“Fire at Sunrise Café on Lakeshore Drive,” I blurt out, not waiting for their greeting. “Second floor occupied. My son’s upstairs.”
Smoke curls up behind me, thicker with every second.
“Ma’am, evacuate immediately—”
“That’s the plan!” I hang up because talking, running, and not dying all at once seems like a lot to ask.
Tommy stands at the top of the stairs with a cookie in hand. His green eyes go wide.
“Mama? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. We’re just leaving early.” I scoop him up, and he still holds on to his cookie. He wraps his legs around my waist automatically. “Hold on tight, okay?”
“But I didn’t finish organizing your office—”
“We’ll organize later.”
I head back down the stairs. The smoke billows through the kitchen door now. The front door is our only option, but I can see flames reflected in the dining room windows. The fire is spreading faster than it should.
My keys are in my office upstairs.
My purse is in my office upstairs, but my son is in my arms, and that’s the only thing that matters.
I head for the dining room, but the smoke drives me back, my eyes water. Tommy coughs against my shoulder, his small body shaking.
“Okay. Change of plans.” I pivot, heading back upstairs. The smoke follows us, creeping up the walls. “We’re going out the window.”
“But we’re not supposed to go out windows.” Tommy’s voice is small and scared. “You said so.”
“Emergency exception.” I carry him down the hall toward my office. “Sometimes rules change when buildings are on fire.”
“I don’t like this game, Mama.”
“Me neither, baby. Me neither.”
Suddenly, I hear voices shouting commands I can’t make out through the roar in my ears.
“Fire department! Anyone inside?”
Relief hits me so hard I almost stumble. “Up here! Second floor!”
Tommy burrows his face into my neck. “Are we gonna die?”
“Absolutely not. No dying allowed. I’ve got inventory due Friday.” I press my lips to his hair, trying to keep my voice steady. “The firefighters are here. We’re fine.”
I’m lying through my teeth.
The smoke thickens, and I crouch low, keeping Tommy’s face pressed to my shoulder. My office is five feet away, but it feels like five miles.
Footsteps are pounding up the stairs now.
Two figures emerge through the smoke, massive in full turnout gear. I can’t see their faces through the masks.
“Rachel! It’s Cole!” One of them calls out. “Theo’s with me! We’ve got you both.”
Relief floods through me, Cole and Theo—my brother Jake’s friends. I’ve never been so happy to see them in my entire life.
“Thank God!”
