Thanks to Sammy & Ilna for being family :)

Love to all our REAL McRollers & Readers

Part 9 of the REAL World Holiday Marathon

We Are Family

Ala Moana Mall

Steve held the door as Catherine entered the mall carrying Angie and followed by DJ and Joan.

"Can we go to the tshirt store first, Uncle Steve?" Joan asked as she took his hand.

"Are you kidding? DJ and I can't wait. You ladies did this on girls' day last year. We're looking forward to helping in the selection, right, buddy?" He smiled at Catherine as their son nodded vigorously.

"Yeah. What color do you think everyone will like this time?" He'd outgrown his tshirt from last year and was excited to be picking out new ones for all the cousins in the family.

"Not white, right, Aunt Cath?" Joan noted the rule her mother and aunt had echoed as they left the house.

"Right," Catherine said with a chuckle. Like the year before, they would try to stay as stain free as long as possible. "There's the place." She pointed, placing Angie on her feet and taking her hand in the one that wasn't holding DJ's.

"Yay! Le's get ow new shiwts!" Angie said as she tugged forward.

"Let's go!" Joan said as they headed for the selection of personalizable t-shirts.

"There's so many colors." DJ's eyes scanned the array. "Do we gotta pick a Christmas color?"

"You're going to wear them until you outgrow them," Catherine said with a smile. "So pick any color you want."

"Everyone said we can choose. Angie, we gotta vote like last year." He remembered being surprised and thrilled, if a little nervous when Joan called to ask for his vote last time. Now he was happy and proud all their older cousins entrusted them with choosing a color and design. "We pick our favorites and then if we agree we buy shirts for all the kids."

"Shiwts fo evabody?" Angie touched the material of the sample closest to the edge of the display. "Yellow, an' blue," she said as she pointed to the next color. "And gween an' wed!"

"How about since we had red last year, we pick a different color?" Joan suggested while running a hand over a pink one. "Maybe blue? Not everyone loves pink like me."

"That's very thoughtful, sweetheart." Catherine smiled. "Let's narrow it down to two colors and then you guys can pick."

"I like blue. And yellow. And the writing looks cool on black, too," DJ mused to his cousin and sister, who both nodded seriously.

The kids had decided on blue with black letters for this year's shirts, then they moved to review the designs displayed on a large wall.

Catherine and Steve grinned when after about five minutes DJ and Joan excitedly turned to each other and began nodding and smiling. Angie nodded along, clearly agreeing to whatever they came up with, even if she didn't quite understand every concept.

"Looks like you chose pretty quickly," Catherine said as they ran the few yards back from the counter.

"We wanted to ask what you think about something," DJ said, grabbing his mother's hand, while Joan took Steve's. Pulling them to the counter, the two seven year olds pointed to a design to the right of the various Cousin themed shirts.

"I know we were getting cousin shirts, but then we saw that one and we thought maybe instead of just us kids, we could get one for everybody?" Joan's eyes danced with the thought.

DJ squeezed his mother's fingers. "Could we, Mommy? It'd be so fun."

Steve kneeled to their eye level and said, "I think that's one great idea. High fives." He held out both hands and all three children slapped them gleefully.

"High five, Mommy!" Angie held up a little hand to Catherine, who joined in with a soft smile for Steve. She knew better than anyone just how much joy their son and niece's idea brought to her husband. The once young man who felt his chance to be part of a family evaporated with a plane trip to the mainland he'd never wanted to take. "You are all thoughtful and everyone's going to love it." She kissed each child's cheek and lifted Angie for a hug.

Just then, the salesperson appeared with a grin. "Happy holidays! I'm Tiffany, oh … I ... " the young girl bit her lip. "Sorry, I see you online in the news a lot. My sister's in Dr. Rollins' tutoring program." She dimpled a smile. "It's real nice to meet you, Lieutenant, Commander."

"Thanks so much, Tiffany. It's nice to meet you."

"It looks like you guys are getting some shirts." She turned her smile on the kids. "Did you decide?"

"Yeah! We were getting cousin shirts like last year, but then we saw that one and Uncle Steve and Aunt Cath said it was a good idea and so we need them for everybody," Joan bubbled.

"I have a list of sizes." Catherine pulled out a sheet of paper listing all the kids. "But we need to add another dozen or so. All on blue shirts, please."

"We got a big family," DJ added, with a glint of unmistakable joy in his big, brown eyes.

"That's so cool. I have a big family, too. It's fun, right?"

"It's the best."

"Da best!" Angie agreed, making everyone grin.

"I'll count out the copies and then we'll get the sizes ready. It'll be about two hours."

"Sounds good," Steve said as he passed her his credit card. "Ring us up and we'll be back after lunch."

"We havin' pizza, Daddy?" Angie asked hopefully.

"We're having pizza," he confirmed, lifting her onto his hip as Catherine passed Tiffany the rest of the sizes she'd jotted town and retrieved the credit card. "Ready?" he asked Joan and DJ.

"Ready, Daddy!" Ready!" they exclaimed and with a "Weady!" from Angie, they were on their way.

Glancing up at the display of the saying the children chose, Catherine slipped her hand in Steve's and laced their fingers.

The decal the cousins had chosen proclaimed in large block letters adorned with multicolored hands, WE ARE FAMILY.

His eyes followed hers and he leaned to kiss her temple.

# End. Thanks for reading!

Join us tomorrow as the marathon continues

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