Nikki and Josh arrived home from Melbourne late Friday afternoon. Monday morning, after a quiet weekend at home, Nikki called Dr Holmes for an appointment to,k be cleared for her return to duty. With that call complete, she called Mike at NAVCOM.
"Mike Flynn."
"Commander, it's Nikki."
"Hey, Nikki, welcome back. How was your trip? And it's just Mike when we're on the phone, okay?"
"Yes, Sir. It was wonderful seeing our families, but it feels good to be back in Cairns."
Mike sighed at her continued use of 'Sir' when in private, shook his head, then chuckled. "So, you're ready to return?"
"Yes, Sir. We see Dr Holmes this Thursday, June 3rd, for my clearance visit."
"Well then, let's plan on you returning on Monday, 0700, my office."
"Sounds good, Sir."
"Nikki...just Mike."
"It just feels strange in the Navy setting."
Smiling, "you'll get the hang of it."
Hanging up, Nikki went out to the balcony to where Josh is sitting. "I just made an appointment with Dr Holmes for Thursday at 10 am."
"Okay."
"Mike wants me to start on Monday."
"Are you ready?"
"Yup, I think so."
"Alright, good. Now… what would you like to do today?" Josh asks.
"How about we call that agent and go look at some townhouses."
Grinning, "you read my mind... Nikki, I've been thinking..."
"Ooh, that's scary," she said cheekily.
"Hah, Hah, anyway, I think that it might make more sense for us to rent for a while rather than take a big chunk out of our savings. As it is, we are starting from scratch, and we will be dropping some big moolah just buying furniture and such."
"I guess that makes sense. There's no hurry to buy, and you can never know if I'm going to end up being transferred."
"Okay, good, then we'll tell the agent to show us some rentals."
Nikki went back in to check on a sleeping Gale while Josh looked up a rental agent and gave her a call.
"Nikki," he called out, "we are going to meet her at 1:00 to see the first one."
Coming out of Gale's room carrying a smiling baby, "That sounds good. Time for lunch then."
They drove to the first location where the agent was waiting for them. "G-day, You must be Mr & Mrs Holiday. I'm Julian Bradley."
Reaching out to shake her hand Josh says, "Please, Nikki and Josh, and this is our little Poppet, Gale."
"She's beautiful. How old is she?"
"Just coming up on four months," Nikki replied.
"Now…" Julian brought them inside, all the while chatting about the amenities.
Julian took them to see 2 more. As it sometimes works out, the third one was lucky last.
"I think that you will really like this one. You can see the Navy Base and harbour from the third-floor balcony that is off the master bedroom," she said as she unlocked the door and showed them inside. "This unit has just been refurbished, so all new wall to wall carpeting and fresh paint."
As soon as they stepped inside, it just felt right. Stepping through the door, they were in a roomy entryway—the entrance to the two-car garage to the left. Straight ahead and to the right were the stairs leading up to the living level. Straight forward was a hallway that leads to the backyard with another room that held the laundry. There's also a half bath and a storage room.
Upon going upstairs, they found a spacious open living room - dining room. The kitchen was bright with new appliances and plenty of cabinet space. There was a large window over the sink. Off the living room was a double door that led to a good-sized balcony. The open stairs up to the bedrooms were to the right side of the living room.
The master bedroom was roomy and sported an ensuite with a double-sized spa tub, double shower, and a separate water closet. The balcony did indeed have a view of the harbour.
The room that would be Gales was spacious enough for a fold-out convertible couch, her cot and extras, plus it sported another full bath.
Josh and Nikki were walking through the master bedroom again. "Why don't you take your time… I'll be downstairs," Julian said.
They wandered out to the balcony, "The rent is a little higher than we wanted, but with Defense Funds, we should be fine," Nikki said.
"Nikki, look, you can just see the Navy Base. I can actually see one of the patrol boats coming in. How cool is that! Gale and I could watch you steaming into the harbour."
"Josh, I love this one. What do you think?"
"I think that it's perfect; we found our home," pulling her close for a quick kiss. "Let's find Julian and settle this up."
They found her standing outside on the living room balcony. "You've decided?"
