Chapter 32
"It's fantastic! He's gonna love that," Grace was excited. "You made that?"
"Yeah, during my crafting courses. I had to start over three times though, because I had made some mistakes."
"It's awesome. I wish I could make something like that."
"I can show you. It isn't that complicated. You "just" need the right preparation, patience and the right touch."
"Really?" Grace got even more excited.
"Yes, really." Steve smiled for the first time that day. "Had some problems with the bird and the flower, but the rest is easy to learn."
"It's awesome – why don't you wait a few weeks and make it his birthday present?"
"Because I have something else for that day and I want to give him this as a thanks you for…for everything. I..I couldn't have done…therapy without him. Your father is the real life-saver here."
"Geez. I think you two are brothers. They must have mixed one of you up right after birth."
"How is he?" Danny asked his daughter when she came down again after almost two hours.
"He's good." Grace answered smiling. "He is taking a shower right now. Then he wants to come down. He is hungry and he wants to drink "everything that is in the fridge."
Steve had wrapped his gift for Danny before he took his shower.
When he came down the stairs, father and daughter were in the kitchen.
He left the present on one of the closets before he entered the kitchen as well.
"Hey," Danny smiled at his friend while preparing a sandwich. "Grace said you are hungry. I thought a sandwich would be good now, so you have something in your stomach. Dinner is still taking about an hour and a half."
"Sandwich is fine. Thanks, Danny."
While Danny had talked, Grace had poured a glass of water for her uncle. While setting the glass and the bottle on the counter she looked questioningly at him and mouthed "where is it?"
Steve nodded in the direction of the living room.
Although he chewed numerous times on each bite, Steve finished the sandwich in record time.
"Looks like you were really hungry," Danny stated. "Do you want another one?"
"Starving actually," Steve smiled, "but no, thank you. If I eat more, I can't eat any of your famous steaks. Maybe we can eat a little earlier than planned though."
"Yeah, sure no problem. I start the grill." He went outside.
"You want me to take the drinks?"
"Yeah. That would be great. Thanks Grace. I'll follow in a minute."
Steve was nervous. He knew he had done a good job, but he wasn't sure how Danny would react. He was a generous and humble man who always does what he thinks is necessary, not wanting anything back. But Steve wanted to do exactly that: give something back, more than just saying "thank you", something that would last and show Danny that Steve really meant it – that he was grateful for everything Danny had done for him. And it wasn't "just" saving his life. Danny had also taught him that having feelings and showing emotions is not a bad thing, that you can be loved despite doing that and that real families exist.
"Grill is heating-up! You coming?" Danny called from the kitchen door leading to the lanai, bringing Steve out of his thoughts.
"Yeah! Coming," he shouted back. He took the wrapped gift and brought it outside.
"What is that?" Danny asked when he saw the package his friend was carrying.
"That's for you."
"For me? You are three weeks early for my birthday."
"It's…it's not for your birthday. It's…it's for you. It's…it's…"
"Unwrap it already!" Grace called with excitement. She wanted to see her father's reaction but she also wanted to save her uncle from getting even more uncomfortable.
Danny took the package from his friend and almost dropped it.
"It's heavy. You put some bricks in it?" he asked while setting in on a table. He thought it was a joke but started to unwrap anyway. First thing he could see though was just a simple box. He opened it. What seems like an unshaped piece of stone appeared. Danny reached for the bottom of the box to retrieve whatever was inside and felt wood. He still wasn't sure what it was, but the facial expressions of his daughter and his friend showed him that it wasn't a joke.
He tore the box apart and couldn't believe what he was seeing.
It was the silhouette of New Jersey manufactured from stone.
In the left upper corner was the state bird – an American goldfinch.
In the right upper corner was the state flower – the common blue violet.
At the bottom were three leaves of the red oak – the New Jersey state tree.
All items were carved into the stone and then meticulously painted in bright color.
