Sammy & Ilna - I'm counting the days! So excited to be here with two of the most incredible friends anyone could ask for.
REALMcRollers - thanks as always for the love and support. Niblet can't wait to meet you all!
Wait and See
Danny Williams sat down at the kitchen table with a pad and pen. Grace had long since gone to bed after chatting with Catherine about more baby items and reiterating for the thousandth time how she'd be happy to sleep over to help.
He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. He thought about the last time he'd composed a letter like the one he was about to write. He'd done it for each of his sibling's kids but
most recently was to Grace right before she was born. It seemed like yesterday and now his baby was old enough to take care of Steve's baby. How the hell did that happen so fast? He thought of the first time he'd told the then eight-year-old, 'Danno has a new partner,' and she'd asked, 'Is he nice?'
Danny chuckled and took a sip of coffee. Not long afterwards, Grace was asking when they could visit the beach house again to spend time with Uncle Steve. Not much after that she'd bonded with Catherine and he was happy to see the impact of once again having 'family' nearby was having on Grace. She was enjoying the time they spent with the partner who was fast becoming his best friend and his beautiful, brilliant girlfriend who had the innate ability to make the place Danny absolutely had no desire to be living feel a tiny bit more like home. The fact that they both seemed to love his daughter and enjoyed spoiling her on special occasions was icing on the proverbial cake.
Tapping the pen a few times before he began, he murmured, "my turn, partner," and began to write.
Hi little girl,
Just like everyone else, I'm pretty excited to meet you. I'm also happy you're a girl. I wanted your cousin Grace to be a girl. I'm not sure why, I just knew I wanted a daughter - and after all the years of your father calling me over protective (which is completely pot/kettle, by the way) I cannot wait to see that shoe, or combat boot in his case, on the other foot. And if I get to relive some of the wonderful things Grace went through, and watch my best friends experience the joy and wonder of having a little girl of their own, well, that's all the better. For the record, Uncle Danno plans to spoil you a little. Probably more than a little.
Speaking of that, the name thing, I used to hate when anyone but Grace called me Danno. So of course, when we met, your father did it all the time. But I love hearing it from Grace, so I'm very happy to be your Uncle Danno.
Listen, hon, I love your dad and he is absolutely my brother, but he's been driving me crazy since the minute we met when he hijacked my case and my career and I thought he was a total maniac. He's still a maniac, of course, and even long after he became my best friend, busting him remains one of the great pleasures in my life. And that goes both ways, as you'll undoubtedly discover. That said, you couldn't ask for a better father. There is no one I'd trust your cousin Grace's life to more, and as you'll know, she's my life, so that's … everything.
I also know - beyond a shadow of a doubt - he'd lay down his life for me and I'd do the same. I promise you, I will always have his back. On and off the job, forever. I'll do everything in my power to make sure he always comes home safe and sound to you and your mommy.
Now, since he's my brother I need to ask you to do Uncle Danno a favor - and don't tell him I said this - but take it easy on your father when you're a teenager. Grace is fifteen as I write this letter, so I'm speaking from experience. By the time you read this, the about-to-be-a-brand-new daddy who literally memorized the what to expect from pregnancy book I gave him like it was a mission manual, will be an experienced, overprotective, 'get away from my daughter, I'm a SEAL and I command a task force' dad. I also know he'll do anything and everything to keep you safe, forever. Trust me on that, just wait and see."
He didn't have the easiest time growing up, your dad, and that's not my story to tell, but I can tell you what I know to be the absolute truth. He's so, so excited and happy to be your father, it's a beautiful thing to see. He wasn't always happy when I met him. He'd been through a lot in his life at that point and then he got hit with a ton of very bad stuff in a pretty short period of time. And your mom was deployed back then so he didn't have her with him every day. I learned pretty quickly when after I met her, that he really - I don't know how else to say this except, he "came to life" when she was here with him. I used to tease him about having a goofy smile that lasted all day if she texted or called from overseas, but it was absolutely true. And then his whole demeanor would change to the point I could tell when she was in town before he told me - just from the look on his face and his body language. She and your dad are absolutely two halves of one soul, as Nonna would say. I've never seen two people who are more of a perfectly matched set.
