Page 12 of Set My Soul Ablaze

“I . . . My . . . What am I supposed to do now?” Between the rasp in her voice and the tears in her eyes, her pain was palpable. I didn’t speak immediately. I gave her my undivided attention to release the emotions swarming her.

“My home and everything I own is in the ashes. My life—” She swallowed hard. She released her grip on my uniform and took a step back. “My life is over.”

“I know you don’t want to hear this right now, but this doesn’t have to be the end. In a lot of lore, a fire is a sign of rebirth, growth, and new beginnings.” I offered her the words of wisdom given to me by a firefighter back in the day.

“No offense, but it’s easy for you to say that when you’re not the one with all their belongings under ashes.” She crossed her arms and glared at me through teary eyes.

“That’s a valid assumption, but I know this feeling all too well. I was in your shoes when I was a young kid. I only had clothes and toys and shit. The fire took something irreplaceable—my father.”

Her eyes widened. “I’m sorry for your loss. I didn’t mean to be so insensitive and rude . . .”

“Nah, you’re good. You didn’t know my story until I shared it. It’s what sparked my interest to be a firefighter and help save people, like I wish someone would have done for my dad. Even though I was much younger when the fire happened, I can tell you it’s a lot to process right now, but you’ll find your footing again.”

“Thank you. I really appreciate your kind words.”

“It’s no problem at all. Would you like to use my phone to call someone?”

She nodded. “Yes, please.”

I reached into my pocket and retrieved the rectangular device. I held it out for her once I unlocked it. While she dialed the number, the paramedics called her over to check her vitals. I stood off to the side to give her some privacy. Without being a creep, I perused her frame. Even in her disheveled and dazed state, she looked beautiful. Her skin, although covered in soot, was a deep brown. Her forehead was big and shiny, but I thought it looked good with her features. Despite our circumstances, I admired her beauty. It was weird for me to find her attractive at her lowest, huh?

“Yo, Flame! You good over here, brother?” Cramer asked as he jogged over to me.

With a short nod, I answered, “Yeah, I’m good. She’s using my phone to call someone to come be with her.”

“Okay. We’re going to finish up in the house. We also tried to see what we can salvage.”

“Cool. I’ll join y’all as soon as I finish up over here.”

Cramer gave me a pat on the shoulder before he returned to the job. I returned my attention to the woman as she finished up her call. She held my phone in her hand as the paramedic finished up her vitals. When they gave her the all clear, she stood and walked over to me. She held the phone for me to take.

“Thank you. My parents are on the way. They live about forty minutes away, though. I really hope my phone didn’t take any damage during the fire. It’s probably the first thing I’m going to look for when I go through the house.”

“I’ll sit with you until your parents get here. My crew is working to clear any hot spots left in the house. Once all the hot spots have cooled down, I can walk through the house with you to see what’s salvageable.”

She smiled softly. “I’d like that a lot.”

I returned her smile with my own and took off the remaining parts of my uniform until I was in my black CCFD T-shirt and soot-stained pants.

“You know . . . in all the chaos, I didn’t even ask your name after you saved my life.” She folded her arms over her chest.

My lips pulled into a gentle smile. I stuffed my hands in my pockets to keep from fidgeting and openly ogling her. “My name is Artez, but everyone calls me Flame.”

She raised an eyebrow. “A firefighter named Flame is hilarious. Where did the name come from?”

I chuckled. “It’s something that’s been stuck with me since I was a teenager.”

She giggled. “What were you doing in high school for a name like Flame to stick?”

“I used to be infatuated with fires. I used to set cars on fire in the neighborhood. If I’m being honest with you, . . . I was on thefast track to a terrible ending, but my captain saved me from a life of crime.”

“I’m glad you found something positive to do in your life, Flame. My name is Mali.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mali, despite the circumstances.”

She smiled softly. “Yeah.”

A comfortable silence washed over us. The surrounding sounds filled the space as our gazes locked. Mali was a pretty name for a beautiful woman. It fit her.