"We love it. Let's set this up." Nikki said.
"You're going to love it here. There's a community pool, and the fenced backyard will be perfect for your little one when she gets older."
Josh put his arm around Nikki and gave her a squeeze, and kissed her head.
"Okay, let's head to the complex office. I'll introduce you to the manager, and we can use the conference room to sort out the paperwork. Then I'll give you the keys, and you can move in anytime."
"Fair dinkum!" Josh said, giving Nikki's shoulders another squeeze.
An hour later, the paperwork was signed, and the first months rent paid. Julian took them on a quick tour of the complex, the pool and showed them the small gym.
After Julian left, they were still sitting in their car in their new driveway when Nikki looked at Josh. "Josh, we need furniture, lots of it! And dishes and pans and…."
Josh laughed, "Well, I guess we have our work cut out for us tomorrow." leaning across to give her a quick kiss. Then he pulled out of their driveway and headed back to the base housing. "I'm going to stop and get some boxes from that moving store on the north side. We can start packing our meagre possessions."
"Super. We can start tonight."
In the morning, they went for their usual run. "I guess we will soon be finding a new route," Nikki said while running.
"This one was getting old anyway, so let's move to a new place for a more interesting run," Josh said with a chuckle.
After a shower and breakfast, Josh set up the utility services for their new place before they headed to the furniture store. Everything was transferred into their names, and the cable/internet was set to be installed on Monday.
Walking into Lyman Brothers Furniture, they were immediately approached by a saleswoman. "Good morning! My name is Shelly. Can I help you folks find anything?"
"Well, we would like to just browse. Can we come and find you if we see anything we like?"
"Of course. Can I ask your names?"
"Josh and Nikki," Nikki answered.
The woman immediately recognized them as the rescued couple but chose not to say anything to avoid any awkwardness. "Here's my card; let me know if you need any help."
They wandered further into the store. "We need everything. Where should we start?" Nikki asked Josh.
"Well, let's start at the kitchen and work our way to my favourite room," Josh replied with a cheeky grin.
"Ahhh, let me guess, that would be the bedroom?"
Josh gave her that same grin.
As they strolled around the store, Nikki was taking notes on the pieces that they liked. "Josh, I think that we've found everything right here."
They picked out a small breakfast table and a dining table. Next, they chose a soft reclining sectional sofa with a lounge on one end in a light blue-grey with matching chairs, side tables and lamps, and an entertainment centre for their television and stereo. For Gales room, a fold-out sleeper sofa for when company comes to visit and a dresser. Three rockers, one for Gale's room, one for the living room, and another for their bedroom, were added to their list.
"Yeah, well, that was fairly painless."
"Yup, seeing as we haven't written the check yet," Nikki chuckled. "I absolutely love the bedroom," she added. They had found a Waverley 2-Drawer Bed. The grand headboard is intricately carved from poplar and birch timber and finished with a medium stain. "The two large drawers under the footboard will be great for storing sheets and linens."
"Do you think that they would have it in a king?" Josh wondered.
"Sorry, Sailor, the room isn't big enough. You're going to have to settle for a queen."
"Hey, that's Petty Officer!" causing Nikki to laugh.
"I actually like the way that they have this whole room displayed. How about we take everything as it is? What do you think?" Josh suggested.
"Fabulous idea. Save a lot of hassle trying to find lamps and such."
Nikki wrote down the information on the bedroom set. "Let's go and find our saleslady."
They tracked down Shelly lurking near the entrance doors. "Excuse me, Shelly?"
"Did you find anything that you liked?"
"Oh, yeah," Nikki said as Josh handed her the list. They enjoyed the shocked look on her face as she quickly figured her commission.
" Wow!" Shelly exclaimed. "This is… well... a lot."
"Yeah, we're just starting out, so we need everything," said Josh.
"Okay, will you be financing? Is either of you in the service? We offer a military discount."
"Awesome! No, we won't be financing; this is a cash sale," said Nikki, again causing Shelly to almost stagger as now she didn't have to worry about financing being approved.
"I'll get the order form, and we'll take this list around," she says. " We can go to each piece and fill out the form so that we get it just right. When will you want it delivered?"
