Notes: Thanks to Mari and Sammy for the squeal-inducing feedback. You're the best, ladies! Huge thanks to Mari for the story idea.
Readers and REAL McRollers - Thank you for your amazing support! It is always appreciated.
Hope you enjoy!
What a Girl Wants (A McRoll in the REAL World Story)
"... and I've got twelve color pencils, and twenty-four crayons, and four glue sticks, and one scissors," Angie said, rounding off her list of school supplies. "I counted them all."
Grace purposely widened her eyes. "Wow! And all that fits in your backpack?"
Angie nodded. "With my lunch box, and I'm trying all the different lunches to bring."
"And what are you going to wear on the first day of school?" Kendra asked, lifting her glass of lemonade from the deck table and taking a drink.
Angie cocked her head. "Wear?"
"Yeah, you have to wear something special on the first day," Grace explained. "It's a great way to express yourself to your new classmates and friends."
"You've got lots of outfits you can pick from," Catherine said. "Including some of the ones you got with Grandma when you went school shopping."
"I want to wear my boots," Angie said definitively.
Grace grinned. "No surprise there."
"Oh, baby girl, your combat boots have gotten a bit too small for you to wear."
Angie immediately looked stricken. "No, they're not too small," she insisted.
Catherine smiled softly, knowing she was disappointed. "Remember how your feet hurt the last time you wore them?"
Angie started to shake her head but finally nodded sadly, acknowledging the truth.
"Well, there's plenty of time for you to get new boots before school starts," Grace said, hating the forlorn look on Angie's face.
Angie's expression immediately brightened and she looked at her mother. "Can we go buy them?" she asked. "I have money saved in my piggy bank."
"Sure, honey," Catherine said with a smile. "We can go this weekend."
Kendra laughed. "Piggy bank? I'm surprised you don't have a billy goat bank, Angie."
Angie's eyes widened at the idea and she looked again at Catherine who chuckled in amusement.
"A piggy bank works just fine, baby girl. One thing at a time."
That Saturday, Steve and Angie arrived at the mall and headed right for the shoe store Catherine had told them had the widest selection.
"Okay, what's our mission?" Steve asked as they walked hand in hand toward the store.
"Operation: Combat Boots!" Angie replied with a little jump.
"And our objective?"
"Find new boots that fit me!"
Steve grinned. "That's my girl."
Upon entering the store, they were immediately greeted by a smiling salesperson with a nametag that read Morgan.
"Hi there," she said. "You look like you're shopping for school. Am I right?"
Angie nodded eagerly. "I'm going to kindergarten at big kid school in fourteen days."
Morgan laughed, surprised. "That's … very specific."
"I have a calendar. My brother DJ made it. There's cookies inside."
"My kind of calendar, " Morgan said with a smile. She clapped her hands together. "Well, we have lots of great choices for shoes." She motioned toward the kid side of the store. "And I'll be happy to help you find your size."
"Thank you very very much," Angie replied, causing Steve to smile with equal parts pride and amusement.
"We've got lots of sandals, of course, and sneakers … I love these with the sparkly rainbow laces," Morgan said, indicating a pair on display in the front window.
Angie shook her head. "We're on a mission to get my new boots," she said. She pointed at Steve's feet. "Like Daddy's."
"Oh!" Morgan said, surprised. She glanced at Steve for confirmation and he nodded.
"Her old pair is too small now," he said.
"Because I'm five," Angie added, matter-of-factly. "I want to wear them on my first day at big kid school 'cause Grace said to e'speess myself."
Morgan smiled at her earnestness. "Well, I like a girl who knows what she wants."
"That's Angie," Steve quipped, and squeezed her hand. She beamed up at him.
Morgan tapped her chin thoughtfully as she studied Steve's footwear. "I think we do have some boots that might work for you."
Angie's eyes widened and she inhaled excitedly, clutching Steve's hand. "Let's go see them!"
Morgan chuckled. "Okay, follow me." She led them about halfway into the store and down one of the long aisles. "What do you think of these?" she asked, lifting an ankle boot off its display stand.
Angie's lips twisted as she eyed the boots. "Mmm no, thank you," she said, shaking her head. "They're not tall enough," she explained.
"You're right," Morgan said with a little smile. "What was I thinking?" She turned, looking for another pair. "How about these?" she asked, pointing to a pink boot with faux fur lining.
Angie immediately shook her head. She scanned the boots on display for a moment before gasping. "There they are!" Dropping Steve's hand, she ran toward the end of the aisle. "Right there!" Without waiting for the others, she looked around for a way to get the boot down. Spotting a small bench, she hurried over and started to pull it.
"Hey, hey, baby girl, let's not move the furniture," Steve said.
"But they're very high," Angie told him.
"I've got ya," Morgan said, reaching for the boot. She held it out to Angie. "This is the one?"
Angie looked at the tan combat-style boot, and then at Steve's feet for comparison. She turned back to Morgan and nodded. "Yes, they match!" she said excitedly. "Can we buy them now, please?"
"Not yet, baby girl, we need to see if they have your size," Steve said.
"Do you have my size?" Angie asked Morgan.
"I sure hope so," Morgan said. She looked between father and daughter. "Do you know what size you need?"
"She had a ten, so probably an eleven or twelve," Steve said.
Morgan nodded. "Okay, we can try both."
"Let's use this!" Angie said. They looked down to see she had found the large foot measuring device common in most shoe stores.
Morgan smiled. "Great idea. Kick off those cute sandals and we'll measure your feet."
Angie smiled excitedly at the prospect. She kicked off her sandal and held her leg out straight.
"Ready?" Morgan asked, kneeling in front of her with the Brannock device.
"I'm very very ready," Angie told her, wiggling her toes.
"Wow, you've got great balance," Morgan observed.
"Thank you," Angie said. "I do gymnastics."
"That would certainly help with balance," Morgan said with a smile. "Okay, let's measure those feet so you can get your new boots!"
Angie looked up at Steve and beamed. "Okay!"
"I really like my new boots," Angie said, admiring the pair on her feet as they walked out of the store.
"They're nice and sturdy, and most importantly, they fit," Steve said.
Angie beamed. "Mission accomplished."
Steve grinned. "Mission accomplished."
"Commander McGarrett?" they heard a voice say behind them and turned. "It is you."
"Carlson, hey, good to see you," Steve replied, shaking the man's hand.
"You, too, sir."
"Hi!" Angie said waving.
The man smiled. "Hi there. You must be Angie."
She nodded. "What's your name?"
"This is Officer Matt Carlson," Steve said. "He works with Uncle Lou."
Angie nodded. "Ohh, you catch bad guys and keep everyone safe like my daddy."
The younger SWAT officer smiled. "That's right."
"And you have boots like me!" she said excitedly, pointing at his feet. "I just got new boots 'cause my old ones were too small. I used five dollars from my piggy bank," she continued, holding up five fingers. "I'm going to wear them to big kid school."
"That's awesome," he replied, then grinned at Steve. "Of course your daughter wears combat boots."
Angie beamed, but then her eye was caught by something in a store window. "Ohhhh look, Daddy. It's so sparkly."
Steve followed her eyeline and chuckled when he saw she was looking at a sparkly t-shirt in the window of a kids' clothing shop.
"It is sparkly," he agreed.
"Can I try it on?" she asked. "I Can wear it to big kid school with my new boots!"
Steve grinned, scooping her up. "Let's go, baby girl." He looked at Matt Carlson and nodded a goodbye. "Angie knows what she wants and has a style all her own. And I wouldn't want her to be any other way."
Hope you enjoyed!
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