Speaking of your mom, of course you know she's an amazing intelligence officer, investigator, and chief of staff to our governor, but she's an even better friend. I've seen her go to the wire for who and what she believes in many times over the years and she's always 100% committed to whatever she undertakes.
Catherine Rollins is a lot of things, but I've never seen anyone as happy about anything as she was to marry your daddy and I've never known her to be as excited and ready for anything than she is to be your mom.
She's been an incredible aunt to Grace from the minute they met and I have no doubt the three of you will completely overwhelm me and your father when you join forces on anything. I'm actually looking forward to the first time you beat him at a game, because if you inherit even a fraction of your parents' competitive streaks, you, little lady, are going to be a force to behold.
I can't wait to teach you things like where to find the best Italian food on the island, how 'down the shore' is different from 'at the beach' and other Jersey-speak, that la famiglia is more than just an east-coast saying, it's a way of life, and maybe instill enough of a love for Springsteen and Bon Jovi to drive your daddy crazy.
Like I said, I bust your father every day and vice versa. It's what we do, but there's no one I'd rather stand with in any situation. I look forward to watching you grow into the brilliant, strong, brave person I know you'll be. Just like I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, your parents would do anything for you. And you're not even here yet.
You have a whole lot of people waiting to meet you, little girl, and I'll be there at the head of the line. Well, maybe right behind your cousin Grace.
Welcome to la famiglia, sweetheart.
Love, Uncle Danno
With a small grin, Danny tore off the two sheets of paper and folded them together, placing them in an envelope. He was about to stand when his phone rang. Seeing his partner's name, he answered, "Hey, we catch a case?"
"Hey, no. Listen, Catherine's asleep and I need your experienced input on a scenario. I was thinking maybe we should get a few of the car seats with the anti-rebound bar at the foot of the seat. I mean, we can put one in the car, one in the truck and the third can go with whoever is babysitting or whatever. That way we don't have to move the original seats and I know the baby's in a car seat that meets my safety standards."
Danny held back a chuckle. "You want to buy three car seats?"
"I'm thinking in the beginning when she's right out of the hospital, we won't have to deal with moving and then checking the seat if we're going to leave her with you or Carrie or Jenna." Steve was in mission mode. "According to my research, a car seat takes some serious force to install. My book and the national safety website said installations are easier when done with two people. Listen to this," he read aloud, " 'the overwhelming majority of car seats are mis-installed, says Ben Hoffman, M.D., an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, and a certified child passenger safety technician and instructor.' That's serious shit, Danny. Well-meaning people are driving around with badly installed car seats. That's why I'm thinking we get multiples. This safety guideline says once they're installed correctly, it's best not to keep moving them…"
Danny listened as his partner went on about safety features and nodded his head. He clearly remembered having Grace's car seats checked by an expert - a service provided by many hospitals.
Steve's "So?" made him smirk. "Danny? You there? What do you think, solid plan?"
"And you mocked me." He delighted in teasing his best friend. "I can't wait till she rides her first little tricycle. You'll be researching helmets for days."
"Yeah, well…"
Danny snorted a laugh. "You already did! That's freakin' perfect," he teased, then his voice sobered when he added, "seriously, though, you know what? I totally get it, buy the seats. Nobody's kid will be safer."
"Not if I can help it." Steve's voice was earnest, but his partner heard his smile. "Hey, Danny? Thanks."
"Anytime. I told you, at your disposal. " He was still holding the envelope when they ended the call. Looking at the parcel in his hand he smiled broadly. "See what I mean, sweetheart? He's only just getting started, just wait and see."
# End. Thanks for reading.
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