“But it grabbed the stairs,” Lucy said, motioning at where the staircase leading to my apartment used to be. “By the time the fire department got here, the stairs to your apartment had already collapsed. The firemen had to go into your apartment through the upstairs window. There’s smoke damage, but luckily no water damage.”
“But also, no way to get up there?” Mathias asked, his head turned skyward.
Kevin nodded almost robotically. “Unless she’s going through a window.”
“But I have to get in there,” I said on a whimper. “Everything I own is in there, including my medication.”
Lucy shook her head this time. “No, the firemen said no one can be in there until it’s checked for stability issues. The stairs will have to be rebuilt first.”
“But—”
Mathias squeezed my waist. “It’s okay. Everything up there is replaceable but you,” he whispered, kissing my temple. “I’m glad you were with me and not up there.”
“We were frantic,” Kevin said, nodding with his gaze still on the apartment. “I ran out and checked the window. When I saw the orange sign, I was so relieved since your car was here.”
“Orange sign?” Mathias asked, his head swiveling between us.
“After she broke her arm, we started using color-coded paper in the windows,” Lucy explained. “Green meant she was good, orange meant she was gone, and red meant she needed help. I always checked it three times a day, if not more.”
I reached out and squeezed her hand tightly. “I’m so sorry, guys. I left my car here because Mathias drove me to Duluth. What’s the diagnosis for the diner?”
Kevin motioned to the side of the building. “We’ll be up and running again in a few days as far as the diner is concerned. The apartment is going to take weeks. I’m sorry, Honey.” He glanced over to Mathias. “Can she stay with you at the condo?”
Mathias nodded once. “I’ve got her. Thank you for keeping an eye on her the last few months. I, well, I appreciate that more than you know. We’ll let you get to whatever you need to do, but let me know if I can do anything. Money or otherwise. I’m here for you guys.”
Lucy threw her arms around him tightly. “Thanks, Mathias, but we should be okay with our insurance. We’re just glad you can help Honey with a place to live for a few weeks.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he assured them as he shook Kevin’s hand.
My landlords left, and I stood staring at the apartment, a tear running down my cheek.
“Come on, honeybee. We better get to the pharmacy and get your medications refilled and then shop for some clothes.”
I wanted to move, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t stop staring at the building in front of me. I couldn’t wipe the tear off my face or answer him.
“Honey?” Mathias asked. “Okay,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around me. “I’ve got you, just let it pass.”
After several long minutes, I sagged against him, the seizure over and my body my own again. “Headache,” I said, moaning a bit as it started to pound at my temples.
He practically carried me back to the SUV and found the last pill I had in my purse, holding the water bottle for me since my fingers were now twitching uncontrollably. Once I had swallowed the pill, he jumped into his side of the SUV and fired it up, the air-conditioning blasting out at me to cool me down.
“I’m okay,” I said while he massaged the fingers on my right hand.
“You’re not okay, and it’s okay not to be okay,” he said, giving me a wink. “Just take a minute before we leave. I want to make sure the headache doesn’t get worse.”
“Not much we can do about it now until we get more medication. I would guess that’s going to be an arduous task at best.”
“I’ll make it happen,” he promised, kissing my forehead. “The doctor wondered if stress brought the seizures on. Do you think we can tick that box as a positive?”
I thought back to the other times I’d had the same thing happen, where I couldn’t move but I knew what was going on around me. I was always stressed in some way, either emotionally or physically. “Seems like it,” I agreed. “God, where am I going to live? The apartment might never be livable again!”
“Shh, Honey, you have an empty house waiting for you a few miles from here. There’s no need to get worked up about this.”
I swung my head back and forth, my fingers pressed into my temples. “No, I don’t want to do that,” I said quietly. “I can’t do that.”
“Why not?” he asked, holding on to my shoulders.
“Because I might want to stay!”