"ASAP, we would like to move in this weekend. Even if we can just get the bedroom delivered, we could wait a few days for the other pieces." Nikki said.
"Let's see what we can do. With this order, you are a priority customer."
Up to this point, Gail had been happy to roll around the store in her stroller but was now getting a little fussy. Nikki reached in and picked her up, snuggling her close.
"Your little girl is adorable! What's her name?"
"This is Gale, she's just about four months old, and I think she needs a change," Nikki answered.
"Let me show you to a place you can change her." Shelly showed them to a lounge and then left them while she went to get the forms they needed to order their furniture.
An hour later, the paperwork filled out, and a cheque issued, they were ready to leave. They are just waiting for Shelly to come from the manager's office, where she was arranging priority delivery.
"Alright, Nikki, Josh, they can deliver half on Friday and the balance on Saturday. You must have the luck; all of the pieces you want are in stock. I assume you want the bedroom with the first delivery?"
"That would be perfect," Nikki said.
"We have the address, so they will see you on Friday at 10 am. Can I help you with anything else?"
"Wow, ahhh, no. I think we're set for now." Josh answered.
"It was a pleasure meeting you, and thank you for shopping with us. Here's my card. If you have any problems, call me. Oh, and welcome home."
"Thank you." Josh put his arm around Nikki and pulled her close, and kissed the side of her head. Then he pushed the stroller as they headed to the car.
"Lunch, my Love?"
"You're reading my mind again," Nikki said, laughing. "With all that shopping, I'm starving!"
Finding a quiet pub they had sandwiches and took care of Gale.
"What's next?" Nikki asked him.
"Do you feel up to getting our TV?"
"Sure."
They found a nice 48-inch flat-screen TV that would be delivered on Friday also. Josh also picked out a stereo system with a CD / DVD player.
"I wonder if the sofa will be coming with the first delivery? Then we can watch some TV in comfort."
"That would be nice, but there's no cable until Monday," said Nikki.
"We could rent a DVD…"
"What do you say, done for today? I'm running out of steam," Nikki said.
"You bet, home, or should I say back to base. Home will be on Friday."
"I can't wait."
"Me either. Our place."
Thursday arrived, and they went to their appointment with Dr Holmes. "Josh, Nikki, it's so good to see you. How were your reunions with your families?
Taking a seat on the couch with Josh, Nikki chuckles and goes on to tell her about her visit with her parents and her Mum.
"You did well," Dr Holmes says. "You took control of your own life and life choices. She may never fully accept that you are an independent adult. I have patients who are in their 40's and 50's who still don't get it. The more that she sees you and Josh together with Gale as a family should help her to ease up."
"I can only hope."
"Josh, what about you? How were things for you at the Caetano's?"
"Well, I let Nikki handle any direct confrontation. I didn't want to make things worse. I just tried to be supportive and keep my own emotions in check."
"Josh was wonderful as usual. He helped me to not let my anger get the best of me. He was the voice of reason," she said, smiling at him while taking his hand.
"Josh?"
"Sophia can be a challenge, upsetting, with her 'absolute my way' opinions. But we are our own family. So what it comes down to is that we will be doing what's best for us and Gale regardless of what anyone else thinks or says."
"Now, how about your family, Josh?"
Before Josh could answer, Nikki pipped in, "Like night and day."
Josh laughed, "My parents are fairly laid back."
They continued to talk until their time was almost up.
"So," Dr Holmes says, "What are your plans?"
"I'm returning to duty on Monday, with your blessing, of course. Josh will officially become a full time stay at home Dad."
"How do you feel about that, Josh?"
"It's all good. This is what Nikki wants and what we had planned for all along, even before the crash. Nikki is happy; I'm happy. And, I get the bonus of all that time with my little Poppet."
"Do you have any other plans for your time at home?"
"Yeah, been thinking that once things settle down that I might start classes at the Uni, go for a teaching certificate. I can start by taking classes remotely and see where it takes me."
"And Nikki, your feelings?"
"Josh will make a fabulous teacher."
"You both have done remarkably well considering all that you've been through. You sustained your love and relationship against circumstances that would easily destroy other couples."
