Fire Escape Page 2

  Her flirtatious grin sent a pang of excitement through him and he held her close for a few seconds. “Sounds good to me.”

  Chapter Two

  Going to meet Eva’s family wasn’t exactly the restful weekend that Michael had in mind. Telling his mom and Casey about it had been simple. They were both excited and surprised that it had taken as long as it did. They were supportive, and Michael couldn’t help but surmise that it would be complete opposite of how Eva’s dad would take it.

  “Mikey, you look like you’re about to puke!” Eva grabbed his hand as they leaned over the railing of the ferry that took them from Manhattan toward Staten Island. “I’m glad your mom was so happy about all of this.”

  “I’m sea sick,” he replied, rubbing his belly with his free hand.

  “You’re such a bad liar. Don’t worry! We’re a big Italian family, but we’re inviting.”

  Michael scoffed and ducked his head. “That’s exactly what worries me. I keep imagining your dad as this big mafia guy like from Scarface or Goodfellas.”

  “So you’re placing stereotypes on my family?” She let out an infectious laugh. “Now that would be a very quick way to get him on your bad side. Get all of those images out of your head now.”

  “That makes me feel so much better,” Michael said, his tone sarcastic. “And what do you mean, you’re glad my mom was so happy? Did you expect something different?”

  Eva pursed her lips as she stared out into the water. “Yeah, I sort of did.”

  “C’mon! She loves you! She’s always loved you!” He put his arm around her shoulders. “It’s hard not to love you.”

  “I don’t know. I just assumed things, just like you’re assuming things.” She pointed her finger into his chest. “Just kept thinking that she’s gonna view me as stealing you away from her. You know, the whole mom-son complex. Some women want to keep their boys around. Some don’t. Since you are her oldest and Casey is down in Texas, it was just my silly imagination thinking it to death.”

  “Silly is right,” Michael said, kissing her on the head.

  “Exactly. Silly like you’re being.”

  The ferry ride pulled in to one of the harbors on Staten Island and all of the people began to file off. Maybe he was being silly. He just had memories of times he had met old girlfriend’s families and things didn’t go well at all. Of course, that was when things weren’t going so well for him either, and he was drinking like a fish. He was sober now, and had been for quite some time. Hopefully her dad wouldn’t catch on to him being a recovering alcoholic.

  Attempting to hide his emotions, he forced a smile as she took his hand and led him in the direction of her parent's house. There was an added skip to her step, like she thrived being on the island. Even though it wasn’t far from the city, she still didn’t get to see them as much as she would like to.

  “They don’t live far from here - right off the edge of the water, a few blocks up. It’s a nice walk.”

  Michael followed behind her for a few steps, taking in the air. The days had started to grow cooler, and winter was right on the horizon. It was such a contrast compared to being down in Texas just four weeks ago, where the heat was blazing and there was not much transition from summer to fall. He was certain that Casey would enjoy the mild winters down there, compared to what they usually endured in New York.

  Eva’s pace quickened as they got closer to residential areas. The houses were quaint, and there was an awesome view of the New York skyline from where they were standing.

  “It’s the blue two story house on the left,” Eva pointed. “It looks like my brothers are there too. Daddy didn’t mention they’d be on the island.”

  Michael let out an uneasy laugh. “Nice home they got here. Nice view too.” He stopped to appreciate the buildings right across the water, still not used to seeing the gaping hole where the twin towers once stood. The Freedom Towers were in the process of being built, but still wouldn’t replace what once stood there.

  They walked through the short picket fence and up the steps, and before Eva could even knock, the door opened and her mother greeted her with a long hug and huge laughter.

  “Eva, my baby, you look wonderful! Keeping in shape. I guess you have to for your job, don’t you honey?” Eva resembled her. She was a beautiful woman that almost didn’t look old enough to be her mother.

  “Oh Ma, you’re just saying that.” She turned to Michael and pulled him closer. “Ma, this is Michael McGinnis.”

