Mari & Ilna- you guys are the absolute best. Thanks for EVERYTHING! There are no two people I'd rather be on this ride with.
Sandy-what would I do without you?
REAL Worlders-I can never fully express what all your amazing support means to me. All I can say is that in our fourth calendar year your support and encouragement keeps me as enthusiastic as I was about this project day one.
The Nibletmobile (1/1)
McGarrett Rollins Home
Saturday 9:00 A.M.
"So, I'm turning my grades in the first part of next week and we'll be in Hawaii by Friday," Elizabeth said, delight at the prospect clear in her voice.
Catherine beamed then shifted in an attempt to find a more comfortable position as she sat on the couch skyping with her mother. "I can't wait. Did Dad get everything taken care of as far as bringing Smokey along is concerned?"
"Yes, he did. Thankfully." Elizabeth smiled affectionately. "There was no way he would have agreed to leave him behind for the entire summer. Luckily the person you recommended at the Humane Society was able to talk us through everything we needed to do in terms of shots and blood tests."
In general Hawaii had a one-hundred-and-twenty-day quarantine rule for anyone wanting to bring a pet to the island but in response to increased requests a program requiring a shorter period of isolation, anywhere from immediate release to five days, had been put in place for those willing to meet extremely stringent veterinary protocols.
Catherine adjusted her laptop to her new position. "I'm glad it all went smoothly."
"Well," Elizabeth sighed, "there is one little glitch."
"Uh-oh." Catherine's brow creased.
"There are no airports on Oahu that have an immediate release procedure. The best we could do would be three to five days. And your father was concerned, well we both were really, that after all the excitement of the flight being confined in an unfamiliar place with people he didn't know would be too hard on Smokey."
Catherine frowned at the thought. "You're probably right. It probably would be. Is there another option?"
"There is," Elizabeth nodded. "We're all going to fly together to Los Angeles together then your grandmother and I will fly directly to Honolulu while your father and Smokey fly to Kahului Airport on Maui where Smokey can get an instant vet exam and release then they'll be able to catch a short flight to Oahu."
"You arranged for him to fly in the cabin, right?" Catherine asked.
"Absolutely. In fact, the people at the airline were very accommodating." Elizabeth and Joseph had been adamant Smokey would not fly anywhere but in the cabin regardless of the additional cost.
"Maybe dad can call Kamekona and arrange a helicopter ride from Maui," Catherine suggested. "I'm sure both he and Smokey would love it."
Elizabeth's face brightened. "Good idea. I hadn't even thought of that. I'll have your dad call him this afternoon."
Catherine's phone buzzed with an incoming text and she picked it up off the coffee table to check the message.
"Everything ok?" Elizabeth asked.
"Fine," Catherine assured her. "Danny and Steve had to go to HPD this morning to oversee a prisoner transfer to some marshals from the mainland. Everything is going as planned. We're gonna go car shopping as soon as they get back."
"Sounds good. Did you get the safety statistics your father emailed you and Steve?"
"I did." Catherine smiled. "And the information on trade in value, and cost of ownership and customer satisfaction."
Elizabeth grinned. "You know what your father always says … "
"We always buy Toyotas because they last," the two women said in unison.
"We had dinner with the Allens last night." Catherine's eyes lit up at the thought of the meal and the after-dinner laughs resulting from a game of charades. "Kaitlyn made a very informed and impassioned request for us to buy something fuel efficient. She even had a book from the library to help explain things."
"She's really coming into her own. I can't wait to talk to her everything," Elizabeth said sincerely.
"Jacob wants us to buy something green like Miles Axelrod in the Cars movie."
"Of course," Elizabeth smiled. "Though if I recall from watching with Joan, Miles Axelrod is all about clean burning fuel."
"True," Catherine agreed, having watched the movie with the Allens several times, "But I'm pretty sure Jacob just likes the color green."
Dodge Dealership
10:15 A.M.
"Why are you here again?" Steve asked Danny as he parked his truck in front of the dealership whose commercials loudly proclaimed them the largest Dodge dealer on Oahu.
"I have a few hours to kill," Danny smirked from the backseat. "Also, I want to be here to see you take your maiden voyage test driving a minivan." He winked at Catherine.
"We're not getting a minivan." Steve said definitively.
