Notes: Mari and Sammy - you continue to be the best! Huge thanks to SuperSammy for the help on this one. You rock!
Readers and REAL McRollers - Thank you for your amazing support! It is always appreciated.
Hope you enjoy!
Grains of Love (A McRoll in the REAL World Story by Ilna and Sammy)
"Okay, I'm a little nervous about this," Grace admitted as she put a disc into the DVD player and straightened.
"You've been pretty secretive about whatever this is, but I'm sure it's great," Steve said, draping an arm behind Catherine's shoulders on the back of the sofa in the living room. Grace had insisted that the two of them sit there with the best view of the television for the reveal of her anniversary present.
"It is," Danny said without hesitation. The pride was clear in his voice as he continued, "She's worked really hard putting it together."
"I can't wait to see it, honey," Catherine said, smiling encouragingly at Grace.
"Moo-vie!" Angie said, standing in the middle of the floor and pointing to the television.
"It is kind of a movie," Grace said, smiling at her. She took a seat in a chair off to the side so she could watch Steve and Catherine's reactions to her gift. Taking a deep breath, she used the remote to switch the input over to the DVD player. A title screen appeared with a heart and overlapping anchor, along with the words Steve McGarrett and Catherine Rollins, April 30, 2016.
"Ohh, is it a slideshow of pictures from the wedding?" Catherine guessed.
"Not exactly," Grace said, pressing play.
The screen cut to a video, clearly from a cell phone, of dozens of Monarch butterflies fluttering into the sky.
"Ooooooh," Angie said, stepping closer to the screen and pointing. "See ahh ayy."
"The butterflies," Catherine said with a little gasp. "Where did you ...?"
Before she could finish her question, the video cut to another angle with two young boys laughing and running in circles around each other in the foreground as they pointed to the butterflies in the air.
"That's Caleb and Henry," Catherine said, referring to her cousin Laura's sons.
"I know you have a video of the actual ceremony that the Ko Olina provided, so I thought it would be nice if you had something similar for the reception," Grace explained. "Danno, Carrie, Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Joseph helped me contact people and see if they had any videos of the day. Then I put them all together."
"What a fantastic idea." Catherine was transfixed as the images on the screen changed
to the wedding party posing for photos.
"Noni!" Angie squealed excitedly. "Puh-po!"
"You're right." Danny chuckled as he scooped Angie up and tickled her. "Joan was an explosion of purple that day."
"Mama. Dada." Angie looked excitedly between the images on the screen and her
parents on the couch. She didn't understand exactly what was going on but it didn't lessen her delight at all.
The video cut again and Angie squirmed off Danny's lap and ran to the screen. "Apa! Gwace! Dannnnno!"
"This is really amazing Gracie!" Steve smiled broadly. "Looking at the pictures is great. We actually do that pretty often. But with the videos it's … " His words faded as he caught sight of Catherine on the screen, head thrown back in laughter, every inch the happy bride.
"It's like we're actually there again." Catherine completed his sentence as she laid her head on his shoulder.
"And it's just as romantic as the first time," Grace said in the same dreamy tone she took on whenever she talked about the day.
When the scene switched to Steve and Catherine's arrival into the reception space Angie froze. She stared at the screen for a second then turned and ran towards the coffee table. She pushed over the small pile of books Steve had been reading to her earlier, pulled out one and ran to Danny. She scrambled into his lap and opened the book, pushing through the pages until she found the one she wanted. "'Ook Dan-no." She pointed to the screen and then to the page.
Danny kissed her cheek. "I see that. Your mommy and daddy look just like the prince and princess in your book."
"They sure do," Grace agreed.
A sarcastic comment died on Danny's lips as the scene changed once again, this time to Grace, smiling, beautiful, and totally composed, greeting guests and helping them find their tables. So grown up. So thrilled to be helping two of her favorite people on their special day.
After a few minutes the scene changed again eliciting a strong reaction from the youngest person in the room.
"COOKIES!" Angie cried, jumping off Danny's lap and pointing with both hands.
Grace grinned. "I knew that would be your favorite part of the video, Angie."
"If I didn't know better I'd think Jacob took this one," Catherine chuckled as they watched a painstaking closeup video of every inch of Nonna's cookie table.
"Actually Boris gave me this one." Grace smiled. "One of the guys who works in the kitchen took it. He still says he's never seen anything like it."
Angie stepped closer to the television, reaching up as if she could grab one of the knot cookies. Her squeal became even more pronounced when the camera panned up to show Nonna smiling proudly beside her creation.
"Nonna!" she cried, looking over her shoulder briefly to smile at the others in the room before turning her attention back to the screen.
