Mari's ANs - Sammy and Ilna, our baby is one! Definitely something to celebrate as I celebrate having you as my friends every single day.
REALMcRollers and Readers, thank you for loving Angie almost as much as we do! She says thank you for coming to her birthday party!
Sammy ANs-Mari & Ilna: What can I say? I'm enjoying this adventure every bit as much as I was on day one. Maybe more.
REAL Worlders-thanks for all the enthusiastic support. You guys are the best.
Ilna's ANs - Mari and Sammy, we did it! Another marathon in the bag. And as always, writing a story together was incredibly fun.
Readers and REAL McRollers - thank you for your amazing support during the marathon and with every REAL World story. We're thrilled at the love you show Angie, Joan, and all the REAL World characters.
For Life (A McRoll in the REAL World Story by Mari, Sammy, and Ilna)
"You just keep getting prettier every day." Lou Grover tickled Angie's tummy and she squealed with delight. "Thank heavens you favor your mother."
Steve grinned. "You won't get any argument from me."
Lou surveyed the deck and beach area. "This is a pretty impressive turnout for a first birthday party," he observed. "Your daughter is kind of a rock star. The governor is here, the chief of police, I think I even saw a couple of senators earlier."
"Leah and Lance are here for the whole day along with their kids but the others just stopped by because, well, let's face it, Angie is irresistible." Steve kissed her on the forehead. "They heard she was having a party and just had to pop in."
Lou raised his eyebrows. "And then tweet out pictures."
"Gracie showed me." Steve shook his head. "How crazy is that?"
"Like I said, your daughter is a rock star."
Steve looked around. "I understand I guess. They get to see Angie when she's at the office with Catherine and they've gotten attached to her. At least they all had the decency to clear the pictures with Catherine and me before they posted anything."
"And now they're all gone and it's pretty much just the regular crew." He glanced around with a smile at the familiar sight of gathered friends and family. Elizabeth, Joseph and Grandma Ang. Danny, Gabby Grace, Chin, Leilani, Kono and Adam. Kono was in an animated discussion with Jerry and Kamekona while Esther and Max looked on in amusement. Duke and his wife were there. Along with the Allens and Jess, who truly seemed like one of the family at this point. Mary, Aaron, Joan, and Deb, of course. Carrie and John leaned against the railing talking to the Kayama's who were laughing heartily. His own wife and kids were approaching with snacks and drinks in hand. "So I say let's get this party started."
As if on cue, Kamekona's catering truck pulled up and Flippa jumped out. "Food fit for the Little Kahuna's Big Day has arrived."
Within twenty minutes the food was arrayed on the counter of the outdoor kitchen and everyone was enjoying a menu personally chosen by the big man himself for his littlest fan.
After everyone had eaten their fill, Jacob and Joan began clamoring for Angie to open the large pile of gifts that had accumulated on one of the tables. Catherine got her situated in the middle of the deck so everyone could see and Grace volunteered to pass Catherine gifts for Angie to open. Joan sat with Catherine and the birthday girl after nodding at a reminder from Mary to let Angie open her own presents.
In no time at all Angie caught on to the idea that if she tore off the wrapping paper and pulled the tissue paper out of the bags there were presents within.
She also caught on quickly to the fact that the eyes of all her family and friends were focused on her. She may not have been able to fully understand the concept of being the center of attention but she certainly felt the energy of it.
As Grace passed Catherine another box Angie grabbed onto her mother's shoulder and stood up.
The energy shifted noticeably.
She plopped back down on the deck between her parents and proceeded to tear open a box containing assorted bath and pool toys from Grace. The accompanying gift bag held several bibs and a small t-shirt and short outfit from the zoo gift shop.
"One more," Grace said as she passed Catherine a slender package wrapped in gold paper with a red bow.
Catherine helped Angie lift the lid to reveal a picture taken at the zoo in a beautiful teakwood frame. "This is absolutely beautiful, Grace. Thank you!"
