A/N: Thank you guys for your kindness - tomorrow is going to be a rough day missing my dad, and attending a funeral for a friend's granddaughter. All I can say is hug your loved ones. You just never know.
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The tears in Kono's eyes spilled unchecked down her cheeks. Steve was manning the grill, and gave her a tiny wave. Chin was standing to her left, and caught her up in a tight hug. "Ho'omaika'i 'Ana, Kono." He kissed her cheek before stepping back and swiping the tears from her eyes.
"Thank you, Chin. But don't congratulate me yet – I still have to actually make it through the delivery." Kono smiled, but tried not to let on how nervous she was getting about everything.
He grinned, his eyes crinkling in the corners. "You're going to do great. I just know it."
She felt a tug on her hand and looked down to where Grace was standing. "Will you come with me, Auntie Kono?"
Kono bent over and hugged Grace, so touched that she would do this for her. "Absolutely, sweetheart. Where are we going?"
Grace's dimples were out in full force. "To the seat of honor. I decorated it just for you."
Kono laughed as she saw the elaborately decorated Adirondack chair, complete with pillows, blue and green streamers, and a covered crate to use as an ottoman. She let Grace lead her the rest of the way, and almost giggled at how seriously Grace took 'helping' her to get seated. At this point, she wondered if even a forklift could help her.
Once she was comfortable, Grace turned and gave Steve a thumbs up, which apparently was his cue to bring her a plate. He leaned down and kissed her cheek before handing her a plate filled with her favorite dishes. "I'm really proud of you, Kono."
She nodded and blinked the tears from her eyes. She was just destined to be an emotional basket case tonight. She thumbed the errant droplet from her cheek and smiled at Grace, who was a little worried at her sudden display of emotion. "I'm good, Grace. I promise."
Grace bit at her lip. "I just wanted you to be happy."
Kono tugged until she could hug her young friend. "Aww, Grace. I am absolutely happy. These are tears of joy, I swear. I can't believe you planned this surprise for me. I'm so thrilled that you did all of this. You are going to be such a great cousin. He is going to love you so much."
Grace's smile practically lit up the beach, as the rest of the guests had gotten their food and were seated around the many tables that had been borrowed for the party. "Danno helped with some of the party – because there are some things that I just couldn't do. And my mom helped me look up some recipes – I made the punch all by myself. I hope you like it."
Kono took a sip of the sweet concoction and smiled appreciatively. "It's really good. How did you make it?"
Grace flushed a little at the compliment. "I got some blue punch, and mixed lemonade and lemon soda in it. I thought it would be fun to add ice cream to it – it made it kind of look like clouds when we scooped them and let them float."
Danny carried two plates over and set one of them down for Grace. "Here you go, Monkey. Uncle Steve hooked you up." He sat next to her at the picnic table and smiled at how relaxed Kono looked, seated at the head of the table.
Grace jumped up quickly. "I forgot napkins. I'll be right back." She darted off to where Steve had placed extra utensils and the like.
While she was gone, Kono shook her head and stared at Danny. "You knew obviously, didn't you?"
Danny shrugged one shoulder. "Guilty as charged. Grace would have had my head if I'd have told you. I'm just glad I got you to come with me. I never would have heard the end of it if I would have come here alone."
Kono shook her head. "I'm sorry I was such a brat earlier. They weren't kidding when they said emotions would be all over the place during pregnancy. Some days I'm not sure whether I'm coming or going."
Danny reached over and squeezed her hand. "You're doing great, Kono. I mean that. I know this hasn't been easy on you, but you've been strong when you've had to be. You were my rock when I needed you, and I don't know if I can ever thank you enough for that."
Kono squeezed back. "There's no need for thanks, Danny. I'm just glad to see you able to smile a little more each day. Nonna would have wanted you to be happy, you know."
As Grace came skipping back to the table, Danny nodded his head. "I am. I have everything I need right here."
He turned to his daughter. "So, Miss Hostess, what's on the agenda for the rest of the night?"
Grace giggled at the title. "After we eat, Kono can open her presents. And then after that, we have cake. Auntie Kono, I can't wait for you to see the cake we picked out for you. Even Danno hasn't seen it yet. Mommy took me to pick it up."
Kono winked at Grace as she ate another chunk of pineapple. "Well then, I can't wait to see it. I'm sure it's perfect, since you picked it out."
Grace was nearly buzzing from the anticipation, but reigned herself in. "I think lots of people are almost done eating – so whenever you are ready, we can clean up the table and bring the presents over. Uncle Chin said he'd help me write everything down so that you know who gave you what presents."