  She held her hand out and Michael shook it. “Nice to meet you. I’m Elana. It’s nice to finally put a face with a name.”

  “Nice to meet you too,” he said, shocked when she pulled him in for a hug.

  “Your dad is inside with your brothers. Watching some dumb football game or something. I’m cooking a nice dinner for you all.” Elana turned back to Michael again, her smile genuine. “It’s really nice to have you here, hon.”

  “Thanks for having me.” They walked into the house and the scent from the kitchen smelled amazing. Michael couldn’t tell what it was, but he was sure it would be delicious. His stomach growled and he realized he hadn’t eaten anything all day.

  The hunger subsided when he got his first full glance at Eva’s father. He was sitting in a recliner, his legs propped up, and a bottle of beer sitting on the end table beside him. What he assumed was one of her brothers was sitting adjacent to him on the couch. He could definitely tell they were Italian, but nothing like he had thought up with the mafia movie references.

  “Daddy!” Eva yelled out, leaning over to hug him. “Who’s winning?”

  “Syracuse. I’m just as shocked as you are.” Michael caught his attention and he did a double take, his brow creasing. “And who is this?”

  Michael stepped forward and extended his hand for him to shake. Her father hesitated at first, but his grip was tight as he returned the gesture.

  “I’m Michael McGinnis.”

  The older man arched his eyebrow, much like Eva would do with him when she was skeptical about something. “McGinnis? Is that Irish?”

  A lump formed in Michael’s throat. Was he going to have reservations about his heritage? “Yes sir, it is.”

  “Well hell, have a seat, son! Help yourself to the beer we got in the fridge. The girls like wine for some damn reason, but I’d rather have a nice brew.” He held the bottle up and took a long pull off of it.

  Michael shot a quick glance toward Eva, feeling as if someone had punched him in the gut. “Thank you, sir. Maybe later.” Now was not the time to be announcing his situation. He had barely broken the ice with him, and things still seemed a bit awkward.

  “I’m gonna go help Ma in the kitchen. You guys enjoy the game.”

  She shot Michael a wink, and he wondered when they’d break the bombshell about their relationship status. Things seemed okay now, but would they change once they found out they were engaged? He turned his attention to the TV, pushing the thought aside.

  “You can call me Albert. That’s my oldest son, Edward. My other one is around here somewhere. He’s Roberto, or as he’d prefer, Robert.”

  “Good to meet you both,” Michael said, nodding toward Albert, whose attention was strictly on the game. He hadn’t even made an effort to acknowledge that Michael was in the room.

  The small talk continued for a bit, and Michael felt relieved when they finally gathered around the table for dinner. It was pasta with the biggest meatballs he had ever seen. His mouth watered as Eva and Elana set the table. He finally got his first glance at Robert, who was friendlier than Edward had been.

  After Albert said grace, they all dug in, and for the first few minutes of eating, it was silent. Michael felt Eva’s hand grip his thigh, and it was all he could do not to choke on the piece of garlic bread he was eating. She shot him a glance from the corner of her eye, almost as if she were preparing him for the news they were about to break.

  “You sure you don’t want any wine or something other than
water to drink?” Elana asked, passing the bottle down the table.

  “No ma’am, water is fine, thank you.” He felt like he had a big arrow pointed over his head for declining it, but it was likely his imagination heightening the fear of his drinking problem being revealed.

  Eva cleared her throat and set her fork down, “Mikey and I have something to tell you.” It gained everyone’s full attention, and all eyes were on both of them. He held her hand underneath the table, feeling her clammy palms against his. “Mikey asked me to marry him, and I said yes. We’re getting married.”

  Michael wanted to close his eyes and run away. The awkward silence was horrible, but it was like coming up on a bad wreck – he just had to look.

  “You’re getting married?” Elana asked, the joy in her voice not matching the expression on her face.

