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.
Back in Time (1/1)
McGarrett Rollins Home
Saturday 11:00 A.M.
"This place looks great," Carrie said as she gazed around approvingly. "Seriously, this was a brilliant idea."
Catherine opened a bag of marshmallows and emptied them into a brightly colored plastic bowl. "Thanks. I thought it would be fun."
After considering, and ultimately discarding, several ideas she finally decided to throw Steve a 1977 themed party to celebrate the year he was born. She borrowed a dozen display easels from the governor's office which now dotted the deck and backyard area proudly displaying popular 1977 posters including Rocky, Airport '77, Star Wars, the Oakland Raiders Super Bowl trophy, popular television shows like Happy Days and M*A*S*H and of course the iconic Farrah Fawcett red bathing suit poster.
The music of Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles and Jimmy Buffett played from the rented vintage stereo system in the corner, gigantic by today's standards.
The popularity of do-it-yourself dining in the era made food preparation for the party quick and easy. The main courses would be a salad bar, a taco bar and a fondue station. The appetizers, including crackers with squeeze cheese, Bugles, Lipton Sour Cream 'n Onion Dip with chips, and stuffed celery were in the refrigerator ready to go.
When it was time for dessert the fondue station would be converted from cheese to chocolate. Catherine and Carrie had cut and skewered several kinds of fruit which, along with the marshmallows, would be dipped then rolled in assorted toppings including nuts and sprinkles. The birthday cake was in the shape of a Chevy Impala, the best-selling car of that year.
Finally, several large banquet tables on the beach held vintage 70's toys including Silly Putty, GI Joe, Mr. Potato Head, Rock'em Sock'em Robots, Simon, Hungry Hungry Hippos and Barbie along with her multitude of accessories. Just beyond the tables a fairly elaborate Hot Wheels track was halfway constructed.
The centerpieces on each table were made of brightly painted 8-track and standard cassette tape cases. The deck railings were draped with colorful streamers and bunches of multi-colored balloons stood in every corner. No detail was overlooked including Cammie's Casa which was adorned with a small disco ball.
Catherine and Carrie heard the sound of approaching footsteps and turned to see Steve and Cammie returning from their 'tire Cammie out before all the excitement starts' run.
"You are a miracle worker." Steve smiled as he leaned over and kissed his wife then looked at all the new details that had been added since he left. "This place looks amazing."
Catherine dipped her head in for another kiss. "Thanks."
"Don't forget me," Carrie teased. "I helped."
"Thank you, Carrie," Steve smirked.
Catherine glanced at Steve's watch. "You better jump in the shower. People will be here in half an hour."
"Looks like everything here is under control out here." Steve waggled his eyebrows. "Wanna join me?"
Carrie made a fake gagging sound as both Steve and Catherine laughed.
He stole one more kiss then headed into the house with Cammie.
Catherine noticed her best friend staring at the door into the house Steve had gone through. "What?" she asked.
"Nothing really." Carrie shook herself from her reverie. "It's just … Steve McGarrett accepting a party being planned in his honor, looking forward to spending time with family and friends, doting on his pregnant wife … it's just … nice."
"Yeah." Catherine turned and looked at the door. "It really is."
"Cody, will you help me try the pogo stick. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease," Jacob begged, his hands clasped tightly under his chin.
Cody ruffled his youngest sibling's hair. "Sure."
"Wear a helmet," Jenna called from across the deck. "And be careful."
"When Aunt Catherine told us she was getting a pogo stick for the party Cody helped me look on youtube so I could see how they work," Jacob explained to John, Steve and Danny. The three men were sitting on the deck, drinking a beer and watching the kids play on the beach while Grace took video to send to the relatives who couldn't make the party. "They look fun but lots of people fall."
"You better follow your mom's advice then and be extra careful," Steve suggested.
"I will." Jacob grabbed Cody's hand and began pulling him towards the beach.
John adjusted his sunglasses. "You know the best part about being forty?"
"What's that?" Steve asked.
"We did all our stupid shit before the internet."
"Amen to that," Steve chuckled as the three men raised their bottles.
