Regardless of where each of us stands on the cause & history of the events, September 11, 2001 remains a day of deep loss for so many of us. A day when thousands of lives were stolen, & countless families ~ mine included ~ were forever changed.
We remember the heroes who ran toward the flames when everyone else ran away. Firefighters, first responders, ordinary people who became extraordinary in a single moment. We lost 343 firefighters that morning. Their courage displaying both sacrifice & legacy.
I recall exactly where I was when I heard. The shock, the disbelief, & then the realization that what happened that day would ripple through years of war, loss & grief. For many, it stretched into countries they had never known, altering lives far beyond the borders of the US.
People sometimes say it’s time to move on, to stop remembering. But the truth is, we moved forward ~ we’ve had to. Yet 9/11 split our identity as a nation into “before” & “after.” It reshaped us in ways we still carry.
In the days that followed, churches filled with people searching for comfort, strangers leaning on strangers & neighbors reaching out with compassion. For a fleeting time, it didn’t matter what party you belonged to or whose God you prayed to ~ we were simply Americans bound together by grief & an unspoken promise to rise.
I miss that unity. I miss the kindness that surfaced in the midst of tragedy. Although years have passed, I still ache for those we lost ~ 2,977 lives from 90 nations.
So today, I remember all of them & I pray that in honoring their memory, we might carry forward the compassion & humanity we once showed each other during the hardest of days.
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Pairing: Joe Reagan x NYFD!OC, Reagan Family x NYFD!OC (familial relationship)
Summary: After 2 years in a relationship with Joe Reagan, son of the Police Commissioner of New York City, Nora Catalano finds out that he was killed in the line of duty. Not only that, but the two of them just found out Nora was pregnant earlier that morning. But Reagans protect each other and those they love.
Warning: Character death, pregnancy, grief, death of a loved one.
A/N: Hey guys, long time no post! I'm rewatching Blue Bloods and wanted to write a prequel to the series involving a character who was with Joe when he was killed. So, characters will be mentioned from the show, but mostly only from season 1 unless I catch up somehow. We'll see how it goes :)
"Hey, Catalano!"
Nora turns around with a smile, looking over at her Captain, Captain Michael Ferreira of Firehouse 54. An older Portuguese man with dark skin and close-cropped black hair, Captain Ferreira was always stern and to the point. But as Nora watched him approach, she could tell by his body language that he was dreading what was about to happen. Her smile fell from her face as the firehouse, which was normally loud with laughter and camaraderie, fell silent around her.
"Captain, what's wrong?"
Captain Ferreira sighed as he moved her towards his office, the silence following them like shadows at sunset. "We got word from the city. A cop was shot down on duty."
Nora's heart stopped before starting up again, as if it was trying to leave her chest.
"A buddy of mine in the department said it was Joe."
"W-what?" Nora stuttered. The world started to buzz, and all sounds not registering as the news settled in. Joey got shot? No. No, that can't be. "What do you mean he got shot? I-is he okay?" Nora started to move before she could even register it. "What hospital is he at? I-I have to go-"
Captain Ferreira grabbed her arms, stopping her in her tracks and moving her to look her in the eye. Already, tears were forming.
"Nora, he-" Captain Ferreira paused, his eyes misting as he watched his subordinate's life fall apart in front of him. "he didn't make it."
The world seemed to sway as the Captain's words echoed through Nora's body. Everything was cold, and just as she lost the last of her strength, Captain Ferreira caught her before she could hit the floor. That last thing she heard was the Captain calling her name.
--
"You are 7 weeks along, congratulations."
The doctor smiled as the wand of the ultrasound machine left Nora's stomach. Joe watched the screen where the image of a fetus was paused. Nora, too, was mesmerised by the little bean-shaped being floating on the screen.
"Pregnant? That's why I have been sick recently?" Nora asked, reaching for Joe's hand. He squeezed it in quick pulses, which made Nora's heart skip with each squeeze.
"Yes, you were most likely having morning sickness. That is quite common in the first trimester." The doctor wrote down something in the file before smiling at the stunned couple. Even stunned, she watched the man's eyes grow teary as he looked at his partner with a wide smile. The woman soon returned it with one of her own, laughing under her breath. "I'll leave you two alone."
As the door shut in the exam room, Joe sprang out of his seat and pulled Nora into the tightest hug; their bodies fitting together like two lost puzzle pieces. "A baby. Our baby, Cat." Joe said, pulling Nora even closer as if it were possible.
"I can't believe it. We made a baby." Nora smiled, looking over Joe's shoulder at the paused ultrasound image. That little thing was inside her, parts of her, and the love of her life.
