Changes (Book 3)

Chapter 29

---Alyssa

My mom and dad arrived about an hour after Matt left.  "I thought lover boy was staying for the day."

"Volunteer fireman duties."  I said from where I was sitting with Jr. on the floor.  He was stacking his blocks by color.

"MA!"  I looked and saw that he had greens together, blues together, reds together, and yellows together.

"Good job!  You're so smart!"  he clapped his hands.  Lena arrived with her kids 15 minutes later.

"Hey, turn on the news."  she said sitting Travis Jr. down in Jr's playpen.  "Travis rushed of with Liam somewhere."  I turned on the TV and put it on channel 8.  Matt was able to be seen in the background.

"DADDY!"

"He's on TV."  I said picking Jr. up and putting him in my lap.

"Building fire."  the caption said it was some where on the plaza.  Matt disappeared from sight.  Jr. looked at me and pointed.

"Daddy's working."

I put him in the recliner with his blanket and Matt's jacket.  He didn't know what was going on, but he wanted his daddy.  He fell asleep curled up on Matt's jacket.  

"Oh, my God."  Lena said.  I looked at the TV and saw the building had collapsed.  Panic hit me like a tidal wave.  I grabbed the phone and called Matt's cell.  The phone just rang.

An hour passed and I was standing by the window in the living room watching and waiting for Matt.  15 firemen trapped 5 dead and 2 MIA.  Liam's truck pulled up and his kids got out and so did him and his wife.  Travis pulled up behind them.  Lena hugged Travis.  I looked up from where I was standing.  "Where's Matt?"  I asked.

"I thought he made it out."  Liam said looking at Travis.

"Aly, we thought he was already back home."  I felt vomit climb up my throat.  I bolted around them and ran to the bathroom.  I barely got the lid on the toilet up before I threw up.  My dad came in and held my hair for me.  He grabbed a washcloth and got it wet.  I wiped my mouth.

"Al, Matt is a strong and stubborn man.  He'll be home before you know it."

"What if he doesn't come home?  What if he won't even get to see his baby?"  I said starting to sob.

"Aly, don't talk like that."  he gave me a fatherly hug.  I sobbed into his chest.  "I'm going to go get mama okay?"  he said.  I nodded.  He helped me up and handed me my toothbrush.  I was brushing the taste of vomit out of my mouth when my mom came in.

"You need some rest."  she said braiding my hair.

"I don't want to.  I want Matt."

"I know baby and I understand, but think about your little one."  she said.  "I'll keep an eye on the news and send your daddy down there."

"Promise?"

"I promise."  she said.  I fell asleep on the couch curled up with my baby boy.  Jr. had his little hands wrapped around mine.  Matt's jacket resting over me.

---Matt