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𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙑𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙧 - 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬, 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘺, 𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩, 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘶𝘵𝘺.
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It was a beautiful Friday afternoon. The sun was already beginning to set, and the Grant-Nashes were getting ready to attend an important event. It was the annual LAFD Valor Awards, and Bobby would be awarded the Medal of Valor for his years of work and dedication as a firefighter.
“Athena, are you ready?” Bobby asked, knocking at their bedroom door. Athena had been behind the closed door for the last hour after he finished getting ready, giving her more time for herself. He wasn’t rushing her; he knew better than to do that, but he also didn’t want them to be caught in traffic going downtown.
“10 minutes!” Athena replied. Bobby shook his head with a smile and walked to the dining area to join Harry, who was already dressed and having what he called a “pre-event snack”.
“Hey, Harry,” he said, sitting in one of the chairs. “Is May ready?”
The teen snorted in response, “She’s been inside the bedroom since forever.” Bobby chuckled at his words.
“Just eat your snack, Harry.” May’s voice filled the air as she joined them. Her younger brother rolled his eyes good-naturedly before resuming to his snack.
“You look beautiful, May.” Bobby complimented her, making the young woman smile.
“Thanks, Bobby.”
Normally, when he or Athena got invited to galas, it was just the two of them attending, but this time, he wanted the kids to be there as well.
Right on the dot, Athena emerged from their bedroom all dressed in a floor-length, red gown that looked like it was truly made for her. She looked utterly stunning. Bobby’s breath was caught in his throat, staring at his wife as she walked towards them. Even after all these years, she never failed to take his breath away.
“Wow,” he breathed out, standing from his seat. “You look beautiful, baby. So beautiful.” He murmured, his eyes raking her from top to bottom. He was a damn lucky man.
Athena smiled sultrily, “Thank you, Captain. And you look so handsome yourself.” She said, running her hands on the lapel down to the sleeves of his dress uniform. “Mmmm, my man looks so good.” Her eyes sparkled, drawing Bobby in for a kiss. Lips soft against each other, they forgot everything and everyone else around them.
But before they got more caught up, May cleared her throat loudly, breaking them apart. They were met with their pink-cheeked children: Harry, a slight look of disgust on his face, and May, looking at them with a look that said, “Are you kidding me? We’re right here.” Athena simply shrugged while Bobby had the decency to look at them sheepishly.
May shook her head at her parents’ antics before saying, “Okaaaay, time for pictures!” while waving her phone. Harry groaned beside her but immediately straightened up when he saw his sister’s glare.
It took thirty minutes and presumably a hundred photos (Harry’s exaggeration) of Bobby and Athena, the kids with each parent, and the four of them all together before they were finally out of the door.
“Can you send those to me? Especially the ones with your mom.” Bobby asked May as he opened the backseat of the car for her. She nodded in return with a smile on her face. They may make her cringe at times, but she also couldn’t help but admire how much her stepdad loves and adores her mom.
The drive to the venue was silent, well, except for Beyoncé’s Tyrant filling the car. Bobby was nodding his head and drumming his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat with May singing in the backseat. Harry was also nodding along, and Athena couldn’t help but chuckle a little. She loved how her husband always paid attention to their children’s interests, to the point where he surprised May with tickets to the Cowboy Carter Tour. The younger woman was absolutely elated; she had forced him to listen to the entire album and become familiar with the lyrics.
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They arrived at the venue just in time for cocktails. As they entered the big ballroom, they immediately spotted the rest of the 118 who were also in attendance for Bobby’s big night.
“Wow, wow, wow,” Hen said, as Bobby and Athena approached them with May and Harry in tow. “Okay, power couple! We see you!”
The team playfully hooted at them, drawing the attention of the crowd, who also smiled at their direction, making Bobby blush and Athena chuckle at the sight of her husband’s reddened cheeks.
"Okay, okay, calm down, kids." Athena amusedly said.
