days. Before...

Movement caught my eye and I saw that one of the little girls was on the ground. I jumped up and ran through the door to see a lot of blood flowing from a gash on the side of her head.

The other mother was in a panic as I took off my sweatshirt and pressed it to the head wound to slow the bleeding. “Oh my God! She fell and hit her head on the slide,” she said in tears.

“Call for help. Call 911 please,” I said calmly.

She was sobbing and dialing 911 as the little girl lay crying on the ground. “Please stay still, sweetie. You’re gonna be okay, but you can’t move right now okay?” I tried to calm her as much as possible while keeping her still. I didn’t want her to move in case she had a neck injury. It wasn’t a long fall, but it was long enough.

She whimpered, “Okay,” as she cried.

I looked up and saw the other woman through the door and when she realized what was happening she bolted towards us and was there in a flash.

“What happened? Oh my God! Look at the blood,” she shrieked. “Mara!”

“She fell and hit her head. An ambulance is on its way,” her friend told her while rocking the other crying little girl. I realized then that the little one that fell had a mop of curls exactly like her mother.

“Daddy!” The mom shouted. “We have to get Daddy here. He’ll help. He knows what to do.”

“Ma’am, I’m trained for this. I’m an EMT and fireman. I’ve got it under control until the cavalry gets here.”

She was on her knees and stroking her child’s hair, telling her words of encouragement, and was doing a good job of keeping her calm. She looked at me and said, “Okay, thank you.”

Just then the sirens were heard and the ambulance pulled up to the side door. By that point, the McD’s manager was there and he was obviously new because he was a bit too freaked out and was getting in the way.

As the EMT’s came in and did their thing, one of them asked, “What happened, Sky?”

“The kid fell and hit her head on the way down. I kept her immobile and her mom kept her calm. She’s got a bleeder, but I didn’t feel any other issues on her head. Not sure about a neck injury though, Kelly,”

By that time, the girl was stabilized and was moved to the stretcher. They hustled out and Mom climbed into the ambulance with her.

The other lady and I each gave the police our accounts of what happened and I left to go to the hospital. Thankfully we were walking distance from St. Alex’s emergency room, so the girl would get great care very quickly.

As I parked I saw my Chief park in the reserved spots for emergency personnel and I shouted out to him, “Hey, Chief!”

He stopped running and waited for me to catch up with him.

“What’s up Sky? I have to get in there. My grand-baby fell and my little girl is freaking out.”

I realized then why the mom wanted to call her dad.

“Oh shit! I was there when she fell. I was coming by to see how it all ended up.”

“Well, let’s get in there then, man.”

I took a seat in the waiting area while the Chief of the Fire Department got let into the emergency treatment area. I suppose I could’ve walked in there as well, but I didn’t feel comfortable intruding on the family. I just wanted to know if she was okay.

Kelly and Steve, the two EMT’s, walked out of the ER doors on their way back to the ambulance. They saw me wave and we met halfway so I could get some info.

“Hey, Sky,” Steve said. “The kid’s doing okay. They stitched up the slice and they don’t think there are any neck or back injuries. She’ll get scanned to be sure, but they didn’t seem too worried.”

“That’s good, thank God. Did you know that’s the chief’s granddaughter?”

They both laughed and Kelly said, “Of course. We all know Molly and Mara very well. You’re too new and since Jerry’s ... well, she doesn’t come around the station that much anymore.”

“That makes sense then. She wanted to call her father at McD’s, I talked her out of it when I told her I was a fireman.”

“It’s a good thing you were there. Two panicked mothers and a rookie manager aren’t a good mix in an emergency situation. It sounds like you kept everyone calm.”

“Yeah, I’m just hoping the scans are negative. It wasn’t a long fall, but I guess she hit the side of the slide on the way down. It could’ve been worse. She’s lucky she didn’t break an arm or leg. That soft playground floor worked today.”

They nodded their agreement and Steve said, “We’ll see you later, Sky. We need to get back.”

“Of course. I’ll see you guys around.”

