Captain Owen Strand was the lone survivor of his NYC fire house on 9/11. He rebuilt his station so well that after another tragedy in Texas, they recruit him to do the same thing again. He brings his troubled firefighter son, T.K. with him so they c...
Gwyn and T.K. were browsing in the cozy bookstore. T.K. had spotted some baby books and said he would like to boy her one for his new brother or sister.
"But hon, I barely finished your baby book. You saw that mess of pictures. You were such a handful I never had time," Gwyn admitted. She went and squeezed T.K.'s cheeks. "But Daddy and I adored you anyway!"
T.K. smiled and rubbed his cheeks.
"I know, Mom...I was wild and crazy. And you were working and Dad was rebuilding the station house," T.K. smiled. She didn't need to remind him, he had been there. On a nearby table display, T.K. snatched up a picture book.
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"Mom, I am buying this for the baby! This was my favorite book. Remember?" T.K. blurted out.
"Yes, sweetheart, you loved that book so much," Gwyn said wistfully. "I wish I would have kept it but I think you threw up on it after you ate 12 oreos when your little friend stayed over. But I loved that book, too. You could never figure out how the cows had babies...I couldn't figure out how they typed."
"And I think it caused me to get spanked with the wooden spoon for the first time!" T.K. laughed.
"Oh, it wasn't the book that got you spanked and you know it, mister," Gwyn said with a short laugh.
New York City, New York
Strand Family Apartment, Fifth Floor
October 2003
"Tyler Kennedy Strand, stop that right now!" Gwyn yelled as he tried to run out the door with jam all over his face.
Tyler grinned and licked his chin with his tongue, "See, Mommy, my face is all clean!"
"Young man, that is gross," Gwyn said, using her thumb to try to clean the pink strawberry goo from his chubby face. Her own mother would have probably used her own spit, but Gwyn decided to the time to drag Tyler to the sink. She wetted a paper towel and scrubbed his face properly, if not a bit hastily. They were going to be late again.
"Moooommmm,"Tyler whined, scrunching up his face and turning. "I can do it myself!" "I know, honey, but we are going to be late. It's your first day back to school after a whole week," Gwyn reminded him. "A really fun week..."
"Yeah, because of a flood inside the school!" Tyler replied.
"I think it was a burst pipe during renovations. I'm sure your tuition will go up," Gwyn muttered to herself.
