Chapter 13
Mills made his way into 51. He greeted Squad who were sitting at their table. Capp was working the paper, Severide was shuffling the card deck, and Tony was waiting impatiently for Severide to deal.
"Want in?" Severide asked.
"Yeah, deal me in. I'll go stow my gear," he said as he headed off for the locker room.
He dropped his duffle in the bottom of his locker and returned to the squad table. Severide dealt the cards. He looked at them and slapped them down on the table. His mind wasn't on the game. His mind was on his Mother and his Sister. They both wanted to open the restaurant that his grandfather had left him in his will. They wanted him to move to Wilmington with them. He wanted to stay in Chicago because he had just been cleared for Squad again.
He sighed and picked up the cards again. He hadn't told Madison the latest. As far as she knew, the deal was they had planned to sell the restaurant. Ingrid and Elise were making an excellent case for moving, but he wanted to stay at 51. He wanted them to stay in Chicago.
"Mills are you going to play your hand?" Capp asked.
He glanced at the cards again, and took some out of his hand and tossed them in. "Give me two."
Severide dealt him two cards. He picked them up and frowned. He slid his cards into the middle. "I'm out," he said as he rose from the table.
"What the hell is wrong with him?" Capp asked as he walked away.
Severide and Tony both shrugged their shoulders.
He walked into the apartment. He hadn't slept very well. He had tossed and turned all night trying to decide things. He still had no decision. He smelled bacon cooking. Madison had beaten him home and had started making breakfast.
"Hey," she greeted as he walked into the kitchen.
"Hey," he said as he leaned over to give her a hug and a kiss.
"Rough shift?"
He nodded as he poured coffee. "Didn't sleep."
"Me either. Got called out at 1, no sooner got back then got another one. Too many shootings last night."
He nodded as he sipped his coffee.
She placed breakfast on two plates and carried them to the table. She turned to look at him. The look on his face confirmed that she felt something was wrong. "Ok, out with it," she said.
Peter set down his mug. She knew him too well. "Mom and Elise don't want to sell the restaurant. They want to move to Wilmington and open it up."
Madison nodded. "So they're going to move."
"And they want me to move with them."
Madison walked over to him. "And you decided you're going to go."
He nodded. "I've been chasing my Dad's legacy all of my life. It's time I put it to bed."
"I understand that."
He lifted her chin. "Come with me, Madison."