There were photographers everywhere, and when one approached their table, they didn’t pass on the opportunity for their photo to be taken. Buck even asked if one could be taken using his phone.
“Oh, this one’s definitely going on the fridge at the station,” Buck said, showing the group one of the photos. They were all smiling at the camera like one big happy family, and it warmed Bobby’s heart.
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While Bobby mingled with the other firehouse captains, Athena spotted her captain, Elaine Maynard, and went up to her.
“Elaine, I didn’t expect to see you here.” She said, approaching the other woman.
Elaine smiled, “Athena! You look wonderful,” she complimented her colleague and friend. “Chief Simpson called and invited me to come, considering LAPD’s connection with the LAFD. And when he mentioned you and Bobby, I couldn’t say no.”
“Well, I’m so happy to see another familiar face in this crowd,” Athena told her as she briefly scanned the room, and both of them laughed.
“Captain Maynard,” Bobby said when he approached the two women. “It’s good to see you.”
“Captain Nash, Bobby, we’re off the clock.” Elaine teased lightly, letting him know that he could always call her by her first name. “Congratulations, you deserve this.” She told him sincerely.
“Thank you, but I wouldn’t have done it without the most important people in my life,” Bobby replied, putting an arm around Athena’s waist and looking at her lovingly.
Elaine smiled at the couple before her, but most especially at Athena. They have known each other for years, and God knows how much her friend has deserved to have someone like Bobby in her life. She was glad that despite the trials and challenges Athena had faced over the years, she had found Bobby, who loved her more than life itself, and she couldn’t be happier for them both.
After doing a bit more talking, Elaine eventually had to excuse herself, leaving the couple alone. The ceremony was about to start anyway, so they also returned to their table.
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“Let us all welcome our very own Chief Simpson!” The master of ceremonies announced, and everyone clapped as the Fire Chief of the LAFD took his place on the podium.
“Good evening! Welcome to this year’s Los Angeles Fire Department Valor Awards. Tonight, we honor someone who has undeniably been at the top of the field and their expertise for the past years. But his recent work alongside his team at the SoCal Tech Biomed has proven that he is more than just a firefighter; he is a hero. A man of strength,compassion, and bravery, willing to put others first than himself,”
Bobby and Athena shared a look as they heard those last words. He took her hand with his and squeezed it with reassurance, their silent way of saying “ I love you” to each other. His brush with death was a test of faith and love. Every day, he was thankful that his wife did not give up on him that very day, even when he was at a crossroads.
“My fellow firefighters, guests, and friends, let us all welcome this year's Medal of Valor recipient, the captain of Firehouse 118, Captain Robert Wade Nash!”
The hall roared with applause as Bobby’s name was announced. Everyone knew the heroic act he and his team did, and people stood up from their seats as they watched him approach the stage. His heart pounded against his chest, never expecting such a reaction from the crowd.
Bobby stood before Chief Simpson, his shoulders squared and his head held high. As the medal was placed upon him, Bobby felt warmth spread through his body as the weight of it rested on his chest. Never in his many years as a firefighter did he think he’d ever receive such an award. They exchanged salutes before he took his place on the podium.
He scanned the crowd, and when his eyes met Athena’s, they both shared a smile. Athena looked at him with so much pride and joy. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she watched her husband be honored with such award he most definitely deserved to receive. Beside her, Harry and May beamed at their stepfather with the same amount of pride as their mother had for him.
And as for the 118, their hearts also soared with happiness for their captain, the glue of their team, who had been holding them all together for the past few years. Buck, most especially, looked up to the man who had sort of become his father figure with so much respect.