"I'm so sorry I can't be there to celebrate your birthday with you, nipote," Nonna said via Skype. "Did you get the gift I sent?"
"I did," Steve smiled brightly. "But you really didn't need to get me anything."
Nonna's eyes twinkled. "There was one other thing I wanted to include in the package but I couldn't find it in time."
Steve's curiosity was piqued by the mischievous grin on Nonna's face. "What?"
"When Catherine told me your birthday party was going to have a 70s-theme, and described some of the posters she was getting, it jogged my memory of about a picture I hadn't thought of in years."
Something about Nonna's tone made Danny uneasy. "I don't like the sound of this," he said warily.
"When Daniel was in high school one of their dances was a 1970s theme. He worked on his costume for weeks. I knew I had a picture somewhere and then last night I remembered exactly where it was." Nonna lifted the picture and smiled softly at the image.
"Oh, please let it be Saturday Night Fever," Steve said hopefully as Danny dropped his chin to his chest, knowing what was coming.
Nonna turned the picture towards the laptop's camera. "He dressed as the Fonz."
"Even better," Steve bark laughed as he looked at a picture of his best friend, hair slicked back, leather jacket and tight jeans, doing the classic Fonzie stance. "That is a great picture, Nonna. Can you send me a copy?"
"It's already on the way," Nonna beamed.
"Why do you like him better than me?" Danny grumbled.
"Nonsense. You looked very handsome, Daniel," Nonna insisted. "I'm almost positive your mother has a video of that night. You used to sound just like Fonzie when you said 'Ayyyyyy'. I asked her to find a copy so I could show it to Steve and Catherine."
Danny sighed heavily. "Of course you did."
"Hey, I'm gettin' better." Dylan pumped his fist as the head on Chin's red robot popped up.
They were sitting across from each other engaged in a game of Rock'em Sock'em Robots.
"You sure are," Chin agreed as he pressed everything back into place. He hadn't played the classic match-up between Red Rocker and Blue Bomber since he was a kid but he didn't remember it being quite this difficult to land a punch. "You're up five rounds to two now."
"This game is awesome." Dylan flexed his thumbs.
The contest resumed and less than a minute later Dylan landed another punch that sent Red Rocker's head springing skyward.
Kono grinned wryly from the other end of the table where she was showing Casey and Kaitlin how to use silly putty to copy the comics. "Maybe you'd have better luck with Hungry Hungry Hippos."
Catherine, Carrie, Gabby and Jenna sat at a table in the middle of the deck taking turns with Simon.
"I have a PhD," Gabby huffed in frustration after mistakenly pressing the red button. "You'd think I'd be better at this game."
"You really want to be depressed try playing against Jacob," Jenna said. "He wins by a mile every time."
"It helps if you have an ear for music," Carrie pointed out. "Then you can remember the tones as well as the colors. Being as I have a tin ear I think I'll pass my turn." She pushed the device towards Catherine whose phone simultaneously dinged with an incoming text.
She looked at the screen and smiled.
"I'm gonna have to pass too," she responded as she slid Simon across the table to Jenna. "I need to grab some more taco shells from the kitchen."
She stood up and headed for the house.
"Need any help?" Steve asked.
"No, thanks, I got it."
As she slipped inside her smiled widened. "You made it."
"I couldn't believe it when the flight got cancelled last night," Mary groused, "But there was no way we were gonna miss my big brother's fortieth birthday. Has he figured out we're coming yet?"
"He has no idea," Catherine assured her sister-in-law with an excited smile as Aaron entered the kitchen carrying Joan, who had needed to use the potty immediately upon arrival.
"Ann Caf!" she squealed happily.
Catherine held out her arms and Joan went to her immediately and hugged her tightly.
"You ready to surprise Uncle Steve, peanut?" Mary asked.
"YAY!" Joan threw her arms in the air. "Su-pwise!"
Catherine tickled her niece's belly, "Just like that when we go outside," she grinned. "I'll tell you when."
She opened the sliding glass door and crept quietly to the middle of the deck.
"Now," she whispered in Joan's ear.
"Su-pwise, Uncle Steve!" Joanie screamed. "I'm he'we!"