The rest of the state was filled with words:
From torture to hiccup
He is always my back-up
He is one out of millions
Jersey Detective Daniel "Danno" Williams
He saved my life
and not only with a knife
He is the greatest friend
and most-likely godsend.
Thanks for letting me be part of your family
and for being such a great friend.
I love you.
Thanks for moving to and staying in Hawaii.
The stone was mounted on a piece of wood which served as a foot, so the whole artwork could stand without the risk of falling down.
Danny just stood and stared for about a minute before a "wow" finally escaped his lips.
"That is awesome."
"Uncle Steve made that himself." Grace's voice was still full of excitement.
"What?! When?"
"During therapy."
"Wow…again. Then it is even more awesome. Thank you."
While both men hugged tight, Grace smiled and gave her uncle a thumbs up.
They spent a great evening with grilling and talking, listening to some of Grace's college stories.
When they went to bed Steve said "Thanks you Danny, for sending Grace up earlier. It was exactly what I needed. Her smile and her words. It was awesome. She brought me out of my depressive state – she is a good girl. You've done a great job."
"Yeah, I am very proud of her."
Danny's and Steve's life had become much better – calmer, with less tension and more happiness than there had been for years.
They had a lot of good days and nights, but unfortunately, there were still nightmares coming up. And even more sadly they were coming out of the blue, triggered by nothing else than the fact that they had experienced the particular incidents.
One night Steve went downstairs to get himself some water when he heard moaning out of Danny's room.
Since they had agreed on leaving their doors open at night in case something would come up, Steve could just walk into Danny's room. He already started to talk in a low voice when he passed the door frame, didn't want to startle his friend more than it would happen anyway. He had wanted to increase the volume of his voice slowly, but then Danny started to turn his head from left to right and back and to talk in his sleep.
"No, no! That's not possible! No! No!"
"Danny, hey! Wake up. It's just a dream." Steve said a little louder than before, but he had to repeat the sentence a few times until Danny finally reacted.
Danny had repeated his sentence a few times as well, but then he stopped and subconsciously listening to Steve's words, he came around slowly.
"Steve?" he asked in confusion.
"Yeah, that's right," Steve answered, taking one of Danny's hands to show his friend that it was real.
"It was a dream. You are at home – and safe."
Danny nodded "Good. That's good."
"Want to talk about it?" Steve asked.
"Not really. It was just a bad dream. Thanks for waking me up."
"I wouldn't say just a bad dream. You were pretty upset and even talking in your sleep. And from the way you are looking right now and the slight tremble in your hand, I think you are still not over it."
Danny was silent for a few seconds, then he looked up.
"Yeah, it was pretty bad," he admitted. "Thankfully, it was something that hadn't happened. So, I guess it is okay now."
"No, Danny. It's not…Grace or Charlie?" Steve wanted to know.
"Neither," came the fast reply. The SEAL just looked at Danny who knew that his friend wouldn't let go and he also knew that it was the right thing to do, because he demanded the same from Steve.
"It was you," Danny said in a low voice. "The plane – when…when you got shot. My…my liver wasn't a match. They…they hadn't…hadn't got another. You…you…" Danny looked away.
"I was dead," Steve continued for his friend.
"Not yet. But…" Danny stopped again, knowing how his dream would have ended if Steve hadn't woken him up, but he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud.
"It didn't happen Danny. You were a match," Steve said in a comforting voice. "And I am thankful for and happy about that," he added.
"I know and I am too. But this dream is coming up every now and then and it…it just rattles me every time – scares me."
"I am sorry."
"It's not your fault."
"I know. But I am still sorry – that you are dreaming something like this…you want to drink some water and talk about something else for a while?"
Danny nodded. "Yeah and…and would you mind changing to the day bed?"
Steve smiled "No, not at all."
Once again the couch performed its magic. The rest of the night was quiet, the closeness made both men relax, feel safe and sleep well.