Steve looked at Danny. "You're not trying to sneak in even more gifts are you?"
"Absolutely not." Danny held up his hands. "This was all Grace. She has a job now and her own money."
"It's very generous of you, Gracie," Steve said with a grateful smile. "You didn't have to do this."
"I wanted to," Grace replied, beaming.
Over the next half hour Angie continued to come tantalizingly close to walking as she opened a red Radio Flyer push toy wagon from Joseph and Elizabeth along with several new outfits and a pile of books including This Little Trailblazer: A Girl Power Primer, Toes, Ears, and Nose, and You Are One.
"Let me guess," Catherine said. "There's a You Are Two, and a You Are Three …"
Elizabeth grinned, which was all the confirmation her daughter needed.
"This Little Trailblazer," Carrie said, giving the Rollinses a thumbs up. "Perfect choice."
"Look, Baby Angie," Joan said, holding the third book open and showing her how lifting the flaps on the illustrations revealed different body parts.
"Ahh eee!" Angie cried happily, slapping a hand on the board book pages.
Next came several stacking toys and a new, slightly larger Cubs shirt and cap from Grandma Ang. Angie clapped at the sight of the logo, which made her great-grandmother beam.
"That's my girl," she said. "We'll have you saying, 'Go Cubs Go,' in no time."
When she opened the zoo animals puzzle from the Allens, Angie grabbed immediately for the giraffe and grunted with frustration when she found it was still sealed in plastic. Catherine redirected her attention to the fact that there was something else in the bag and Angie was immediately fascinated by the colors of the eco friendly finger paints.
Carrie and John's package contained a tiny pair of cammies and a pair of summer whites which elicited a loud 'Awwwww' from Elizabeth and Catherine and broad grins from Steve and Joseph.
After opening the rest of the large pile of gifts that included lots of toys, clothes and books Angie came to a box marked 'From Aunt Mary, Uncle Aaron and Cousin Joanie.'
When the box was opened it revealed a picture of a full-size beach shack playhouse.
Mary grinned. "It'll be here next week."
"You guys didn't need to ... this is … wow, it has a snack bar." Steve shook his head as he studied the picture.
"Ahem. Do you remember the rock wall swing set in our back yard?" Mary reminded him with a wry look.
"I'll be happy to fly back for the weekend and help assemble it," Aaron offered, grinning.
Catherine smiled as she pointed out the surfboards and the drink station to Angie. "We may take you up on that."
"It'll grow with her," Mary said. "And we figured a beach shack kinda fit the theme around here."
"Do you like it, Baby Angie?" Joan asked.
Angie kicked her feet and flailed her arms. "Ahh eeee!"
"She loves it," Catherine replied.
The final gift was from Steve and Catherine. A lovely toy box with spindle sides painted in a pale shade of yellow.
Mary's hand flew to her mouth. "Are those …?" Her words caught in her throat.
Steve nodded. "Dad's spindles."
"John would be so in love with her," Deb said as she swiped at her eyes. "With both his granddaughters."
"We'll make sure Angie knows all about him," Catherine promised. "Just like Mary does with Joan."
Angie stood up and held onto the toy box as she walked around with it with a huge smile on her face.
"Do you love it, Angie?" Mary asked, holding out her arms.
Angie beamed at her aunt then plopped back down to the deck. "Eeeee aaah!"
"She is absolutely ready to walk," Elizabeth said with an exasperated sigh as she pointed across the deck. "Look at her. She's cruising around just barely hanging onto things with her fingertips. She's teasing us is what she's doing."
"She's one." Joseph chuckled. "I'm not sure she's capable of formulating a plan like that."
"She has her parents' brains," Elizabeth countered. "She's planning and she's waiting for just the right moment."
"I hope she has more of her mother's timing than her father's or she might not walk 'til she's ten," Danny snorted.
