The HEA Cafe

It’s time again to talk about heroes. Not the one in our books who struggle through incredible odds and eventually succeed, but about heroes whose HEA–Happily Ever After–was cut short. The HEA is a staple, a requirement of the romance novel. In a romance novel, an HEA is guaranteed.

There are no such guarantees in real life.  

For three hundred forty three NYFD firefighters, September 11, 2001 was a day where heroism and HEA collided.

None woke the morning of his or her shift thinking this was the day to be a hero. None donned his or her gear and raced to the alarms at the World Trade Towers thinking this was going to be part of history. They all answered the call for help, not knowing the call was greater than even that.

Three hundred forty three lives were changed forever. Three hundred forty three families were left with an empty space that would never be filled.

Three hundred forty three were the last, best hope that day. But even the best would not be enough.

It’s been seven years. The flags that flew from every passing car are rarely seen. The pride that our best had tried is rarely voiced. It’s good that the grief is passing. It makes me pause that the importance has also.

You see, I’m in the business of building heroes: fictional ones. But I look to those 343 and know that no words I can pen can tell one-tenth of their greatness.

So if you’ve fogotten or need a reminder, please visit the sites below:

http://www.fdnylodd.com/9-11-Never-Forget/FDNY-Heroes/Gave-It-ALL.html

http://www.newyorkfire.com/nyfd/memorial.jsp

~Linnea