As the video moved through Steve and Catherine's first dance, his dance with Elizabeth, Catherine's dance with Joseph, Grace's dances with both Steve and Danny, Angie held her arms up and swayed, attempting to copy what she saw on the screen. When she realized all the others in the room were watching her she leaned over and touched her toes then raised her arms in the air and smiled like she did in gymnastics class after making it across the balance beam.
"TA-DA!" Steve chuckled.
When the video ended ten minutes later Steve and Catherine applauded. "You did a great job, Gracie," he said. "This is the perfect present."
"We should take it with us when we go to Briggs House this weekend," Catherine said. "I'm sure Martha and Oscar would love to see it."
Steve nodded. "Excellent idea."
"Are you excited to get two whole days away?" Grace asked.
Catherine beamed. "We are. We'll miss Angie of course but Mom and Dad are excited about having a 2-night sleepover with her. Not to mention Grandma Ang."
"Aunt Elizabeth and I are taking Angie to the mall on Saturday," Grace reported.
Catherine chuckled. "Of course you are."
After Danny and Grace left, Steve and Catherine took Angie out to the beach, Cammie trotting along beside them.
Angie clapped excitedly and started to run toward the water. Steve caught her and swung her up into his arms before she could reach the shoreline, tickling her to curtail her disappointment.
"It's a little late for a swim, baby girl," Catherine said, smiling at the giggling toddler.
They reached a very particular spot on the beach and settled down on the sand, Angie between them and Cammie in front.
Angie immediately started running her hands through the smooth grains of sand, collecting some in her small fists and letting it fall through her fingers.
"That's very special sand, Angie," Steve said, combing his own fingers through it.
"Mmhmm," Catherine agreed, leaning down to kiss her head and running a hand over her soft hair. "Do you remember us telling you that? This is where Mommy and Daddy first said they loved each other."
"Thanks to Cammie," Steve added, rubbing the dog's head affectionately as she lay contentedly beside them.
"And where your daddy asked me to marry him," Catherine continued, smiling at Steve.
He smiled back. "Where your mommy said she'd marry me."
Angie smiled back and forth between them, enjoying the happiness underlying their tones if not understanding every word.
"And on the morning we got married," Catherine went on, "your daddy brought me out here and gave me this." She leaned closer to Angie, holding out the pendant filled with sand that hung around her neck. "It's got sand from this very spot inside it."
Angie reached up to touch the necklace she'd seen her mother wear so many times. She brushed her fingers over the smooth surface. "Ohhh," she said quietly, her quiet tone matching her parents'.
"And do you know what else happened right here?" Steve asked, smiling softly when she turned to look at him. "We decided we wanted to have you."
"That's right," Catherine said, kissing her head again. "And the day before you were born, we stood right here in this spot, waiting for you to be ready to come out and meet us."
"We did," Steve said. He shifted his gaze to Catherine. "All that happened right here where we're sitting."
She nodded, leaning over to kiss him lightly. "Right here on this sand."
Angie looked at the sand and then back up at them. Smiling, she cupped her hands together and scooped up some sand, holding it out to them.
Their smiles grew at the gesture, and they each put a hand out, forming a cup together. Beaming, Angie let the sand fall into their hands and then put her own on top of theirs.
"That's our girl," Steve said proudly. "You get it. This is a special spot. Special sand."
"And this is a special day," Catherine continued. She looked at Steve. "Anniversaries are special because they're about more than one day."
"I didn't always get that," Steve admitted. He looked back at Angie. "I had some help figuring it out from your uncle Danno, but don't tell him that," he added with a grin.
Catherine chuckled lightly and Angie smiled brightly at the mention of one of her favorite people.
"Dannnnooo."
Steve's smile grew soft, looking back at Catherine. "And from your mommy. Because of her I realize now that anniversaries are about remembering the past, celebrating the present, and looking forward to the future."
Catherine smiled back at him, blinking at the tears in her eyes. She leaned over to kiss him again, lingering this time.
They pulled back at the feeling of Angie's fingers moving on theirs. Smiling at their daughter, they released the sand in their hands, letting the grains fall on her bare legs and feet. She giggled at the sensation.
"Mo'!" she said. "San'!"
Laughing, they began covering her legs in sand.
"So you see, Angie," Catherine said, waiting till the toddler looked up at her. "Our anniversary is about more than one day, and more than just us. It's also about the people that we love, those who shared that special day with us and those who couldn't. The people who are such important parts of our life together. That's why we wanted to share it here with you … the most important part."
Steve nodded. "That's right." He glanced over at Catherine. "So we'll be celebrating lots of anniversaries together, from this day forward …"
Catherine's smile grew, taking them both in. "As long as we all should live."
Hope you enjoyed!
Stay tuned Friday as the anniversary celebration continues with Steve and Catherine's return to the Briggs House!
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