"We relied on each other to get us through," Josh said.
"That's true, but many couples would have fallen apart with the stress of returning home."
"Dr Holmes," Nikki said, grasping Josh's hand, "we aren't going anywhere."
"Very good. Congratulations, you two. I see you as a solid and committed couple. You'll do well."
"Nikki, I'll see you one more time at the end of your shore posting to sign you off for sea duty."
"Thank you, Dr Holmes," they both said.
"Take care of each other, and with that you'll be caring for your little one."
Walking to the car park, "So...what now?" Nikki asked.
"Lunch and then patio furniture.?"
"Sounds like a plan."
"Yeah, then we can use the patio and balconies straight away; I really love sitting outside." Then chuckling, he added, "Even after living outside for over a year."
"I would like a small table for the living room balcony for breakfasts and such," Nikki said.
"I was thinking the same, some lounges too. And for the bedroom balcony as well."
They went to a beachside pub for lunch and then off to find their outdoor furniture. That too would be delivered on Friday.
Mission accomplished, they arrived back at the apartment tired but satisfied.
"I'm too spent to cook; how about take away," Nikki suggested.
"You read my mind."
The next day, Friday, Nikki's phone rang at 8:00. "Nikki, It's Mike."
"Commander! Good morning, Sir."
Mike chuckled, shook his head, and decided to give it back to her some, "Lieutenant, your uniforms are in; I have them in my office. Stop by anytime to pick them up."
"That's great, Sir. We're moving today, but I should be able to stop by quick and get them."
"You're moving? That was quick."
"We are anxious to get settled and into some normalcy. Josh and I found this fabulous townhouse 10 minutes from base."
"Did you buy, or are you renting?"
"We're renting for now. I called housing yesterday to let them know that we were leaving."
"Congratulations! I'll let Kate know."
"Thanks. See you later when I pick up the uniforms."
"Looking forward to it," Mike said.
The first of the furniture deliveries were scheduled to arrive at 10:00. After breakfast, they put some of the boxes they had packed into the car and headed to their new place. Josh had added Gales pack, her porta-cot and one of her mobiles. He also brought her bouncy chair for her to stay in while they worked. On the way, they stopped at the grocery, and Nikki went in to get a few drinks and snacks to have... beer, coke and some chips and she also picked up some paper towels, cleaner, and toilet paper.
Their furniture arrived right on time. Lyman's had been able to deliver the bedrooms, rocking chairs and small kitchen table and chairs. The patio furniture and TV arrived around 11:00. The rest of their furniture would be delivered the next day.
"Josh, let's bring the linens over, and we can stay here tonight!" Nikki exclaimed with excitement.
"Cool, we'll go back and load up again, get some lunch and then off to buy some dishes, pots, and utensils and whatever. Ya think?"
"That sounds good. I have to stop quick at NAVCOM to get my uniforms."
"How about we do that on our way back to the townhouse."
"That works."
Once the furniture was set up and the delivery men left, they did too. "This is a blast! Setting up our home together is such fun. We've lived together before, but you had moved in with me; I already had most everything. But this, this is ours, together!"
"Yeah, It is fun," giving her a quick kiss.
They had a light lunch and then went to the Bed Bath N' Table for their kitchenware, coffee maker, kettle, and toaster. While they were there, Nikki found a bed set that she liked and some new towels.
"Don't forget to stop at NAVCOM," reminded Nikki.
"I actually almost did." Josh chuckled.
Josh parked in the officer's car park. "Josh, come in with me. Say hi."
"Alright." He got out of the car, got Gale out of the backseat, and they walked in.
Reaching the operations floor, they were greeted by the watch Sailor. Nikki showed her ID, and then they went in to find Mike. Lieutenant Smith saw them come in, and he went over to greet her.
"Daryl Smith," He extended his hand to Josh. "Nikki, It's been a long time."
"It surely has."
"It seems that we'll be working together, looking forward to it."
"It'll be good to be back."
"So, this little angel must be yours."
"That she is. This is Gale," she said, smiling. "Daryl, I'm not sure if you ever met my husband, Petty Officer, Josh Holiday... Retired."
