Finally, he spoke. “I’ve worked jobs like this before. Not this kind ofincident,” he added quickly, “but this kind of damage. Fire and explosion. Smoke infiltration. Shrapnel in drywall. I can get it fixed.”
Joshua turned toward him. “Back to what it was?”
Kingsley met his eyes. “If that’s what you want. I can get the plans. Insurance will cover a rebuild to spec. Same footprint. Same finishes.”
He paused, then took a slow breath. “But listen. If you want to change anything—if there’s a room that never quite worked for you, or if you’ve been dreaming about more windows along the riverside, or a space that feels safer, moreyours—now’s the time to do it.”
Over the mask, Colin’s brow furrowed. “Insurance won’t touch that.”
“No,” Kingsley said. “They’ll cover the replacement. The rest would be out-of-pocket. But you wouldn’t be starting from scratch. Think of it as reshaping grief and pain into something that holds light again. Not what it was—but stronger. Something that remembers what happened here… and transforms it into grace.”
Joshua drew in a quick breath and looked away. Kingsley caught it, but didn’t press.
“I’ve seen people heal faster when their home becomes something different. Something that’s changed,” He hesitated, then added, “the same waytheyhave.”
He looked down at his clipboard, then back up at them. “You don’t have to decide today. But I’ll be making a list. I’ll separate the repairs from any changes you might want. You can say no to everything. Or not.”
Joshua’s mouth parted slightly. He nodded, slow and quiet, too overwhelmed to take it all in, his emotions a roar in his ears.
Kingsley looked at him for a moment, eyes soft with understanding, then patted his arm and stepped back into the wreckage, measuring tape clicking softly as he worked.
Colin turned to face Joshua, who was still staring at their ruined dining room. His chocolate brown eyes were stricken, wounded, tears streaming down his cheeks. Colin pulled himinto his arms, wincing as the bandages bit into his skin. “We can do this, Josh!” he rasped. “We can do this!”
He clung to Joshua, forcing strength into every syllable.
We can do this.
But, beneath the words, like a fault line under shifting ground, lay a terrifying truth: he was holding everything together on counterfeit courage and strength so frail that one hard push would break him in two. He pressed a kiss into Joshua’s hair, voice steady, almost fierce. But inside, a quiet, crawling fear gathered.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
PIECES OF US
The rest of that day was spent taking stock. Downstairs was a darkened shell—what hadn’t burned was buried under stubborn soot. Upstairs suffered less, but everything wore a layer of grime, and the entire house reeked of smoke.
Graham Kingsley was outside chatting with the few remaining law enforcement officers, watching as they packed up their equipment. Colin, Joshua, and David remained in the house, inspecting the rooms to assess the extent of the damage and determine which rooms to tackle first.
David had brought a few boxes and a tarp. He threw the tarp down on the study floor and set a box on top of it. “I’m gonna start here,” he told Colin. “Get the rest of your lawbooks packed up.”
Joshua pulled off his mask, rubbing his cheek. “I’m going to check the kitchen—” he said, his voice low. “See if there’s anything worth saving.”
Colin followed Joshua down the stairs and watched him sort through the kitchen, moving numbly from cupboard to cupboard. After a moment, he slipped out to the porch, tugging off his mask, gulping in the cooler air.
From the living room, Graham Kingsley spotted Joshua carefully lifting a soot-covered vase he loved toward the sink, and dashed to stop him. “Wait, Josh! Wait! No water!”
He took the vase from Joshua’s hand. “Listen to me. Soot particles penetrate porous surfaces, and water pushes them even deeper.”
He glanced at Joshua’s stunned expression and shook his arm. “Where’s your mask, son?” He pointed to his own. “You and Colin can’t be in here without them. Mind me on this, Josh. This stuff’ll make you sick.” He took Joshua’s arm and guided him onto the porch, where Colin was inspecting his workout equipment.
“You boys listen to me. I’ve been through this before.You can’t do this alone.I work with professionals specializing in soot, smoke, and fire damage, and you’d do well to hire them. They know what they’re doing. Your insurance should cover some—if not most.”
Colin drew Joshua close, jaw tight. “How much can be saved, Graham?”
“Not all–but some. These folks work miracles. Believe me, whatcanbe saved—they’ll save.”
“What about our clothes? The upstairs is pretty good, but thereissoot and smoke damage.”
“Don’t just toss them into a washing machine. That’ll set those soot particles in the cloth. There’s a way to handle these things.”
