Love, Dad | Joe Cruz

Chapter 1: Three Months

It was noticeable just how quiet Tatiana has gotten. She was always a lively and excitable kid. One who was always talking and laughing. It wasn't hard to get her to smile. Though no one could blame her for not being able to find a smile these days. This was the first big loss she could actually remember. She was barely one when her mom passed. So she doesn't remember grieving her or anything. But her dad? He was all she had so this was hard. Cruz is trying but it's not like he can just make the pain go away if he by b free yrgo to the firehouse today." Tatiana says softly. Cruz barely heard her.

"Really? Thoat's the great. And today is a perfect day for it chief has a surprise or something." Cruz says trying to suppress the feeling in his heart that this was a bit of a breakthrough.

"Make sure he waits till I get there?"

"Yeah. I'll ask Chloe to drop you at the firehouse how about that?"

"Thanks, Uncle Joey." She smiled climbing into the backseat of his car. He looks at her and smiles, she usually calls him uncle Cruz sometimes uncle Joe, uncle Joey is rare, either when she wants something, lying, or is scared.

At the firehouse

Cruz sat on a bunk looking toward the locker room. Tatiana sat on the bench in front of the locker that used to be her dad's it was open and she was looking through the things that had yet to be cleared. Herrmann walks in and notices where Cruz was looking.

"How's she been doing?" Herrmann asks sitting beside him.

"As well as she can be. I'm surprised she asked to come back on shift with me but it's progress."

"You're doing right by that girl. Otis would be proud of you, both of you." Herrmann puts a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, Chief Boden wants to see us out on the north apron," Ritter says walking into the bunk room.

"Who does he want?" Casey asks.

"Everyone. " Everyone in the bunk room stands and begins outside. Tatiana follows finding Cruz in the crowd.

"Come on guys gather around," Boden says as everyone makes it to where he stands beside a statue covered with a sheet. Joe puts his hands on Tati's shoulders as they halt in front of it. "Who's going to remember us? Is a question all of us who do this job ask ourselves at one moment or another."

"Who will remember our work after we're gone?" He adds before turning and pulling the sheet off. "Brian Zvonecek."

"He was our brother, he was a friend, he was a father." he looks at Tatiana whose eyes with spilling with tears. already. "He was hell of a firefighter."

"He was smart, he was funny, he was kind, he was unselfish, and he was loyal." He continues as Cruz squeezes. Tati's shoulders to comfort the kid. "So." he picks up a bronze firefighter helmet before continuing.

"If you see someone... a fellow firefighter, citizen, friend standing looking at this memorial, I want you to come down this apron and you tell them about Brian." Tatiana begins sobbing trying to wipe the tears away. "You tell them the story about who Brian was, the kind of man he was."

"That way, you will bring this memorial to life." Tatiana falls forward leaning her head on the bottom of the monument unable to control her sobs. She lifts her head a bit when Boden begins speaking Russian. "Брат я всегда буду с тобой. Yeah, I looked it up." He shares eye contact with Cruz as Tati mumbles something incoherent.

"Those were Brian's last words and they mean, Brother, I will be with you always." Cruz sobs as Tatia rests her head back on the monument. "I can't think of a better way to remember Brian."

"So from this day forward," Cruz goes toward the monument with tears in his eyes as the chief talks. He falls to his knees behind the little girl putting one hand on the stone and the other on her back. "This memorial site is sacred ground."