The Fire Inside
#NewAge #Insprirational #Mystical
#Supernatural
BLURB:
Aiden, a doting husband and father, had the perfect
life. A job he loved, a beautiful son,
and a loving wife. In an instant,
everything is taken from him and Aiden believes his life is over.
Falling into a deep depression, Aiden all but gives up on
his job, his friends, and himself. But
when a mysterious force grants him the power to heal those around him, Aiden is
forced to pull himself out of his misery in favor of the greater good.
When he meets Ryan, a hardened, pessimistic teenager living
on the streets, and Norma, a woman whose marriage is crumbling around her,
Aiden acknowledges that maybe life still has a purpose, and this ability to
heal may be more powerful Than he ever imagined.
EXCERPT
Aiden
I rolled out of bed at exactly 6:42 a.m.,
three minutes before my alarm was due to buzz. Well, an alarm went off, but not
the one on my nightstand. Our plump two-and-a-half-year-old barreled into our
bedroom, arms outstretched and making loud airplane sounds. Spittle flew out of
his bowed little mouth. “Wook Daddy, I’m an aowpwane!”
After a split second, though still groggy,
I transitioned from the dream world. Reluctant to start the day, I groaned a
complaint. How anyone could be so full of energy that early in the morning
stretched beyond my comprehension. I envied the child’s endless reserve and
forced my eyes open, trying to focus.
I scooped my airplane son into my arms and
out of the room, so his mommy could catch another half hour of rest.
I sneaked one quick glance before shuffling
out, smiling at the way Tess gave herself so fully to the retreat of sleep, her
mouth slightly open and her caramel-colored skin warm against our crisp white
sheets. My skin, tinged slightly darker, had a mahogany hue that Anthony
inherited. Both Tess and I come from parents of mixed ethnicity—my father
Caucasian, my mother African-American, Tess’s parents the exact opposite. This
bestowed us with rich, smooth skin and curly hair which I kept cut short to the
scalp. She wore her mane long and thick, blessed to have a relaxed curl.
Those locks spread about her face in
disarray. I curbed the desire to slip back under the covers next to her. She
needed and deserved the rest. A whirlwind of nonstop activity, Tess filled
every waking hour with countless daily errands and tasks with a smile on her
face. She seemed to do the work of three people. Not because she was obligated
to. She loved to be busy, her bubbly personality and enthusiasm infectious, so
that one often found themselves offering to help her with chores they normally
wouldn’t be inclined to do, just because they wanted to be with her.
There one would be, laughing until their
eyes leaked and feeling as if they were having the time of their life, and then
suddenly they would look down and realize they were soaked up to their elbows
in sudsy dishwater. They’d think, “Now, how in the hell did this happen? I
don’t remember offering to do the dishes.” But then they’d remember, “Oh yeah.”
Somewhere in between listening to Tess do a play by play of her version of watching
the two feuding elderly ladies just two houses down and her description of
Anthony’s recent disgusting discovery of the toilet brush, they absolutely had
offered to do those dang dishes!
Meanwhile, Tess would flit about the
kitchen, multi-tasking three different activities and tapping into her infamous
ability to tell stories. She wouldn’t just say, “I went to the store today and
got milk.” No. She would weave an intricate tale out of even the most mundane
of events. “So, there I was with my bum hanging out as I reached into the
refrigerated section,” Tess would explain. “The last gallon of two percent milk
was so far back that I had to practically crawl into the freezer. I’m reaching.
I’m getting cold. And I hear a child’s voice from behind, ‘Dadda, why is that
lady crawling in there?’ Well, I knew instantly this child was talking about
me. I grabbed the milk, but when I went to stand up, I banged my head. Then
Anthony dropped his toy. Now Anthony is crying, my head hurts, I’m freezing,
and I’m being sized up by a curious four year old and his dad.”
On would go her story. Everything she did
required an inhuman amount of energy. She did it without breaking a sweat or
losing her smile.
However, in the oblivion of sleep, her
entire being seemed to take one long sigh. All that energy expended finally
caught up with her the moment her head touched the pillow.
I pulled the door closed and stepped out
into the hall. Anthony wriggled in my arms. “Shh, we’re going downstairs while
Mommy sleeps.”
Downstairs in our sunken living room, after
reading Clifford’s Big Day twice, I
denied Anthony a third round. I needed to start breakfast if I wanted to be at
work on time. This denial set off a bout of whining. His pouty lip tested my
resolve, but I held strong, ruffled his soft curls, and plopped him onto the
couch.
“Just look at the pictures, Sonny Boy,
while Daddy makes you some oatmeal.”
Tess entered the kitchen as if floating on
a brisk breeze. “Don’t worry about it, babe, I’m on it! You go on ahead and hit
the shower.”