As the audience sat down, Bobby took a few breaths before beginning his speech, “Good evening. As I stand here before all of you, I am truly humbled by this award,” he began. “We all know that the life of a firefighter comes with a great deal of risks and sacrifices. Every day, we face the inevitable; we encounter situations and even people that could either make us or break us; moments of which we sometimes ask ourselves "what did I get myself into?", and from then we learn from those experiences,” he paused, looking for Athena again, and when he saw her nod in encouragement, he continued, “A very wise woman once told me that no one bats a thousand, and that changed a part of me. Heroes , as they would call us, but we can’t always save everybody, we know that. Nevertheless, we always try our hardest to do so, and that’s what matters the most, even when it sometimes means facing our own fears. We work hard not just for ourselves, but for the people who also need us the most. What happened at that laboratory was horrific, to say the least, but I am grateful for the people I was with and for those who fought for us. This award isn’t just mine alone. I share this with my team, the 118; my wife, Athena, and my children, May and Harry; and to those who aren’t here physically, but have been guiding me spiritually. I wouldn't be up here if it weren't for the people who continue to inspire me every day to be better and do better. They are as much the heroes as we are. Thank you.”
The crowd once again roared with applause. And Bobby tried to keep his tears at bay as the Chief shook his hand and congratulated him once more, and when their photo was taken. A few seconds later, he was about to step down when he saw Athena, May, and Harry walk towards the stage and were directed to have their photos taken together as a family. When they reached the stage, Athena pulled him in for a hug, whispered ‘I love you’ and 'I'm so proud of you' into his ear, before settling to his side. After their photos were taken, he pulled both kids into a hug as well, both of whom returned it so tightly.
Next, the rest of the 118 stepped in for an official photo with him. Bobby couldn’t help but feel so proud of his team, and he was happy that they were there and in much better shape.
As soon as they stepped off the stage, formality flew out the window, and they all surrounded Bobby for a group hug. It was a sight to behold, a testament of how strong their bond was; so strong, nothing could break their team apart.
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They stayed for a couple more hours, enjoying the festivities of the night. Food seemed to just come and go, and they enjoyed every bit of it (although Chimney did say Bobby's cooking still beats the caterer's). Growing bored, May and Harry were able to convince Ravi to do a TikTok video, which eventually led to Chimney, Buck, Hen, and Eddie joining them. They tried to convince Bobby and Athena to join them too, but the two refused, leaving them alone at their table while the rest went somewhere to find space for their video.
“Kids…” Athena muttered, shaking her head as they watched the small group of millennials follow two Gen Zs out of the hall. Bobby only laughed and pulled her in against him to press a kiss at the crown of her head.
All of a sudden, the lights slowly dimmed, and Billie Holiday’s Yesterdays filled the air.
“Oh, do you hear that?” Athena said, turning to Bobby. A knowing smile graced her face.
“Our song?” Bobby asked, although already knowing the answer. It was one of the many songs they’d dance to when they were alone at home, and one of their favorites. Athena nodded in response.
Slowly, the dance floor filled with couples, prompting Bobby to ask Athena for a dance.
“May I have this dance, Sergeant?” He asked, as he stood from his seat and held his hand out to her.
“Yes, you may, Captain,” Athena replied, taking Bobby’s hand. He led her to the dance floor and held her close against him as they slow danced to the song.
Now and then, Athena would look up at Bobby. Her eyes sparkled like they always did, and he couldn’t be more in love with his wife.
“Have I told you how beautiful you looked tonight?” He said in a low voice.
“Hmmm, you did. But keep ‘em coming.” She teased. Bobby smiled and leaned down to press a soft kiss on her lips.
When they pulled away, Athena looked up at Bobby once again and said, “Thank you. Thank you for not giving up and letting go that night.” Her eyes were sincere, and were no longer pained as a flash of that horrific night at the lab entered her mind.
“No, baby. Thank you for not giving up on me, for all of us,” Bobby replied. “I love you. I love you, baby.”
Athena’s eyes watered, and she reached up to him to press another kiss, “I love you, too.”
They stayed on the dance floor, swaying to the music like all the other couples around them. It was a beautiful sight, and unbeknownst to them, their kids and the team witnessed their private-not-so-private moment from a distance. May snapped a few photos of their parents, capturing the sweet moment between them.
As Bobby and Athena continued to hold on to each other, all worries and fears faded. And all was well in their world.