They were stationed at one of the other houses that I didn’t work at much. There were four of them in our town and we didn’t rotate much unless there were a lot of people with time off or holiday coverage was needed.

We were a pretty tight-knit group, though I didn’t socialize much and I was still the new guy. It was February and I’d started in September, so I’d missed last year’s summer parties and festivities. I hadn’t met the chief’s family yet, so I didn’t ever meet his daughter. He was a good guy and all of the group seemed to love working for him.

I hung out for about an hour before I saw the chief’s daughter walk in through the main entrance. “How’d she get past me?” I thought as I stood up and walked over to her.

“Hi, how is she?” I asked.

She looked at me like I was crazy. She said, “I don’t know yet, get out of my way.”

She pushed me aside and burst through the ER doors.

“What the hell was that all about?” I thought.

I left at that point. If the mom was going to be that rough on me, I didn’t need to stick around. I figured I’d talk to the Chief when I went to work the next day and get an update. She had enough stress on her plate without a stranger pestering her.

I was mopping the floor when the Chief walked into the station on Sunday morning. He saw me and walked over. Reaching out his hand he said, “Sky, thanks for all you did yesterday. Molly said you were a real pro and handled everything perfectly from the get-go.”

“I’m just glad I was there. That was a scary gash for a couple of freaked out moms with small kids to have to handle alone. How’s she doing?”

“Mara’s doing just fine. Nothing was broken and all tests were negative for neck and back injuries. She’s got a concussion and stitches, but she’ll make out okay.”

“That’s great to hear.”

“I came out looking for you after a while. Molly and Mara wanted to see you and thank you for helping them, but you were gone.”

“Yeah? I left after Molly got back. She was kinda stressed and even pushed me out of her way so she could get back to Mara,” I said with a chuckle.

“Huh? Molly never left. She was with me the whole time.”

“I’m confused then. I saw her come back and talked to her. I figured she went home to change clothes since hers had blood on them.”

The Chief started laughing and said, “I see now. No, you were pushed by Abby,” he kept laughing.

Then it clicked. “Oh, twins.”

“Yep. Abby’s a bit of a pistol when she gets fired up. You’re lucky she just pushed you. She loves Mara like she’s her own daughter and she was definitely in momma bear mode when she burst into Mara’s room. I’m sorry she scared you off.”

“Oh no, I just figured she was stressed out and didn’t need me hanging around,” I said.

“Well anyway, thanks again. My wife wants to have you over for dinner to thank you properly. Molly and Mara will be there too.”

I didn’t want to impose on the Chief’s private time and thought about saying no. I changed my mind and figured I could use a good home-cooked meal. I wasn’t a very good cook and I couldn’t pass it up.

“Okay, just let me know when and where.”

“I think you’re off on Friday, so how about 6:00 and I’ll get you the address later on.

“Okay, Chief. Thanks.”

“No. Thank you, young man,” he said. He patted me on the shoulder and walked to his office.

On the following Friday, I showed up at the Chief’s house a few minutes before 6. I had a bottle of Cabernet in one hand and flowers in the other. It may have been a bit much, but my mother always told me to never show up empty-handed and always bring flowers for the hostess.

The Chief answered the door and invited me in. As he was taking my coat and I was taking off my boots, a little hurricane swept into the room. She froze when she saw me all of a sudden unsure of what to do. She clung to her grandpa’s leg like a life preserver and he said, “It’s okay, sugar bear. Mr. Sky is our guest. Go ahead and say hi.”

The child stepped around cautiously and looked at me. I think then that she recognized me and shyly said, “Hi.”

I got down on a knee and said, “Hi Mara. How does your head feel?”

“It itches, but Momma says I can’t scratch it.” Her pout was adorable. She raised her hand as if to point to her wound, but I was wise to her shenanigans and held her hand down.

“I’m sorry sweetie, but your stitches will be out before you know it, you can’t scratch it yet.”

She pouted again and said, “Papa, Nana says to put him in the den.”

