Scars From Laguna Fire Still Fresh : The Raches: In losing all, new family found something priceless
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On Christmas Day, the tree in the Rach household will be decorated with shiny, new ornaments purchased at a post-holiday sale. A slightly scorched and blackened ceramic angel will also be part of the trimmings.
“It’s weird having so many angels make it through the fire, but they did,” said Laurie Cooper, 29, a law student who was the first to see the smoking ruins of her mother and stepfather’s Emerald Bay home.
Inside were all her Christmas ornaments and childhood mementos. The house also held the collections and photos of two recently joined families--Laurie’s mother, real estate agent Micki Rach, and her stockbroker husband, George Rach.
Between them, they have a family of seven grown children who came together after the fire as an instant volunteer force that shopped for clothes, sifted through the rubble, offered cheer.
“We all knew each other,” said Cooper. “But I think this tragedy brought us closer together. Going through the rubble, (my stepsisters) found their mother’s wedding rings. She had died of cancer.
“When you find things like that and share that kind of joy, you really grow close,” said Cooper.
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