I wrapped my arms around my curvy wife and
pulled her in, enjoying the way our bodies fit, like a puzzle.
“Mommy,” Anthony shouted, then shoved his
stout little body off the couch. He quickly toddled up and squeezed his way
between our legs.
Another integral piece to the puzzle.
Leaning in, I whispered into Tess’s ear,
knowing my breath would tickle. She giggled and simultaneously pulled me
closer.
“How about you hop into the shower with
me?” I asked.
She tucked her head in and flashed me that
teasing smile. “Mmm, you know I would love to, but one thing would lead to
another and then you’d be late for work, babe.”
I wanted to keep the flirtatious dialogue
going and nuzzled in further. Anthony, still squeezed in between our legs,
piped up. “Late for work, babe,” he repeated after his mother. We both laughed.
Our little boy listened more than we’d imagined. Still reluctant to break
contact, I kept Tess firmly in my grasp. “What do you have planned for the
day?”
“Well, I have a few errands this morning. I
need to grab some things for dinner. The main agenda item for the day is to
swing by that new preschool. I want to check it out and decide if it’s the
right place for Anthony. If so, then we need to get on the list before it’s too
late.”
I noticed only the slightest bit of
apprehension in her eyes as she glanced down and ruffled Anthony’s glossy
curls. We had decided that she would go back to work part-time as a special
education teacher, and although I knew it was what she wanted, the decision
still weighed heavily on her. She’d been a stay-at-home mother from the moment
we welcomed him into the world. The idea of not being around for every
milestone, each new discovery, was tough for her to swallow.
“Tess, you really don’t have to do this
yet. We can go another year. We can tap into our savings if things get too
tight. It’s not like we’re strapped financially.”
She shook her head. “No. I want to go back.
Really. It’s just going to be a little hard at first. I don’t want him to ever
think I won’t be there for him.”
“Well, he won’t, because you always are.
Besides he’s ready for social interaction with other children his age. And
you’re going to be part-time, so it will be perfect for the both of you. I
don’t want you worrying over this. Now come on up to the shower with me,” I
said, nibbling on her neck, wanting to distract her.
“Ouch!” I yipped and pulled back laughing,
my brows furrowed. “Why’d you pinch me?”
“Because you’re nothing but trouble and you
are going to be late for work. Now go on while I get breakfast started.” She
stood smiling with a devious look, daring me to take our teasing to the next
level. Though tempted, I knew she was right. The morning was moving along
rapidly, and I had work to do.
Anthony tried to climb my legs, tugging on
my plaid pajama pants. I snatched him up and tossed him into the air before
plopping him back down. “Daddy’s going to get showered. You listen to your
momma and be a good boy.”
Anthony gave a wide grin, nodded his head,
and ran off in search of his next adventure. I leaned over and gave Tess one
last kiss before she pulled out a stainless steel pan. “You just wait until
tonight. I have plans for you,” I teased before stomping my way back up the
stairs.
It wasn’t that I didn’t like my job. I
usually just had a few minutes each morning where I dreaded the routine.
As an accountant for a well-established law
firm located in downtown Chicago, I was well aware that my job was less than
thrilling to a majority of people. Most of my friends would rather have a tooth
drilled without Novocain than do my job.
I found contentment in the endless pursuit
of balancing a budget for a successful and growing company. It was geeky. But I
didn’t care. I’m kind of a geek by nature. I’ve never denied it. I always liked
the simplicity of the language of math. It spoke to my left brain. It made the
chaos of the world seem not so senseless.
The fact that my wife, Tess, loved and
appreciated my math skills because of her lack of them only fueled my passion
that much further. She claimed it was sexy. I seriously doubted it but figured,
if that’s what made her tick, then so be it.
So, I set off to work ready to tackle
another day of monotony. I sat in my office chair and fired up the computer.
Hopefully, I thought, it would go by fast and then I could head home and finish
my earlier conversation with Tess. Maybe even get lucky.
An hour later the world fell out from under
my feet.
One minute I plucked away at the computer;
the next I absentmindedly reached for the phone as it broke my concentration.
“This is Aiden.”
“Mr. Rollins?”
“Yes, Jean?”
“Umm, there are two police officers out
here. They would like to have a word with you. Should I send them up?”
My focus remained on the dusty computer
screen. “Uh, yes, yes. Go on ahead and send them up.”
Hearing their approach, I swiveled in the
chair to face the gentlemen who stood in the doorway. They looked far too
serious. I didn’t know why they were here but wanted to get on with it. Rising
from my chair, I jutted out a hand. “Hello, come on in. Would you like to have
a seat?”
The older looking of the two spoke up. “No,
thank you. I’m Officer Williams and this is my partner, Officer Jefferson. You
are Aiden Rollins, is that correct?”
