Burn (Barlyle) (COMPLETE)

02

"I just don't understand what possessed you to run into a burning building like that!"

Barnum, who had returned from visiting Phillip in the hospital, sighed and ran his hands over his face. He and Charity were in the kitchen, Charity with an apron wrapped around her waist, preparing supper, and he seated at the table. He swallowed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Did you expect me to let Phillip die, Charity?" he demanded, raising tired hazel eyes to meet hers. She hesitated and wrung her hands nervously.

"Well, no, but...there were others around to help—"

"I would've done the same damn thing had it been Lettie or Anne or any of the others in that building instead of Phillip," he insisted.

Would he have, though?

He was scared to answer that question.

Charity dabbed at her eyes and swallowed a lump in her throat. "When those beams collapsed, Phin, I thought—"

"Daddy, Daddy!" his daughters squealed, racing each other from their bedroom. Caroline beat Helen and climbed into her father's lap. Helen sat at his feet on the floor and tugged at his pant leg.

Charity quickly quieted. Barnum chuckled. He tightened one arm around Caroline and reached down to run his hand through Helen's soft locks. "Hello, girls," he smiled gently.

"Daddy, is Mr. Carlyle gonna be all right?" Caroline asked, peering at her father with bright eyes.

"Phillip will be just fine, honey, don't you worry about that. He'll be released from the hospital in a few days." He lifted Caroline off his leg and set her on the floor, next to her sister. "Now, why don't you girls go off and play? Your mother and I have got some things to discuss."

Helen rushed forward to give her father a kiss on the cheek before she and her sister skipped away, announcing that they were going to play jump rope outside. As soon as they were gone, Charity turned to face her husband with her hands on her hips.

"Is Phillip really going to be all right, Phin? I don't want you lying to the girls if he—"

"Phillip is going to be fine, Charity," Barnum insisted, "believe me."

But, the truth was, Barnum wasn't even sure if he believed himself.