Family Pieces (39 page)

“NO. I’m okay,” Emily waved the medic off, weeping uncontrollably. At least she felt she was, physically. Her voice sounded spongy like she’d smoked two packs of cigarettes.

“You breathed in quite a bit of smoke, ma’am. We just need to check you out. It won’t take long.”

“Give her a minute,” Addison said sternly. She could not console her friend. There were no words; there was nothing she could do to soothe her. She felt Emily’s chest shudder against her. With every rise and fall, Addison felt increasingly nauseous. Adie was missing and flames still raged through the windows on her floor. The thought of Adie trapped inside was unbearable.

Addison felt a hand clutch her shoulder pulling her aside. “Emily!” He cried. Addison turned her head. Realizing it was Greg, she steadied Emily and stepped aside allowing him to take her place.

“Greg!” Emily cried throwing herself into his chest. “How did you find me?”

He wrapped his arms around her. “The fire is all over the news. I knew you were meeting Addy for lunch. I tried to call you again and again. When you didn’t answer, I just knew I had to get here.”

Emily sobbed against his shoulder.

“I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you. It’s going to be okay.” He looked relieved. “Where’s Adie?”

Emily’s sobs grew stronger. “Em, where’s Adie?” His face fell as his eyes gazed the surrounding area.

“Adie’s missing!” Emily choked. “Oh Greg, it’s my fault! I let her out of my sight. It’s all my fault. I’m so … so sorry.”

“What do you mean she’s missing?”

“She’d gone to find Addison when the fire alarm went off. I looked everywhere but I couldn’t find her. I looked everywhere! I’m so sorry.”

“No, no, no! Em, it’s not your fault!” Her husband pulled her in tighter and held on for what felt like an eternity. Their bodies rocked together. “We’ll find her. She’ll be fine. It’s not your fault. It is not your fault.” He opened his mouth to speak again, but he couldn’t find the words. There was nothing he could say to ease her fears, nothing he could do to protect his daughter. There was nothing he could do but wait.

Paramedics strapped Brad onto a backboard and whisked him directly into the ambulance. Karsen and Hanna watched in horror as they strapped on an oxygen mask on him and connected an IV. Addison turned toward Karsen. Just hours before, they were no more than two strangers -two individuals that would have passed each other on the street with hardly a greeting. Now they instantly had been bonded into family. They grasped each other’s hands, holding on for dear life. Brad’s life. The brother Karsen had always known and had always loved. The brother Addison had barely met, but that risked his own life to save a child he didn’t even know.

“It’s not your fault, Karsen. You know your brother. He’d save anyone. It’s just who he is,” Hanna whispered, her voice muddled with tears. Karsen listened to the words, but they didn’t pacify her. She couldn’t lose him.

“Addy! I find u, Addy!” The familiar voice twinkled in Addison’s ears. For a moment, she thought she was dreaming.

“Adelaide!” She turned around. “Oh, Thank God! Adie!” She swooped Adie into her arms, hugging her so tight she could hardly breathe. “Oh, child!”

“Where’s Mommy?” Adie coughed, struggling for air.

“She’s here, honey. She’s right over here.” Addison couldn’t stop the fat tears stinging her eyes. She carried Adelaide as fast as she could across the sidewalk to where her parents prayed and waited.

“Mommy! Mommy!” Adie chimed with the innocence of a child unaware of the immensity of the event that had just occurred. Addison set her down and Adelaide ran to her mother smiling like it was any ordinary day.

“Adie?” Emily questioned softly like she’d heard the voice of an angel.

“Adelaide!” Greg shouted.

“Oh, Adie!” Emily picked her up and embraced her. “Adie! My baby! Adie! Where have you been?” Adelaide wrapped her arms and legs around her tightly.

“I sorry, Mommy,” Adie said sounding as if she’d just come out of time out.

“Oh, sweetie. Mommy missed you so much!”

“Mommy hurt?” Adie inquired, seeing the tears drip from her mother’s eyes.

“No, not hurt, sweetie. Not now.” She held her against her body. She couldn’t bear the thought of letting her out of her arms. Emily looked at Addison for answers to her question.

“Jacob,” she said. “He said she came to his desk before the alarm looking for me. He tried to find you, but in the chaos thought it better to get her out of the building.”

“Oh, thank God!” Emily said. “Where is he?”

“The paramedics are checking him out, just routine he said. He’s fine. He said they were out quickly.”

“I need to find him. How will I ever be able to thank him enough?”

“There will be plenty of time for that. Let’s just get you home.” The sight of Emily and Greg reunited with their daughter overwhelmed Addison. She was relieved to see Adelaide safe and sound, but a wave of regret flooded over her. She longed for Russell’s strong embrace as she scanned the crowd longing for a glimpse of him. Maybe he had heard the news. Maybe he still cared about her enough to come. She glanced back at the building as black smoke swirled above as she wondered what her future held.

Now only Brad remained a concern. Karsen knew his lungs were strong from years of training, but even so he’d been inside for forty-five minutes, taking little to no precautions for minimizing the amount of smoke he inhaled.

She stepped away from the others and fell to her knees. “God, if you’re listening, please don’t take him now. I know I’ve depended on him too much, but I need him now more than ever. Hanna needs him, too. I can’t have a baby without an uncle to watch over it. Please don’t do this.”

She closed her eyes, covered her face with her hands and sat blocking out the commotion revolving around her. She envisioned her mother.
He’s needed here, Mom. Please don’t take him yet.

A hand lay gently upon Karsen’s shoulder. She didn’t look up. She didn’t want to be bothered. “Let’s go home, K.” The voice sounded weary, but she’d recognize it anywhere. Could it be? She reached her hand and placed it over top of his. She felt a squeeze against her thumb. She stalled, momentarily worried that when she got up it would be someone else.

“You’re okay?” She questioned, looking up at him in disbelief.

He nodded. “The paramedic said I’ll be fine. I didn’t let them take me to the hospital.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. I want to be here. Now, come on.” He pulled at her hand.

Thank you, Mom.

When Karsen rose, she saw a new image through her eyes. For the first time in months, her family didn’t appear in pieces. She saw Brad, Hanna, Addison, even Adie. Some related by blood, some not. It did not matter. There was a bond of love between them, a love that conquered and persevered. At that moment, a sense of strength emerged within her and she realized her problems might not be as insurmountable as they seemed.

“Nice to meet you,” Addison held out her hand to Brad. He pulled her in and hugged her.

“And I thought I could draw a crowd,” he joked.

27

T
he next morning, Addison sat on the enclosed porch at her parents’ home. Knowing Karsen, Brad and Hanna had nowhere to go, she’d invited them back to stay for the night. It seemed strange to have her biological siblings under the roof of her adoptive home. But, to her amazement, her parents welcomed them openly.

As the others still slept off the trauma from the day before, Addison was lost in thought. Creating an inventory of the business personal property was going to be a nightmare. She had already contacted the insurance company, but she knew that was only the beginning of what was inevitably going to be a long and arduous process to rebuild her business. She’d watched as the family business turned to ash before her eyes, all because of an electrical fault on a light fitting on the floor below. She was told the magazines in her storage room had provided fuel for the fire to burn fast and hot. This month’s issue was lost. There was no way to have another to press in time for distribution. All the workstations had been demolished. She could already make a list of to-do items a mile long, but that, she decided, could wait another day or two.