Chief laughed, lifted her up, and said, “Okay, baby. Let’s put him in the den.”

He kissed her and set her down as she started to wiggle out of his arms.

“Four years old. Can’t stay in one place for a second,” he said. “Come on, let me introduce you to my wife and daughters.”

We walked into the kitchen and as I was taking in the aroma of garlic, I was stopped in my tracks by the most beautiful pair of women I’d ever seen. They were stunning and weren’t even wearing makeup or dressed up. Molly and Abby were identical, but the one I thought was Molly just seemed to sparkle. I can’t explain it other than that. She sparkled.

Introductions were made and I got nice hugs from both ladies. Molly held me just a bit longer and had a tear in her eye when she said, “Thank you so much, Sky. I can’t express how glad I am that you were there. I don’t think I could’ve handled it without you.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m glad to help out and I’m glad I was there too.”

“Sky,” Abby said, “I’m sorry I pushed you and was rude. I didn’t know who you were.”

“That’s okay. It was a bad time for you guys. I felt no ill will. In fact, I thought you were Molly.”

While we were laughing about the mix up an older beautiful woman walked into the kitchen and grabbed me into a hug. “Thank you so much.”

As she was squeezing me half to death, Molly said, “Sky, that’s our mom, Ali. Mom, let him breathe, huh?”

Everyone laughed and we were pushed out of the kitchen to wait for dinner in the den.

Abby poured me a glass of wine and asked, “So Dad says you’re new in town. Where are you from?”

“Cincinnati area, originally. Spent my whole life there. Well, until a few months ago, anyway.”

“What brings you to our quiet little town?” Molly asked.

I wasn’t going to go into the depressing details of my reasons for relocating. Still, it was hard answering the question every time because I didn’t have any family up there or a good enough fake reason.

“I needed a change of pace and I figured the Chicago area was the place to be,” I said.

I had no desire to go to the East or West Coasts. I’m a Midwest guy. It’s a different vibe than the coasts. Plus there are a lot of suburban fire departments that gave me a better shot of finding a job.

“A change of pace, huh?” Abby asked. “Sounds like you ran from something.”

“Soups on!” Ali said walking into the room, saving Abby from an angry retort from me.

I smiled inside at Ali saying “soup’s on.” My mom said it all of the time and Ali isn’t even an old lady. I guess it’s a Midwest thing.

As we ate dinner I noticed that Molly didn’t have a husband with her. I asked about it since she wore a wedding band and I had assumed she was married.

Molly’s face morphed into a sad expression and the Chief answered, “Jerry was killed on the job.”

All of a sudden I felt like an ass. “I’m sorry, I...”

“No, it’s okay,” Molly said. “Jerry was a fireman and was killed when a section of a warehouse collapsed. 3 others were injured but survived. Mara hadn’t even been born yet. I was 8 months pregnant.”

“Daddy’s an angel watching us,” Mara said joining in.

Molly grabbed her hand and squeezed. “That’s right, baby. He’s watching over all of us, and especially Papa, Mr. Sky, and all of the other firemen and women.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. I heard about Jerry from the guys but didn’t know that you were his wife. Everyone seems to have liked him.”

“He was a great guy,” she said as her sparkle dimmed. “Mom, the lasagna is amazing.” Molly said changing the subject.

Dinner was a little more upbeat after that.

After dinner, the Chief admonished me for being formal.

“Call me Frank, Sky. You can drop the Chief stuff when we’re in my house.”

“Okay. So tell me, Frank, were those two hard to handle as kids? Did they try to mess with you getting you to think one was the other? My cousins did that to people all of the time.”

Abby tossed a couch pillow at my head as Mara giggled.

“We were perfect angels,” Molly said.

Ali laughed and said, “I’ll just say that what they say about red-heads and their fiery tempers was spot on for those two.”

“Mother!” Abby and Molly shrieked in unison.

“Don’t make me tell him what you two had done to poor Ryan,” Frank said with a laugh.

“Please don’t. We all get along so well now, we don’t have to relive that,” Abby said as Molly’s head hung down.