  Eva held her left hand out, showing the ring off. “Yes! We wanted to tell you together.” She looked toward her dad, who was chomping down hard on whatever piece of food he had taken a bite of before she had said anything. “Are you guys going to say anything?”

  “Congratulations, sis, that’s great!” Robert said from across the table.

  “I hope he takes care of you like he should,” Edward finally spoke up, his glare as chilling as ice.

  “My little girl is getting married…” Albert trailed off, drinking down his beer. “That’s uhh, that’s good.” He turned his attention to Michael. “What is it that you do for a living again?”

  “Dad, I’ve told you before…”

  “I want to hear it from him,” he snapped back, cutting her off.

  “I’m a firefighter, sir.”

  Albert nodded. “With the FDNY?”

  “Yes sir.”

  Albert clasped his hands in front of him. “City pay?”

  Michael looked at Eva and back to him, this all suddenly unraveling like he had imagined it would. “Yes, city pay.”

  “Dad, that doesn’t matter! Together we are making it work.”

  Albert slammed his hand down on the table, causing all of the dishes to clatter together. “And what are you gonna do one day when they knock on your door and tell you that your husband isn’t coming home? That he got burned up? Or ran over? What if you have children together and they grow up without a father?” Again, he looked sharply at Michael. “I have the utmost respect for what you guys do for the city. But think about it. What’s the tradition the FDNY has? Dying young, yes?”

  “Not everyone!” Eva spat back, the emotion thick in her voice.

  “I’m asking your boyfriend, not you.”

  Michael felt his face heat up, and suddenly found it hard to look anyone in the eye. He gripped his napkin tight, almost pulling it apart. He couldn’t believe that this was being brought up so soon, right out in the open, in front of everyone. “Yes, dying young. But not always.” Albert’s words rang true. He was living proof of a family that had to grow up without a father, and a mother without her husband. It messed them all up.

  “I’m sorry, but I just don’t want that life for my daughter. I don’t want her to be a widow before she’s ready. She’s part of the FDNY too, and has lost several of her close friends over the years. Nine-eleven makes me think the worst case scenario with the job. I saw what she went through, having to bury so many people she knew.”

  Michael nodded. “I understand completely where you are coming from, Mr. Crisante.” He stood up and placed the napkin on top of his plate. “I don’t know if I’ll die young. Some of us do, some of us collect our pension and move on. But there’s one thing I do know. I love your daughter more than life itself. I’ll do anything for her and I’ll make sure she is taken care of.” He turned to walk out of the room, but paused in the threshold of the door, looking back at Eva’s mother. “Much obliged for you taking the time to cook this wonderful dinner, Mrs. Crisante, and it was a pleasure finally getting to meet all of you.”

  He heard a chair scoot across the floor as he made his exit out onto the front porch. He assumed it was Eva following him out, and allowed the screen door to slam behind him. The sad thing about it all was that he saw it from Albert’s point of view. There was no arguing with that, and he had no idea what to do about it.

  “Hold on a second, son.” Albert’s voice made Michael stop on the stairs. “I’m not trying to be harsh about this. I can see it in both of you that you love each other.”

  Michael walked back up onto the porch, suddenly not afraid to let his thoughts be known. “I understand your hesitation too.”

  “Yeah?” Albert leaned on the railing of the porch and pulled out a cigarette, offering him one. Michael declined. “A firefighter who doesn’t smoke or drink? I might need to call the city and make sure you really are on the job.” He let out a laugh and exhaled a long line of white smoke.

  “I understand your hesitation because I lived that life.” It felt good to let it out. He usually didn’t talk about his past much, but this was an appropriate time.

  “Explain, Michael.” He held the cigarette between his parted lips.

  “My dad was on the job and died when I was a kid. I know how it feels.” He spread his hands as he relived the day the red car pulled up and the doorbell rang. “My mom was a widow before she was ready. I lost my dad before I was ready. Your concerns ring true. But I love your daughter. That’s all I really know what to say to it all.”

