Lemons, Dilemmas, and Oh Baby

A Ring 4

"Which ring?" The jeweler asked.

"That one," Noah pointed to a diamond ring, a 14 karat white gold solitaire engagement ring. He could barely afford it, but that was the one he wanted.

Noah could have done this all on his own; Monica was here to give him support. Plus, he wanted to let her in on his little secret of asking Emma to marry him. A five o' clock shadow covered his chin, short sandy brown hair needed a cutting soon. It mopped almost over his blue eyes. His athletic build hidden from view by the gray pullover sweater he was wearing.

Foot traffic of a constant wave of pedestrians passed the window of the jewelry shop, Willow's Jewelers. Noah had been thinking of this moment for three months. It wasn't until now that he could afford the ring he had his sights on, the one with the medium sized stone. Not too big and not too small. He was hoping for a spring wedding if his future bride to be could wait that long.

The next thing on his list to save for was a house that Mia could grow up in, one with a large backyard and a swingset of her own. A dog for her to play with would bring a smile on her face. The little girl loved animals, especially puppies. Over and over, he had played out how their lives would change for the better once they were married and in their own home.

A home without a dog to bring comfort and security wasn't a home at all. He needed to come up with enough money for the deposit which he should be able to accomplish within the next nine or ten months. The perfect time for a wedding too.

"She's going to love it," Monica said to her brother Noah. "I can't believe you are going to do this."

"That makes two of us. It is high time I step up and stake my claim. Mia loves me, and she needs a dad. Someone to look up to and teach her how to play ball, see her off to her prom and married someday. Her own father is never around, and probably won't be around much in the coming year. I heard through the grapevine, he's going off to jail again."

"What a shame. You sound like you're prepared for a ready-made family."

"I don't think Mom likes the idea much. I hope she doesn't make too much of a stink when I make the announcement."

"Mom only wants what is in our best interest. After the wedding, it will be clear to everyone how happy you are, and will come around. You wait. You'll see."

"When are you going to pop the question?"

Noah grinned. "I'm going to make reservations at the Capella Restaurant for Sunday dinner. You will come, right?"

"I wouldn't want to miss it for anything. I can't wait to see the look on Emma's face when you show her that ring. It's gorgeous."

The first time Noah met or set eyes on Emma was when she was working at the doughnut shop on Tempe Drive. It was close to midnight, and they were beginning to close up for the night. He needed a coffee for the long drive he had ahead of him, driving trailer trucks across several states. His eighteen wheeler wasn't his own. It was only a loaner until he would be able to buy his own. This one had a sleeper cab. He liked it; motel costs could be a burden to a new driver. Someday he would have his own.

His mother hated his job. He was better than a truck driver, she kept telling him. He had an excellent education, why would he ever want to drive a truck?

Noah tried to explain to her, that he loved driving. Truck driving allowed him to travel across the country, make a few bucks in the process. She didn't want to hear any more of it. His mother wasn't the reason he'd stop driving. Emma was the reason. She never asked him to quit driving. He hated being away from her for any length of time. If he could find short runs, that would be different, but those didn't pay the same as the long hauls.

Mom thought he had quit driving for her. It was better that she continued to believe she was his reason for giving up what he loved. His sister Monica knew better. They were as close as a sibling could be without the drama of sibling rivalry.

Beeps... beep ... beep. Noah's pager sounded followed by the voice of a dispatcher detailing an alarm fire in the vicinity. He had to respond. Even though he was only a volunteer, he was in the area and needed to answer the call. From the information the dispatcher gave, this was a five-alarm fire.

"I need to ask you to hold on to this for me. That call that came in, I have to respond, and I would hate to lose this." Noah handed the bag with the ring to his sister. "Don't lose it on me."

Monica gave him a devilish smile. She wouldn't lose it. Maybe try the ring on for a day or two, but she would never lose such a beautiful treasure. "You go; it will be safe with me. I'll give it to you later. I can put it in your room at home."

"Just hold on to it for me. That's all you need to do and don't tell mom."

Monica crossed her heart in promise while Noah dashed away to his car to speed off to the fire, his gear safely stowed away in the trunk of his car for times such as this. A car seat in the back seat for when Mia was with him and Emma, seeing it in the rearview mirror made him smile. Asking Emma to marry him was the right thing to do, regardless of what his mother thought.

Noah could see the smoke from the fire a block before he arrived. Only one engine was on the scene. Four more were in route when he checked in with the captain. Not all the residents were accounted for, one child was missing. A distraught parent, the mother of the child frantically called for help. Someone needed to save her daughter, a five-year-old who had been napping when the fire happened.

The fire had broken out in the second-floor apartment. The mother without thinking, ran to a neighbor's apartment to call for help, leaving her child behind. When she returned to her, the entire apartment was engulfed in flames, and she couldn't reach the little girl or the dog.

"I'll go in," Noah told the captain while he finished buckling up his jacket. He and two other firefighters entered the building.

The fire had already made its way to the first floor. Smoke came from under the doors. They were on their way to the second floor to search apartment nine. Flames covered the ceiling of the apartment, the furniture, and the drapes. It was hard to see through the blaze.

"We don't have much time."

Noah already knew they had to hurry. Every second they wasted brought them closer to disaster. A bedroom off to the right and the sound of a barking dog pointed them in the direction of the child. He rushed into the room, wrapping the sleeping limp form in the blanket, carried her to the doorway and handed to one of the men outside the doorframe.

A creaking sound. "WE have to get out of here now." The man holding the child said.

"Go, I'll be right behind you. I have to get the dog."

"There's no time." The other man said.

Noah ignored them and returned to the bed to grab the dog. The ceiling overhead and part of the outer wall gave way and tumbled down on both Noah and the dog, pinning him. He was going to die saving a dog. The only thing he could think of before losing consciousness was the dilemma, who was going to tell Emma what happened?

He never heard the shouts from other men coming into the building to help rescue the man who was down. The station had never left one of their own men behind, they weren't going to let that happen even now.

A ladder appeared beside the hole in the wall where it had fallen away and on top of the dog and Noah. The quick reactions of his fellow firefighters saved his life, the dog didn't make it. They had no time left to retrieve the dog's body. Their primary concern was getting Noah to safety. His body was lowered to the ground in a wire basket. He was still alive. Barely.

A news crew was on the scene videotaping and reporting about the fire and the fallen firefighter who had saved the life of a little girl. His name was not released to the public. The next of kin needed to be contacted first. In the meantime, he was whisked away to the nearest hospital to treat his severe burns and injuries, in critical condition.

The mother and child taken to the hospital in another ambulance, she was thankful her daughter was alive. Their dog is forgotten during the moment. All that mattered was the child was safe, she was awake and alive. She would need to thank that brave firefighter. Hopefully, he would live.