"I'm sorry, Debbie." His voice was hoarse. "Cindy has no one else to rely on but me. You're strong. Holding on a little longer won't be a problem for you. I'll come back for you."
"Trust me, Debbie. You're my wife. I would never let you get hurt. But I have to save Cindy first."
He let go of my hand without a second of hesitation and walked away.
The fire raged at nearly two hundred degrees, but in that moment, I felt like I'd been plunged into an ice cellar.
I watched Brendan scoop Cindy into his arms and carry her out. I watched Cindy glance back at me, then go limp, faking unconsciousness the second they cleared the door. Brendan didn't think twice. He hailed a cab and left with her, never once looking back, never once remembering I was still inside.
The world blurred as I collapsed to the ground. Through the haze, I saw firefighters rushing in.
After a solid month of recovery, I was finally cleared to leave the hospital.
"If today weren't my birthday, I never would have let you check out." My father's tone left no room for argument.
I gave him a helpless smile. "Your daughter survived a brush with death. That means nothing but good fortune ahead."