She likes the sun. He adores the smell of fresh rain from a storm. She wears dresses and hats, white hats that cover her soft pointed nose. He dresses in shorts and old t-shirts. Baseball caps turned backwards. And tennis shoes. She enjoys picnics on checkered blankets in the shade of tall oaks. Cucumber sandwiches, dainty scones, and lemonade. The breeze blowing through trees. The smell of a fresh book in her hands. He plays football in the park. Ripped shorts and muddy knees. She is a teacher, safe and clean in her classroom. He is a fireman. His face is smeared with ash, his boots covered in dirt.
They are strangers. But one day these strangers meet and fall in love. They spend their days having picnics in the park, and watching the rain fall on the pavement. He constantly thinks about her, and he is always on her mind.
One day the fire alarm in the school rings. The fire in the kitchen is spreading throughout the classrooms. Everyone is in a panic, and all she can think about is living so she can see him again. Flashbacks about the time they first met race through her head. As the fire grows closer, she continues to think. Never see him again. She doesn’t want to let him down. Sirens fill the streets. She tries to be strong. She takes her kids through the window so they are safe. She did it. She hasn’t let him down, he will see her again.
The school lies in ruins when the fire is over. Tragedy. She is safe, he will see her again. Beneath the ash a life is taken. His face is smeared with ash, his boots covered in dirt.