We eat dinner together, a peaceful family meal. I watch Gabe for a moment and everything seems perfect, balanced. Everything is in its right place. And for the first time in what seems like months, when we turn back the covers and climb into bed, I pull Gabe’s face to mine, press our lips together and find him responding in kind. He’s almost surprised. He peels my underwear away, reaching for me like we’re in our twenties again.

Afterwards we just lie there in silence and eventually Gabe says, ‘Can you smell that? It smells like some sort of chemical.’

And that’s when we hear the explosion downstairs.

Chapter Five

FIVE

GLASS DETONATES. GABE sits up suddenly.

‘What the hell was that?’

‘It sounded like a window,’ I hiss.

‘Too loud to be a window,’ Gabe says.

I fling the covers off. My heart slams against my ribs like a fist. The room is dark.

‘Should I call the police?’ I say, reaching for my phone.

He rolls over, his feet finding the floor. I can hear crackling, now. The room fills with light and I see him, his arm still touching the lamp.

‘I can smell it now,’ I say, my voice quick and urgent, the feint pungent odour growing stronger.

‘Smoke,’ Gabe says, uncertain. Then the house screams. The smoke alarms all going at once. I hear a door open in the hall.

‘Fire!’ he shouts. ‘Quick, let’s get out.’

I roll from bed, pull on track pants and a t-shirt then take off down the hall. ‘Get July. I’ll get Evan,’ he says quickly, but by the time I get to her room, July is already charging through the door, fully dressed.

‘What’s going on?’ she says, clutching my arms.

‘Fire downstairs!’

We sprint in a chain down to the bottom level as black smoke fills the house. My heart pounds and my lungs itch. I lift my top to my mouth and breath through the fabric. Gabe and Evan are behind us, all running towards the door. My phone is hard against my ear.

‘What’s your emergency?’ a voice says.

‘Fire,’ I say, turning, catching a glimpse of the flames climbing the wall in the lounge. I’m first to the front door and find it’s already open, framing the darkness of night outside. ‘At our house.’ I give the address, leaping down the steps to the lawn. Me, July, Evan and … and … where’s Gabe? He hasn’t come out.

‘A fire crew will be with you soon,’ the woman says.

Gabe, I realise, is still inside. I rush back to the front door and into the house. The smoke is so thick I can barely see. I find the shape of him, a dark form moving through the murk. ‘Gabe!’ I scream. ‘Get outside now.’