My fingers barely grip onto the doorframe as I spin around, my heart in my throat.
The second my eyes land on people huddled on the sofa, all the air rushes out of my lungs.
“Seb,” Stella cries, pushing a child off her lap as I run to her.
We collide with an audible thud, my arms wrapping around her so tight she probably can’t breathe, but I don’t give a shit.
“Fuck, baby. I thought you were dead.”
“I’m sorry,” she sobs into my chest, her own body trembling.
Tears stream down my cheeks as I stand there just holding her. Fear like I’ve never experienced still rages through my body as if this is just a dream, as if she’s not really here in my arms.
“Shh, it’s not your fault,” I tell her after she apologises again. “Fuck. Are you really okay?” I ask, finally releasing her so that I can inspect her for injuries.
“I’m really okay. W-we weren’t inside when it went up.”
My eyes narrow, knowing that she’d left the house, but I can hardly be mad about it. If she hadn’t then… I look over my shoulder and out the window at the burning building.
“Fuck.”
Movement on the sofa catches my attention, and I find Emmie with Theo’s brother and sisters huddled into her. Her eyes are wide as she stares at the two of us, clearly still in shock.
“You okay?” I ask her.
“Y-yeah. I’m good. Thank fuck I wanted ice cream, huh?”
“Emmie,” a little voice chastises.
“Sorry.”
Stella’s body trembles again, but when I look back at her, I find a wide smile on her face. She’s fucking laughing.
“Umm… did I miss something.”
She shakes her head and tries to compose herself, but she quickly discovers that she can’t as she barks out another laugh.
I look at Emmie, who just shrugs in confusion at her friend’s state.
“Baby?” I take her upper arms in my hands and give her a little shake.
“She drank a lot,” Emmie helpfully adds.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” Stella finally says, getting herself under control. “It’s just… we were saved by fuc— freaking ice cream.”
“Okay,” I say, pulling her back into my body and twisting my fingers into her hair as I press her face to my chest.
It only takes thirty seconds tops for her laughter to turn into tears, and she clings onto me like she never wants to let go.
I know that fucking feeling.
“Okay, I’ve got drinks and cookies,” Selene says, lowering a tray to the coffee table.
The kids attached to Emmie scoot forward and immediately grab a glass of milk and a homemade cookie as Selene walks over to the window and pulls the curtains closed. I shouldn’t be surprised by her coolness in this situation. She’s been married to Damien for years. She must be used to dealing with this kind of drama.
“Damien and Evan are on their way.”
“I’m so sorry about your home,” Stella says, lifting her head from my chest.
“It’s okay, sweetie. I’m just glad no one was injured. It was just bricks and mortar. There are much more important things in life.”
She squeezes my shoulder in support as she passes and drops onto the sofa with her younger kids, pulling them all in for a hug.