Angie looked over at her grandparents and smiled. She lifted her hand off the bench for a second then put it back. As if sensing her indecision Cammie appeared at her side. She grabbed her buddy's fur gently and she lead her across the deck to where Joseph, Danny and Elizabeth were sitting.
"There's my angel and her four-legged enabler." Elizabeth beamed as she lifted Angie into her lap.
The smiling baby immediately swiped a cracker from her grandmother's plate onto the deck. "Caa-eee."
"You might be right, Elizabeth." Danny nodded. "That move has Steve written all over it."
"Your cousin Angie is waving at you," Chin told Joan as he pointed to where Angie was sitting on Danny's lap before helping her with the lid of the cooler containing drinks for the younger kids, water and juice.
Joan lit up and nodded, enthusiastically returning the wave and calling, "I'll be right there, Baby Angie, I'm just getting a juice box!" She grabbed a grape flavored one and grinned. "I'm the big cousin, so I'm teaching her lots of stuff."
"I see." He closed the lid once her hands were out of the way. "You're very good at it," he complimented, encouraging her with a well practiced tone and ready smile.
"He should know." Kono had walked up beside Chin and grinned when he straightened and slung an arm over her shoulder.
Joan blinked up at them and tilted her head. "Know what?"
"About being a good big cousin," she explained. "He's the best," she stage whispered.
At Joan's look, she continued, "He's my big cousin," gesturing between them.
Chin nodded. "Just like you and Angie. I'm the big cousin and Auntie Kono is the little one."
When she made the connection, Joan laughed at the term being used for an adult. "You're the little cousin?"
"She is. And when she was just about Angie's age I was already babysitting. Of course, I was quite a few years older than you. There're more years between us than you and Angie. More like you and Grace."
Joan's head swivelled, her eyes searching the deck until they found Grace. "Grace!" she squealed. "Uncle Chin is Auntie Kono's big cousin!"
"That's right." Grace placed her iced tea on the nearby table and lifted Joan off her feet. "And cousins look out for each other like you're doing for Angie."
Joan practically swelled with pride at the compliment from one of her favorite people. "That's right, I'm Angie's big cousin like you're mine!" She looked between Chin and Kono who were grinning, arms still draped over each other's shoulders. "And you're Auntie Kono's."
"Exactly right, Chin said. "And do you know what?"
The blonde ponytail bobbed with the little girl's headshake.
"I still keep an eye on her."
"You do?"
Kono nodded with a soft smile. "Even when we're catching bad guys."
Jacob and Cody had overheard the end of the exchange as they approached for drinks, and the nine-year-old smiled up at his brother. "Just like you watch out for me, right, Cody?"
His brother smiled. "Right."
Chin tostled Jacob's sandy blonde hair and nodded. "And he always will." He winked at Kono who leaned in to kiss his cheek. "Even when you're a very capable adult who can take care of yourself. 'Cause that's what family does."
Grace had set Joan on her feet and the little girl beamed with joy. Turning to run towards Danny who was passing the birthday girl off to her father, she stopped just short the trio with a smile.
"Are you taking Baby Angie inside to change her diaper?" she asked.
"Yeah, do you wanna help?" Steve settled Angie on his hip and held a hand out for his niece.
She took it with a smile and said, "I'll help, 'cause I'm always gonna watch out for Baby Angie." Thinking a second, she was looking at the baby and didn't catch Steve and Danny's expressions when she added, "Even if we're grown up and catching all the bad guys."
Once they returned with a freshly diapered Angie, it was time for cake.
Catherine set the "1" shaped candle into the large sheet cake and took Angie from Elizabeth as Steve slid it closer to the edge of the table.
The cake that read HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANGIE in frosting was surrounded by several dozen of Kaitlyn's colorfully decorated cupcakes.
"Wait, wait, one for good luck," Danny added a smaller candle next to the big one. "Nonna tradition," he explained as Grace propped up and steadied the tablet that featured the woman herself on Skype.
