"Do you remember, do you remember the promise we made each other when I asked you to marry me?" Dimitri questioned his wife, grabbing a coat from the rack and hurling his hands through them. "Allow me to refresh your memory. You said 'Love recognizes no barriers'. That neither distance, money, culture, work, age or even our families would come between us. Now look what's happening?"

"Where are you going?" Zuri yelled, following closely behind him.

Dimitri placed a hand on the knob of the door before he turned to face her. "To the office."

"It's your day off."

"Yes, I am well aware of that. I am going to sit in my chair and throw pencils at the ceiling until I am calm. It would be better than being here and arguing with my wife over something so ridiculous. I am leaving before I say something I would regret later."

The television remote in Zuri's hand dropped to the floor, splitting open and the batteries rolled out. She stared at the television in disbelief, recalling the argument she had with her husband just two hours prior to the news that was on the television. Her husband had left home for work, to a building that was now on television—on fire. Zuri bolted to the couch, throwing the pillows aside to search for her phone.

"Zuri remain calm." She chided herself, dialing Dimitri's phone and listening to it ring. "Dimitri, you are fine. You have to be fine."

On the fourth ring, the call disconnected and Zuri flew into panic. Quickly she detached the television cable from the outlet. Zuri scribbled a quick note for the babysitter to look after her kids and allow them nowhere near the television. By the time Zuri had locked up their home and got the car on the road, she could barely breathe. Another call to Dimitri's phone and the call disconnected on more time.

"Dimitri, please. Please." She listened to the phone again. It rung and went straight to voicemail. Her car skidded to a stop behind a string of ambulances and firetrucks surrounding the building.

Zuri walked forward, pushing past people who had their phones out, videoing the scene. There were some men and women seated by the ambulances, faces darkened with soot and a breathing mask over their nose. None of them were her husband. Her steps became more urgent, she walked past the ambulances, looking closely for her husband. After thirty minutes she was sure her husband was not in any ambulance, Dimitri was still in the building.

There was huge puffs of smoke pouring out of the building windows, blacking the sky above her. She walked forward to the yellow line and ducked underneath it. Zuri lowered her head, so she wouldn't be seen, stalking closer and closer to the building. She wasn't sure what she would do when she got there but she only knew she needed to make sure her husband was safe.

A hand latched around her wrist, halting her purposeful march and turning her around. "Excuse me ma'am but you can't go there. You need to stay behind the line. It is for your safety."

"My husband is in there. My husband is..."

The ground beneath Zuri's feet rumbled and she rocked to the side. Zuri stumbled back into one of the EMTs just as a loud explosion rocked the afternoon. Zuri watched in horror, for the most terrifying seconds of her life, as the building began to collapse. Zuri sucked in a breath in shock then she screamed. The shrill tone of her voice was swallowed by the thunderous rumble of the walls crashing down. Without giving it a thought, she pushed the EMT away from her and began to run. It seemed like she was running for hours, not seconds, hours in slow motion. Watching the building that held her husband behind its walls fall apart.

A body crashed into her, then another, and she was hurled into the air by strong arms banding around her waist. Zuri fought the hold, like a deranged beast fighting to be free of its chains. She kicked her legs out, screamed, and clawed at the hands of whoever had her bound. Nothing helped. Not deterred, she gave them as much of a fight as her hundred and forty pound body could manage. They didn't understand, they couldn't understand. Her husband had to be alive, she had to find him. He was the love of her life. The father of her children. He understood her better than anyone else. He had to be alive.

"Let go." She screamed, sobs wracking the bones of her chest. They just had to let her go, they needed to allow her find her husband. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair. Her tears clouded her vision but she kept struggling. "No. Stop. Let me go. Please."

They held her there until the entire building collapsed, every single brick that built it up was smashed on the floor. She didn't hear them when they asked if she was calm, she didn't hear anything that went on around her in that moment. The sirens of the ambulance and the fire trucks were silenced to her ears, the wails of other women and men didn't sink in. All she could hear was laughter. Her children's awkward cackle when their father said something stupid or acted impish around them. Zuri sank to the floor with the EMT still holding on to her, fearing that she might make another run for it.

"Ma'am are you alright?" The question fell on deaf ears.

