From the Embers

In the aftermath of tragedy, it’s strange the things you remember.The deafening boom as the house exploded.The paralyzing fear as I searched for my wife.The blinding smoke burning my eyes as I carried her out.But carved into my soul for the rest of my days would be the earth-shattering realization that the woman in my arms wasn’t my wife.Bree and I were the only survivors—not that either of us were truly living after that night. As a single dad with nowhere else to go, I moved into her guest house. And somehow, through the guilt and grief, we forged an unlikely team.It took years, but I watched the gradual return of her smile—slow and life-altering.The two of us could sit outside for hours, talking about nothing, and it filled the massive hole in my chest with new life.I may have carried her out of that fire, but the truth was, Bree saved me.As we healed, the secrets and lies of the past smoldered in the ashes, threatening to ignite again.Our love was born from the embers, and together we would go up in flames.