Free Amongst The Flames: A Contemporary Christian Romance (Embers and Ashes Book 1) by T.K. Chapin Page B

Bradley called out as the video feed became established. My eyes almost began to water at seeing my precious little boy try to kiss at the phone.
    “Hey, Buddy,” I said with a smile and a soft tone, leaving my resentment and sense of betrayal behind on the pages of the notebook.
    Megan leaned into Justin’s ear and said, “Tell Daddy what we did today.”
    “We aw a ire uck,” he said, followed by more jumbled words.
    I looked over at Megan for translation. “We saw a fire truck and firemen today.”
    “Oh yeah? Where at?” I asked.
    “We went to the fire station up the road earlier. The kids all wanted to go check it out as Bradley and Justin kept talking and playing with their fire trucks they got at the store the other day.”
    I smiled. “That’s neat, was it a big station?”
    “It was pretty big. They even had back up trucks in their bay.”
    I nodded. “Yeah, some of those bigger stations do.”
    The kids became distracted by something off camera and took off running. “Guess they’re done,” I said.
    “Yeah, they can’t seem to stay too focused with anything. But they are happy,” she said, smiling as her eyes followed them.
    My heart stung at the comment. They were happy without their dad being around? “So I had an interesting dinner with your parents.”
    “I heard. Kind of why I did a video call, so you couldn’t freak out on me.”
    Who was this woman? “Why are you scared to talk about our problems?”
    She shrugged as she looked away from the phone. “There isn’t much to talk about…”
    “What do you mean? You are planning to stay away from me and Spokane and keep my kids from me! There’s plenty to talk about, Megan!”
    “Don’t be so overdramatic, Cole. I’m not keeping you from the boys…”
    “Just tell me what is wrong,” I demanded.
    “I don’t like this life. You being a fireman… I just don’t… feel like it’s my life. That was my Dad and Mom’s life, not mine.”
    “Well your Dad fired me. I don’t see me being a fireman anymore.”
    She laughed. “Oh please, you know you’ll get on with another station if he can even manage to get you fired. You’re well respected across all the fire houses in Spokane… and this is what you love, Cole. Don’t give that up for me.”
    Shaking my head as I looked down at my bullet points I wanted to go over on the piece of notebook paper, I ignored the list. “I love you. I want you, and I want our family and it all back to the way it was before.”
    “See, you’re not listening to me… I don’t want that life anymore.”
    “What do you want then?” I asked. “Just tell me what you want!”
    “I don’t know…” she replied, looking down and away. “I know what I don’t want and that’s the life we’ve been having.”
    “Is this because of Amanda’s divorce? Is she filling your head with a bunch of stupid ideas?” I questioned.
    “What?” she snapped at me. “I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, Cole… Amanda has nothing to do with it. If anything, I influenced her.”
    My heart felt like it stopped in my chest. This woman, this life, it was just one big illusion and I was just some kind of puppet in the mix. My clenched throat made it hard for me to speak more than a few more words, so I said, “I gotta go.” And I hung up the video call immediately.
    Digging my face into my one good palm, I ran my fingers through my hair and dropped to my knees on my living room floor. Crying out to the Lord, I prayed that he’d help me in my moment of need. I pleaded for him to take the pain away that was burrowing itself into my chest and into my life. My breaths became short and rapid as fear dug its claws into the fiber of my being. Like being trapped inside a burning house, the flames were growing all around me and I was in need of being saved.

CHAPTER 9
    D ays turned into weeks, and I kept myself shut up in my house. I wasn’t shaving, showering or doing much of anything other than