Fireproof

"Hi, you big dummy. I thought you had more sense than to let a building fall on you." Amanda's false smile evaporated. She lowered her lips to his ear. "I don't know if you can hear me. But, I'm here. Ben, I need you."

Amanda gently caressed his hand. "Sometimes, we get a second chance to say what we meant to say. The night I got raped. You came back to rescue me. You came back to the plain, ugly girl and covered her nakedness. I fell in love with you at that moment and I never told you."

Amanda brushed the tears away with the back of her hands. She dipped her lips closer to Ben's ear. Her voice was as soft as a child's whisper. "I'm here, Ben. You're holding me in your arms. I feel your hands on my breasts, your fingertips gliding across my skin. Your hands flow through my hair. I'm here, Ben. I feel you pull me tight, and the warmth of your breath as you tell me how much you love me. I giggle when your fingertips dance across my tummy. You know you can have me."

Amanda dropped to her knees, and then searched in her pants pocket. She lifted Ben's hand slightly and slipped his wedding band on his finger. "I had a special date planned this weekend, and I was going to give this back to you. Tears dropped silently onto Ben's hand. "You're my husband and I'm your wife, you hear me? Don't you die—" Amanda wiped tears from her eyes. "Don't you die on me!" The monitor's beeps quickened.

Amanda felt Sharon's hand on her shoulder. "Mom, we have to go now."

****

On an early Wednesday morning a few weeks later, Amanda arrived as she'd done everyday since the fire. Ben was awake because she could hear his voice and others coming from the room. She knocked on the door and poked her head in; Amanda's ponytail fell to one side. "Am I interrupting something? I'll wait outside if I am."

"And you are?" a voice boomed.

"I'm his wife, Amanda."

"I'm Russell Moyer, Ben's boss. I'm trying to decide what course of action the department is going to take. You husband violated more rules and guidelines than even I knew existed."

"He saved a little girl's life," someone snapped.

Amanda knew that voice, and Nick stepped around several men.

"That he did. Public opinion being what it is— I don't know if we should bust you down to rookie status or pin a medal to your chest." Russell turned toward Amanda. "How do you put up with him?"

"He can be, well, let's say a challenge at times." Amanda smiled and placed her hand on Ben's shoulder.

"Do you have anything to add before we leave, Mr. Meir?"

"Not really."

"All right." Russell took several steps toward the door, and then abruptly stopped and looked back at Ben. "If you had it to do all over again, would you?"

"Why don't you ask that little girl's parents?"

Russell smiled at Amanda as he gripped the doorknob. "I see what you mean. Mr. Meir, we'll be in touch."

Amanda watched the group exit. Nick stopped and gave her a tight hug. "It'll be okay."

Amanda returned a worried smile.

"Hi," Amanda said when they were alone. "How ya doing?"

"Feels like a truck is sitting on my leg. The physical therapy is a bitch, but they told me this morning I'll be walking in a month and running in year. And you?"

"Fine. Sharon and I put stuff in storage and we're having a garage sale this weekend. I'm so happy to see the house up for sale."

Amanda sat beside Ben and held his hand. "It'll be all right. We'll make do. We'll eat tacos if we have to." She made light of the situation, but Ben heard her concerned. They knew that Ben could lose his job.

She lowered her face to Ben and just as Amanda's lips touched Ben's they hear the distinct tap-tap of a woman's heels. Amanda looked over her shoulder, and there in the doorway stood Mrs. Frederick.

"Don't let me interrupt." Mrs. Frederick smiled.

Ben reclined against the headboard. "What're you doing here?"

"Checking in with two of my favorite patients. I understand there's going to be a hearing about the fire."

"I'll probably get shit-canned. I can't blame "em "

An ear-to-ear grin split her face. "Don't be so sure about that Chief."

"I'm not a chief just a captain."

"Oh, that's right. But it does have a nice ring to it, don't you think? Chief Benjamin Meir. Yeah, it has a nice ring." She winked. "Say, have you two seen the morning paper?" Mrs. Frederick beamed with satisfaction as she strolled to the window, and dropped a rolled-up newspaper between Amanda and Ben.

Amanda unfolded the paper. "Amanda, would you read the headline, please?"

Amanda scanned the paper. She looked up, grinned, and then her eyes focused onto the paper.

"What's it say?" Ben asked.

Amanda cleared her throat. "Overland Park Police announced that the Grand Jury returned four indictments of rape and assault for Harold Cappello. The latest rape occurred two months ago."

Amanda stopped reading and glanced at Mrs. Frederick's big smile. Amanda continued. "Chief Norris said Mr. Cappello's DNA also matched samples taken from a rape that occurred in the mid-eighties. A then eighteen-year-old Amanda Ontario was raped in 1985. That case went cold but is now reopened, and we have the suspect, Mr. Cappello, in custody. The DNA profile of Mr. Cappello placed him at the rape scene. Police Chief Ronald Norris states the indictments also include a former high school coach for tampering with and withholding evidence. Chief Norris said more arrests would be forthcoming—"

Amanda looked up at Mrs. Frederick. "How did you?" Amanda's fingertip smoothed the surface of Ben's gold wedding band.

"DNA is a fantastic tool," she began, "but you need a suspect for comparison. Sometimes you need to lift Lady Justice's skirt and give her a swift kick in the ass."

Amanda squeezed her eyes tightly and a few tears escaped. "It's over— It's really over."

Mrs. Frederick opened the drapes, allowing the early morning sun to warm her face.

As the room filled with golden rays of light, Mrs. Frederick looked at Amanda and Ben.

"Another day is beginning. Another beginning, Ben—"