It should be clear to everyone by this point that I suck at these AN's.
Mari & Ilna-you're the best.
McRollers-thanks for reading.
Fancy (1/1)
"So, I hear you're headed for a vacation at the Mouse House," Michael's father, Nick, said as he took a seat next to Steve, Danny, and Joseph at the monthly Little League meeting.
Danny snorted. "Word travels fast."
"I think Michael is nearly as excited as DJ," Nick said. "He can't wait to compare notes after you guys get back."
"My sister and her family sent the kids a guide book and it's their new favorite thing," Steve said. "We have to spend time looking through it every day. By the time we get there we'll know that map like the back of our hands."
"You think that." Nick smiled knowingly. "But nothing prepares for the reality once you're standing in the middle of it."
"We were stationed in Florida when Catherine was born," Joseph said. "One year our families came to visit and we took all the kids to Disney for a few days. Excited doesn't really cover it. My clearest memory is Catherine's wide eyes trying to take everything in."
"Emma was just about Angie's age when we went two summers ago," Nick said, referencing Michael's little sister. "We were a little worried she might be too young to appreciate it but she wasn't. She still talks about it all the time. All three of the kids are lobbying for a return trip. I told them I need a little more recovery time but maybe in a couple of years."
"Elizabeth and I are really looking forward to it." Joseph beamed. "We figure all the hiking we've been doing has gotten us in shape for the adventure."
Nick nodded. "You definitely need comfortable shoes. And with Angie along, track shoes might be a good idea. Every time Emma saw one of the costumed characters she was off like a shot to try to hug it."
"Angie is very focused on making sure she doesn't miss any of the princesses," Steve chuckled.
"The first time we took Grace she was obsessed with finding Winnie the Pooh." Danny grinned at the memory. "Then we finally did, she was so dumbstruck she could hardly say a word."
"My niece Joanie has been to Disneyland before so she's acting as the voice of experience for the kids," Steve explained. "And I know Michael has been filling DJ in on all of the 'can't miss' things in each park."
"We're making a list of things he wants to do in a notebook and then every night he's going to write about what he did that day, kind of like a trip diary," Joseph said.
"Angie will just charge at everything full steam ahead as usual I'm sure," Danny snorted.
"I know a lot of dads complain about the noise and the crowds and the money," Nick said. "But the truth is, if you love seeing your children have fun and watching their excitement at every new experience, which I know you do, there's nothing like it. If I'm being honest, I had almost as much fun as the kids."
Danny barked a laugh. "All I'm saying is I'll pay cash money for a picture of Commander Steve in mouse ears."
Steve rolled his eyes. "Your money is safe."
Joseph leaned in and whispered to Danny, "I'll see what I can do."
"I'm home," Steve said as he made his way out to the deck after the meeting. He was momentarily shocked by the sight that greeted him and it took everything he had to stifle a laugh.
In the middle of the deck Catherine was seated in one of the Adirondack chairs, a large Mickey Mouse beach towel draped around her neck. Her face was covered with a thick coat of brownish goo. Her feet, with her toes painted sparkly purple, rested on a small box which was doubling as a footstool.
DJ sat at her side with several bottles of nail polish perched on a small tray within arm's reach, carefully painting each one of his mother's fingernails a different color. Angie stood on a stool behind Catherine working diligently to put what Steve assumed was supposed to be a braid in one side of her mother's hair while the other side was adorned with at least a dozen barrettes.
"We at da spa!" Angie announced happily.
"Mommy turned in the coupon we gave her for Mother's Day," DJ added. "She helped us put on the face thing...what's it called again?"
"Mud mask," Catherine supplied.
"Right, mud mask," DJ said. "But we did everything else ourselves. We're not done yet but Mommy is gonna look beautiful when we are."
"I'm sure she is." Steve leaned over and gave Catherine a peck on the lips.
"We couldn't decide on just one nail polish color so I said we should use more than one." DJ smiled proudly. "Do you think it looks good, Daddy?"
"I think it looks very fancy," Steve replied. "I'll bet everybody who sees it is gonna wonder why they didn't think of doing it that way."
DJ's chest swelled with pride.
"Daddy, hewp me pease." Angie held out a ponytail holder to her father.
Steve smiled as he wrapped the pink sparkly object, which he was fairly sure was from one of Angie's dolls, to the base of the makeshift braid she had created in Catherine's hair.
"You have a real future as a hairstylist." He smiled.
"Tank oo," Angie replied seriously as she pushed a curl out of her own eyes.
"I'll share some of my spa day snacks with you if you're good." Catherine grinned and pointed to the serving tray resting on the outdoor kitchen counter that contained several peanut butter sandwiches, a package of fruit snacks, a bowl of goldfish crackers, several juice boxes, and of course a pile of cookies.
"This looks delicious," Steve said as he eyed the selection.
"Angie and me made it ourselves," DJ reported. "Mommy has the whole day off, even from making food. That was her present."
Steve popped a cookie in his mouth. "I guess that means I'm in charge of making dinner. What should we have?"
DJ bit his lip as he thought. "It has to be something Mommy really likes."
"Macaroni cheese and chimken nuggets," Angie suggested.
"That's our favorite," DJ told his sister. "Mommy likes grilled fish and vegetables."
Angie sighed but after a second nodded her approval.
"How about we compromise and have grilled chicken and macaroni salad?" Catherine suggested.
DJ looked at his father. "Can you make macaroni salad?"
"I think I can manage it," Steve chuckled.
"While you're cooking we'll clean off the mud mask and do Mommy's makeup," DJ said. "So she'll look extra pretty for dinner."
Steve hid a smile. "That sounds like a good plan, buddy."
"Are you having a good spa day, Mommy?" DJ asked.
"Good spa day?" Angie parroted.
Catherine smiled despite the hardening mask on her face. "It's my best spa day ever."
THE END
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