“That must be a wild story,” I said.

“It is, but that’s for another time,” Frank said.

Molly stood up and said, “I need a refill. Can I get you one, Sky?”

“Actually, could I have a beer?”

Frank’s eyes lit up and before he could speak, Ali said, “Oh no. Here we go again.”

He looked at her and frowned. Turning back to me he said, “Come on down to my man cave. I’ve got an awesome selection of beers.”

“You make sure you bring him back up,” Ali said. “You guys tend to get lost down there and it’s rude to everyone else.”

“Whatever, dear,” he said as we walked out of the room.

His basement was awesome. He had dozens of pieces of autographed memorabilia on the walls and there were six display cases of autographed balls and helmets.

“Wow! What a room,” I said in awe.

“Yeah, once the girls got out on their own, I found myself with a lot of extra money.” He said laughing. “Frankie is way cheaper than the girls were.”

“Frankie?” I asked.

“My son. He’s at a friend’s house for a game-night sleepover.”

I nodded and Frank said, “Come over here and check this out.”

He opened a full-sized refrigerator and he must’ve had at least twenty different craft beers in it.

“Nice selection,” I said. “How about a Dragon’s Milk?”

“Ah, a stout man. Excellent choice.”

He poured them into the appropriate stout glasses and handed me one. Then he showed me all of his prized collection of beers and glasses. It was like looking at a wine cellar.

After a while, the light flickered on and off and he said, “We’re in trouble. We took too long.”

As I was laughing, he poured us another and we went back up to the ladies.

“Men, I swear,” Molly said as we sat down in the family room.

“He and Jerry would spend hours down there talking about beer and sports,” Molly said with a sad tone as she sat down next to me on the small couch.

“I can understand why. It’s a great place to disappear to,” I said.

Abby asked, “Do you have a girlfriend, Sky?”

Molly shot her a glare as I said, “No. I haven’t dated for a long time.”

“Really?” Ali asked sitting up straighter. “A good looking man like you is unattached?”

Before I could say anything, Frank said, “Leave him alone. Don’t go trying to fix him up.”

I appreciated that and said, “Thank you, Sir. I’m still new around here. I’m sure I’ll find someone I’m interested in eventually.”

Molly and Abby both smiled and Ali noticed. All of a sudden I felt like an antelope surrounded by lions.

“What made you want to be a fireman, Sky?” Abby asked.

“It’s all I ever wanted to be. When you’re a kid you always want to be something you think is cool. Whether it’s a Fireman, Astronaut, Athlete, or whatever. For me, it was always a fireman. Going to the pancake breakfast every year and getting to ride on the truck with the siren blaring was like Christmas for me. When 9/11 happened I was so young, but all of the stories, videos, and pictures really drove it home for me. There was no better job to have, in my opinion. Even with the inherent risks of the job, it’s all I ever wanted to do.”

Frank nodded and had a big smile on his face.

“That’s great, Sky. I’m glad that you get to live your dream,” Molly said.

I nodded in appreciation and said, “Well it’s getting late and I’m on shift in the morning. Thank you for a wonderful dinner and some really nice company.”

We said our goodbyes and I got hugs and cheek kisses from all of the ladies.

“Don’t be a stranger,” Abby said as I left.

I couldn’t help feeling sad after leaving. They were such a great family and I hadn’t felt that kind of warmth in a long time. I wondered if I ever would again.

A month later, I was in the station’s lounge playing cards when Molly walked in.

Mark was playing with us and he was a cocky asshole. Everyone did their best to get along with him, but it was difficult. Our lives could depend on him at one point or vice versa, so it didn’t make sense to not try to get along.

Molly walked up to the table and made pleasant small talk with everyone. By then everyone knew I helped Mara and I still took some occasional ribbing for finding a creative way to kiss the Chief’s butt.

She broke the chit chat and said, “Sky, can I talk with you privately for a minute?”

“Sure,” I said getting up and folding my bad hand.