Zuri saw her kids, their images shifting aside the chaotic scenery of wailing and concerned bystanders from her view. She saw Dimitri's smile, directed at her as he stood behind the fountain. He laughed at something she couldn't hear herself say and turned to chase their fun crazed children around the fountain. Roaring and waving his hands in the air as he went. Dimitri, her big old baby.

Zuri shook her head slowly, she had to stand up. She couldn't return back home to her children without their father. He could be under all the rubble, fighting for his life. Yes! Zuri struggled to her feet sluggishly, the idea fuelling her with a little strength, her husband was alive. Dimitri needed her, she needed to find her husband.

"Ma'am. Stop."

"Get out of my way." She seethed through her teeth, fighting the man who stepped in front of her again. She was not the problem, he was meant to be looking in the rubble for her husband. Why was he so calm? "You need to find my husband. He is in there, save him for the love of God."

"Ma'am please calm down and focus on my voice." Zuri wept, still trying to get past him but he remained grounded in front of her. "There were over a hundred people in this building when it fell. Before we can identify your husband there is so much we have to go through but we can't have you anywhere near the building."

Zuri was dragged away by another EMT who pulled her to the back of an ambulance. She could still see the cloudy rise of the dirt and smoke from the explosion. She felt a finger on her chin, lifting her head up and a flood of light passed by her eyes. She didn't flinch, she didn't pull away. Zuri felt numb.

"Ma'am."

"We have two children together." Zuri murmured to herself. The woman dropped the light from her eyes, shaking her head with a sympathetic smile. Zuri continued to speak with her voice flat, "He is turning forty-two in three months. I teased him last week about it because he was pissing about being three years from forty-five. He likes to braid my hair on Saturdays, he considers it practice for braiding our daughters' hair. He stammers when he is nervous, could barely form the words to ask me to marry him."

The EMT spoke softly, "Ma'am, I am so sorry but..."

"He wasn't even meant to be here today. It was his day off and he was meant to spend it at home. We got into a fight, I don't even know why I let it get too far I was just mad. I started the argument and he left to end it. I didn't mean it, I swear. I didn't mean anything I said. I can barely even remember what we were fighting about. It is my fault, it is all my fault. He left the house to come here, to throw pencils at the ceiling only to have it col-collapse on hi-him."

"I understand." The EMT spoke again. Trying to reach past Zuri's crippling guilt. "You can't be of any help to anyone here right now. We don't know how long it would take to recover who we can but it might be longer to identify your husband. It is not easy but I know that your children need you now more than ever. We don't know if we might find him or not but you have to be strong for your kids."

Zuri turned her head, seeing the woman for the first time. "What can I say to them? I don't even know how to face them. How can I..."

"You need to find the strength for your kids and for yourself." The woman sighed, helping Zuri to her feet. "Give me your husband's name and your number. I will make sure I'll call you if I get any information on him. For now, go home to your children."

So Zuri did as she was told. Barefooted, her shoes had come off earlier and she didn't care to look for them. She walked towards her car, miraculously still pristine even with all the debris that fell around it. Dimitri had taken her to get the car for their tenth anniversary, now she could barely recognize it.

The drive home felt like a blow to her heart with each turn she took that led her closer to her house. Her house. Not their house, her own.

Seated, parked in the garage of her house, she brought out her phone and dialled her husband again. After a long ring the phone picked and she heard his teasing voice. "It's Dimitri. After the beep I would suggest a text or email because I can promise you I won't listen to the voicemails."

The beep sounded and Zuri broke down in tears, hugging her phone to her chest. With a deep breath, she straightened her back and wiped the tears from her eyes. Zuri walked into the house on her tiptoes, trying not to make too much of noise as she did. The baby sister was in the living room, picking the toys from the floor and she noticed Zuri walk in.

"Mrs. Zane I am so glad your back. The kids are eating in the kitchen. Do you want me to call them?"

"No." Zuri whispered urgently, she pinched her nose and closed her eyes to centre herself. The babysitter looked worried but Zuri did not plan to answer any question her rough appearance would cause. "Listen. I am going to freshen up and come back down in thirty minutes. You can go home after I am done."

"O-Okay ma'am." Zuri turned for the stairs when the babysitter called out quietly. "Mrs. Zane are you alright?"

