Chapter 2

After the dance with her beaming father that she requested to Bon Jovi's Thank You for Loving Me, Grace was on the dance floor with a group of her friends and the younger family members. Danny couldn't help but grin as he watched Angie happily dancing among them with Joan and DJ, both of whom the six year old had tugged out to join the fun as soon as the music started.

"It's like Mommy and Daddy's wedding video 'cept this time we get to be here!" She'd chorused happily causing all of the adults in the vicinity to chuckle.

After several songs, Joan and DJ took a break for some lemonade, but Angie shook her head and said, "No, thanks, I'm good," when they were leaving the floor.

"I wish I had half her energy," Clara told Elizabeth.

The proud grandmother beamed. "Don't we all."

Not missing a beat, Angie spun around and danced in a little circle with Grace, Linda and Kendra.

"Who taught you to dance so well?" Grace asked the energetic six-year old.

"I just taught myself," Angie giggled.

"Maybe you can teach me too," Grace said as she began to copy Angie's moves.

Steve came up beside Danny and they shared a look of pride in the young woman who'd completed the first of what they knew were many goals in her young adult life.

"She certainly has it way more together than I did at her age," Danny said.

Steve nodded. "You and me both."

"Weren't you in SEAL training at her age?" Danny snorted a laugh. "It feels like you have to have things together to do that."

They watched as Angie, never one to miss a chance to mingle, moved on to dance with the next group of partygoers on the dance floor.

"Not til '94, but I was already the poster child for hyper-focusing on one thing as a way of ignoring everything else going on in my life," Steve admitted. "It took me years to understand as much about balance as Grace already knows."

"She could teach us all a thing or two," Danny said proudly. "But never doubt a lot of what she knows in that area she learned from you and Catherine."

Steve cleared his throat to dislodge a large lump. "Thanks."

When his daughter waved from her position in Francesca's arms calling, "I'm dancing, Daddy!" to state the obvious, Steve barked a laugh. "I see you, baby girl," he responded and she smiled Catherine's smile before focusing on something Jess was saying in her ear.

Danny nudged him with a smirk. "Your social butterfly is charming them all," he tilted his chin to indicate Angie. "Definitely her Rollins genes."

"Must be." Steve couldn't hide a grin and when Catherine joined them he leaned to kiss her cheek. "I managed to charm the person who mattered most, so…"

His shrug had his best friend nodding in agreement.

"Because you're the luckiest bastard alive, of course."

"No argument," he responded, just as the music tempo changed and most of the twenty somethings and teens drifted towards the drink stations and bar.

When the strains of Fly Me to the Moon began, Angie gasped, ran up and took Danny's hand. "It's Frank Sinatra, Uncle Danno! You gotta dance with me!"

Lifting her into a hug, Danny beamed at Steve and Catherine, carried their daughter onto the floor, dipped her to a cascade of giggles and put her down to dance.

"I know my son's influence when I see it," Clara said with a chuckle as she and Eddie passed Steve and Catherine on their way onto the floor.

Offering a hand to his wife, Steve laughed. "Can't let them outdo us…"

Nodding towards their six year old dancing with her uncle, Catherine laughed and said, "Are you sure about that?" as they began to dance.

As the party buzzed around them, Danny and Chin stood by the bar. "So, how does it feel to have a college graduate on your hands, brah?" Chin asked with his usual smile in place.

Danny shook his head. "Honestly, it's a little surreal. Part of me is almost giddy and another part is screaming 'she just graduated pre school.' "

"What have I always said?" Lou Grover raised his beer in the direction of where Samantha was chatting with Grace. "You blink, they're 18. Blink again, they're out of college. Not gonna lie, I was a little nauseous until Samantha took a job on the island."

Danny toasted, and Chin raised his glass as well. "To letting them fly but keeping them close."

Linda and Kendra were talking animatedly with Kendra's parents and siblings and Linda's Grandma Josie.

"I can't believe we survived that all-nighter for Professor Jenkins' final!" Linda laughed, shaking her head.

Kendra grinned. "I know, right? But we aced it, thanks to Grace and her notes."

"Grace has always been the glue that held the study group together," Linda said of her best friend. "Even back in high school she was the person everybody wanted to prep for tests with."

"That's because Catherine taught her how to take good notes," Kendra pointed out. "I know some of the pointers she gave me made all the difference."

"No more tests!" Linda pumped her fist in triumph. "Grandma and I agreed I can take the rest of the summer to just kind of relax and decompress then start the job hunt in the fall."

"You should come to Montana and visit the ranch," Kendra's father suggested.

"Can I ride a real horse?" Linda asked, clearly on board with the idea.

He chuckled. "That's the only kind we have."

"I can teach you to milk a cow," Kendra offered.

Linda barked a laugh. "Let's not go that far."

Steve and Catherine stood together, watching Grace dance with Casey and Kaitlyn. Catherine leaned her head against Steve's shoulder, a soft smile on her lips. "Two out of three are all grown up," she murmured.

"Gracie's an adult," Steve said, his gaze following their niece as she grabbed Kendra and Linda onto the dance floor. "We were deployed at her age, and yet…"

"She's still a little girl in your head sometimes?"

"There it is, reading my mind as usual," he kissed her temple.

Grace's eyes darted to where Jadon, Jess, Cody, and his siblings were laughing and sharing stories with Fracesca and Eric. Her cousins caught her eye and waved her over.

"I can't believe we're graduates," Casey bubbled. "I'm not sure I'm ready for adulting."

"You're never really ready," Cody said. "You just have to hold your breath and jump in."

Casey smiled softly. "Luckily we're surrounded by a whole bunch of lifeguards who won't let us sink to the bottom of the pool."

Cody grinned. "You got that right."

"Dylan, you're next…" Francesca said. "I've never been to a party at Annapolis. I hope I get an invite."

"Consider it done," Dylan said.

Francesa pointed to the younger Allens. "And you two aren't far behind."

Just as she said that Boris approached the group to check in with Grace and make sure there was nothing she needed.

"Thank heavens," he said. "There will be enough parties coming up to keep us in business for a while." When he saw Danny approaching, a now familiar twinkle danced in his eyes. "And when the graduation parties are through, it'll be time for weddings."

"He put you up to that, didn't he?" Danny asked, pointing at Steve. "Well it doesn't matter. There's nothing that can spoil my happiness today. My baby girl is a college graduate."

THE END

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