Kono nodded and pushed her now-empty plate away. "That sounds like a great idea, Grace. That will make the thank you cards so much easier."
While they were chatting, Chin and Steve quickly gathered the plates from everyone who was finished and moved the gift table close to where Kono was seated. Grace took charge of handing Kono the gifts, while Steve hooked a lawn trash bag on each arm of her chair.
The first gift was Kamekona's, and Kono could not help but laugh as she saw the gifts that the big man had gotten for her son. He had found a matching set of bib and pacifier that said "Boob Man" on them. He also had gotten some humorous onesies that everyone had laughed at. One had a picture of french fries on it and said "Small Fry". Another one said "Oh, Spit", and the final one said "Sir Poops A Lot". Kono motioned him over and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders. "Thank you, Kame. I love them."
Kamekona flushed and stepped back. "Shoots, pretty lady. Your little man is ohana. His first shave ice is on me, okay?"
She grinned and nodded her head. "Sounds like a plan."
Grace handed her another gift; this time from Chin. He had gone with a surfing theme, from the wrapping to the gifts inside. He had gotten her some board books that featured characters surfing, along with an ABC book that was all ocean based with the words printed on the pages. He bought a beach backpack that would also be used as a diaper bag – Kono screamed outdoors, so he wanted something that she could use and still keep her hands free.
He found a surfboard growth chart, and two onesies that had everyone laughing out loud. The first one said "My mom surfs better than your mom", and the other one said "If you think I'm cute, you should see my Uncle Chin." Danny and Steve may or may not have immediately asked where he had gotten the personalized onesie. The most poignant gift, though, was a hanging wall art piece that could be personalized with name and date of birth information done in surfboards.
Kono's eyes were beyond damp as she muscled herself up and out of the chair. "Thank you, Chin. I mean it. My son will be so blessed to call you Uncle."
Chin chuckled as his hug was met with a little foot poking at him. He poked back at it, saying "Two more months, little man. Just give your mommy a break with all of the kicking, okay?"
He helped her back to her chair, where Grace was at the ready with another gift. This one was a large envelope, with the state seal imprinted on it. Her eyes widened as she opened it and pulled out the contents. "What…what is this? Seriously?" Kono was speechless, so Danny reached over and took the booklet from her hands.
He whistled appreciatively. "Wow. This is from the Governor and his staff. It's a blank order form, with instructions for Kono to pick out a crib set and a stroller." The furniture company was local, and prided themselves on their craftsmanship. The strollers ranged from the more basic model to the more elaborate jogging stroller, which was where Kono's eyes immediately traveled.
Danny knew that she would probably protest that it was too much, but he hoped she would accept the gift for what it was. The Governor had become a strong ally to all of the team members, both at work and at home. He had been none too pleased when one of his task force members had had her world blown all to hell, and had vowed to make sure that she and her baby were looked after. There were plans for a daycare center for all government workers, and Kono had already reserved a preliminary spot for her son.
He nodded as Grace decided whether to hand Kono another present or not. As Kono opened another round of gifts, she truly appreciated the thought that people took in thinking of her son. Many of them were the exact thing that Kono would have picked out, if she would have chosen for herself, from blankets to bedding; and from clothes to toys.
Grace was grinning as she handed Kono Steve's gift. She knew a couple of the things that were in there, and couldn't wait to see Kono's face when she opened the gift bag. "Of course, Steve…leave it to you to find baby camo clothes." Somehow, Steve had found a camo onesie with hiking boots stitched into the fabric, soft camo booties, toddler hiking boot slippers, a onesie that said "I've just done 9 months inside", and a beach pop-up shade that would keep her son sun-safe. He had also arranged for a meal delivery service, so that Kono wouldn't have to worry about cooking for the first 6 months. Rather than make her get up again, Steve knelt down next to her and wrapped one arm around her. "Anything you need, you know I'm there for you, right?"
Kono nodded and squeezed his hand. "I know, boss. Thank you." She sat back, shaking her head as Grace put another gift in her hands. By the apprehensive expression on her face, Kono knew that this gift had come from Grace and Danny.
She gasped as she took the first gift from the bag. Her eyes filled as she read the inscription in the hard backed book. "Auntie Kono. I hope you like this book. It's to write down all of your memories of your baby. Welcome to _!" Grace had left a spot blank and offered to fill it in once Kono had shared the name with her ohana.
Grace hugged Kono close, whispering, "Having my Nonna journal really helped me. I wanted you to have something to write about your baby and Adam, too."
