Sammy & Ilna - love you both to the moon.
Sammy - feel better soon - we've got your back but we miss your genius :)
Ilna thanks for your proofing and input on these!
REALMcRollers and Readers - love to you all. Thanks for the well wishes for Sammy while she's on the mend, much appreciated!
Special thanks to the fabulous Suz for inspiring this one with a photo of her adorable son. Xoxox
Artistic
"Hi, baby girl," Catherine singsonged as she stepped onto the deck after arriving home from a short Saturday afternoon event where she and the governor had spent two hours with visiting dignitaries from South Africa.
"Mama!" Angie stopped what she was doing and pushed up to a standing position. Toddling at top speed, she was approaching Catherine just as Steve scooped her off the floor with a laugh.
"Got ya!" He grinned at his wife's expression. "Hey."
"Hey." She surveyed the deck and chuckled at their daughter who was reaching for her with multi-colored, paint covered hands. "Very artistic! But let Mommy change real quick, okay?" She leaned over carefully to kiss Angie, shook her head at the scene and retreated with a huge smile to strip off her suit and don cutoffs and tank top as Joseph called, "Angie, look what Grandpa has over here," to get the baby's attention.
Back a few minutes later, Catherine laughed out loud at the blue, red and yellow figures that were her husband and father as Angie squealed, "Mama!" while displaying her paint covered, well, everything and her husband's eyes flashed with pride.
"I think she's actually really artistic." He turned to Joseph for a completely biased agreement. "Maybe we should talk to Gabby …"
Laughing as she squatted to catch the fast-moving little one, Catherine glanced up at her dad with a grin. "You both realize that's finger paint, right?" she said as Steve's brow rose at their daughter's hands landing on the ponytail that fell over her shoulder.
She shrugged at the yellow and green splotches. "Are you making masterpieces, swee … " she began but snorted, "Oh, Cammie, c'mere my good girl," as the dog approached wearing two tiny hand prints on her side. "Are you helping, too?"
"Woof."
"Caaamee, apa ahhh aaaa dada ohdi," Angie pointed and explained.
"Oh, I get it. Grandpa and Cammie were helping you and Daddy paint?" She sat Angie back on the large tarp and the toddler gleefully squished some more paint in both hands before slapping them first on the paper and then against Steve's t-shirt.
"EEEEEEE! Dada!" She giggled and pointed.
"I see. That's very pretty." Steve was kneeling, and bent to kiss Angie's head. Looking between his wife and father-in-law he smirked. "Danny totally bought this paint set on purpose."
"He absolutely did." Catherine held her phone aloft. "Say cheese, Angie! Dad, get in there next to them and Cammie."
Elizabeth's voice preceded her as she stepped onto the deck. With a gasp, she placed a hand to her chest. "Ohhh that's so beautiful! Angie, did you make these beautiful paintings with Daddy and Grandpa?" She clapped and Angie followed suit.
"Ama!" She pointed between her grandmother and the paint splattered papers that filled the deck and those that were drying on the table.
As her mother moved to take the toddler, Catherine warned, "Mom, she's gonna get you all …" but was waved away as Elizabeth kissed the tiny cheek.
"Grandma doesn't care one bit about a little paint. And we're definitely going to frame …" She pretended to ponder. "That one, if Mommy and Daddy will part with it?" she questioned.
Steve laughed. "I think we can part with one of eleven."
"Yay!" She bounced Angie in her arms and the little girl clapped and parroted, "Aaaaaay!"
"Did your meeting at the children's center go well?" Joseph inquired.
"It did. And we signed on three new volunteers." She eskimo-kissed Angie and came away with a green splotch of finger paint on her nose.
Catherine and Steve shared a glance and he reached for their daughter. "How about we clean you up and ask Grandma and Grandpa to stay for dinner?
"Good idea." Catherine smiled. "You guys can clean up here and I can run and pick up Grandma Ang. There's fresh towels in both spare bathrooms and Mom, you can grab a clean top out of my dresser." Her eyes fell on Joseph and both sets glinted with mirth. "I'm thinking you and Steve may need to be hosed down." She bent to kiss the dog who was sitting at her feet. "And you, my pretty girl, c'mon I'll rinse you off."
Joseph grinned. "I'll get Cammie. And I came prepared." He indicated a small duffel on one of the chaises.
"Of course you did," His daughter chuckled. "Captain Rollins with a go bag to finger paint. That should be in the Navy Times." She kissed his cheek.
"Only if it's next to a photo of my multicolored SEAL son-in-law." He grinned and pointed between them. "And don't cook, either of you. We'll call out."
"Ohhh, Angie, do you want pizza?" Catherine said with an exaggerated expression.
"EEEEEE aaaah, Mama!" Angie bounced in Steve's arms.
"I'll take that as a yes." He leaned over to peck Catherine's lips. "Go get Grandma Ang. We'll have an unpainted kid and a pizza ready to eat when you get home."
She kissed Angie. "Like a well oiled machine. I'm gonna rinse my hair out and go. Be back in half an hour."
As the family sat and finished their dinner, Steve's phone rang. Seeing his partner's ID he hit Facetime and angled the camera on Angie who was in his lap.
"Tell Uncle Danno I'm on to him with his loud, messy gifts," he said with an attempted scowl at his best friend.
The responding bark of laughter made everyone smile. "Ha! That's my girl! The bigger the mess, the better."
"Daaanooo!" Angie made grabby hands and Steve let her grip the phone as he held it.
"Laugh it up. I'm thinking of buying Gracie a subscription to the ballet and insisting she use it for daddy daughter dates," Steve groused, but couldn't hold back a smile when Angie twisted in his lap with a toothy grin.
"Child's play," Danny snorted. "I haven't even begun to catch up my friend, and I have sixteen years of experience on what presents my beautiful, brilliant, amazing goddaughter will love that will be loud or messy. Preferably both."
Angie let go of the phone and attempted to stand in her father's lap and reach for her grandpa. "Up! Apa!"
"And she's off," Danny said with a smirk. "Hey, wait, wait …"
"What?"
"Do I detect some white paint Miss Angie left in … oh, sorry, sweetheart, that's just your Daddy's grey hair…" Danny teased with a chuckle.
"You probably have a ton of grey, you just can't see it 'cause of the blond…" Steve snarked.
As Danny came back with, "If I'm grey, it's one hundred percent because of you." He waved at Angie, who Joseph was holding in-frame of the FaceTime call. "Uncle Danno has to go think up more loud, messy gifts for my little sweetheart.
"Mezzzeee," she giggled.
"Good girl. Drive Daddy crazy for me, okay?"
Elizabeth and Joseph smiled at the brotherly banter and Catherine grinned and moved to run a hand through Steve's hair. "You know, Angie's pretty good with color," she indicated her damp hair from where she'd rinsed out the paint. "Maybe next time you can paint with Daddy and Uncle Danno and give them both some funky highlights."
Steve couldn't hold back a smile as Angie reached for him and patted his head, copying her mommy's gesture.
When the detective bark laughed and said, "Bring it, my friends, 'cause mark my words - blue hair won't even make the top ten worst looks I've donned to make Grace happy." He pointed at the screen with a grin.
Steve lifted Angie from her grandpa's lap and said, "You tell Uncle Danno what color you'll paint him and Daddy," to his daughter.
When she tilted her head as expected, he prompted her response. Even though she didn't understand, she repeated the word he chanted in her ear with a smile and clapping hands.
When she did, every adult burst into laughter and Danny Williams palmed his face as the toddler who'd captivated everyone patted her daddy's face and repeated his prompted word:
"Cammmo!"
# End. Thanks for reading!
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