"I am fine." She lied, jogging up the stairs and quietly sneaking into her bedroom so her children didn't hear the door. Drained of all her strength, she sunk to the floor right by the door, resting her forehead against its mahogany surface. Her body shook with the force of her muffled tears as she cried into the palm of her hand. Zuri knew that she had to go down at some point and face her children but she was not sure what reason she would give them for their father not being home.

From nowhere, Zuri felt something touch the back of her head. Zuri jerejed away from the door, turning in time to see a concerned Dimitri sink into the floor beside her. "Babe? What's wrong?"

Zuri's eyes widened, her eyes falling over every aspect of the man sitting in front of her. He was dressed in shorts and a grey t-shirt, his hands over her shoulder as he leaned on the wall. Zuri could almost swear that she felt her heart shake inside her. Her hand moved into his hair, wet from a shower and making her fingers slick with each swipe. Dimitri didn't say a word, he watched her, weary eyes following her hands awkwardly while they moved.

Her voice came back to her and a short laugh of shock rode out of her mouth. Still in disbelief she shifted to sit on the back of her legs, her fingers sliding along his jawline. Dimitri smiled now, no longer shocked by her behaviour. Zuri threw herself against him. Crushing their lips together and holding him tightly to her body.

She pulled away and laid her forehead on his. With her eyes still closed, soaking in his scent, she finally found the voice to whisper. "I should slap you for the hell I have been through today but I am too happy. I was so worried."

"Babe, what are you talking about?"

"Have you seen the news?"

"No." Dimitri replied, turning to look at the door then looking back at Zuri. "Sweetheart, the baby sitter told me that you asked for the television not to be put on until you got back."

Dimitri stood to his feet, taking Zuri's hand and helping her off the floor. He walked her to the bed and sat her down. Dmitri knelt in front of her, stretching his arms over her thighs before palming her hips. He didn't say a word, waiting for her to recover from her shock and tell him what he was apparently missing. Zuri breathlessly recounted her day to him, from the afternoon after she saw the news up until she returned home.

"I rushed over there, I thought you were dead or hurt. I was so scared Dmitri, you weren't answering your phone and I thought the worst."

"Oh Zu." Dimitri sighed, pushing forward to kiss his wife on her neck. "My phone died halfway through the morning so I was charging it in the study when I left. On the way to work, there was some traffic, the driver took a shortcut to go around it. The road took us by the park, the one with the large fountain, that we take the girls to play during weekends. I was only meant to be there for a second but I fell from one thought to another. Before I knew it, it was five and I called another cab back home only to find the babysitter here and you gone."

"You could have called."

"I haven't even been to the study, my phone is probably still charging. I thought you had gone for a walk to clear your head so I decided it would be better to wait for you to come back and talk face to face."

"I am sorry." Zuri whispered, she palmed his face. "I should never have argued with you over the time you spend at the office. I was being petty"

"No." he hushed her, standing to sit on the bed beside her. Bundling her into his arms and stroking the back of her head. "Never apologize to me for asking for something you deserve. When I said 'I do' I gave you all the right to my time, my money, my heart, my life. You have no right to think you have no right to ask me for something you deserve."

Zuri laughed, her voice dry from the crying. She looked up at him, waters once again, gathering behind her eyes. "Even your baseball card collection."

"Debatable." He smiled and she pressed her lips to his. In her heart Zuri mourned for those who did not have the chance to return home and find their loved ones waiting for them at home. For the men and women who suffered the same pain she had but without the relief of their family being safe. Life was too precious to take for granted.

"You have a weird laugh." Zuri murmured against his lips, laughing when Dimitri pulled back with his brows arched. "Sometimes you freak me out when you talk to the television and I want to beat you with a spoon when you sing in the shower but I won't exchange one moment spent with you for anything in the world. You are an amazing husband to me. The best."

"I know we would have a few fights along the way, even after today. I just want you to remember, when we have an argument, that there is nothing in this world that makes me as happy as the life I have built with you. Nothing."

"You are preaching to the choir."

They laughed together, holding each other tightly as they sat on the bed. Their children rushed in some minutes later, laughing and holding up their art work. Dimitri jumped from the bed, wearing a crooked grin over his face. He rushed to their girls, lifting them into the crooks of his arms and spinning them around. Zuri soaked in the moment, her finger wiping away the tears from her cheeks. She had cried so much in one day, all she wanted was to enjoy her family. Happy, weird, crazy and completely perfect in her eyes.