"Count your candles," Grace said with a smile for her great grandmother.
"Count your years," Nonna added.
"Count your blessings," Steve and Catherine said together and exchanged a smile, repeating what Nonna had written in every birthday card she'd sent since she met them, as well as in the one that had arrived a few days earlier for Angie.
Catherine kissed the baby's head and settled the little birthday crown Jacob handed her on it. "Okay, light the candles quick, before she rips it off!" She laughed as Steve did the honors.
Gently holding Angie's hands so she wouldn't grab at the lit candles, Catherine leaned into his side as he took a seat next to her on the bench and everyone began to sing.
"... happy birthday dear Annnnngie, happy birrrrrrrthday to you!" The kids all cheered and the adults clapped while the birthday girl smiled and bounced in her mommy's lap.
"Ahh EEEEEEEEEEEE!"
"You have to blow the candles out, Angie," Jacob said as Joan demonstrated by puffing her cheeks. "Like this, Baby Angie!"
Catherine stood her up as she and Steve leaned in and helped their daughter blow. "YAY! Big girl!" She lifted Angie's arms up as another round of cheers filled the air.
Standing to place her in the highchair, Catherine caught her mom's eyes and smiled. Elizabeth was sitting next to Angie's chair on one side and Grandma Ang on the other. Seeing that her mother and grandma had joined hands during the singing, she beamed at both before looking up at her dad. Joseph stood behind his wife, both hands on her shoulders. She knew their expressions mirrored her own and she beamed.
"Mamamamamamama!" Angie pointed to the cake and the moment was broken with joyous laughter.
"That's 'hurry, up, Mommy, I know that cake is for me!' " Danny teased as Steve secured the baby in the chair.
Taking a vanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting and placing it on the tray in front of the wide-eyed baby, Steve ran a hand over his daughter's hair and grinned. "Have at it, baby girl."
"Ahh baa baa Dada!" she said and grabbed the cupcake with both hands and brought her frosting and cake covered fingers to her mouth. "Oooooh," she murmured around the tasty treat while looking between her parents, who were kneeling on either side of her chair as videos, phones and cameras captured the moment. "Mama, oooh." She held both hands up for her to see and Catherine laughed at the pure delight on the little face.
"Is that good, sweetie?"
"Hmmmm EEEE Mama." Angie grinned before scraping more frosting off her fingers with her two bottom teeth. Reaching for Steve with one hand, she said, "Dada ah ma" and left a chocolate palm print on his jaw.
"She has your table manners," Danny snorted at his partner as Steve shrugged and used a napkin to wipe at the frosting, a huge smile lighting his face.
Angie continued to consume the cupcake until she was patting at a few small bits left on her tray and wearing frosting around her mouth, on her forehead and in her hair.
"Okay, baby girl, let's clean you up." Catherine used a wipe, to a squawk of protest and lifted her un-chocolated baby into her lap as Steve removed the tray.
Cody reached out, saying, "I'll rinse it off," and Steve passed it to him with a nod of thanks.
"Was I that messy?" Jacob asked from his seat across the table where he was sampling a piece of the cake after consuming a chocolate cupcake with red frosting.
"Was?" his brother teased gently with a laugh.
Jenna smiled. "On your second birthday you ate your ice cream cake and then dove into your brother's." She gestured at Cody who had returned to snap the tray back onto the high chair after washing it at the outdoor sink.
"Ooops, sorry, Cody." Jacob smiled.
"No problem, I got plenty." His brother squeezed his shoulder. "Ya know…" He pretended to ponder… "Dessert was the one thing you guys never asked me to finish …"
Jacob nodded. "I'd finish everyone's dessert if they didn't want 'em." He looked at Kaitlyn. "These are awesome."
His sister beamed as others chimed in with accolades. "Thanks! I'm really happy Angie liked hers."