  Albert sucked down more of the toxic smoke before flicking the cigarette out into the yard. “Love is a powerful thing. I want Eva to be happy, and it's obvious you are making her happy.” He clapped his hand against Michael’s shoulder. “We could all die tomorrow, firefighter or not. Smoking can do the same thing to me. It’s a sad perspective to have, but it’s true.” He reached for his packet of Marlboros, but didn’t get one out. “I’ll come around. I just gotta soak this all in. It’s a lot for an old man like me to comprehend.”

  “Yes sir,” Michael replied, relief pouring over him at the sudden change in the older man’s mood. He didn’t want to leave Staten Island without his approval. There wasn’t much else to be said, so they both stood against the wooden railing, staring out into the yard, the silence speaking louder than words.

  Eva came out a few minutes later, her body language defensive as she stared her father down. “Everything okay out here?” She placed her hands on her hips, not looking amused.

  “We’re good,” Albert replied. “It’s all under control.”

  She looked over at Michael, obviously needing clarification. “Mikey?”

  “It’s fine.”

  “I’m gonna go back in and finish my meal. You two are more than welcome to come back inside. Sorry I caused a scene.” Albert leaned in and kissed Eva on the cheek, but she still had an uneasy expression on her face.

  The screen door creaked behind him and Michael stayed where he was on the porch, staring out into the yard that would soon grow dormant. He was still befuddled about what had happened, so much that all he could do was laugh about it.

  “I’m so sorry about that, Mikey.”

  “He came out here and explained himself. It’s okay.”

  She tucked her hair behind her ear and stood at the railing with him, hugging her sweater against her midsection. The breeze off of the water was chilly. “I guess the only thing I can say is that he’s always been that way. Right to the point, nothing hidden. Honesty is definitely his strong suit, even if it’s not what people want to hear.” She laughed and shook her head. “It’s the only thing I’ve known my whole life, and it still caught me off guard in there.”

  Michael glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “Like I said, it’s fine. I can somewhat agree with him. You and I have both lost tons of friends on this job. It’s sad that our thoughts go automatically to what could happen. I guess even our families are programmed that way, my mother included.” He thought about Darryl and how he too, had died young and left his wife and son behind.

  “The fact that he came out here so fast and talked thr
ough it with you is a good sign.”

  “Yeah, I guess so.”

  Eva grabbed his hand. “Whether you believe it or not, it could’ve gone a lot worse. Let’s go back in and finish eating. That’ll speak volumes to my family.”

  Chapter Three

  Eva was relieved to get home after the evening they had at her parent's house. After they went back in and finished eating, things seemed to have calmed down, but the awkward feeling was still there. They didn’t say much after her father’s outburst, except for small talk ranging from the weather, to the Mets and Yankees, to other random things she tried to forget about.

  Michael was quiet during the ferry ride back to Manhattan, and she couldn’t read if he was upset or just in one of his moods. Swiping her palm across the top of his hand, she forced a smile. He returned it with a quick grin, but his gaze went back to the water.

  “You okay?” She nudged him, noticing his eyes weren’t the vibrant green they usually were. He was frazzled, and guilt shot through her at the thought that it was possibly her dad’s fault.

  He raked his hand through his dark hair, but the breeze made it shoot out in every direction. She loved when his hair was out of control, like it had a personality all its own. “Yeah, I’m good.”

  “You just seem quiet. Like I said, today went a lot better than it could have.” She shifted her gaze toward the skyline as it got closer. The sun was setting, lending a beautiful light to the tall buildings. Seeing the view made her love for the city heighten.

  “Just got a lot on my mind. I’ll live.”

  He pulled her in for a hug and kissed the top of her head, making her knees weak. She had been in love with him for a long time, but now that they were engaged, it seemed stronger than ever. The thought of being with him forever and sharing his last name made her stomach fill with butterflies. She couldn’t wait to have kids with him, to share so much with him, to have him as hers and only hers. Even his sudden moodiness was something she grew to love about him.