ANs in part 1

A Lot to be Thankful For

"Aunt Deb, that's you!" Angie pointed at the TV, then looked at her great aunt in awe. "You were a movie star?"

The crew had decided to have a special 'pancakes in front of the TV' breakfast because Mary had a very special surprise she wanted everyone to see.

Deb laughed. "I was singer who knew the band's frontman and was asked to sing in a movie because they needed a female singer." She kissed Angie's cheek. "I was definitely a singer who acted, not an actor who sang."

"That's so so cool! How come we never saw this before?" Joan asked.

"I didn't even know it still existed, sweetheart. Until your mama spotted it on the late show and scoured the Internet for a copy."

"I'm happy you found it, Aunt Mary," DJ said. "It's so cool you were in a real movie, Aunt Deb."

"Let's watch," Mary said. "Aunt Deb is in a few scenes, and she sings two songs. Here comes the first one."

DJ, Joan and Angie sat on the floor, side by side, their plates of pancakes sitting on the coffee table. Cammie sat nearby ready to clean up anything that got dropped on the floor. Pumpkin was in her usual spot on the back on the couch, having acclimated herself to having extra people around.

Everyone's eyes were glued to the television.

Deb played a nightclub singer and in her first scene she sat on a piano, singing, Dream a Little Dream of Me, while the stars of the movie danced.

When the film ended with the couple living 'happily ever after' Deb's voice played over a montage of scenes as she sang Sinatra's Somewhere, Beyond the Sea.

"I want to learn that song," Joan announced. "The one I'll be sailing. Teach me, please?" She did a little hop in front of Deb.

"Us too!" DJ said. "That one is fun. It's at the end of Finding Nemo."

Joan and Angie gasped in recognition. "It is!" Joan exclaimed. "Aunt Deb, you sang a Finding Nemo song!"

"I'm sure Frank Sinatra would be happy you like it, and that you think of it as a Finding Nemo song." Deb laughed. "You got it, my sweethearts. I'll teach it to you later. But right now, everyone needs to get ready for the mall. You three run get your shoes on."

"That's right," Catherine said with a grin. "Get ready because Grandma's on her way for shopping day."

"Cousin Christmas shirts!" Angie tossed her arms up. "Everybody said we can pick them."

"We get to pick the color and design for all our cousins," DJ said. "So we need to make sure it's something everyone will like."

"And no white shirts, right, Mama?" Joan giggled.

"Absolutely right," Mary confirmed while Catherine nodded her agreement. "We want something that will at least look clean for an hour after Christmas."

"Okay!" the kids chorused as they headed upstairs to get ready.

"We did red the first year…"

"…and blue is pretty…"

"I love red! And blue…"

Their voices carried from the landing and the sisters in law shared a smile.

The children returned later in the afternoon chattering on at lightning speed about all the fun they'd had at the mall, all the ideas they'd come up with for Christmas gifts, and everything they'd had to eat including lunch at The Cheeseburger Factory, dessert from the Liliha Bakery, and a stop for ice cream on the way home.

They spent an hour holed up in the downstairs bedroom with Deb learning Somewhere, Beyond the Sea, as promised, and happily sang it for their parents before a dinner of leftovers.

Later that evening, Catherine sat on the deck, smiling as she watched Steve, Aaron, and Mary playing a game in the yard with DJ, Joan, Angie as Cammie ran around them all happily.

"Penny for them?" Deb asked, joining her at the table.

Catherine inhaled slowly, collecting her thoughts, and smiled at the older woman. "I was thinking about that first Thanksgiving with DJ … and how far he's come since then."

Deb smiled knowingly. "Ahh."

"He was so … hesitant back then." Catherine sighed. "It was like he wasn't sure if it was ok to feel happy. And safe. And like a part of something. A part of a family."

"That's understandable," Deb said. "He hadn't had an easy time of it. None of the people in his life up until that point had offered him those things."

"Every time he hesitated to take seconds at dinner, or to ask for something he wanted, or needed, it broke my heart. Steve and I just wanted to make everything better for him right away."

"But of course you couldn't," Deb said knowingly. "Because undoing that kind of damage takes time and consistency."

Catherine smiled.

"One thing about DJ," Deb continued. "He was always willing to love and be loved. And you and my nephew offered him that. Unwavering, unconditional love."

"We fell in love with him on day one," Catherine said. "All three of us. Angie included. We knew we shouldn't get too attached until we found out what the situation with a potential adoption was going to be but it was no use. I would have fought anybody who tried to take him out of our lives."

"He felt that," Deb said. "It's a big part of how he's come so far in a relatively short period of time."

"It's like Angie always tells people, he was always part of our family, it just took a few years for us all to find each other."

"I think she's exactly right," Deb said. "It kinda feels like working on growing as people and strengthening relationships is becoming a McGarrett family trait. I like that."

Catherine smiled. "You mean Mary and Steve."

"You have no idea how often I dreamed about the two of them sharing a close relationship." Deb's eyes clouded over with memories of a time when the siblings had almost no contact with each other let alone any kind of close relationship. "I was afraid it would never happen. And look at them now."

Catherine sighed happily. "They've come a long way."

"With your help." Deb reached out and squeezed Catherine's hand.

"They did it themselves," Catherine insisted.

"I love them both more than anything in the world," Deb said with a smile. "But they're both stubborn. You gave them the framework to help build a healthy, loving relationship."

Catherine blushed slightly. "You give me too much credit."

"You modeled for each of them what it was like to have someone in your life you could count on, could trust to always be there, who would always offer support, and most importantly who it was safe to talk to about hard and uncomfortable things. Before long they were able to start to be that for each other."

"They would have gotten there by themselves eventually," Catherine said.

"Maybe." Deb's attention was drawn to the happy scene playing out on the beach. "But much like DJ, they got there a lot faster because they had you beside them."

"And you," Catherine said.

"We have a lot to be thankful for." Deb said. She was stopped from going any further when Joan, Angie, and DJ barrelled towards them at top speed, all three practically vibrating with excitement.

"We need to get the super soakers," DJ reported breathlessly. "We're gonna have a water battle. Do you wanna play?"

Deb beamed. "Not me. I'm having fun watching you guys."

"Will you play, Mommy? Please?" DJ asked hopefully.

Catherine smiled. "Of course I will, sweetheart. Let's go."

# End. Thank you all for joining us for the ninth annual McRoll in the real world Thanksgiving marathon. Our regular story schedule resumes Monday.

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