"What the … " Steve jumped out of his chair and turned to face them.
"HAPPY BIRF-DAY!" Joan clapped. "Are you su-pwised?"
"I sure am." He had a wide smile on his face as he reached out and took a bouncing Joanie from Catherine's arms. "What a perfect birthday present." He blew a raspberry against Joanie's cheek, causing her to giggle. "How long have you guys been planning this?" he asked as he leaned over and kissed Mary's cheek then reached out to shake Aaron's hand.
"Months," Mary beamed. "Though Joan has only known since this morning. She isn't really good at keeping a secret yet."
Joan placed her finger to her lips. "Shhhhhh."
Before Steve could ask about the flight Joan spotted all the activity on the beach. "KIDS!" she shrieked excitedly and began squirming.
Steve put her down on the deck and she made a beeline for Jacob. "I guess I know where I rate," he chuckled.
"You'll have plenty of time to catch up," Mary chuckled. "We're here all weekend."
"We really weren't planning on something that big but the deal your friend Jack offered is too good to pass up. We have a meeting at the bank Tuesday morning and if everything goes as planned we'll be settled in well before the baby comes."
"I'm so excited you're getting a place here on the island," Catherine smiled.
"Me too," Steve said as he took a seat next to his wife.
"Happy birthday, Steve," Elizabeth beamed. "From Joseph and Grandma Ang too. They were planning to be here for the call but they're helping with set-up for casino night at the senior center and apparently there are a few glitches."
"Between the two of them they'll get everything straightened out," Steve said confidently.
"Speaking of," Elizabeth checked her watch. "I better get going too. I'm scheduled to deal blackjack."
"Have fun," Steve smiled. "Give Grandma Ang a kiss from me for luck."
"This is a really fun party, Uncle Steve," Grace said as she made her way across the deck on a return trip from the bathroom. "It's interesting seeing how people lived back in the …" she hesitated. "You know … the year you were born."
"Were you gonna say back in the olden days?" Steve asked, grabbing his chest dramatically.
"No …" Grace started then had to admit with a chuckle, "Yes. I'm not saying you're old or anything but … " she picked up an 8-track case and a cassette case, turned them over in her hands, shook her head and put them back. "I don't know how you did it."
"The struggle was real," Danny chuckled.
"You learned to always have one of those eight sided Bic pens with you," Carrie snorted.
Grace looked confused. "What for?"
Carrie mimed the familiar motion. "To rewind the tape after the cassette player ate it.".
Grace looked at the case again. "They did that?"
Carrie nodded. "All the time. Especially if you kept rewinding and playing the same song over and over."
"Un-Break My Heart," Catherine and Carrie said in unison then burst out laughing recalling how they bonded on their first day at the academy over their shared love of the Toni Braxton song.
"Hey, Grace, we need you," Jess called from the beach where the kids were setting up an elaborate Hot Wheels course. "We can't get this jump to work."
"Coming," Grace called back then turned and spontaneously hugged Steve. "Happy Birthday!" she said before running off to join the others.
"It certainly has been so far," Steve said, more to himself than to anyone else.
Over the course of the afternoon more of Steve's friends and colleagues stopped by to wish him well. Esther and Kamekona, the Grover family, Duke and his wife, Max and Jerry. Even Lea, Lance and the kids stopped in for a few minutes.
By the time things were cleaned up and put away and everyone had gone home Catherine was exhausted. Steve offered to take Cammie for her last potty break of the evening while Catherine got ready for bed.
When they returned they found Catherine sitting cross-legged on the bed with a wrapped gift in front of her.
"What's this?" Steve asked. "You already gave me a gift."
She slid the package towards him. "This one isn't from me."
He sat down beside her and picked up the package which was wrapped in bright yellow paper. "Who's it from?" he asked.
"Read the tag," she said softly.
"To Daddy, from Niblet. For our first night together."
Steve swallowed around a lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. He carefully pulled back the paper to reveal a board book entitled Daddy Hugs."
He looked at Catherine and saw her eyes were damp.
"Happy Birthday, Commander. From both of us."
THE END
Daddy Hugs, by Karen Katz (Simon & Shuster 2011)
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