We walked into the garage for some privacy and she said, “Listen, um, I have a dinner party coming up for work and my boss pretty much told me that I have to bring a date.”

She looked so shy, it was adorable on her.

She continued, “They’ve been kind of wanting me to get back out there and start dating for a while and I think this is kind of a passive-aggressive way of pushing me into it.”

I said, “Why? Surely after losing your husband, I’d think they would be a little more understanding.”

I knew all too well about meddling friends, family, and co-workers, and understood.

“My boss and his wife are very close to me and they mean well,” she said.

I nodded and enjoyed her dancing around the reason for being there.

“So anyway,” she said, “Would you please accompany me?”

She was so cute in her demeanor. I really had no desire to date but she was so beautiful, how could I say no?

“I’d love to. When and where?” I answered.

She smiled and when she did her whole face lit up.

“It’s on Friday at 7. Let me get your number and I’ll text you my address.”

We exchanged numbers and she left with a bit of a bounce in her step.

I was conflicted after watching her leave. Clearly, she was interested in me, but until that moment I hadn’t thought of dating anyone any time soon.

She was so beautiful though. She had an effervescence that was addicting. Just being with her for a couple of hours when we had dinner was an amazing experience. She simply oozed life from every pore. It’s a shame she’d had so much pain to endure.

I realized that it wasn’t a conscious or deliberate decision on my part to agree to go out with her. I was simply going along with her flow. I figured it may be a fun ride.

I walked back into the TV room and as expected I got some good-natured jabs from the guys.

“Well?” Mark asked. “What did she want that she couldn’t say in front of us.”

He had a shitty smirk on his face and it was annoying me very much.

“She needed a date for a work dinner party. I accepted her invitation.”

“Ha! Pay up,” Mark said to Alan, who handed him a ten-dollar bill.

“What was the bet?” I asked.

Mark laughed and said, “We were guessing at what she wanted with you. Alan said that it was probably something to do with you helping her kid. I said it was more likely to do with her fireman fetish.”

“What?” I shouted a bit louder than I intended.

Mark smirked and said, “She has a fireman fetish. Everyone around here knows it. She probably fantasizes that we’re all her daddy when she gets us in bed. Jerry was lucky enough to...”

I punched him before he could finish his sentence. I have no idea why I did it. I didn’t really even know her and he may have been right. For some reason what he said really pissed me off and I couldn’t take his smirk any longer.

Before I knew it I had one of the guys pulling me back and another holding him back. I wasn’t going to hit him again and certainly didn’t want an actual fight, but he wasn’t taking it too well and looked like he was ready to kill me. Of course, his shouting threats at me was another clue to his desire to trade blows.

The station I’m based at has the Chief’s office in it and as the guys were separating me and Mark, he happened to walk in.

“What the hell is going on in here,” the Chief asked.

“Nothing, Chief. Everything is cool,” I said.

“Bullshit, prick. You hit me and you’re going down for it. Chief, I want him suspended.” Mark said.

I should’ve expected him to be a pussy like that. I was trying to de-escalate it and he pressed it. So I went for the throat.

“Tell ya what, asshole. I’ll admit to punching you and accept my punishment if you tell him why I did it.”

He paled and stuttered some unintelligible grunts trying to come up with a response.

“Nuh, uh, dickhead. You want me suspended for hitting you, then you tell him what you said.”

Alan spoke up and said, “It was nothing Chief. A little horseplay got out of hand.”

While I appreciated Alan trying to make peace and keep me out of trouble and keep Mark off of the Chief’s shit list, I was tired of Mark’s crappy attitude.

“Tell him or I will and I’ve got three witnesses to confirm it.”

“In my office now, you two. I’m getting the whole story one way or another. This isn’t a god damn boxing ring.”

Mark was literally saved by the bell when the alarm rang and we had to respond to a fire.

The Chief let us go and get to work, but I knew it wasn’t over.

The next day was a day off, but the Chief asked me to come to his office. I knew it was about the punch, so I sucked it up and went in to receive whatever punishment I was going to get.