Danny placed an arm around the family baker and gave her a hug. "I say she more than liked it." He nodded at where the baby was sitting on Elizabeth's lap and nibbling on a piece of chocolate cupcake held by her grandfather. Turning them both to stand behind Joseph so they could see Nonna on the tablet, he said, "Kaitlyn's getting better every day, Nonna, wait 'til you taste some of her new creations."
"I'm looking forward to my package," Nonna said with a bright smile. "I'll call you on the Skype when I get it." She blew kisses. "For now, I'm going to say, buon compleanno bambina!"
"That's happy birthday, baby girl," Grace translated a phrase she'd heard from Nonna many times.
Grandma Ang waved Angie's hand at the tablet as everyone said, "Good night, Nonna!"
Both great-grandma's shared a smile when before the familiar face on the screen said, "Bye, bye." Angie looked directly at the tablet and waved with a bright, happy smile.
The group had settled into spots on the deck holding various conversations and enjoying the familiar company. Angie cruised around, holding onto benches and various people's legs for support. Joan was never far behind. They reached Steve and Catherine who were talking with Mary and Aaron when Jacob suddenly jumped up, motioning to his siblings.
"Let's go down to the beach and throw the ball with Cammie!" he suggested. He looked at Steve and Catherine. "Can we?"
Steve nodded. "Sure, go for it."
Beside him, Catherine smiled. "She'd love that."
"Do you want to come, Joan?" Jacob asked, looking at the younger girl as Dylan, Casey, Kaitlyn, and Grace headed for the beach with Cammie.
Joan beamed, her excitement at being included in the older kids' plan the only thing that could tear her from Angie's side. She looked at Mary and Aaron. "Can I go with them and play with Cammie, Mama?"
"Sure, peanut," Mary said. "Have fun."
"I can come!" Joan yelled, jumping up from her seat to run after the others.
Angie, one hand on Steve's leg, squealed and started after her, releasing her grip on Steve and taking a full three steps before falling forward and catching herself with both hands on the deck.
Steve bolted upright in his seat. "Hey, she just–"
Angie pushed herself back up unsteadily and started forward again. "Ah eee!"
"Angie, you're walking!" Steve exclaimed.
She fell forward again, catching herself, and this time dropped to the ground and swiveled toward Steve who had gotten up and squatted in front of her, Catherine barely a second later.
"She did!" Carrie said. "I saw her!"
"Her first steps!" Elizabeth cried happily, her exclamation echoed by others around the deck.
"You did it, big girl!" Catherine said, her smile wide. She reached for Angie's hands and helped her stand, then let go, sitting back on her heels and holding her hands out. "Can you come here? Come to Mommy and Daddy, sweetheart."
"Come on, Angie," Steve said, his hands out as well. "Come here."
Around them, everyone had stood to move closer, an excited buzz filling the air. The kids had even returned from their run to the beach at the commotion on the deck, Cammie nosing between them to see what was happening.
Joan gasped. "Baby Angie's going to walk!"
"You can do it, Angie!" Jacob cried.
"Come on, Angie!" Grace said, pressing her hands together in anticipation.
Angie, feeding off the excitement of everyone around her, bubbled with laughter, which made her even more unsteady. "Eee yah!" She clapped and took a few wobbly steps toward her parents, falling into Steve's waiting arms. He laughed brightly, lifting her up above his head and bringing her down to kiss her cheek as Catherine leaned over to do the same.
"That's our big girl!" Catherine said as everyone clapped and cheered.
Steve kissed her again. "You did it!"
"She did it! She did it!" Joan cried, jumping up and down.
Steve looked over at his niece, turning Angie to face her. "It was you, Joanie," he said. "Angie wanted to follow you and that's why she finally took her first steps."
Joan gaped, her eyes opening wide. "She did?"
Angie clapped, laughing happily, and reached out for her cousin.
Steve set her up on her feet. "Go on, Angie," he said. "Walk over to Joanie."
"Noni!" Angie said, taking one step toward her and then another.
