As the sun rose, the rays beamed through the louvres of the blinds and cascaded across the room.  Abby stirred in the bed as the sun glanced over her eyes.  She pulled the blanket far over her head attempting to hide from the day...the world.

She felt that she could not face this day.  Knowing she was back in the house where it happened.  "No!" she cried out, "I can't...no I...I..." she said aloud.  Michael came running from the kitchen where he was preparing a breakfast in bed for her.  "Abby, I didn't know you were awake.  Are you alright?"

He approached the bed and gently lifted the blanket from her.  She appeared have fallen asleep again.  He leaned over and gently kissed her on the cheek, "Sleep, my darling.  I will wake you when I return."  He left the room and returned to the kitchen.

Abby opened her eyes once Michael had left the room.  She slowly moved out from under the covers and left the bed.  Stopping briefly to catch her balance, she reached to her abdomen to feel the life within her.  "It won't happen again, I won't let it happen again, this I promise you, Andrea."  She moved toward the door, then across the hall to Andrews room.  Abby stood in the doorway for a moment and viewed the damage.  She lowered her head and began to weep.

Once again Michael had heard the sounds from coming from upstairs.  He lept up the stairs only to find Abby sitting in Andrews doorway crying.  "Abby," he whispered, "We will get through this, please believe me.  You have to take care of Andrea now."

"Oh Michael, I know, but Andrew...he didn't deserve this.  He was so young and i tried...I tried..."

"Yes, Abby, we all know you tried.  There was nothing you could have done differently.  You injured yourself trying to help him, but you have died yourself if you did more."

"But Michael, if I was closer, if I was there when it started, I could have picked him up and saved him."

"Abby, the fire was an accident.  You could not have known it was going to happen.  You have to understand that there was nothing more you could have done."

Michael managed to convince Abby to return to the bed and wait for him to bring breakfast.  He returned once again to the kitchen.  He sat on one of the stools at the counter and opened the folder in front of him.

Police Report: Fire at Home of Michael and Abby Stevens

Michael (a seasoned firefighter himself for the City) read it again for what must have been the hundreth time.  It began:

"After initial investigation the fire appears to have been started with..."

 He shut the folder quickly.  He could not bring himself to read more.  It was too painful to think that his wife had done this.  "No, it is impossible!" He said to himself.