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.
Counting the Days (1/1)
"Happy Foddews Day, Aawon!" Joan squealed excitedly as she preceded Mary into the master bedroom. "Su-pwise!"
"We made you breakfast," Mary smiled.
Joan scrambled up onto the bed. "I was a big hewp."
"I'm sure you were." Aaron tickled her as he pulled himself into a sitting position and leaned back against the headboard. "I wasn't … I mean it's not official yet … I wasn't expecting … "
Mary placed the tray carrying toaster waffles, bacon, coffee and fruit on the nightstand and sat down on the edge of the bed. "We don't need paperwork to confirm what's been true for a long time now." She smiled softly. "You're Joan's father. In fact, Joan and I have been talking… "
"Oh really?" Aaron looked between his future wife and the little girl he'd loved since the day he met her. "About what?"
Mary smiled. "We don't want to wait for the final court date. Joan would like to change her name for you right now."
A lump formed in Aaron's throat.
This was a moment he'd dreamt about.
His eyes locked with Mary's.
"If it's ok with you," she said.
His words came out barely above a whisper. "It's more than ok."
As if sensing the enormity of the moment Joan crawled onto Aaron's lap and grabbed her mother's hand.
"What name would you like to call Aaron from now on." Mary prompted her daughter.
Joan turned to him with a wide toothy grin. "Daddy!" she squealed.
Aaron beamed, his eyes damp with emotion. "I think that's just about the best name I've ever been called."
Joan wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. "I wuv you."
"I love you too." Aaron pulled back and met Joan's eyes. "I really, really love you." His gaze moved to Mary. "And mommy too."
Mary swiped at the tears running down her cheeks. "We better give daddy his breakfast before it gets cold."
Joan scooted to the side so Mary could place the tray on Aaron's lap.
"Do you wanna help me eat?" Aaron asked Joan.
She nodded happily as she snagged two pieces of bacon from the tray, one for each hand, and grinned. "Ok."
"I made extra," Mary chuckled. "I'll go get you a couple more pieces."
"That's ok." Aaron's smile lit up his entire face. "She can have them." He looked at the tray then back at Mary. "There are two more pieces. I'll be happy to share with you too."
"It's perfect honey but you really didn't need to get me something so extravagant." Bill Stagler held his phone between his shoulder and ear as he carefully examined the Osprey hiking backpack that arrived in a brightly wrapped package postmarked Hawaii a few days earlier.
Carrie smiled at the excitement in her father's voice. "I wanted to. Mom said you're thinking of joining an adventure hiking group so I thought this would be perfect."
"It definitely is." He slid his hand across the pack's sleek blue surface. "I can't wait to try it out. I'll send you some pictures."
"I'm counting on it." Carrie smiled. "Nicole said you've been taking Connor to a Baby Adventurer class."
"It's the greatest thing," Bill replied enthusiastically. "It's all about introducing them to nature and stimulating not only their physical senses but their sense of wonder. I think Connor really enjoys it."
"Nicole said Mom calls him your adventure buddy."
Bill chuckled. "That's probably pretty accurate. But you have to start young instilling a love of nature."
Carrie nodded, remembering her own youthful excursions with her father. "You're right about that."
"Speaking of grandchildren … I talked to Joseph yesterday and he's practically ready to burst with excitement."
"It's getting close," Carrie bubbled. "Every time I get a phone call or text from Cath or Steve my heart starts to beat faster. I mean … I know it's still two weeks until her due date but considering who her parents are this kid could just decide it's time to get the show on the road any minute."
"Has Catherine started her leave from work yet?" Bill asked.
"Not yet. They're in the middle of trying to finalize funding for the governor's new education initiative and Cath is determined to get it done before Niblet arrives," she explained.
"How's Steve feel about that?"
"Actually, he's fine with it." Carrie would never admit it to Steve but she'd been impressed with the way he kept the mother henning to a minimum during Cath's pregnancy. "He said that if she's at work he knows the people around her will make sure she's resting as needed, and he can drop over and check on her several times a day. He thinks if she was home she might get bored and decide to take down the drapes and wash them."
"He might be right," Bill snorted. "Catherine is definitely not the type to sit around waiting for something to happen. Wait … hold on … your mother has a question. Oh … she wants to make sure the gift we sent for the baby shower arrived safely."
"It's right here," Carrie assured him.
"I'm gonna put you on speaker for a minute. Your mom has something she wants to tell you." Bill tapped the button and held the phone between himself and his wife.
"Honey, I know Catherine said they didn't need any gifts but we couldn't resist," Kathie said unapologetically. "We donated to Every Mother Counts but we bought her something else too. I hope that's ok."
Carrie smiled. "Don't worry about it, Mom. You're not the only one. It seems like very few people have been able to abide by the 'no gifts' request."
"I'm glad it's not just me," Kathie chuckled. "Make sure you send me some pictures from the shower."
"I'll facetime you so you can see Cath open your present."
Kathie rubbed her hands together gleefully. "I can't wait."
