Chapter 19: The First Candles
"Alright, everyone! Cake time!" Alex yelled over the crowd, holding up a lighter.
The pavilion buzzed with excitement as family and friends gathered around the long picnic tables. Two smash cakes sat in the center—one decorated with pink frosting roses for Grace, and another covered in blue frosting with little yellow stars for Noah.
"Come on, Uncle Liam, get up here," David insisted, waving Liam over to stand directly behind the highchairs.
Liam stepped up, taking his place right between Alex and David. Sarah and Mary stood in front of them, carefully lighting the single, solitary candle on each cake.
The crowd broke into a loud, off-key, but incredibly enthusiastic rendition of "Happy Birthday."
Liam looked at the two flickering flames. He thought about the destructive, terrifying fire that had almost taken everything from these families. Fire could be a monster, indiscriminately consuming life and leaving nothing but ash. But here, today, it was just a tiny spark of celebration. A symbol of life, of another year conquered, of futures unfolding exactly as they were meant to.
May you like
As the song ended, Sarah and Mary leaned in, helping their babies blow out the candles. The crowd cheered, and within seconds, Grace had both hands buried deep in her pink frosting, making everyone roar with laughter.
Liam clapped along, his heart entirely full. He knew there would be other fires, other dark days, and other heavy doors to force open. But he also knew he would carry this day with him into every burning building for the rest of his career.
