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There was a special atmosphere in the station, she could hear from her office the sound of other firefighters' laughter as they ate breakfast. Usually she joined them as well but that was a different day, she had arrived early at the office with Carina's coffee and cookies Andrea had asked for, their not-so-little miracle, who had convinced them to bake it the previous afternoon. Although she physically resembled her, in personality and passion she was a little Carina. Life had never given her the opportunity to be able to hold a small physical copy of her wife in her arms, but their little Andrea reminded her of Carina in every little action or behavior. Her favorite thing was to see her imitate her wife's famous finger, she was still tiny but she could already do it almost perfectly with their whole group of friends who did nothing but point it out every time they met.
While eating she had looked at the photo on her desk. The first time she had been captain, in her office there had only been one photo on the cabinet behind her desk, that of 19, Pruitt Herrera's team. Instead now her office was filled with photo frames that she regularly pulled out of her drawer at the beginning of her shift and put away carefully at the end.There were four captains at 19, one for each shift, and none had their own personal office. The one on her desk was a picture of the whole family at Carina's 50th birthday. Her wife was in the center while the children were on either side of her hugging her, she was instead behind Carina and holding her in her arms. They all looked into the camera and she could not help but notice the wonderful smiles on their faces. The other photos represented significant moments in her life: her wedding, a collage with Liam's adoption, various photos of the children as toddlers, their first trip to Sicily, a photo of her mother with her grandchildren during Christmas a few years earlier, and one of Carina with their children and the Italian flag on the day Italy won the European Championship. There were also three other photos in one frame, it was the A shift of 19 in different years: 2018, 2024 and 2030, the last one they had taken although they would soon have to update it. After all, they had just added a new member to the family.
It had now been years since her first day at 19, a distant 2013 when she and Andy were fresh out of the academy. She still remembered how she had arranged her locker and how Andy had insisted on getting a braid like hers. The first few shifts at the station had felt complicated, feeling disconnected from a group that had known each other for a long time and with some members who had watched Andy grow up. No one had ever treated them differently; she and her best friend were both probies and were treated the same way by the veterans. They hadn't been overly harsh, Captain Herrera supervised them, but they did not play favorites. She had ended up integrating fairly quickly and after her first year and confirmation to stay at 19 on a permanent basis, she had never left. A total of 26 years of service in one station where she had held, almost, every position and where she had seen so many firefighters come and go.
As much as she might have bonded with her first team, made up of those extremely experienced firefighters and whom Andy called uncles, the first time she had really felt that she was part of a family was a few years later, especially when they welcomed Vic and Ben. She had quickly become friends with Vic, as had Andy, and together they had formed a trio characterized most of the time by support and trust. Bonding with Ben had been slower but eventually she had come to appreciate the station dad like everyone else. Dean and Jack had already been part of 19 for some time, with the former having arrived a few years before them, while Travis was also among the new additions. With that team, including the various members who joined later, she had experienced what she considered the best and worst moments of her life and career, calling them family as she figured out how to form her own along with Carina. But as she had watched it form, she had watched it watched it fall apart piece by piece.
Fire had taken Pruitt one day, the will for a different life Emmett, a gas leak Dean, a floor collapse Jack, a wildfire Theo, Crisis One Vic and Travis, Grey's Ben, a new project Sullivan, and so on. When she was back captain, only Beckett and Cutler were left of the old team, but both would be leaving soon. Beckett for a new station, closer to home and his wife, Cutler to become B-shift captain after spending the last few years as lieutenant with her and then as her second. Pruitt Herrera's 19 no longer existed, Andy's had been short-lived with some leaving after her promotion. She had thus formed her 19, choosing each member not because they were the best but because she believed they would work well together, as Pruitt had taught her. That was how Maya’s 19 was born, the 19 of Captain De Luca-Bishop.
The special day was one that saw the SFD welcoming their new Fire Chief. Natasha Ross had stepped down after years in the role, the accomplishments she had achieved in those years were impressive. From bringing the department out of economic crisis to a change in management and organization. For the vacant position it had been decided to promote someone from within, and and it was Andy who had passed the selection process. She was there when Andy had found out; they had a habit of taking a girls' night out for years, so Andy was sitting in her living room with a beer in hand, alongside her and Carina. When Andy had gotten the call she had almost woken up their children. They had celebrated and then Andy had made her a proposal; with her resume and experience she had an excellent chance of being promoted. It would be a step forward in their dream and in her dream, she would not do it the way she had hoped and thought at first but both her best friend and her wife had no doubt that she could get there. She met all the requirements for promotion to battalion chief and would be among the best candidates. She had thought about it, talked it over with Carina, and then accepted. It would be some time before she knew who they would choose but it was not a problem, even if she didn’t succeed, she still felt she had more to accomplish at 19. The first was to give Pru the best first approach to life as a firefighter.
She still remembered the day when Pru, during one of the many lunches they regularly organized with Ben and Miranda, had pulled her aside and asked her how to prepare to enter the academy. She was only 16 years old but already seemed determined, and it did not surprise her. She had grown up among firefighters, the 19 and all its various components had adopted her. Although some had never met Dean Miller, she was the daughter of one of them and as such Pru was family. She had therefore always shown interest in the world of firefighting, had always been curious, and Miranda had once confided to the two wives that Pru had already expressed to her her desire to attempt the academy. The doctor was not fully happy about it, she did not blame her, but she knew she would support her in case it happened. Which had then happened, she still remembered the applause coming from Miranda that day. She realized just how serious Pru was about her dream a few weeks after that lunch, she had found her at the girls' camp organized by the SFD. Vic's idea was still carried by all the other women in the department; they had seen over the years how it had actually made a difference. So when she had turned 18, no one had had any doubt, Pru would enter the academy, and so she did. When she had graduated, all of her father's team was present, it had been a special moment for all of them, and she still remembers how much Pru had cried when she told her that she would take it at 19.
A message had shaken her from her thoughts. Andy had told her she would let her know before she arrived. So she had gotten up and summoned the whole 19. The firefighters had rushed down and immediately lined up, chatting among themselves about why they had been called. She had looked at them one by one and in them, somehow, she could not help but see some elements of the team in which she had grown up. It was not for Pru so similar to Dean and from the mixed character of Miranda and Ben, they were each of them. Exactly like Pruitt, she too had built her 19 in some way. Andy had started the job, she had to substitute for Ben, Travis, Theo and Vic but the rest? She had done that. Now she finally understood how Pruitt felt, what he had told her the first time she had become captain. She had heard her watch shake again and saw her, Andy was in the doorway.
“19!” - Everyone had looked at her, now standing in attention, waiting. - "Today is a special day for this station, I can finally officially and, let me say that, proudly introduce you to the new Chief of the City of Seattle. Chief Andy Herrera!"
Andy had entered and stood at her side. No words necessary, they exchanged a brief nod. Nothing more was needed. They had achieved their dream years ago and would soon exceed it, would do more than they had ever wished, dreamed or believed possible. Maybe soon they would not only run that place together but a part of the Seattle department. They were accomplished in life and career, they were happy and, despite all the ups and downs, they were still together.