"Happy Special Sunday!" the Allen kids chorused as they entered Jenna's bedroom carrying a tray loaded down with cheesy scrambled eggs, toast, coffee, fruit and muffins.
They'd decided as a group that instead of thinking about their absentee father on this day set aside to celebrate dads they'd pamper their mother who'd been forced to take on the role of single parent and had done so without ever complaining.
No matter how tough times got.
She never bad-mouthed Jason to them and never for one second made them think she regretted the path her life had taken.
After considering and discarding several options they'd settled on calling the day Special Sunday though Jacob held out for Minion Sunday until the bitter end before finally agreeing to go along with his siblings.
"What's this?" Jenna looked at them with genuine astonishment. It was rare her children were able to pull off an actual surprise. Usually she either overheard their loud planning sessions or one of the younger kids accidentally spilled the beans.
"We decided it's only fair that since you do the work of two parents you get to celebrate both days," Casey explained. "So we renamed today Special Sunday and we promise you won't have to lift a finger all day."
"Really?" Jenna's shock quickly turned to delight. "This is amazing. You guys are the best kids ever!"
"We moved the hammock in the backyard under the big tree so you can lay there all day and just read or listen to music … whatever you want," Dylan reported proudly.
"And I set up the sprinkler so if you get too hot you can just yell for me and I'll turn it on so you can cool off," Jacob beamed.
"I made cupcakes." Kaitlyn chimed in next. "But also, me and Casey will give you a manicure and pedicure if you want."
"I'd love that," Jenna smiled sincerely. "What a treat."
"Once you eat we're gonna clean up the breakfast dishes and then we're going to do the Sunday cleaning all by ourselves. I'll do the laundry too," Cody said. "Then later we're gonna make dinner. Whatever you want."
"I hope it's spaghetti," Jacob grinned.
"I just can't tell you how much this means to me." Jenna's eye sparkled with happiness. "I love you all so much."
"We love you too, mom," they chorused.
"Did you guys make food for yourselves too?" Jenna asked.
"It's in the kitchen," Cody nodded.
"Well why don't you go grab it and we can all pile in here to eat." Jenna smiled broadly. "I can't think of a way I'd rather start Special Sunday."
"I didn't think we were gonna see you today," Joseph said as he opened the condo door to reveal his very pregnant daughter. "Is Steve not with you?"
"No. He and Danny were out wrapping up their murder case until almost 4:00 A.M. so he's sleeping in a little."
They made their way to the back porch where Elizabeth and Grandma Ang sat drinking coffee and finishing up their breakfast. Joseph offered his arm and helped Catherine lower herself into one of the patio chairs.
Elizabeth smiled. "This is a nice surprise. Did I hear you tell your father Steve closed his case?"
Catherine nodded. "After almost seventy-two straight hours of work. They tracked the suspect to the docks and managed to get him in custody just before the cargo ship he was planning to stow away on set sail."
"Well, I'm glad they caught him," Elizabeth said. "Men like that need to be taken off the streets. Do you want some breakfast?"
"No thanks." Catherine waved her off. "I already ate."
"I knew Steve and the team would get him," Grandma Ang said confidently.
Catherine reached into her purse and extracted an envelope which she passed to Joseph. "Happy Father's Day."
"You didn't need to get me anything," Joseph said sincerely. "I told you that."
"You did." Catherine agreed. "However, I also told you guys no presents for the baby shower on Friday but there are a suspicious number of bags on the bed in the spare room."
Elizabeth and Joseph shared a glance.
"It's just a few things," he said as he tried desperately to school his features.
"You can't even say that with a straight face," Catherine laughed. "No more shopping this week."
"We make no promises." Joseph sat up straight and held his head high. "Grandparents' prerogative."
"Well then, daughter's prerogative." Catherine pointed to the envelope.
Joseph slid his finger under flap. "I feel like a presenter on some awards show," he teased as he removed a brochure and two tickets to a gourmet sunset dinner cruise."
"Catherine, this is too much."
"You've all been doing so much for us since you got here." Catherine smiled softly. "And I'm sure you'll be doing even more once Niblet arrives. I wanted you to have a nice quiet dinner and get a chance to relax. Think of it as the calm before the storm. You sail on Tuesday night."
Joseph passed the brochure to Elizabeth.
"This looks fantastic," she said as she scanned the info.
"I would have gotten you a ticket too," she said to Grandma Ang, "but I know how you feel about eating on the water."
Grandma Ang nodded with a chuckle.
"You can come over and hang with me and Steve that night," Catherine offered.
"I would love that," Ang grinned. "Maybe we can play Rummikub."
Catherine nodded. "It's a date."
Danny was just emerging from the bathroom, towel drying his hair after a shower, as Grace let herself in the front door with her key.
When it became clear the team's latest case was going to be an around the clock thing she'd gone to spend a few days at her mother's house.
"Perfect timing," he smiled.
"How are you feeling? Did you get enough sleep?" Grace asked excitedly.
"I won't know for sure until after I have my coffee," Danny teased.
