Chapter 2

Joanne DeSoto was in the midst of finishing her packing for the much needed time off. Although she didn't have a career that gave her a paycheck, she was in deed employed full time as a wife and mother. She loved her family but the few times that she could spend time with her friends and get out of the house was precious.

The kids were running or more like sprinting around the house, including the bedroom where she was attempting to get ready. Their energy was boundless and there was many times where she and Roy commented that they wished they could bottle some of it, sell it and make millions.

She heard Roy come through the front door. She had this feeling that it had been a long, hard shift. They had been together for so many years that she was fairly accurate at reading him, even if it was only a sigh or other body language. Some days she wished he did almost anything other than being a fireman. Whenever she heard the scanner sound off and heard his station responding or news report about firemen being hurt, she would say a little prayer that he would come home safe. She knew that if it were humanly possible Johnny would make sure he would do exactly that. A.J. had made the same promise, not that either of them had to, it was an unwritten commandment to take care of their own, and they were all extended family.

She knew that she would be foolish to try and make him be anything else; it simply wouldn't work and even if she could do it, he wouldn't be happy performing another job. To be a rescue paramedic wasn't just what he did, it was who he was. Besides there was something about a man in uniform, she laughed softly out loud.

"Hey Hon, are you all set?" Roy asked while walking into the room. Before she could answer he was bombarded by two little ankle biters flinging themselves at him.

"Daddy, Daddy! Yea, your home!" Jenny was hanging off of his forearm giggling.

"Are you leaving soon Momma? We're gonna watch football with Daddy, Uncle Johnny and their friends!" Chris was so proud to be watching the game with all of the grown ups.

"Gee, it's nice to know that you'll miss me!" Jo made a pouting face towards her children.

"Momma, we'll miss you....I promise!!" She ran over to her afraid for a moment that she was serious.

"Yeah mom, you know better than that!" Chris placed his tiny hands on his hips to emphasize his point.

Roy fondly watched his wife tease their children. It only enforced what he already knew, that she was a wonderful mother and partner. He often thought about how much she really did to keep the family together. In reality she paid the bills, balanced the checkbook, and kept the household running efficiently. That was on top of being Super Mom for the children.

"I'll miss you too Jo; I mean who's gonna cook dinner, do the dishes, and the laundry......" He was ready and had to duck when she picked up the pillows on the bed and tossed them at his head. If she had actually believed that he had been serious, she would have thrown something a lot harder and aimed for another body part.

The kids ran off to play, satisfied that all was well. She started to stuff more items into her bags. "So Roy how bad was the shift? Was it a bad accident or a bad fire?"

"How did you?" He hadn't even said a word about it since walking in the house. To followed the questions with, "Wow I must 'really' look like shit!"

She laughed at him. "No, you don't.....yeah, you look pretty ragged...." There was no use telling a lie.

"It wasn't a 'bad' fire in that way, it just took forever to get the house fire under control and extinguish the flames that leapt to the trees around it. Then when part of the roof caved in, Johnny and A.J. were underneath!" He quickly added, "No! You can relax their fine! Really, nothing broken, no serious burns, nothing. I can't figure it, between the two of them they have used up the lives of half a dozen cats!" He was joking, yet with a serious undertone. He didn't want to entertain the thought of losing either one of his friends.

"Alright, I am sure that I remembered everything. I have changes of clothes, towels, tarps, our tent...." She was mentally going over her list. She was determined to not have to one thing forgotten, you know where you don't realize till your two thirds of the way there.

"Did you grab the first aid kit?" Roy questioned.

"Well, I am sure A.J. will bring more than enough supplies. Plus, Dixie has a massive bag full of goodies; she normally keeps in her car."

"You can 'never' have too many supplies, trust me! Besides I'll feel better knowing that you have it with you." His voice told her not to argue, his time as a draftee had taught him that there was no such thing as 'too' prepared.

Roy and Joanne took everything out and set it all on the front porch. A.J. and Johnny would arrive any minute. He had volunteered his Range Rover for the long drive into the mountains. They were taking two vehicles; that would leave plenty of space for their items and all five women.