"Pleased."
"Likewise," Josh responded.
Mike had glanced out of his office window and noticed Nikki and Josh with Lt. Smith and went out to join them.
"Nikki, Josh, so great to see you," then reaching for Gale, he dismissed Daryl. "Come on to the office."
"So, you two have been busy. It must feel good to be settling in."
"Mike, it feels so right," Josh said.
Mike sat at his desk holding Gale, almost thinking out loud, "maybe I'll have one of these someday."
Nikki and Josh smiled, "Maybe," Nikki said.
"Your uniforms are hanging there," Mike indicated a coat tree.
Nikki went over to look at them, feeling some nostalgia.
"Here is your name tag and service ribbons."
She picked up the box with her name tag and rubbed her thumb over the engraved ' LT. N. Holiday ', and smiled.
They spent a few more minutes visiting, and then they prepared to leave.
"Nikki, see you on Monday."
"Yes, Sir. Oh, before we go, here is our new address. Please, you and Kate, come by anytime." She wrote the address on a piece of paper and handed it to Mike.
Then Mike surprised her and pulled her into a hug. He shook Josh's hand, and they left for their new home.
Back at the townhouse, they brought in their purchases and went about sorting everything out. Nikki brought her uniforms up to the bedroom, and they became the first thing that was hung in their closet. Then she put the new bed set on their bed and was standing with her back to the door, admiring it as Josh walked in.
"So… we get to break this in tonight!" he didn't realize that Nikki had been crying.
"Hey, hey," he said softly. "What's all this?" as he pulled her close.
"Things just hit me, that's all. This whole past year… and here we are, almost like none of it happened."
"Oh, it happened, alright," chuckling, "Just check out the sleeping little Poppet in the next room. We're fine, all good. And tonight…." pulling her to him and kissing her deeply.
Breathless, " promise?"
"Oh, you know it!" he said, kissing her again.
Later, "Nik, I'm going to run out to the store to get us a few things and pick up some take away; sandwiches, Chinese, pizza?"
"Uhmm, pizza, I guess."
"K, I'll be back," giving her a quick kiss.
Josh arrived back at the townhouse with some things for breakfast; eggs, coffee, tea and milk. He also bought a bottle of wine and several candles, chocolates and roses. Nikki was sitting on the balcony with Gale when he got home. Placing the pizza on the bench, he put the wine to chill, put away the groceries, which of course, included their favourite Ben & Jerry's. He slipped the box of chocolates and roses that he bought for Nikki into the pantry. Then went out to see his girls.
"Josh! I didn't hear you come in."
"I'm sneaky like that," giving her a cheeky grin. "Pizza is here. Want to eat out here?"
"Yeah, let's just use paper towels. We haven't had the chance to run the dishes through the dishwasher yet."
Nikki placed Gale in her little bouncy and went to the kitchen to help Josh get everything sorted.
"Do you want to just drink from the cans?" Josh asked her.
"That's fine. I'll get the drinks and the towels if you grab the pizza."
Outside, they set their supper on the table, and then before they sat down, Nikki pulled Josh over for a kiss. "Our first meal in our new home...PIZZA AND BEER!"
Josh laughed and kissed her back.
They talked and laughed until it was time for Gales supper. Nikki fed her while Josh cleaned up. Around 8:00, Gale got her bath, and Josh rocked her until she was almost asleep; then he put her down, hopefully for the night.
When they were finished getting Gale settled, Nikki told Josh that she was going to shower.
"Okay, Luv, I'll be sitting outside. Join me when you're done?"
"Love to."
Josh took this opportunity to set up his surprise. He put the roses in water and set up the wine and chocolates on the side table between the two lounges. The flowers he put on the table with the candles.
Fifteen minutes later, Nikki came out onto the balcony wearing her robe and stopped dead in her tracks. Bringing her hands to her cheeks, "Oh My God! Josh! I don't believe you!" as tears started to fall and Josh pulled her into his arms.
