Mari & Ilna: What can I say? I'm enjoying this adventure every bit as much as I was on day one. Maybe more. Special thanks to Ilna for letting me run with her idea on this one.
REAL Worlders-thanks for all the enthusiastic support. You guys are the best.
On the Dot (1/1)
Steve and Catherine stood quietly beside Angie's crib, smiling in wonder at their sleeping daughter. Hands joined, soft smiles in place, they carefully tracked the time on Steve's watch.
Three.
Two.
One.
12:02.
"Happy Exact Birthday, Angie!" They whispered as their smiles widened.
Cammie's tail thumped excitedly from her place beside Steve. She'd become accustomed to the fact that her large humans sometimes liked to stand and watch the littlest one sleep, but she could tell tonight was special.
Catherine laid her head on Steve's shoulder. "I can't believe it's been a year already."
"It sure has flown by," Steve agreed.
They watched for a few more minutes then checked the monitor and quietly left the room. Cammie remained, happy to stand guard. As soon as she was sure everyone was settled down for the night she would slip back into Steve and Catherine's room as was her nightly routine.
"I still remember every single thing about that night as if it just happened yesterday." Steve draped his arm across her shoulders as they walked down the short hallway. "I remember how strong you were. How I'd never seen anyone as focused and determined."
Catherine smiled as they entered their bedroom. "That's funny, because what I remember is how strong you were. And how I knew that with you by my side I could do anything."
He kissed her temple softly.
Even a full year later the wonder of that moment was still something Steve felt viscerally on a daily basis. "You were amazing."
Catherine glanced at his watch again.
"I wasn't prepared." Catherine chuckled lightly. "I was ready, but I definitely wasn't prepared for the emotional hurricane of that night."
They crawled into bed and sat with their backs against the headboard.
"Tell me," he said softly.
They had discussed that night many times but like a favorite bedtime story they both reveled in the chance to hear it again.
"I was so excited to meet her, so anxious for her to be born." Catherine's mind transported her back to that night. "Everything had been building to that moment for months. I knew there were so many people excited for Niblet to finally arrive."
Steve squeezed her shoulder and she continued.
"And to be honest, I was ready to not be pregnant anymore."
They both smiled.
"But that moment when she left my body … for a minute I felt … lost. I remembered feeling her flutter first, then eventually kick. Feeling her grow. She was a part of me and then … she wasn't. I wanted to scream for them to put her back. But then a few seconds later they laid her on my chest and my emotions swung 180 degrees in the opposite direction. I was so happy to meet her."
"I remember on one hand wanting to hear her cry," Steve said, "but on the other kind of dreading it. I mean what kind of father wants to hear his child in distress seconds after she's born?"
"You would never want to hear her in distress," Catherine responded confidently.
"No." Steve shook his head. "But it kind of felt that way. You know what I mean?"
Catherine nodded.
"But when it actually happened it wasn't so much like she was unhappy as like she was just … you know … announcing her arrival. Like she was saying 'Here I am, world. Glad to meet you!'"
"And she's been pretty much grabbing life with both hands ever since." Catherine smiled proudly.
"She's amazing." Steve beamed. "Just like her mother." He moved down to lay flat and Catherine settled against his chest. "It was really nice of your parents to organize a sleepover at the condo, so we could spend Angie's actual birthday morning with just the three of us."
Catherine gasped playfully. "Are you forgetting Cammie?"
"The four of us." Steve corrected himself with a smile.
"Mom was as excited about the sleepover as the kids. She baked cookies, and brownies, and who knows what else. And dad drew up actual plans for the blanket fort." Catherine entwined her legs with his. "To be honest, I'm a little jealous."
"Well, we can't have that," Steve growled as his hand moved across her hip. "I'll have to find a way to entertain you myself."
"Will it be as good as a blanket fort?" she purred.
He grinned. "Maybe better."
Steve and Catherine sat side by side on the couch after breakfast while Angie stood holding on to the edge of the coffee table, gripping her new stuffed tiger.
In Catherine's hand there was an envelope.
"I wrote this to you not long after you were born," she told her daughter as she slid her finger under the flap and pulled out a single folded sheet of paper. "Your daddy was getting a few minutes of much needed sleep, and so were you, but I was so filled with things I wanted to say."
"Dear Angie," she read then looked up. "I remember how strange it felt to be writing an actual name. My mind was definitely already thinking of you as Angie but there was just a little twinge of sadness that you weren't Niblet anymore."
Steve smiled softly. "I felt that too."
Catherine took a deep breath. She hadn't read the words she wrote that night in a year and wanted to prepare herself for the flood of emotion they would bring back.
"Dear Angie,
Welcome to the world! Daddy and I are so happy you're here. We've been waiting for you for so long."
"Baaah aaahhh mama." Angie grabbed for the paper, but Catherine deftly moved it out of her reach.
"We have loved you since the minute we found out about you but I'm not sure anything prepared either of us for the rush of love and adoration we felt when you entered the world. Even at a few hours old you are your own person now. Angeline Elizabeth McGarrett. Named after two strong women and carrying the last name of a line of strong and honorable men. But you'll forge your own path. Your daddy and I will make sure of that."
"Eeeeeeeeeeeee." Angie grabbed for the paper again, this time managing to get ahold of one end.
Catherine laughed as she traded Angie her plastic keys for the paper and smoothed out the corner. "You know, it was easier to read these to you when you were just a couple weeks old. You didn't try to grab everything."
Steve lifted Angie into his lap and kissed the top of her head.
"You have so much ahead of you, Angie, and your daddy and I are so excited to go along on the journey with you. You'll always have our unconditional love and support. We promise you that. You'll also have the love of more family and friends than you can imagine.
I'm watching you sleep but I can tell you'll be awake soon. And hungry. So, I'll close for now. I love you, Angie.
Mommy"
"Baaaaah aaaah eeee." Angie squirmed to get down.
"Well, I can tell she was impressed," Catherine chuckled.
"Baaah bahhh aaah." Angie's frustration was clearly growing as she reached out towards the playroom.
"You know what she wants, right?" Steve groaned.
Catherine nodded. "I do. She wants to ride her giraffe."
"I can't believe Danny bought her a giraffe that's taller than he is," Steve grumbled.
Catherine tilted her head. "I don't know. I think we got off easy. At least it doesn't make noise."
"Do you wanna go ride your giraffe?" Steve asked in a sing song voice as he lifted Angie over his head. "Is that what you want?"
Angie giggled happily.
"Let's go then." Steve stood up and headed towards the playroom with his daughter in his arms. After a few steps, he realized Catherine wasn't following and turned around. "Are you coming?"
She smiled softly as she picked up a tablet and a pencil. "In a few minutes. I have a letter to write first."
THE END
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