"I can make it for you." Grace put her overnight bag down and headed for the kitchen. "I can make you breakfast too."
"I'm definitely not gonna turn down an offer like that," Danny chuckled.
He followed her into the kitchen where she spontaneously turned around and wrapped him in a tight hug. "Happy Father's Day," she bubbled.
"Thank you." His eyes sparkled. "I thought maybe you forgot."
"Never," she gasped animatedly as she placed her hand over her heart. "I promise."
She opened the refrigerator and surveyed the contents. "What would you like? An omelette, pancakes, eggs?"
"Whatever you feel like making," he said agreeably.
Grace knit her eyebrows together. "Hmmmmmm."
She seemed to be pondering longer than she normally did in situations like this.
"Is there some problem?" Danny asked.
"I'll be right back," Grace darted from the room. She returned a few seconds later with a small package wrapped in Father's Day paper and placed it on the island in front of Danny.
He smiled at her. "Should I open it now?"
She nodded eagerly. "It might make a difference on what you want for breakfast."
Danny was intrigued by her words and began carefully tearing the paper off the gift.
"Tickets," he said as he pulled the lid off the box. A smile lit his face as he realized what they were for. "To the Twilight Dive 'n Movie at Wet 'n Wild."
"We've talked about going so many times," Grace squealed.
"Yes, we have," Danny replied happily, every bit as excited as Grace.
"I booked us a private cabana. The man told me we'll be able to see the movie from there. I used my own money too, Mom didn't have to help," Grace said proudly.
"I love this!" Danny hugged his daughter tightly.
"I know you love the burgers at the Windjammer cafe. And the ice cream from that place by the big slide. So I'm not sure how much breakfast we should eat."
Danny looked at the tickets and saw they included a full day in the park as well as the movie. "What time did you want to go?" he asked.
He knew Grace loved the various rides.
"Whenever you want," she answered.
"How about we get ready and go now and we'll pick up a breakfast sandwich on the way," he suggested.
Grace looked at her phone. "Really? It's only 10:00." She was practically bouncing with excitement. "We'd be there right when the park opens."
"Let's do it!" Danny clapped his hands together.
"Are you sure?" Grace looked skeptical. "I know water parks aren't your favorite place. We can just go for the movie and dinner later on if you want. This is your day. You should do what you think is fun."
Danny wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "Spending the whole day with you, monkey, and watching you enjoy yourself, that is my definition of fun."
"I didn't even hear you sneak out," Steve smiled from his seat on the couch when Catherine came through the front door.
"That tells you how sound you were sleeping then," Catherine snorted. "I can't sneak anywhere these days. I left you a note on the kitchen island."
"I saw it," Steve responded. "How are your folks and Grandma Ang?"
"Good." Catherine smiled. "They were finishing up breakfast on the back porch when I got there. That place gets a great breeze."
Steve reached out his arm and she used it to help lower herself into her seat. She'd given up sitting on the couch when she was home alone but it felt good to sink into the softness knowing Steve was there to help her up. "Did your dad like the idea of a dinner cruise?" he asked as he kissed her softly on the temple.
"He loved it, she said. "Grandma Ang is gonna come over here on Tuesday night while they're out and spend some time with us."
"Sounds good."
Catherine waggled her eyebrows. "She wants to play Rummikub."
Steve sighed good naturedly. "I'll start now preparing myself to finish last all night."
She grinned. "That's probably best."
After a few minutes of relaxing silence he spoke again. "What's on the schedule for today or are we just playing it by ear?"
"Mostly just playing it by ear I think," Catherine sighed contentedly. "Oh wait … " she sat up. "There is one thing … " she began to struggle to her feet.
"What do you need?" Steve placed a hand softly on her shoulder. "I'll get it for you."
"There's a gift bag on the desk in the den," she said.
"What kind of a gift bag?" he asked suspiciously.
"Something Niblet insisted on," Catherine said guilelessly. "You'll have to ask her."
Steve kissed her cheek then headed to the den and returned with a brightly colored Father's Day gift bag. "Niblet insisted on this you say?"
"She shows early signs of having good taste," Catherine grinned.
"Very similar to her mommy's," Steve chuckled.
"Open it," Catherine encouraged him, "before I need you to haul me off this couch so I can make a bathroom run.
"There's a card." Steve smiled as he read. "Happy Father's Day. I can't wait to meet you. Hopefully this will help hold you over. Love, Niblet."
"I wonder what it is," Catherine teased.
Steve pushed aside the sunny yellow tissue paper and pulled out a koa wood collage picture frame. Two pictures were already in place. His grandfather with Deb and his father with Mary. "How did you …" his voice was full of amazement.
"Mary over-nighted me the picture," Catherine responded softly.
"This is perfect," he said sincerely.
He hugged her tightly and held on for a few extra minutes. When they finally separated his eyes were drawn back to the pictures.
"It won't be long now until we can add the third picture," she sighed happily..
His eyes sparkled. "I'm counting the days."
THE END
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