"Welcome home, my Love," Josh said, then kissed her deeply. She returned his kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and running her fingers through his curls, causing him to moan. Then he took her hands and led her to one of the lounges. "Sit, sweetness, and I'll pour us a glass." Josh poured the two glasses of wine and handed her one. "To our wonderful little girl and to us and to our first home together." They touched glasses then drank.
"Josh, the roses are beautiful! And, the candles, wine and chocolates. You do know the way to my heart."
"I would hope so," he grinned.
They sat eating chocolates and drinking wine. After a while, Josh stood, held out his hand, and pulled her up and out of the lounge that she was sitting on. Then he scooped her off her feet and carried her up to their bedroom, gently setting her down on the bed where he laid down next to her and starting kissing and caressing her. When he slipped the robe from her, he grinned, seeing that she had put on the negligee that his sisters had bought.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, "I love you so much. You are such a special man, and I am so lucky to have you. Thank you for this."
"I love you too, and I love showing you how much," leaning down and kissing her again.
Saturday arrived and with it the last of their deliveries. Their new home was complete. Now all that was needed was personal touches. Nikki put out some of her baskets. They hung up an enlargement of their wedding photo and their first family photo as a start. Sitting on their new couch in their new living room, they snuggled with their feet up on the lounge.
"Wow, we are really here!" Nikki said.
"Later, I want to go around and do a video tour to send to our parents."
"That's a fabulous idea!"
Josh was used to recording video from his time on Hammersley. It was his responsibility to record their boardings and searches. Nikki would narrate while he recorded using the camera on his tablet.
They started off with a selfie recording…
"Hi all, we moved into our new home on Friday," Nikki started.
Josh continued, "We're thrilled to be here; it really feels like a fresh start. There is a pool on the complex, along with an exercise room. We are only 10 minutes from the Navy Base and a short walk to a park with some great trails. From our bedroom balcony, you can see the harbour. I'll be able to watch as Nikki's ship comes in," Josh told them excitedly.
They started their tour by recording the outside and then going through the front door. They walked through the entire townhouse and finished in the master bedroom. The last thing that he did was set up a selfie recording of the three of them from the couch in the living room.
"So, there you have it. We're looking forward to visits!" Josh said. "Our new address is… 618 Trinity La. Cairns North, QLD. 4870
Then they finished together… "Love you all!"
Using his tablet to record their tour enabled him to use its data link to send it to their parents.
That evening, Sophia and Dom called, "Nikki, Luv! You have a new place!"
Nikki put her phone on speaker, "Hey Mum! What did you think?"
Sophia had her phone on speaker also, "Hey honey," Dom said.
"It's fabulous! How did you ever manage to move so quickly?"
"Luck, determination and hard work, and we had very little to pack." Josh chuckled.
"We started looking for a place as soon as we got back from our visits. We found this one the first time that we went out." Nikki added.
"All new furniture?" asked Sophia.
"Pretty much all new everything," replied Nikki. "We didn't really have anything. It all belonged to the Navy, except for Gale's things. We actually had a blast shopping."
"We're very happy for you both. Congratulations!"
"Thanks, Dom," Josh said.
"Mum, Dad, come visit when you can."
"Give yourself some time to get settled, and we would love to come up."
"Great, Mum, looking forward to it."
They said goodbye. An hour or so later, the Holiday's called with the conversation being pretty much the same.
When Diane and James hung up, they talked excitedly about Josh and Nikki and their new place. Then Diane got thoughtful...
"I want to do something for them," she said.
"Like what?"
She went quiet again and then, " I know! A virtual housewarming!"
"Huh?"
"They missed out on wedding gifts and a baby shower. They shouldn't miss out on this too. I have to give this some thought as to how to pull it off, but I think we can do it!"
"Diane, if there is a way, you will figure it out."
She spent the rest of the evening thinking about how it could work, and finally, everything started to come together. First, she would need someone in Cairns to receive the gifts and deliver them when it was time. Kate, she thought. Once that was set up, she would call the girls and Nikki's parents with a time frame to send the gifts and the address.
