When Lights Collide Chapter 6

As Cara headed for the front door, she rolled her eyes to the Heavens, 

“I hope ya’all know what we’re doing” was her silent plea.

Cara began breathing heavy and deep, hoping she looked like she just ran toward the door, as her doorbell rang.

She hoped she looked as convincing as she thought she did as she threw open the front door, almost dropping her towel as the firemen were standing on her steps.
Everything seemed to stop, except Cara.  

The firemen stopped moving and stared, the policemen stopped walking toward her house, her neighbors stopped gossiping, and everyone was staring at Cara as she pretended to struggle with keeping her towel in place.

“Uumm, Ma’am, are, um, you, um, ok?” The fireman at the top of her stairs tried to ask.

‘God bless him, at least he tried to keep eye contact’, Cara thought to herself.

Cara smiled sweetly, “Why, yes, I am fine, why do you ask?”

“Well, we received a 911 call, stating there was a fire.” The tall, dark-haired fireman at the back of the line stated.

“A fire? Oh, that….I’m sorry, I tipped over some towels onto a candle.  It's ok though, I hosed it with the shower nozzle.” 

Cara smiled her best smile and waved it off like it was no big deal as she leaned against the door jamb, settling in to make this take as long as possible.

“Well, since we’re here, we better check it out.” 

The fireman at the top of the steps declared as he stepped toward Cara and the door.

Cara jumped up, blocking the doorway 

“oh, that’s ok, ya’all really didn’t need to make so much bother, the fire is out and…Oh!” 

as Cara moved to block the doorway, her towel slipped, for real this time, and she felt her face burn red with embarrassment.

Again, it seemed as though the whole world stopped to watch as Cara tried to rein in her towel that suddenly seemed to have a mind of its own.

As Cara finally began to get her towel under control, a blanket seemed to come from nowhere and wrapped itself around Cara, she jumped as a paramedic now spoke to her, 

“Here ya go ma’am, maybe this will help.”

Cara smiled sheepishly, “Thank you.”

As she looked around at the crowd that had now gathered on her front step and in her front yard, Cara wondered if her visitor had managed to get himself out of the house, or at least well hidden, when she heard a motorcycle start up in the distance and drive off.

Cara felt a wave of relief wash over her, he was gone.

“Well, since ya’all are here, you might as well come in.” she flashed a smile, and moved to allow the crew to enter the house.

Cara stood, holding the door open as the firemen entered, the tall, dark haired one turned to Cara 

“Where did the fire originate ma’am?”

“Oh, straight down the hall, in the bathroom.” 

Cara said as she pointed with the hand not holding her towel (and her dignity) in check.

As the firemen marched toward the bathroom, the paramedic who had given Cara the blanket stepped forward 

“Ma’am, are you ok, were you hurt?”

“Oh, no, I am fine, just surprised is all, oh, did you want your blanket back?” 

Cara asked, “I can put something on and return it to you.”

“Not necessary ma’m, if you are alright, we’re going to head out.”  Was his kind reply.

“Thank you, I am fine.” Cara smiled and decided to go and see what was taking the firemen so long.

As she walked toward the bathroom, she snickered to herself about so many visitors in her bathroom tonight and what a popular place it was…

The tall fireman with the dark hair turned toward Cara 

“Did you have company in your bathroom tonight?” He asked.

Cara froze and tried to think of an honest and decent response, when the fireman continued 

“I only ask as there is a boot print in your bathroom near where the fire originated, are you sure you knocked over the towels?”

“Well, yes, I mean, I thought I did.” Cara tried quickly to think of a good cover story.

“You thought you did? The dark haired fireman asked.

“Well, yes, I had just gotten out of the tub, I went into my office and then I smelled smoke, remembered the candles, ran back in here and that’s when I realized that my towels had fallen onto the candle and then I grabbed the shower nozzle and hosed it all….” 

Cara forced herself to stop talking, she was rambling now, nervous that her visitor might get found out after all.

Cara stared blankly into her bathroom, as one of the other firemen stepped to the side, and then,  she could see quite plainly, a boot print in the dried water on the floor.

Then, as though they glowed with some unseen spotlight, Cara spotted the boots on the firemen still in the bathroom.

 “Umm, are you sure it's not your boot print, or one of your fellow firemen's?”

Cara asked, her eyebrows scrunched together, head tilted, curiously staring at the boots of the fireman in the bathroom.

“Are you saying you did not have a guest with you tonight?” Dark hair asked.

Cara looked at him thoughtfully, “A guest?  No, I did not have a guest tonight.”

She could feel her Angels looking at her with a raised eyebrow, and she responded silently, 

“A guest implies an invitation, and he wasn’t invited.”

Fireman Dark Hair was staring at her intently, shrugged and returned to his comrades still in the bathroom.

Cara was tired, and was becoming frustrated at all of the excitement in her bathroom…she stepped forward, cleared her throat and said, 

“Excuse me, but it’s been a really long day and I  would really like to go to bed, are you guys almost done in here?” she smiled wearily.

Four heads swiveled in Cara’s direction all at the same time.

“Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt.” Cara stepped back, startled at their reaction.

“No ma’am, it's all right, we are done here,” the top step fireman stated firmly to Fireman Dark hair.

“We will leave you to your evening.” he smiled and led his crew out of Cara’s bathroom and out the front door.

Cara thanked the firemen for double-checking on everything, thanked the policemen for overseeing….whatever it was that they were overseeing, closed the front door and leaned against it, sinking to the floor while sighing in relief.

‘That’s over’, Cara sighed as she leaned her head against the door and closed her eyes, trying to settle herself.

She was pulling herself up from the floor and had taken only two steps toward her bedroom when she heard a light knock at her door.

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