Ash on the Wind

Ashes on the Wind

When their cell phone rang, Kai knew that something was wrong. No body rings you at 3.30 in the morning unless they absolutely have to or unless they’re drunk. But being that Amelia didn’t drink, she was very unlikely to be drunk calling them at 3.30 on a Tuesday morning. So, knowing that it must be something extraordinary, they accepted the call and immediately knew that they were right.

“Amelia, is everything okay?” Their voice might have been thick with sleep, but Kai’s mind was sharp and alert. They clicked on the bedside light and swung their legs out to sit up on the side of their bed.

At first, Amelia didn’t speak. It would have been impossible for her to do so through her slow and heart-rending sobs. It killed Kai to hear Amelia cry like that. Something awful had very clearly happened for her to be in so much pain and distress. Kai wanted nothing more than to be there with her, sheltering and protecting her from the cause of her pain.

“Amelia, what’s happened sweetheart?” they asked gently. Their need to know that she was safe was to the forefront of their mind. In the year and a bit that they had been together as a couple, Amelia had become the epicenter of their life. Their everything. Their world. If she or Scout weren't okay, then they weren’t okay.

They switched the call to speaker, and while trying to coax information from their girlfriend, they began searching for the first flight to Seattle. Seeing there was a seat available on a flight out at 7.30am, they booked it.

“Amelia, can you hear me?” There came a quiet “yes” in reply. “Good. That’s great. Can you tell me if you and Scout are both okay?”

“Yes, we are both safe, but the house is gone. There’s nothing left.”

Kai didn’t understand what she was telling them at first. How could the house be gone? When Amelia told them that there had been a fire, Kai’s heart sank.

“Jesus Amelia. I am so sorry, my love. Is everyone okay? Meredith? The kids?”

“Yes, everyone is okay. Maggie and Winston managed to get all three kids out and no-one was hurt. A blessing. I mean, think of the alternative.”

“Thank God. What happened? Do you know anything yet?”

“It has been a very rough and stormy night here in Seattle, with severe lightening. I heard Ben tell Meredith before we all left the scene that he thought that the fire might have been started by a lightening strike. It fits with the description that Maggie and Winston gave. They said it all happened fast. They were upstairs packing some of Meredith’s stuff and minding the kids while Mer was still at work. Link had Scout, thankfully. They said that all of a sudden they heard an almost deafening cracking noise and within a minute or so, they could smell smoke in the house. They grabbed what they could. Derek and Meredith’s wedding post-it and some other bits, got the kids and got out.”

Kai couldn’t imagine how terrifying that must have been. Fire and being confronted by it was one of their personal worst nightmare scenarios. The thoughts of it sent a shiver down their spine that caused them to shudder involuntarily.

“There were something like four fire crews on the scene within ten minutes but even in that time, the house was well on its way to being gutted. Did I ever tell you that Derek built that house for Meredith? Well, the original house belonged to Ellis, Mer’s mom. Derek rebuilt it, redesigned, and remodeled it for Mer. It was an act of sheer love and devotion. And in the blink of an eye, it’s all gone. It’s ash on the wind.”