The following day, Sunday, Diane sent Kate a text and asked her to call. She still had Kate's contact information from when Josh and Nikki went missing. Kate got back to her within the hour. When she did, Diane explained what she wanted to do. Kate told Diane that she would still be in port for another two-weeks as they had just gotten in. Kate suggested that they contact Sally Blake to receive the gifts just in case she was crash sailed. She told Diane that she would be happy to take care of things on her end.
"Is it okay to give Sally your email and phone number? Also, Nikki and Josh have a friend, Bomber, Rebecca; I'll invite her too if that's okay," Kate said.
"Absolutely! Thank you for helping, and of course, you can give Sally my contact Info. I'll be in touch with more details soon."
Kate wasted no time getting in touch with Sally sending her a text as soon as she finished with Diane.
*Sally, Diane Holiday, Josh's mum, wants to have a ' virtual housewarming' for Josh and Nikki' *
* They got a new place? I didn't know.*
*It was fast. They just moved in on Friday. Diane is asking if they can send their gifts to you.*
* Of course, but how is this going to work?*
*I think she plans to have us take the gifts to them and then use ' Skype Conferencing' to have a video party.*
*What a fantastic idea! Do you have her contact info?*
*I do* Kate added Diane's info to her text.
*Alright, Thx Kate, I'll be in touch. This sounds like fun*
After finishing with Kate, Sally sent a text to Diane.
* Hi, This is Sally Blake. Of course, you can send the packages here. This will be great fun! My address is…."*
* Sally, thanks for getting back to me straight away. I want to get this going asap. If I know those two, they'll just be going out and buying what they need. I'm going to ask everyone to use rapid shipping and to try and get the gifts to you by the end of next week. Kate will be in port for two weeks, so we will just have enough time, I think.*
*Just let me know when you want to try and pull this off. I'll get a small cake, maybe some champagne. It would be good if Kate is in town.*
*I agree. Hopefully, we can work with that. I'll be in touch. Thanks, Sally!*
Diane finished her text session with Sally and was really excited. She spent the next two hours calling Josh's sisters and Sophia Caetano.
"Diane, I love this idea!" Sophia exclaimed. "I'll get right on notifying her brothers."
She ended her call with Sophia and sat thinking, ' Now how do I make sure that they don't buy a bunch of stuff…'
The following day, Monday, she called Josh…
"Hey, Mum, what's up?"
" Well, I was thinking about how you guys have to start from scratch in setting up your new place; you must need a lot of stuff," Diane said.
"Yeah, like everything, our Navy apartment was fully furnished. We didn't even have our dishes, pans, tableware, you know."
"Wow, I hadn't thought of that. How about emailing me a list of things that you need in case the girls want to get you something."
"Sure, will do."
'Now,' she thought, ' I need to come up with an excuse for them to be home and able to video chat.'
Josh went to pick up Nikki at 3:30 and told her about his conversation with his Mum.
"Well, how about we go over to Bed Bath N'Table and just sign up for their gift registry," Nikki suggested.
"Sure, perfect."
That evening Josh sent his mum a text telling her that they registered at Bed Bath N'Table. Diane then sent out a group text telling everyone that they had a gift registry. They all agreed to use rapid delivery and to have their gifts sent to Sally by Thursday. Then she arranged for the virtual party to be on the following Saturday, at 2 pm. As it happened, Bed Bath N'Table did shipping, and expedited delivery was available.
A week later, Diane called Josh.
"Hey, Mum."
"Hi honey, how's the new place?"
"It's great; we love it."
"And how is Nikki doing back to work?"
"She's happy. Monday was hard being away from Gale. With her shore posting, we were able to meet for lunch so she could get a Gale fix," Josh chuckled, Diane laughed with him. "She was pretty tired when she came home, but she said that it felt good to be back in uniform...and I have to say she looks really sexy in her whites."
"Josh, another reason I am calling is that Dad and I were hoping that you would be available on Saturday for a video chat, say around 2:00? We have something we want to discuss with you. I need to get your sisters on board as well."
"Sure, is everything okay?"
"We're fine, just some legal stuff."
"Okay, we'll be here."
"I'll talk to you Saturday then."
"You bet, love you, Mum."
"Love you too, say 'hi' to Nikki and give our little one a kiss."
"Will do. Bye, Mum."