“That’s right. How can I help you today,
officers?”
Facial expression stoic, Officer Williams
spoke. “Mr. Rollins, is there somewhere more private that we can speak?”
My brow furrowed. “Uh, no, not really. This
is about as private as it’s gonna get. This is my office. Feel free to say what
you came to say.” I paused, looking them up and down. “I’m sorry, what was this
about, again?”
He straightened his spine then turned to
shut the door behind him. As he faced me, he clasped his hands together in
front of his waist. “I’m so sorry to have to be the one to deliver this news,
but … there was an accident … a car accident, this morning. Your wife and son
were involved.” He paused, his body stiff. “Sir, your wife and son did not
survive the accident. I’m so sorry.”
My mind clicked off. Unable to focus, I
plopped back down into the chair.
“Um, excuse me?” I asked.
I watched from across the room as the man’s
mouth moved … accident … oncoming
semitruck … no survivors … The buzzing in my head drowned out his response.
His voice was muffled, like he was speaking under water, drowning. Or maybe I
was.
I squeezed my eyes tight and tried harder
to focus.
“Sir? Did you hear me? Your wife was struck
head-on by an oncoming semitruck. The investigators on the scene aren’t sure
yet, but they believe she swerved to avoid a deer and veered into oncoming
traffic.”
The words seared through my skull. I opened
my eyes and gazed out my office window.
“Mr. Rollins? Mr. Rollins, we would be more
than happy to escort you down to the hospital. We’re going to need you to
identify the bodies. Is there family you can call, someone who can offer
support?”
The two officers gave each other a quick
sideways glance. Officer Jefferson spoke up for the first time. “Mr. Rollins, I
know this is all very hard to process. Why don’t you come with us and we can
help you …”
I looked down at my hands. I still had the
pen in my left hand. I shook my head and tried to clear the thick mud of
jumbled thoughts. Accrued expenses, car
accident, accounts payable, head-on collision, bottom line … nothing made
sense.
I stared down at what I had written on my
notepad earlier. It was some sort of list. Milk,
toilet paper, garden hose … I stopped at the last item on the list. Dog food? We don’t have a dog, I
thought. Maybe I would surprise Tess and Anthony with a dog.
Then something clicked. Oh, God! “My son …”
They shared another look. “Sir,” Officer
Jefferson said, “have you heard anything we’ve said? Are you okay?”
I held still, frozen in time. I stared,
unblinking, into his face, convinced that if I didn’t move a single muscle,
then time would stop, and I wouldn’t have to go one more second into the
future. I wouldn’t have to acknowledge the truth.
The blood had drained completely from my
body, and I was still drowning. I reached up and loosened my tie until it was
undone. Still, I fought to breathe. “No, no, I am not okay.”
My
shoulders slumped as I gave up the fight. I leaned forward and covered my face.
My crying was silent, but my body wracked with sobs as the tidal wave of
sadness washed over me and my world stopped turning
Author Michelle Bellon
Michelle
Bellon lives in the Pacific Northwest with her four quirky and beautiful
children. She loves coffee, Superman, rollercoasters, and has an addiction to
chap stick.
She works
as a registered nurse and in her spare time writes novels. As a multi-genre
author, she has written in the categories of romance suspense, young adult,
women’s fiction, and literary fiction. She has won four literary awards. You
can visit Michelle’s website for more info.
The Fire Inside By Michelle Bellon
Review written by Heidi Lymn's Book Reviews
First, I want to thank Michelle Bellon for providing me with
this book so I may bring you this review.
The Fire Inside is the second book that I have read by Michelle
Bellon and I can honestly say she is becoming one of my favorite authors. Each
of her books I have read grabbed me and pulled me so hard into the book and
would not let go of my heart strings nor my attention until the end of the
book. This book was eye opening, emotional, beautiful, had a lot of life
lessons in it, and made you think.
Warning this is a book you may want to keep your tissues on hand
for. I know I shed some tears at places.
One thing I could feel when I was reading this book was that how
passionate Michelle was about each of the characters. She is an incredibly
gifted writer who you can tell has an amazing heart of gold. Each of these
characters played such an important role in the storyline. Each one she made
sure you got to feel that connection with. The one character that was my
favorite and that I connected with the most was Aiden. My heart ached for him
so much in the beginning. He lost two people he loved so much!!
This book touched on so many difficult subjects that Aiden had
to face like death of loved ones, mourning the loss, trying to live without
them, depression, etc. Michelle really dug deep with this character and got
brought out all the stops with the emotions. I have to give kudos to her
graphic artist.
This cover was incredible and blew me away. It was so powerful
just like this book was. Each cover Michelle has been good but this one was
phenomenal!!
This is a genre she needs write more books in. She has mega
talent in this genre! I could see this being an original film on Netflix.
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