"You say that now but you never know." Danny's eyes sparkled. He'd been having fun teasing Steve about the prospect of driving a minivan all week. "There are some models available that check all your boxes." He said in a sing song voice.
"So you say," Steve deadpanned as he exited the truck and crossed in front of it to help Catherine and Niblet out.
"Did you even read my emails?" Danny huffed as he climbed out on the passenger's side.
"You mean the fifty plus emails you sent me with what I assume from their subject lines was information about every kind of minivan on the planet?" Steve looked his partner directly in the eye. "No, I didn't."
Catherine rubbed his arm softly as she took a second to steady herself on the ground. She knew Danny was just trying to wind Steve up.
"You're very unappreciative," Danny grumbled. "I was trying to help."
Steve looked skeptical. "Really, because I think you were trying to mock."
Danny tried to look offended but couldn't pull it off. "Chin and Kono bet me twenty bucks I couldn't get you to at least test drive a minivan. If you do it I'll split the money with you."
Steve laced his fingers with Catherine's. "You're gonna have to pay up then."
"Come on, boys," Catherine smiled, knowing if she didn't cut off their good-natured bickering it would go on all day. "Let's go find the Nibletmobile."
Just as they reached the edge of the lot containing rows of all the newest models Steve had to step aside to take a call from Duke. "I'll just be a minute," he promised.
Catherine squeezed his hand then turned her attention to the twenty something man who was approaching them with a wide smile and a nametag that identified him as Todd. It was clear from his just slightly too tight shirt that he spent a lot of time at the gym and wanted everyone to know it.
"Hi. Welcome. My name is Todd," he said in an upbeat tone as he extended his hand to Danny. "How can I help you today?"
Danny looked at Catherine then shook the man's overly manicured hand. "Danny Williams. But I'm not the one looking to buy," he said as he indicated Catherine. "She is."
"Catherine Rollins." She extended her hand.
"Oh, my mistake," Todd turned his full attention to Catherine and clasped her hand between both of his. "What can I do for you?"
"I'm looking for something with seating for at least seven with a good safety rating," Catherine replied as she withdrew her hand. "Our family is expanding and my current car can't accommodate a car seat."
"So, you'd like to look at minivan?" Todd guessed.
"Ideally we'd prefer an SUV. We were thinking about the Durango," Catherine said as Steve rejoined the group. "This is my husband, Steve McGarrett."
Todd's lack of reaction to the name made Danny wonder if he was new on the island.
"Nice to meet you." Todd shook Steve's hand firmly. "We didn't get to be the biggest dealer on the island without knowing our stuff. We've got plenty of options. I'm sure we'll find something that will work for you."
He began walking towards the minivan section of the lot. "The Grand Caravan is our best seller not to mention that it pretty much single-handedly created and perfected the concept of a minivan. Plus, I can make you a really good deal if you buy this week."
"As I said," Catherine reminded him. "We'd prefer to look at SUVs or crossovers."
"A lot of people think that," Todd continued, addressing his comments to Steve, "but when it comes down to it it's just so much easier for new moms to maneuver in and out of a minivan rather than a big bulky SUV."
Steve's jaw tightened slightly. "My wife is more than capable. However, that does bring up another thing. Catherine's parents bought a condo on the island and they'll be driving the vehicle as well when they're in town. I want to make sure there is some kind of easy access for Catherine's grandmother."
"Wow, you really have your hands full, don't you?" Todd's tone made it clear he thought he and Steve were having a bonding moment. "New baby on the way, in-laws buying a place nearby. I can understand why you might not want to make the leap to driving a minivan right now."
"I'd have no problem driving a minivan if it was the best choice for my wife and our daughter," Steve replied pointedly. "I'm just not sure it is."
"I can't tell you how many of these I sell a month," Todd said, oblivious to the building tension. "Women really love them and once they get a taste of the convenience they're hooked."
He opened the driver's side door and pushed the seat all the way back. "Have a seat in there and see how it feels," he said to Catherine before turning his attention back to Steve and Danny and extolling the virtues 3.6 liter engine and automatic six speed transmission. He was careful to point out the available running boards to address Steve's concerns about Grandma Ang's access.
After a few minutes he turned back towards Catherine. "How does that feel?" Without waiting for her answer he pushed forward. "This model also has Stow 'n Go seating, hands free calling, an available DVD system."
