Page 60 of Love Story
“Cara Grace.” The woman’s hair was matted to her head and her wet sweatshirt clung to her body. “Thank you. For finding us.”
“Of course.” Andi put her arm around the woman. “What happened?”
Dark circles under Cara Grace’s eyes showed how exhausted she was. “It was the second flood that got us. We’ve been here four days.” Tears filled her eyes. “I wasn’t sure anyone would ever come.”
Cody gave Andi a quick look. He motioned to the stairs. “I’ll get your bag.” Then he hurried out of the room.
Andi was trying to listen to the woman, but she kept thinking about Cody, the way he had been willing to jump in and help. Again she forced herself to focus. Cara Grace was explaining how neither of her girls knew how to swim. Tears filled the woman’s eyes. “When the flood came it swept away our car before we had time to evacuate.”
“So you all came up here?” Andi was in the moment now. She needed to help Cara Grace and her little ones. “But the water kept rising, right? At least it looks that way.”
“The water rose so fast.” The woman’s tears spilled onto her cheeks. “We... we stayed upstairs on my bed. But then the floodwater soaked the mattress.” As Cara Grace spoke, she began to shake, as if the horror of what she’d just survived was finally becoming real to her. “The water came up all around us and then... then it stopped.”
“We almost drowned.” One of the kids, a blond little boy, spoke up. He looked to be the oldest and he seemed more frightened than the others. Probably because he was able to understand the danger they had been in.
“I’m so glad you didn’t.” Andi still had her arm around the woman. “Help is coming. It’s going to be okay.”
“No, it’s not.” The woman whispered the words. Then she began to shake harder. She mouthed her next words. “We lost everything.”
“We can help you with that. Really.”
“Okay.” Cara Grace took a shaky breath and finished the story. She told how her cell phone had been broken, and she had no landline, so when the waters started to rise she wasn’t sure what else to do but head upstairs. She had grabbed two loaves of bread, a package of sliced cheese, and a case of water bottles.
They had survived on that.
The drinking water was gone now and so was the food. Her story finished, the woman fell quiet once more. Andi was about to ask the children how they were feeling when Cody came back. He carried the bag with the emergency kit and handed it to Andi.
Then he moved to the littlest child, a girl who looked to be three or four. “I’m Cody.” He sat beside her. “I’m going to help you, okay?”
Andi couldn’t take her eyes off him, the compassion in his voice and kindness in his gentle smile. Like he’d been helping with rescues all his life.
“I’m hungry.” The little girl looked at Cody. “Can I have toast?”
“Soon.” Cody smiled at her. He pressed the back of his fingers to her forehead and then took her small hand. He felt the pulse at her wrist. “You’re a very brave girl. What’s your name?”
“Emma.” Her eyes were bright with admiration. Cody was her hero, no doubt.
Cody glanced at Andi. “Her heartbeat’s steady. No fever.” He moved to the next little girl. Like her siblings, the child wore several layers of damp shirts and sweaters. Andi watched as Cody felt this girl’s forehead. “And what’s your name?”
“Esther.” This girl seemed to be five or six. Her eyes looked glassy, and she seemed weaker than her sister. “I don’t feel good.”
“I’m sorry. We’re going to take care of you.” Cody took the child’s pulse. Clearly she wasn’t well, though Cody seemed to do his best to hide the fact. “Tell me about school. What grade are you?”
“First.” She managed the hint of a weary smile. “I’m the best reader in my class.”
“I’ll bet you are.” This time when Cody looked at Andi, he silently mouthed, “Fever. She needs a doctor.”
Quiet tears filled Cara Grace’s eyes again. “I’ve been so scared. I knew Esther was sick.”
“It’s going to be all right.” Andi released her hold on Cara Grace and took her hand instead. She pulled a thermometer from the bag and took the woman’s temperature. It was elevated, but not badly. “You’re all going to get through this.” She focused on Cara Grace’s eyes.
She looked at Andi. “Please stay. Until we can get out of here.”
“We will. We’re not going anywhere.” Andi continued to hold the woman’s hand as the two of them watched Cody.
He had moved on to the boy, who was maybe nine years old. “How you feeling, buddy?”
“Tired.” He leaned his head against his mother’s arm and studied Cody. “Are you a fireman?”
