Firefighter

It is a brisk mid September morning in the small suburban residential area.  The sound of bike wheels and kids laughing gives the close knitted community a real impression of tranquillity and peace, interrupted only by a handsome firefighter opening his creaky un-oiled front door.  As he lifts the morning paper, he takes a deep breath and stands proudly as he looks upon his city from a distance.

“So, what have you got in store for me today then?”  Mason whispers to himself.  Looking into the clear blue sky he notices the last minutes of a faint moon light high above the city buildings.  Mason glares up for a few minutes and thinks to himself,

‘Now isn’t that something?’  He enjoys the moment for a mere second until a sharp yell from the kitchen pulls his attention away from the beautiful scene above him.

“Breakfasts on the table Mason,” sounds a very rushed firefighter’s wife.  Finally finishing the preparations for her husband Mason, and her adorable eight year old Son Tyler, Amanda finally gets seated.

As the young family sit down together and tuck into the delicious blueberry pancakes Amanda has made, by now covered with lots of syrup and sauces, Father and Son begin talking and laughing with each other.  As Amanda looks on with a smile, her proud expression is closely followed with one of sadness, creating a tear, and without warning she runs to the sink in a swift but graceful dash.  As she breaks down into tears an uneasy silence falls at the table creating a tension in the air. 

“Hey little buddy why don’t you go to your room and get your things ready for school,” Mason suggests to Tyler.

“Sure Dad,” Tyler replies before making his way to the stairs remembering to take a few pancakes with him as he goes.

With Tyler out of site Mason slowly makes his way towards his wife.

“Are you ok Honey?”  Mason asks while keeping his distance, knowing she will need a little space right now he stands in front of the refrigerator feeling a little frustrated.

The main problem is that Amanda has always wanted Mason to get a safer job as she couldn’t bear the loss of another member of her family.