The house caught fire early Tuesday morning just after midnight, a couple of days before Thanksgiving.
"Sometimes when we stop and it just washes over us, like, we have no home," Nicole said.
"When we left, the house was intact," Gerardo said. "When we came back, the house was roofless."
The couple had been gone for a few hours, fueling up their car and visiting friends.
Thankfully, they decided to take their dogs along for the ride.
"It's a time to reflect and think about those around you because we could've lost each other, we could've lost our pets," Gerardo said. "In just the blink of an eye, we could lose someone we care for. That, we take for granted."
The home is a complete loss, and almost everything was destroyed.
Some pictures and images survived.
With only the clothes on their backs and no home, Gerardo and Nicole are leaning on each other, their dogs, their faith and the community's support this Thanksgiving.
They are hoping to rebuild one day.
"This is really hard, and everything is gone, but I am so happy, so grateful, so thankful for my husband and we have our dogs," Nicole said.
To help Nicole and Gerardo rebuild their home, click here to support their GoFundMe.
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