Love, Dad | Joe Cruz

Chapter 17: Double Digits

Tatiana has been quiet all day. Before she went to school, now after school. Her birthday is tomorrow normally she wouldn't be able to shut up about it but this is also her first birthday without her dad. No one was surprised by her quietness. Or the way she hadn't come inside the firehouse since she got back from school instead she stayed at Otis' monument the whole time. Cruz looks down at the apron with a sigh.

He has a plan for her birthday, she has school tomorrow but he's gonna pick her up right before lunch and take her to have a picnic at her dad's grave. Then with the help of Herrmann, he planned a little get-together party-like thing at Molly's at  2-5 since the bar officially opens at like six. He decided Molly's would be a good place for it cause it would be free. He's supplying snacks and drinks (Juice and soda) plus the decorations. Herrmann agreed as long as they didn't invite any of her school friends cause a bunch of random kids in his bar would cause problems. Cruz didn't care, he wanted this to be more of a just family thing. He knew she needed to know that her 51 family cares. Not only them but her whole family so Lily, Leon, Chloe, and Otis' family are coming as well.

"I'm turning ten, tomorrow Dad," Tatiana mumbles to the statue. "I wish you were here. It's not the same without your pancakes and bacon. Plus I have school so I can't even go to see Grandma and Baba and Uncle Vlad and Uncle D and my cousins. It's stupid."

"Plus Uncle Cruz has also been looking at me weirdly all day. Like someone kicked his puppy. I made him promise to make me my breakfast though."

"Hey, kid." She looks up to see Kelly standing there with a package of chocolate chip cookies. "You look like you could use a cookie or two"

"I could." She nods as he sits down next to her.

"Here you go then." He hands her a cookie.

"Thanks." She says looking down at her lap. "Did Uncle Cruz send you over? He's been looking at me like a kicked puppy all day."

"No, he didn't. " He looks back at the other man who was still standing there. "He does look like a kicked puppy though... But I just came down to see if you'd like some company."

"I guess it's fine I was just telling Dad about my birthday..." She goes quiet looking up at the sky. "Kelly? Do you have any stories about my dad? I know I asked before but... I like hearing stories."

"Yeah, I have quite a few." He pauses to think before continuing, "Did he ever tell you how he told everyone about you?"

"No."

"Okay well originally he only told Cruz and Chief about you, he wanted to surprise everyone. He comes back from four weeks of furlough, and after chief is done covering everything for the morning meeting. Otis stops us from leaving saying he has a big announcement he walks out comes back in with this tiny little thing in his hands and lifts you lion king style."

Nine years 4 weeks and 3 days ago

Otis was excited to finally share with his second family that he had a daughter. He didn't want to tell them before he knew for sure. He wanted to get a DNA test before telling the whole firehouse knowing how they get. He told Chief and Cruz though. So it made it easy for him to actually come up with the announcement idea. Which he did keep a secret from Chief but he told him he wanted to make an announcement when the morning briefing was over. He asked Juliette, Tatia's mom to come to shift with him so she could watch the baby and take her home after, and she happily did so, most of the firehouse she hasn't seen in over a year. She hasn't come by since she and Otis had broken up. So he had her waiting in the hall, away from the windows of course. He sits at one of the tables in the front a big smile on his face the entire time. He got a few confused looks but paid no mind to them.