Love, Dad | Joe Cruz

Chapter 8 PT2: Burning Couch

"This book was hidden deep in his closet. He probably forgot all about it." Joe says looking down at his niece.

"I know they weren't together but did they love each other?" Tati looks up at her uncle.

"Yeah. They weren't in love but they loved each other. Otis was always happier when your mom and you were around." Joe smiles.

"Okay next page." Tatia switches pages letting her eyes graze over the photos before they land on one. It was Mouch and Herrmann on the couch in the common room with a 4-month-old Tatia sleeping on Mouch's lap. "I was so tiny." She giggles pointing at the photo.

"Yeah. You were and you grew so fast. You used to fit inside a helmet." Cruz chuckles.

"Is that you?" she points at a photo in the corner of the page. She was in the common room of the firehouse with a party hat and a birthday cake with three lit candles on top of it. Joe stood next to her with Otis on the other side.

"Yeah."

"Oh, you look funny with hair," Tatia says. Her eyes fall onto a photo where she's being held by a guy she only vaguely remembers. Mostly in photos hanging up in the firehouse. He was sitting on the floor of 81 his legs hanging out of the doorway as he grins with Casey behind him sitting on the seat and leaning forward a smile painting his face. Severide stood outside the rig his middle and pointer finger being tightly held by a 5-month-old Tati. "Who is he?"

"That's Andy Darden. He uh died a little over a year after your mom." He says looking at the photo. "Hey let's get this copied I don't think severide and Casey have a copy of it," Cruz suggests.

"Yeah!" She says as he pulls the photo out and sets it on the end table. She changes pages and looks down at a photo of her mom holding her as she is next to Baba and Otis. She was almost a year old and holding a present. Her and her parents were wearing matching pajamas and Otis had a Santa hat. "I want this one copied." She says looking over at her uncle.

"That's a good one." He smiles putting the photo with the other. He looks down at one photo. Boden was holding a 4-year-old Tati as he sat at his desk. He was holding up a drawing Tatia did of him. You could see the faintest smile on his face. Tatia wasn't paying attention to the camera already working on her next masterpiece. "See Mija you even have Chief wrapped around your finger."

"He has that drawing in his office! I saw it!"

"Yeah? I think almost everyone at 51 has at least one drawing you did hanging in their locker." He says. He's not wrong even Ritter got one when he joined the gang. Gallo doesn't have one though. Partly because Tati didn't draw as much now and Partly cause she still wasn't fully warmed up to him.

"Really? They kept them?"

"Yeah."

"See I knew Trish was full of -" He gives her a look. "Crap." she alters the word quickly.

"You're a good kid."

"You're just now realizing this?"

"I love you." Joe chuckles squeezing her.

"Love you too."

–––That Wednesday–––

Tatiana rarely joins the morning briefing even when she does stay a full shift. So when Herrmann told her to join she was confused. It was all cleared up after he explains his plan to everyone. Then after the briefing, he asked Cruz and Her if she would mind joining. She agreed immediately though Cruz was more hesitant but agreed because Tatia made a very compelling argument. Which was "He's my dad I should be there." Cruz couldn't argue with that logic. That's how they got here.