Page 7 of Five Alarm Love
Tuli liked making people smile.
He really liked seeing Lou smile.
He racked his brain for something that would impress his classmates.“How about, let’s play fire station?We’re going to help with a big fire emergency.Gordy, for obvious reasons, you get to be the siren.Can you handle that?”
The kid obliged with an ear-blistering happy squeal and turned in an unsteady circle while flapping his hands.
Tuli winced and raised his voice over Gordy.“Lou, you and I are the firefighting team.”He planted his fists on his hips.“We’ll go find people to rescue, probably with the jaws of life and fire hoses.Gordy will make sure everybody knows that we’re coming.”
The brightness in Lou’s eyes made Tuli feel kind of weird inside.Not bad weird, but in a good way.Funny in his tummy, like when a snow machine went up and over a short, steep hill.
He pointed at the trees on one side of the schoolyard and off they went, identifying the disaster and putting out the fire, complete with siren sound effects that did not stop for a second.After a few minutes of directing Lou and Gordy in spraying a fake hose with fake water at a pretend barn fire, they stopped near the slides.“That was hard work.Good job, team.”
Lou murmured, “Thank you,” as she hovered near her brother.Thankfully, Gordy had gotten tired of being a human fire truck siren.Wow, for a kid that couldn’t talk, he had volume in all the sounds he did make.
One of Gordy’s aides walked up to them.“All right, buddy, we’re going back in.It’s time to do stretches and have snacks.”
Gordy waved and then headed back into the building.
Tuli and Lou stood next to the slide.The breeze was light and cool on his sweaty skin, a relief after running around.Hey, fake firefighting was hard work.He peered across the field to the game, in full swing, complete with shouts and cheers.He did a fake kick and scuffed his toe into the grass.
“You missed your game,” Lou said.“Sorry.”
“Sorry you missed playing house.Although we could play house now if you want.”
“I thought you liked being a firefighter.”
“I do.I’m gonna be a firefighter when I grow up.But after I fight fires all day, I will want to go home to my family.”A family very different than the one he had.Grandma Ruth loved him, but it wasn’t the same as having parents around.
His future would be different.It would be perfect.Two parents who never fought.A couple of kids they loved and didn’t hurt…
Lou nodded and stuck her hands in her pockets, her hair swinging forward to hide her face.
Tuli asked, “What do you want to be when you’re older?”
Her face lit up, brown eyes sparkling as she glanced at him.“Help people like at the hospital.And I want to be a mother, like my mom.”
“Me too!”
“You’re going to be a mom?”she asked with a little smile.
“Naw, but I’ll be a good dad.I’m gonna play kickball with my kids, take them toneehoot’on.”
“Ooh, potlatch.I love the food there.Yum,” she said.
He nodded.“I’ll have adventures with my children.Also, I’m going to be famous!”
“Famous in Yukon Valley?”Was she really laughing at his dream?
“You’ll see.”
“Okay.”
He scuffed his toe in the silty dirt and grass.“Say, Lou…”
“Yes?”
“Can we be best friends?”