Diane and James would be the hub around the conference call. Once everyone was connected, they would coordinate with Kate, Sally, and Bomber to arrive with the gifts.
Saturday afternoon, at 2 pm. Josh's laptop alerted him to the video call. As he was answering called out for Nikki, who was in the kitchen. She came out, picked up Gale and joined Josh on the couch in front of the laptop that was set up on the coffee table.
As the call connected, Diane kept the guests hidden. Josh opened the chat window, " Hey Mum, Dad…"
"Josh, Nikki, it's so wonderful to see you!" James said.
Diane then gave James the signal to text Kate. She was waiting outside the Holiday's townhouse along with Mike, Sally, Swain and Bomber with the gifts.
Diane then added Josh and Nikki to the group. They were stunned as the others started popping up on their screen. Then on cue, they all yelled "Surprise!" and held up a "Congratulations on your new home" sign. Almost at the same time, their doorbell rang.
Josh and Nikki were sitting there, stunned and tongue-tied. "Josh, don't you think that you should answer your door?" his mother said to him.
"Ahhh, yeah," getting up from the couch, he went down to the door.
Opening the door to a very loud "Surprise!" He was, again, speechless.
"Hey, Josh, can we come in?" Kate asked, "These packages are getting heavy."
"BLOODY HELL! Come in, what, what's all of this?" he stuttered.
"This," Kate answered, " Is you Mum's virtual housewarming party," Kate laughed.
Josh showed everyone upstairs and into the living room. Nikki stood up when she saw everyone walking in. She couldn't believe it, then there was clapping and cheering coming over the computer as she tearily embraced their guests. Josh had finally come out of his stupor and went back over to the laptop. At the same time, Sally, Kate, and Bomber took over getting everything organized. They placed all of the gifts on the floor near the couch, then Mike and Chris went back out to the cars to get the rest of them while Kate and Bomber went out to get the champagne, cake, and ice cream.
Kate took over, looking after Gale while they began to open their gifts. There were some table linens, crystal stemware, a kitchen knife set, a crockpot, tray tables, serving trays and much more.
Opening each gift, they displayed it in front of the camera for everyone to see.
After the gifts were open, Diane called for a toast. Sally passed out glasses of champagne to everyone. On cue, everyone lifted a glass of champagne, and Diane gave a toast.
"Raise your glasses," Diane announces…glasses were raised, even those online.
"May joy and peace surround you,
Contentment latch your door;
And happiness be with you now,
And bless you, evermore."
(Irish Blessing)
"To Josh and Nikki!"
"To Josh and Nikki!" everyone responds.
They chatted with their video guests, then the guests signed off one by one until only Diane, James, Dom, and Sophia were left.
"I can't believe you all did this!" Nikki says.
"It was all Diane," her mother said. "And I have to say that it was great fun!"
Kate, Bomber, and Sally put the coffee on and put the cake and ice cream on a tray.
The cake was from a specialty bakery and was in the shape of a cottage. Sally held it up to the camera for the mothers to see.
"Did you make that?" Diane and Sohpia both asked.
Laughing, "Hell No! It came from a specialty bakery."
Sally and Kate started cutting the cake with Bomber preparing a tray of coffees. A few minutes later, the mothers signed off with a wish for everyone to enjoy the rest of the day. "Kate, Rebecca, Sally…Thank you all for helping to pull this all together," Diane said.
"It was a pleasure," Kate said.
"Congratulations!" and Diane signed off.
Josh had his arm around Nikki and she snuggled against him as they were still trying to process the afternoon.
"Cake and Coffee?" Sally asked.
"Never turn down cake or coffee!" Nikki said.
They continued to visit and later ended up ordering Pizza as their friends' visit extended into the evening.
That night while cuddled in bed…"Josh, that was amazing. Your mother is amazing."
"Yeah, she's pretty special. It was sweet seeing the whole family together even if it was over video."
"It was. So… I can't believe all of the gifts!"
"Right?!"
Then pulling her close, he started kissing her neck and caressing her, then whispering, "Have I mentioned how much I love this bed? Especially with you in it."
Kissing him deeply, "don't tell me, show me."