Guilt burned through his gut. Vernon was right. “I’ll be out there soon. Promise.” And he would. It was an asshole move for him to stay away so long, after all they’d done for him. He didn’t even know why he did.

“There ya go. That’s what I want to hear.”

“So how’s everything going?” Coop asked. He looked over at Noah to apologize with his eyes that he had to take a call, and Noah nodded his understanding.

“Good, good. They got a couple new officers at the station. A bunch of Nancy’s according to Jim. Have you met ’em?”

Coop froze at that, hoping like hell Noah didn’t hear him through the phone. How many times had Vernon talked like that when Coop was a kid, and he never thought twice about it? He had no doubt the new cops weren’t really gay, and he also knew Vernon meant that in the most derogatory way possible.

“Aren’t you supposed to be retired? Why are you still worried about what’s going on at the station?”

“Once a cop, always a cop. You should feel like that about your job too, if you take it seriously.”

That comment hit Coop like a punch to the gut. Being a good fireman was, and always had been, the most important thing to Cooper. There were certain things he owed his aunt and uncle, and he figured being a good fire fighter, was something he owed his parents.

“You know there’s nothing more important to me than doing my job well.” He didn’t add anything more than that, because it would only lead to an argument.

It was only a minute or two later that Vernon ended the call.

“Sounds like he hasn’t changed much,” Noah said. Coop didn’t reply because he didn’t need to. They both knew what his friend said was true. It was this odd relationship with all of them. Even as kids, Noah had liked Cooper’s uncle too. He’d loved when Vernon took them all camping or fishing, and Noah had stayed at his house any night he could, but then Noah always got pissed when Vernon and Cooper got into it.

“Don’t let him make you feel like shit, man. He’s always done that. You’re good at what you do and there’s never been anything wrong with the way you grieved your parents,” Noah added.

Smoke. That’s all he could see was smoke all around him. And it was so hot. So, so hot it felt like his skin was melting off him.

“Go! You need to go, Cooper.”

“No!” He shook his head. “Not without you.”

Mom was on the floor, a beam holding her down. Fire was all around him, smoke so thick it was difficult to see her clearly. There was a pop, and a hiss from behind her, so loud that Cooper heard it over everything else around them.

“Baby…go. I need you to go. Run as fast as you can. Do what I say, Cooper, now!”

Another pop. A wall on the other side of the room crashed down.

“Go! Now, Cooper. Get out of here, right now!”

And he did. Cooper ran, screaming and crying the whole way.

Something grabbed a hold of his arm.

“Coop! Wake up. You’re dreaming.”

Cooper jerked out of sleep at the sound of Noah’s voice. Nausea crawled up his throat. He couldn’t believe he had the dream in front of Noah. It was their very first sleepover, and now he’d think Coop was a baby.

“You were screaming,” Noah said, as the bedroom door opened and the light turned on.

“What in the hell is going on in here?” Uncle Vernon opened the door.

Coop froze. He didn’t want to tell his uncle he had the dream again. Didn’t want him to say he was being ridiculous, and make Noah think him a baby even more.

“Cooper? Noah?” Vernon asked. “What are you guys doing? We told you it was time to settle down and go to bed.”

Still Coop couldn’t make his voice work.

“It was me,” Noah said.

Coop’s eyes flashed toward his friend.

“I couldn’t sleep and was playing a trick on Coop. I didn’t mean to be so loud.” Noah’s lie sounded so true, even Coop would have believed him if he didn’t know better.

“If you can’t listen to my rules, kid, you won’t be allowed to stay here.”

“Yes, sir.” Noah looked toward the ground.

“Now get to bed. You nearly gave us a heart attack.” Uncle Vernon turned off the light and closed the door.

It took Coop forever to talk. “Bet you think I’m a wuss now.”

“No.”

The nausea started to melt away. He should have known Noah wouldn’t make him feel stupid. “Thanks…for covering… He doesn’t get it.”