In the frozen stillness of a Missouri morning, a family’s life ended in seconds and a town’s

heart broke with it. Julian, 4, and Jamison, 6, were home only because school was canceled for

extreme cold. By the time firefighters arrived, the house near Highway

94 was already a roaring inferno. Their mother and grandparents escaped, burned and shattered,

but the boys never made it out. Neighbors heard the blast, rushed barefoot into the cold,

and watched in horror as rescuers smashed windows,

crawling through smoke that made it impossible to find the children in time.

Now, where a home once stood, there is only wreckage, a water pump, and a

Christmas wreath stuffed with two small stuffed animals.

The community has raised money, brought food,

and whispered prayers, but nothing can fill the silence where two bright,

excited little voices used to be. In Defiance,

joy has been replaced by candles, coffins, and unanswered questions.