Free Things Lost In The Fire by Katie Jennings Page A

“Kind of 1920s flapper meets Emo-goddess. We may need to buy you something. Don’t worry, I’m on it.”
    “Okay.” Sadie turned back to the mirror and ran her fingertips over the dark strands of the wig, overwhelmed by it all.
    A few hours after Tess had left, Sadie called her step-brother. She set up her laptop on her father’s upright piano in his music room and phoned Isaac using Skype.
    “So you’re doing a show, huh?” Isaac asked, looking impressed. His black curls of hair had their usual messy look and his poetic hazel eyes were lit with excitement. “What’re you going to sing? Or should I say, what is Piper Gray going to sing?”
    Sadie shushed him. “Don’t let Dad hear you.”
    “Right. Sorry. I think he’s asleep anyway.” Isaac lifted his guitar and grinned. “How about ‘All These Flames’? That’s my favorite.”
    “It’s my favorite, too. Okay, let’s try that one.” Sadie’s eyes fell to the keyboard as she placed her fingers on the keys and began to play. Isaac joined her, softly strumming his guitar.
    When she began to sing, he softly mimicked her words for the chorus, giving the song a haunting, lonely echo that so perfectly mirrored the lyrics. It was a song she’d written for her parents, a song that bled all those old wounds dry. Relief rushed through her as she sang the words she’d never been brave enough to say to them in person. To, in her own way, call them out for all the damage they’d done.
    “These flames destroyed us. These flames made us. These flames are all that remain. When the ashes fall, will you remember my name?”
    As she wrapped up the song, she felt a single tear fall from her eye. She smiled at Isaac as she wiped it away. “I wish you could be here to perform with me. The song is so much better with you playing acoustic like that.”
    “I wish I could, too. Maybe I’ll drop out of school and we could hit the road,” he joked, earning an appreciative laugh from her.
    “Don’t you dare. You’re going to be a doctor someday and I might need to you to save my life.”
    She watched Isaac suddenly turn his head, then spotted her father entering the room. He came up behind her brother, then noticed Sadie’s face on the computer screen.
    “Oh, I didn’t realize you were…what’s that called? Skipping?”
    “Skyping, Dad.” Isaac chuckled, shooting an amused look at Sadie. “Old people.”
    Ben angled down so his face was in view of the camera. He managed a tight smile. “Hi, Sadie.”
    “Hey.” She felt her face burning and hoped he couldn’t tell. “How’s Boston?”
    “Fine.” Ben cleared his throat, as if unsure what to say. “How’s, uh, your mother?”
    “Fine.”
    “Good. Well, I’ll let you kids get back to your…”
    “Skype, Dad. Skype.” Isaac shook his head and sighed. “Why don’t you go call Tommy on your rotary phone and talk about the good ol’ days of eight tracks and big hair?”
    “Ha ha, very funny.” Ben waved at Sadie before disappearing from the room.
    Sadie let out a heavy sigh. “Awkward.”
    “Yeah…” Isaac ran a hand through his hair. “Anyway, wanna do another song?”
    “I think I should get some sleep. I’m heading over to see my mom again tomorrow.”
    “Fun,” Isaac replied sarcastically, though there was humor in his eyes. “Call me next week before the show and we’ll practice some more, ‘kay?”
    “Okay.” She blew him an affectionate kiss and smiled. “Night.”
    After she turned off the computer, she continued to sit at the piano and sulk. It was always so awkward every time she talked to her father. It was like they were both holding back from saying something that so desperately needed to be said, yet they were too scared to say it. Or too stubborn, or proud, or who knows what.
    She’d never felt like herself around him, not the way she did with Isaac or Tommy or Tess. With her father she always felt the need to put on a show or pretend to be anything other than a