Kono didn't care that tears were falling. She just held onto Grace, so thankful that this pure-hearted girl was a part of her life. Danny may have worried that he had done irreparable damage to his daughter, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Grace pulled back and swiped the tears from Kono's face. "There's still more, Auntie Kono." She set the gift bag back in her lap and resumed her place in the chair next to her. She pulled the tissue paper from the bag so Kono could just dive right in.
Kono giggled as she saw the set of socks that looked like baseballs and footballs. There was also a squishy basket full of soft balls with smiley faces on them. The baseball was particularly cute, and it was Grace's favorite. Given his love of baseball, Danny had ordered a onesie that looked like the stitching on a baseball, complete with a diaper cover that had matching stitching. He had even found soft soled "cleats" to go with the themed outfit. He had also included a set of stick-on ties that counted the months up to twelve months. Danny told her that he expected a picture every month with her baby wearing the ties. She could only laugh and nod her head, astounded at the amount of thought that all of her ohana had put into their gifts for the baby.
The best gift from Danny and Grace, though, was a baby seat that moved in every possible direction, from rocking, to swinging, to lightly bouncing. She could even plug in an MP3 player so that her son could listen to a wide variety of music, depending on his mood. It also came with a sling that Kono could wear to keep her son close to her heart as she went about her day.
Kono took a deep breath and looked out at her friends. "I don't know what to say, you guys. It means so much that you all came tonight. To know that my son has such a strong ohana already means the world to me, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart that you are the ones who will step up and show him what family is all about."
As she fielded hugs from a few of her friends, Steve and Grace snuck into the kitchen to get the cake. Chin saw them coming, and gently covered Kono's eyes, knowing that Grace wanted this to be a surprise.
Steve helped Grace position the cake in 'just the right spot' before giving Chin a nod. He removed his hands, and all Kono could do was stare. The cake was simply perfect – it was done in a beach theme, with surfboards, brown sugar sand, fondant sand toys, beach balls, and waves floating over the top of the cake and down onto the sides.
Hearing a click, Kono realized that Danny was snapping pictures of everything, and she was grateful that he had taken time to capture her special day. She pulled Grace in front of her and bent down, wanting a picture with Grace and the cake in the same shot.
She gave her a kiss on top of her head and squeezed her shoulder. "Thank you again, Grace. This was the perfect baby shower. You thought of everything, and I'm blessed…my son will be lucky to have you in his life."
Chin had started cutting the multi-layered cake into slices, and before long, the yard was filled with the happy hum of people enjoying the rest of the baby shower. Kono was fading, and Danny was the first to notice. "Hey there…Steve and Chin and I are going to load everything into the Camaro, and then we can take Grace to Rachel's and then get you home. I know you're pretty wiped out."
Kono didn't want the party to end, but truth be told, she was exhausted. The ligaments in her hips and pelvis were really painful tonight. It was all stretching, she knew…but it was uncomfortable, and she knew that she would feel better if she could rest on her side.
She nodded and held a hand out for Danny to help her stand up. By the time she had made the rounds saying good-bye to her friends, the Camaro's trunk was loaded to capacity. After one last set of hugs from Steve and Chin for both Kono and Grace, Danny was soon headed down the road. Only one of his passengers had any energy left to talk, and his daughter and her boundless liveliness chattered all the way home about the shower.
By the time she got back to Rachel's, her energy had fizzled somewhat, and she was rather subdued as Danny walked her to the door. She was disappointed that Kono had fallen asleep in the car, but understood the need to be quiet, and didn't disturb her as she climbed out Danny's side.
Rachel opened the door and smiled as she caught sight of the tired excitement on her daughter's face. Grace hugged Danny one last time before telling him, "Thanks for a great day. Give Kono a hug when she wakes up, okay?"
Danny kissed her cheek. "I will, Monkey. You did an amazing job with Kono's shower – I know she loved all of it. I'm really proud of you, baby girl. I love you."
Grace kissed his cheek in return. "Love you, Danno."
Rachel accepted Danny's hug before leading Grace into the house and shutting the door. Turning on his heel, Danny jogged back to the car and quietly opened the door. He was not surprised to see that Kono was sound asleep. She had turned and tried to pull her knees up, but wasn't having much luck.
Danny just shook his head as he started the car and headed back towards Kono's house. He would make sure she was settled before bringing the gifts inside. Steve and Chin had made plans to come over tomorrow – the three of them would finish painting the nursery. Kono had been reluctant to do much to the nursery for so long – her grief had just about swallowed her – but now that the delivery was feeling more real, she was more excited about putting things together. Hopefully it would be smooth sailing from here on out, and Kono could just enjoy the rest of the experience.
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