Jayce strutted in front of her and cocked his head.
“I know you probably want me to stay, but I don’t want to lose my job. Frankly, I don’t know how you’re going to explain staying away from your job for three months.”
Gabriella and Antonio groaned at the same time.
“We don’t often have to come up with excuses. Our sons are usually careful. This one—” Antonio pointed at Ryan. “This one caused us some panic around that very question. I didn’t think Jayce wouldevergo down in a fire. Especially after seeing what we went through with number one son here.”
“Thanks, Dad. We haven’t heard about the fire yet.”
Kristine sighed. “As far as how he died in a fire, some of this he may choose to tell you himself. I’ll just let you know that it wasn’t his fault. I needed to stop those criminals from ever hurting anyone else.”
“In other words, you set the fire,” Antonio said.
Kristine steeled herself for their anger. “I’m afraid so. Jayce insisted on helping, but he wasn’t supposed to go inside.”
“And he went anyway,” Antonio stated. “Why am I not surprised?”
“I’m sorry,” Kristine said. “I’m so, so sorry.”
“It doesn’t sound like you have anything to apologize for, dear. If anything, you did the wrong thing for the right reasons.” Gabriella pushed the plate of cookies toward her.
Kristine smiled. It seemed as if Jayce’s family understood. She never would have expected a firefighting family to condone her actions—for any reason.
“Did the bad guys die in the fire too?” Ryan asked.
“Yes,” Kristine said. “I saw the local firefighters carry out their bodies and lay them on the ground. I watched as the EMTs checked them out and shook their heads.”
Silence settled over the room for a few poignant moments. At last Kristine looked at Jayce and said, “I think that’s all I can tell you from my perspective. Perhaps Jayce can add to it later. At least it’s over.”
Jayce bobbed his head. Then he flew the short span to her shoulder and settled there again. She sighed. “I’m going to miss you for the next two or three months.”
Jayce squawked loudly.
“Do you know what he said?” She glanced at the others around the table.
“I’m afraid not,” Gabriella said. “I’m entirely human.” She gestured to her sons and husband. “They can understand each other in bird form, but they’ve been forbidden to shift.”
“Again, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize…”
“Didn’t realize he was defying his family and putting himself in danger for you?” Antonio asked.
Kristine hung her head. “I didn’t know about the rule. Ididknow about the danger. I’m so—” She choked up and couldn’t finish her thought.
Gabriella got out of her chair and moved over to Kristine, giving her a hug. She wouldn’t have been surprised if it was followed by a slap, but it was not. Gabriella pulled out the chair next to her, sank down, and then took both of Kristine’s hands in hers.
“The men in this family are special, not just because they’re phoenixes but because they’re heroes—in every sense of the word. And, I swear, any one of them would throw himself on a fire to protect someone he loves. It’s obvious that Jayce loves you.”
Jayce bobbed his head.
Kristine gave him a sad smile. “I love him too.”
Gabriella sat up straight and grinned. “That’s the most wonderful thing I’ve heard all month. I’d say all year, except Ryan and Chloe confessed to loving each other this year too. All I want, all I’ve ever wanted, is for my boys to be happy.”
Antonio smiled. “Well, at least we don’t have to hold a funeral this time. Maybe he can come back to his life as it was.”
“That’s right.” Kristine smiled, thinking about how she had given Jayce such a hard time. “No one knows except Amber. I’ll have to tell my mother eventually, but she’s a bit distracted right now.”
Gabriella and Antonio stared at each other for a few seconds. “What do we tell the chief?” Kristine finally asked. “Jayce loves the job, and they depend on him. He can’t lose his position.”
“I don’t know. I remember when one of my Arizona uncles said his son had had a religious experience in the desert, and he had to go on a vision quest.”
“Wrong culture,” Ryan said. “We don’t do vision quests or walkabouts.”
“Hmm…” Gabriella rubbed her chin. “Perhaps we can say he heard a higher calling in church and had to go to Jerusalem to explore it. Then when he comes back he can say he realized there was no higher calling than the BFD.”
Ryan and his father looked at each other and shrugged as if to say “It could work.”
Jayce squawked.
“Never mind, you.” Antonio pointed a finger at his son. “It’s up to us to get you out of this mess, and hopefully in a way that you can keep your job. The only higher authority I know besides God is the chief.”
