Chapter 13: A Knock at the Station
Thanksgiving was a quiet affair at the firehouse. The crew had just finished a massive dinner of turkey and mashed potatoes when the heavy buzzer at the front bay doors echoed through the station.
Liam jogged down the stairs, expecting a delivery or a lost civilian asking for directions. He hit the button to roll up the massive metal door. As it clattered upward, a blast of cold air hit him, followed by a familiar laugh.
Sarah and Alex stood on the apron of the driveway, bundled in heavy winter coats. Alex was holding a baby carrier.
"Happy Thanksgiving, Liam!" Sarah beamed, her face glowing with health and happiness.
Liam broke into a massive grin. "What are you guys doing here? It's freezing!"
"We couldn't sit at home today without coming to see you," Alex said as they stepped into the warm apparatus bay. "We brought pie. And someone wanted to show off her new winter hat."
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Alex unbuckled the carrier and lifted Grace out. She was six months old now, perfectly plump and wearing a knitted beanie with two fuzzy bear ears on top. She babbled happily, reaching her little hands toward Liam’s shiny boots.
Captain Miller and the rest of the crew came downstairs, drawn by the commotion. For the next hour, the hardened firefighters were completely disarmed by the laughing baby. They ate pie on the bumpers of the fire trucks, swapping stories. For Liam, looking at the family he had helped save, the station had never felt more like home.
