Amber’s Restaurant Is Burning 🔥
Phone rings. The night air feels heavy, tense.
Lena: laughing If this is about the wine shipment again, I swear—
Amber: (breathing hard) Lena…
Lena: Amber? What’s wrong?
Amber: You need to sit down.
Lena: Why? You’re scaring me.
Amber: The restaurant… it’s on fire.
Lena: …What?
Amber: The restaurant. It’s burning.
Lena: No. No, that’s not funny.
Amber: I’m not joking. I just got the call. I’m standing across the street right now.
Lena: (voice cracking) Across the street from where?
Amber: From everything we built.
Lena: Oh my God. How bad is it?
Amber: The windows are gone. There’s smoke everywhere. I can smell the wood burning…
Lena: Are you okay? Are you hurt?
Amber: I’m fine. I wasn’t inside. I was late. For once… being late saved me.
Lena: (sharp inhale) Thank God. Thank God.
Amber: The fire trucks are here. People are filming.
Lena: Of course they are.
Amber: Someone just asked me if I’m the owner.
Lena: What did you say?
Amber: I couldn’t answer. I just started crying.
Smoke rises like memories — birthdays celebrated, anniversaries toasted, strangers becoming family.
Amber: Tonight was fully booked. Three birthdays. An anniversary.
Lena: …
Amber: I spent all morning making that new sauce. Remember? The one you said would change everything.
Lena: It did change everything. Just—just not like this.
Amber: I don’t even know if the kitchen is still there.
Lena: You are still here. You’re alive. That’s what matters.
Amber: The sign just collapsed.
Lena: Don’t look. Please don’t look.
Amber: I can hear it cracking. Like it’s screaming.
Fire Chief: Ma’am, are you the owner?
Amber: …Yes.
Fire Chief: We’ve got it contained, but there’s significant damage.
Amber: Is anyone hurt?
Fire Chief: No casualties. That’s the good news.
Amber: (whispers) No one’s hurt.
Lena: That’s everything. That’s everything.
The fire has subsided, but Amber’s courage hasn’t. Smoke lingers, flames are memories, hope burns quietly in her eyes.
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