"We gotta tell my family. Oh, Dad is going to flip. Pops won't be too happy that we're not married, but we will figure that out. And Danny is never going to stop giving me grief-"
"Joey, hold on." Nora pulled away and grabbed his face, Joe's body vibrating with excitement. "We can't tell anyone yet."
"What? Why?"
"It's too early. What if we tell everyone and...something happens? Let's wait a few weeks. I've still only met your dad a few times, too, let alone the rest of your family. I want to meet them as your girlfriend and not as your baby mama." Nora chuckled. Joe rolled his eyes and grabbed her hands on his face. His thumb brushed the back of her hand gently as he spoke.
"You're the one who wanted to keep our private life private."
"And you're the one who agreed," Nora said. "We've been dating for 2 years, and all your family knows is that you have a girlfriend in the city. I want to meet them the correct way."
"And you will. This weekend, Sunday dinner at the Reagan homestead."
Nora tried to pull back, but Joe wouldn't let her. His hold on her hands was firm, just like his resolve.
"Are you insane? You always said that Sunday dinner was sacred."
"Its family dinner, and you've been my family for as long as I've loved you." Joe smiled as he gripped her hands, his dopey Irish smile melting her heart all over again. "Which has been since I first made you laugh and you nearly had beer coming out of your nose."
Nora laughed, remembering how they first met in a bar in Brooklyn; Nora was just back from visiting her mom's grave, and Joe was coming back from a visit to his dad's house.
"Alright, alright. This weekend. Now come on. We both have shifts we have to get to. And I'm going to have to figure out how to tell my captain that I have to be pulled from Engine." Nora smiled, leaning in to kiss Joe quickly before he pulled her back in for a deeper kiss. As the memory faded, a beeping slowly got louder, and louder, and LOUDER>
--
The blinding hospital lights pierced Nora's eyes as she blinked awake. The beeping of medical machinery filled the room, incessantly going off with every beat of Nora's broken heart. Some movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention, and thinking it was more than likely her captain, she ignored it. That was until a deep voice spoke up.
"You're awake."
Nora turned to see Frank Reagan, New York City Police Commissioner, sitting at her hospital bedside. The last time she saw him was when she and Joe ran into him while walking home. She had only met him one other time before that, remembering his confident presence and authority oozing off him. Now looking at him, his eyes were red-rimmed behind his glasses, his tie pulled loose from his neck, and his suit jacket was unbuttoned. "Commissioner."
"Frank. Last time we met, I told you to call me Frank."
"Frank, right." Nora turned away from him, looking back up at the ceiling as she continued to speak, "So, it's true then."
There was a pause, then Frank spoke, "Yes. Joe was killed on the job earlier today."
"How?"
"He was shot."
A broken sob ripped from Nora's body, making Frank look up at the sudden noise. Tears streamed down her face and onto the pillow beneath her head, and soon her hands moved to cover her face, muffling the cries she couldn't control. Watching this, Frank got up and moved to Nora's bedside. He pulled her up and into his arms, his tears soon following.
They both sat and cried over the man who was gone, leaving them both behind.
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National Archives George W. Bush Library, NARA ID 5997302
9/11 Fireman’s Son Sees Dad on Archives Instagram
“Hello, I just came across this picture that you posted and the firefighter in the middle is my dad. Is there any way you can send me the original photo?”
20 years after that haunting picture was taken at Ground Zero, a 9/11 Instagram post connected a firefighter to the National Archives. Last November we had the honor of welcoming the Bardo family to the National Archives.
Read this incredible National Archives News story and discover:
What was his experience as a first responder at Ground Zero?
Did he remember a photographer with President Bush (43)?
How does he feel about his picture being in National Archives?
What on earth is the connection to Scuba Diving???
See also: Alert Diver profile of Paul Bardo
Paul Bardo, photo by Jeannine Bardo.
See related National Archives News story: First Pitch Showcased in All American Exhibit Demonstrates How Sports Helped Unite Nation After 9/11.
President George W. Bush throws out the ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium before Game 3 of the 2001 World Series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the NY Yankees. Photo by Eric Draper. George W. Bush Library. NARA ID 5997397.
Learn why Presidents pitch Opening Day baseballs and see this NYFD jacket worn by President Bush in our new exhibit:
ALL AMERICAN - THE POWER OF SPORTS
National Archives Museum in DC, 9/16/2022 - 1/7/2024
Remembering 9/11:
Pieces of History, 9/11: The World Series and a President’s pitch
Special Topics Page, Remembering 9/11
National Archives News, 9/11 Archives: “In our New York office: A day like no other”
