“Don’t worry. You’re safe here. Take your time,” I say in a soothing voice, petting the silky strands of her hair.
Eventually, I can hear her stop crying. She sniffles a little, but we continue to hold onto each other. I don’t mind comforting her. She deserves it after the day she has had. I continue to speak comforting words to her after she has already stopped crying, and I watch as the animals are brought out and checked. Some things are carried out from the building as well. I don’t think the woman notices any of this. She continues to stand there in my arms, clinging to me. I’m glad I can be a source of comfort to her right now. I think that is what she needs.
Chapter Four - Mylah
I cry and cry. I can’t help it. I never would have imagined something like this happening just when everything was going so right. The sobs are loud even to my own ears, but I can’t stop.
The big firefighter wraps his muscular, strong arms around me. I let him. I stand there crying into his chest, comforted by the warmth of his body. I can hear him murmuring to me, telling me things are going to be okay. He reminds me again that the animals and I are safe. I do feel safe and supported as I stand here listening to him.
I slowly stop sobbing, giving a sniffle and a hiccup now and then. Gently, I put my head up and look around. We stand there in silence. Debris is dragged from the wreckage that was once my home. I can’t believe this has happened to me. Why me? And on my first day! I had such high hopes for everything, and now it’s gone. All my dreams and hard work, and savings, just burnt up in an instant. It’s so devastating to think about. I try not to cry again as my chest tightens. This is the worst thing I have ever been through. How am I going to recover from this?
I hear barking. The firefighters bring out the box with the dog and puppies. They rinse them off gently, give them oxygen, then check each one to make sure they are okay. Afterward, they wrap them in a blanket and put them back into the box. They snuggle up to their mom for comfort, and I feel a sense of relief when I see that.
Pulling myself away from the firefighter, I wipe my eyes.
“My name is Kyst,” he says, introducing himself.
I look up at him, and he gives me a smile that is both friendly and encouraging. I blink a few times, so I’m not dazzled by it. He does have big strong arms and shoulders—gorgeous black hair. Plus, he's super tall. I have to look up at him.
As I stand there, I realize that I feel safe looking at this man’s handsome face. I am safe thanks to him, so I tell him everything. His blue eyes fill me with a momentary sense of calm.
“My name is Mylah. This was my home. I’m not sure what started the fire. It was just a normal day, taking care of the animals. I just opened my vet business,” I explain. Kyst listens calmly but with a grave expression as I continue talking. “Obviously, this is a disaster, especially since today was my first day of business. I spent all my money opening this place, and I haven’t had a customer yet. Well, now I guess I never will.” I gesture towards the wreckage. It breaks my heart again, and I have to look away quickly. I’m going to experience a lot of crying and emotions today. I already know it.
Kyst gently puts a large hand on my shoulder in a gesture of consolation. I appreciate that, nodding my head. “I guess I should look on the bright side. I mean, none of the animals are hurt, and neither am I. I guess this means I should start over again in the future, but I need to focus on now. I don’t have any place to stay.” I drift into momentary silence. “I guess I could camp out here until I figure things out,” I say, looking at the burned building.
Kyst removes his hand from my shoulder. This causes me to look at him. “That’s not safe. In fact, it’s quite dangerous, and I strongly urge you not to,” he says in an authoritative tone.
I frown a little. “What else am I going to do?” I question softly. My voice wavers and tears threaten to spill again. I didn’t plan for this. I didn’t think I would ever need to. You never think about situations like this because what are the odds of them actually happening? Well, after today, I would have to say that the odds are pretty good. I need to stay positive right now, but I don’t know how. There is no recovery from something like this.