Page 53 of Controlled Burn

He tugged on my hand, and I went willingly from my chair over into his lap where he could wrap me up in his big strong arms.

He gently kissed the side of my head. “Thank you for telling me that, Rabbit, but that is perfectly normal. You know, my dad was a firefighter, and my mom worried about him all the time. Us kids did, too. Being afraid when someone you care about has a dangerous job is natural.”

“You don’t think it makes me silly or weak?”

“Not at all. What it is, is logical. We train hard and take every precaution, but it is a dangerous job, so it makes perfect sense for you to feel that way. The question is, can you handle it?”

I didn’t want to tell him what I thought he wanted to hear, so I really thought about it for a minute. Could I handle knowing that each time he went to work, he might not come home? I didn’t know if I could or not. But I also knew I didn’t want to give him up, so what choice did I have?

I sighed and rested my head against his chest, feeling his heartbeat beneath my cheek. “I don’t know if I can handle it, Daddy. I really don’t. But I want to try.”

He tightened his arms around me and placed a kiss on top of my head. “Sweet boy, I believe in you, and I think you’re able to handle way more than you think you can, but that’s all I can ask for, that you try. And if there’s anything I can do to help, let me know. Would you like it better if I didn’t tell you if we got a call?”

I sat up straight and looked at him. “No, not at all. I think that would be worse. Otherwise, every single time I saw a fire on the news, I would be worried. Just be sure that when it’s over, you tell me you made it out okay, alright?”

“I can do that.”

“Good. Now, is there anything else you need to tell me?”

“Just that I don’t want to get up,” I said with a chuckle.

“Good thing I like you right here then, isn’t it? But I have something for you before you leave, so you need to hop up so I can go get it.”

“Fine,” I said in an exaggerated huff, then I leaned down and brushed a kiss across his lips. “I’ll clear the table while you go get it.”

It didn’t take me long to clear away our dishes, and I was just finishing up when he came back down the stairs.

“I was thinking about what you said about why you were late this morning, and I thought this might help.” He handed me a bag, and I reached inside and pulled out an alarm clock. “I know most people use their phones as their alarm nowadays, but most people don’t struggle to remember to plug their phones in. I figure instead of trying to fit into the mold of what everyone else does, let’s just find a workaround. Plus, this clock has a place on the back where you can charge your phone.”

I wasn’t sure what to say. I mean, it was just an alarm clock, but it was also the most thoughtful gift anyone had ever given me because he’d listened to me this morning, and he thought of a solution without making me feel stupid by insisting I should find a way to do things like everyone else.

I shook my head and grinned. “You know, as silly as this will sound, I didn’t think of just getting an alarm clock. Thank you, Daddy.”

“Sometimes the solutions are so simple we don’t think of them, especially when you have a brain as brilliant as yours. Now go home and set your alarm. I’ll text you in the morning to see how it worked.”

Chapter 20

Keith

The first thing I did when I woke up was send Caleb a text to make sure that he was up on time this morning.

Me: Morning, Rabbit. Are you up?

Rabbit: I am. I’ll be leaving for work in a few.

Me: Did the alarm clock work okay?

Rabbit: It did, thank you. I feel better knowing I have a backup alarm to my phone. Plus, when I woke up during the night, the numbers were big enough I could see them without my glasses. That was a bonus.

Me: Good deal. Are you ready for our dinner with your dad tonight?

Rabbit: Nope. But we need to do it anyway.

Me: I feel the same. See you tonight.

I was taking the lasagna out of the oven that evening when I heard a knock on the front door before someone pushed it open. “Hey, Keith, I’m here,” Robert called.

“I’m in the kitchen,” I called back. I should have known Robert would be early. He and Caleb were alike in that way, although their reasons were different. For Caleb, it was a way to control the chaos. For Robert, it was his natural need for order. Opposite sides of the same coin.

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