Chapter One
A banner hung from the stairwell.
'Happy 6th Birthday, Melinda!'
Piper walked down the stairs, checking on everything as she went. Leo followed her as she went into the kitchen. She took the cake off of the stove and began icing it. He came up behind her, wrapping his strong arms around her waist. She smiled, relaxing into his body as she finished icing the cake. She suddenly tensed up, turning around and searching the room. A frown formed on her face.
"Candles! I knew I forgot something!" She said as Leo looked up. Piper stepped out of his arms and backed away from him, knowing what that upward glance meant. They were calling him.
"No, not today," she said, shaking her head. "Of all the days, Leo, not today."
"Piper, it's my job."
"So your job is suddenly more important than your family? Your job is more important than your little girl's birthday?"
"God damnit, Piper, don't even try to do that. You know that isn't true." But Piper's jaw was clenched as her looked away from him, staring at the linoleum floor. Leo just rolled his eyes and grabbed Piper's car keys of the table.
"Where are you going?" She asked, raising her head back up.
"I'm going to the store to buy birthday candles," he said before shutting the door.
Melinda sat on the staircase, her eyes filled with tears that threatened to fall. She'd heard everything. It was the first time they'd fought like that, and she had a bad feeling about it.
Leo drove quickly to the store and made his way inside.
2 hours later.
Where is he?! Piper asked herself. People were beginning to arrive for the party and he still wasn't back. Maybe they'd called him again, maybe he was just away on a supernatural emergency. The doorbell rang, interrupting her thoughts. She opened the door, expecting another guest. Instead a tall man wearing an immaculate suit stood there, seemingly unsure of what to do.
"Darryl," she said in a surprised voice.
"Piper," he said softly, his eyes darting to her's, then quickly. "Could I come in?"
"Yeah, of course," she said, opening the door further. Darryl walked in, noticing the banners and decorations as Piper led him into the living room.
"Melinda's birthday?" He asked, steering away from the reason he was there.
"Yeah," she said in an unsure voice. "Darryl, what's going on?"
"I don't know how to tell you this.," he said, looking away.
"Leo," she said softly. Darryl nodded at her and put a hand on her back, trying to lead her to a chair.
"You should probably sit down," he said, guiding her into the large recliner. He continued on, telling her of the building fire. She only caught bits and pieces. 'Flames too strong'. 'No survivors'. 'So sorry'. She didn't care if he was sorry or not. Her world had come to an abrupt halt that day.
A banner hung from the stairwell.
'Happy 6th Birthday, Melinda!'
Piper walked down the stairs, checking on everything as she went. Leo followed her as she went into the kitchen. She took the cake off of the stove and began icing it. He came up behind her, wrapping his strong arms around her waist. She smiled, relaxing into his body as she finished icing the cake. She suddenly tensed up, turning around and searching the room. A frown formed on her face.
"Candles! I knew I forgot something!" She said as Leo looked up. Piper stepped out of his arms and backed away from him, knowing what that upward glance meant. They were calling him.
"No, not today," she said, shaking her head. "Of all the days, Leo, not today."
"Piper, it's my job."
"So your job is suddenly more important than your family? Your job is more important than your little girl's birthday?"
"God damnit, Piper, don't even try to do that. You know that isn't true." But Piper's jaw was clenched as her looked away from him, staring at the linoleum floor. Leo just rolled his eyes and grabbed Piper's car keys of the table.
"Where are you going?" She asked, raising her head back up.
"I'm going to the store to buy birthday candles," he said before shutting the door.
Melinda sat on the staircase, her eyes filled with tears that threatened to fall. She'd heard everything. It was the first time they'd fought like that, and she had a bad feeling about it.
Leo drove quickly to the store and made his way inside.
2 hours later.
Where is he?! Piper asked herself. People were beginning to arrive for the party and he still wasn't back. Maybe they'd called him again, maybe he was just away on a supernatural emergency. The doorbell rang, interrupting her thoughts. She opened the door, expecting another guest. Instead a tall man wearing an immaculate suit stood there, seemingly unsure of what to do.
"Darryl," she said in a surprised voice.
"Piper," he said softly, his eyes darting to her's, then quickly. "Could I come in?"
"Yeah, of course," she said, opening the door further. Darryl walked in, noticing the banners and decorations as Piper led him into the living room.
"Melinda's birthday?" He asked, steering away from the reason he was there.
"Yeah," she said in an unsure voice. "Darryl, what's going on?"
"I don't know how to tell you this.," he said, looking away.
"Leo," she said softly. Darryl nodded at her and put a hand on her back, trying to lead her to a chair.
"You should probably sit down," he said, guiding her into the large recliner. He continued on, telling her of the building fire. She only caught bits and pieces. 'Flames too strong'. 'No survivors'. 'So sorry'. She didn't care if he was sorry or not. Her world had come to an abrupt halt that day.