He had me sit while he paced around his office. After a minute or so of silence, he said, “I’m giving you a verbal warning for the punch. A second offense will be written and could lead to further disciplinary action up to and including termination.”

He was being very formal and by the book, so I let him continue without responding. I guessed that because of the witnesses he needed to cover his butt in case Mark pressed the issue.

He continued, “You have the right to not sign it and discuss it with your union rep before it gets added to your personnel file. I can’t have fights breaking out on the job. We need everyone to be under control at all times.”

He paused and then stood behind me and put his hand on my shoulder saying, “No matter how valid the reason is.”

He walked around his desk and sat down. As he slid the form with the verbal warning towards me, he said, “You understand that I have to do this, right?”

A verbal warning isn’t too big of a big deal and was as good of punishment as I could have hoped for. He was clearly not happy that he had to do it, but I did understand. I took his pen and signed the form.

“I get it, Chief. It won’t happen again.”

He nodded and said, “Off the record, thank you. I got Alan to spill what Mark said. I have to say I wanted to hit the son of a bitch myself, but we have to let it go alright?”

I nodded and he continued, “I’m going to ask my daughters to limit their appearances here. I don’t know what’s going on between you and my daughter, but you don’t need my permission to see her. Just keep the drama outside of the station please.”

“Well, there’s really nothing going on between us right now. She asked me to go to a dinner party with her so I think there’s some interest on her side but we’re not technically dating.”

“Okay, Sky. Just be careful with her. She hasn’t been out with anyone since Jerry died, not even girls nights. She has been 100% focused on Mara. I’m actually glad that she is doing this with you. Her mother and I would like to see her get back to having a life for herself. She deserves a break her way. God knows she’s had enough bad breaks for a lifetime.”

“You don’t have to worry about me, Chief. She and I are in the same boat actually. I haven’t had much of a life for the last couple of years either.”

“Well, that’s all the time I’ll waste of yours for today. You’re free to go.”

I nodded and left his office.

That night as I was eating a late dinner I got the call that I was expecting.

“Hello, Molly.”

“Sky, what the hell happened?” She asked.

“What do you mean?” I asked playing dumb.

“You know what I mean. Why did my dad ask me to stay away from the station?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Don’t be a jerk. I’ll find out from someone, I was just hoping you’d be more honest with me.”

“Molly, please let it go. I think your dad is just worried about rumors and such.”

“Get real. I’ve been in and out of station houses since the day I was born. He was never concerned before. Did you complain about me?”

“Huh? God no. Look, just let it go. It’s no big deal.”

“It is to me,” she said angrily. “I’ll find out from someone else. I’m sorry that you don’t feel that you can talk to me about it. I was hoping you’d be on my side.”

Before I could respond, she hung up.

“Great!” I thought. I was screwing things up with her before anything started.

I called her back immediately.

“What?” She shouted into the phone.

After pulling the phone away from my ear, I said, “Can we meet to talk. I want to set this right. I kinda like you and don’t want to blow my chances with you, if you kinda like me too.”

She must’ve calmed down because I thought I heard her giggle.

“Kinda? That’s the best you’ve got? You kinda like me?”

I could hear the smile in her voice.

She continued, “Okay, but I can’t go out because Mara’s in bed. How about if you come over?”

“Okay, I’m on my way.”

I changed into a decent outfit, brushed my teeth, grabbed a bottle of wine, and headed over to her home.

Her house wasn’t that far from where I lived and it only took a few minutes to get there. When she answered the door, she seemed a bit frazzled.

“That was quick,” she said as she opened the door. “I was just trying to straighten up. Kids can be messy.”

I smiled, thinking of Tyler, and agreed.

I handed her the wine and as she went into the kitchen to open it, I walked into the family room. I saw the toys scattered around and figured I’d help her out a little by putting them away.

I began to pick up some of the puzzle pieces and other toys and put them into the toy box she had in the corner. She had some of the same games and puzzles that we had for Tyler. I also had a similar toy box in my old family room and remembered my mother-in-law always complaining about it.