Catherine made eye contact with Steve over Todd's shoulder and they had a quick silent conversation while Danny looked on and shook his head at their ability to communicate without words.
After knowing them both for so many years he felt like even though he would never fully understand the thoughts passing between them he could get the basic point.
Todd wasn't necessarily a bad guy. He was just young. And somewhat clueless.
Luckily, they were saved by a perfectly timed page letting Todd know he had a call from a customer.
"I need to take this but I'll be right back," he said, again to Steve, eliciting a shake of the head from both Danny and Catherine.
"Thanks for your time," Catherine smiled. "I think we're done. We'll let you know if we need anything else."
Todd turned back to Steve. "I'll just be a few minutes then I can show you the Durango if you'd like."
"That's ok," Steve waved him off and Todd headed across the parking lot with his shoulders slumped.
"Any chance I can get you to sit behind the wheel so I can snap a quick pic?" Danny asked Steve as Catherine stood up stretched her back.
"Absolutely none," Steve responded.
Toyota Dealership
1:30 P.M.
"You know what dad would have said," Catherine smiled as she and Steve sat across the desk awaiting the return of their salesman at the second dealership of the day.
"That we should have come to Toyota in the first place," Steve chuckled. "And he would have been right."
Catherine looked at the brochure in her hand. "This Highlander Hybrid really is the perfect choice. Plenty of seating, great gas mileage, high safety rating."
"Optional running boards," Steve smiled.
Catherine leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips. It never failed to warm her heart how much he thought of the needs of the others.
"Which Grandma Ang will thank you for," she said as she pulled away.
"Ok, I think we have everything in order," their salesman, Eric, said as he returned and took a seat on the other side of the desk. The young man, whose father was a career naval officer stationed at Pearl, had been excited to help Steve and Catherine find a vehicle. He listened attentively to their needs then offered several options, each with their own pros and cons. After test driving the Sequoia, the RAV 4 and the Highlander Hybrid Steve and Catherine quickly settled on the Highlander. "This would be your monthly payment." Eric slid the paperwork across the desk so both Steve and Catherine could see.
"That looks good," Catherine smiled. After taking into consideration her parents' contribution and her transportation allowance their monthly payments would be minimal.
"The one thing I forgot to ask you," Eric said apologetically, "is interior color. You have a choice of gray or black."
"Gray," Steve said immediately. "I read that it's a much more soothing color for babies than black."
"That's perfect," Eric said brightly. "We have gray in stock. Black we would have had to order."
From his seat ten feet away Danny smiled to himself.
If someone had told him five years ago he'd be sitting in a car dealership watching Steve pick out an interior finish based on anything other than durability he would have called them crazy.
But here they were.
He marveled, not for the first time by a long shot, at how far they'd both come since the day they met and he reveled in the thought of all that was to come in the future. He couldn't wait to watch Steve and Catherine settle into parenthood and continue to build their family and deepen their roots.
He watched as his friends both signed the sale paperwork and smiled at the thought of other joint signatures.
On a mortgage.
A deed.
A wedding license.
"I'll have your new car pulled around," Eric said happily. "Congratulations."
"Hey, why don't you guys drive the new car and I'll drive your truck back to your place?" Danny suggested.
"I don't think so," Steve smirked. "But you can ride with Catherine if you promise not to be too annoying."
Danny thought for a minute. "I'll ride with you," he said to Steve as he grinned at Catherine.
Steve sighed. "Of course you will."
McGarrett Rollins Home
Sunday 7:45 A.M.
Catherine sat up in bed and stretched just as the bedroom door opened and a beaming Steve entered carrying a tray and followed closely by an excited Cammie.
"What's all this?" she asked.
Steve sat the tray down on the nightstand then leaned over and kissed her deeply. "Happy Mother's Day!"
"Steve," her eyes were immediately damp and she placed her palms against his cheeks. "You didn't have to do this."
"Actually, I did." He grinned. "Niblet insisted."
"She did, did she?" Catherine smiled. "Well, it smells delicious."
"French toast." He waggled his eyebrows as he nodded towards the tray.
"I think I see a little something else there," Catherine pointed out as her eyes danced.
"Oh this?" Steve picked up a package wrapped in Mother's Day paper. "This was all Niblet's idea too."
THE END
Stay tuned for the reveal of the Mother's Day gift in Mari's story on Monday.
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