Catherine gasped. "That was 'Joanie'! I think she's saying 'Joanie'!"
Angie started to fall forward again and this time Joan was there catching her, Angie's momentum taking them both down to the deck, laughing together.
"Noni!" Angie said again, patting her cheek through their tangle of limbs.
"That's me!" Joan squealed. "You're saying my name!" She looked around excitedly. "Baby Angie said my name!"
"We heard, peanut," Mary said, smiling broadly. "That's fantastic!"
"I'll help you, Baby Angie," Joan said, shifting to her knees to help Angie. She looked over to where Chin and Kono stood and smiled. " 'Cause that's what big cousins do."
Angie clapped, laughing happily, but Joan's smile dropped and her brow creased in thought.
"What is it, pumpkin?" Aaron said, spotting the shift in her mood immediately.
Joan looked over at him and Mary, then at Steve and Catherine, and finally back to Angie. "Baby Angie … she said my name … and she says 'Mama' and 'Dada' and 'Cammie' …"
"And let's not forget 'Danno,' " Danny called out.
"And just plain 'No,'" Joseph put in with a wry smile.
"And she can hold her own bottle and she uses a spoon, kind of, and now she can walk …" Joan continued. Her voice trailed off as she tried to find the words for what was in her thoughts.
"That's all part of growing up, peanut," Mary said, coming over to kneel by her daughter and run a reassuring hand over her hair. "You did all those things, too, when you were Baby Angie's age."
"She's not a baby anymore," Joan said, looking up at her mother and voicing her realization. "She's not Baby Angie anymore."
"Okay," Mary said, not quite sure what Joan was struggling with. "What are you–"
"What am I going to call her now?" Joan finally asked. "I liked calling her 'Baby Angie.' It was a special name. Like Uncle Steve calls me 'Joanie.' Special. I wanted to call Baby Angie a special name, too."
Catherine and Steve shifted over as well. "That was a special name," Steve said. "It made me smile every time I heard you say it."
"And I know you will come up with another special name," Catherine said. "One that will last your whole lives together."
Joan looked at Angie who seemed to be following the conversation, her eyes going to whoever was speaking even as she sucked on two of her fingers. When she saw Joan looking at her, she smiled and clapped, leaning toward her older cousin.
Over Steve and Catherine's heads, Joan spotted Chin and Kono again. They seemed to know what she was thinking and smiled at her, nodding.
A smile spread slowly across Joan's face and she reached over for one of Angie's hands. "From now on, I'm going to call you 'Cousin Angie,' " she pronounced. "And that's even better than 'Baby Angie' because you're not a baby anymore, but you'll be my cousin forever."
A chorus of "awws" rang out at that.
"Man, I think I got some sand in my eye," Carrie said, wiping away a tear.
Elizabeth did the same. "That was so sweet."
"Is that okay?" Joan asked, looking up at Steve and Catherine.
"I think it's more than okay, Joanie," Steve said.
"Noni," Angie said, flapping their joined hands up and down and beaming happily.
Catherine smiled. "And Angie definitely thinks so."
Joan smiled brightly, climbing to her feet. "Then come on, Cousin Angie!" She helped Angie stand and moved a few steps backward, guiding her, before releasing her hands to let her walk on her own. "Let's show them how we do it."
And so ends another REAL World Marathon! We'll be back to our regular Monday, Wednesday, Friday posts this week.
Books:
You Are One, by Sara O'Leary, illustrated by Karen Klassen (Owlkids, 2016)
This Little Trailblazer: A Girl Power Primer, by Joan Holub, illustrated by Daniel Roode (Little Simon, 2017)
Toes, Ears, and Nose, by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Karen Katz (Little Simon 2015)
Find all our stories (in chronological order!) on our website: marirealmcroll dot wixsite dot com backslash real-mcroll
Or in the McRoll in the REAL World community here on fanfiction dot net
Find us on Tumblr: mcrollintherealworld dot tumblr dot com
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