Sammy and Ilna, love you to the moon. REAL McRollers and Readers, thanks doesn't seem like enough, but thank you always. This one is for all the awesome dads, here and in heaven.
The Best Job Ever
Angie was a bigger bundle of energy than usual as she raced around the second floor of the beach house, her hair bouncing with each step. The scent of freshly baked cookies wafted from the kitchen and the little girl was smiling when she headed downstairs and hopped off the last step.
"Daddy! Are you ready?" She began and stopped short when she saw Steve reading a text with a serious expression. "You didn't catch a case did you?"
"No. No case, baby girl. That was just Uncle Lou checking in about one from last week," he replied, glancing up with a smile that softened his features.
"The one where you caught the bad guys who were selling drugs?" Her ability to retain details about cases was growing, Steve noted and he nodded. "That's the one."
"You threw all the drugs away, right? So nobody can get sick from them?" She tilted her head while waiting for his answer.
"The drugs are off the street, yes," he replied and waved a hand to indicate her Brownie uniform, changing the subject. "Are you ready for your meeting?" How much care she put into her uniform always made him and Catherine smile.
"I'm very ready!" She beamed.
Steve chuckled and pocketed his phone. "Okay, then, tell mommy we're leaving and let's go."
The seven year old ran through the kitchen to the deck and called out to where Catherine and DJ were starting on a walk with Cammie. "Mommy! DJ! We're going now!" She said with a wave.
"Have fun!" DJ responded and Catherine blew a kiss as she added, "Don't forget the cookies!"
As they drove to the community center, Angie chattered away, her excitement infectious. "You're going to tell them all about being in the Navy and being the head of Five-0, right? And then we can make the cookie ice cream sandwiches!"
The troop was asking rotating parent guests to discuss their careers, and she was beside herself that it was her daddy's turn.
"Yep, that's the plan," he replied, a grin turning up the corner of his mouth.
"It's gonna be so fun," she giggled, eyes sparkling. "Ashae's bringing two kinds of ice cream for the sandwiches 'cause it's both our turn for snacks, remember?"
"How could I forget?" Steve said, glancing at her as they pulled into the parking lot. "I may have heard she's bringing more than one kind of sprinkles."
The community center was buzzing with energized seven and eight year olds. Angie's fellow Brownies, dressed in their uniforms, laughed and talked excitedly, filling the room with a chorus of giggles and squeals as each troop member arrived and said hello. None louder than Angie and Ashae, even though they had been together at school mere hours before.
"Hi, Angie!" A girl with long braids rushed up to them. "Hi Angie's dad! I saw you on TV catching bad guys."
Angie beamed, squeezing Steve's hand as she tugged him towards Ms. Sarah and Ms. Mimi.
"Alright, Brownie friends!" Sarah said while holding up the three fingered salute that meant it was time for quiet. "Let's get in our friendship circle. We have another very special guest this week to talk about their job. Please give a Brownie Girl Scout welcome to Commander Steve McGarrett, Angie's dad." Turning to Steve as they all applauded, she waved a hand towards the kids. "All yours, Commander."
Steve stepped forward, his posture relaxed, thinking how it was a far cry from the first time he visited Jacob's class and had absolutely no idea what to expect. He scanned the eager little faces looking up at him. Angie was front and center, right next to Ashae.
"Thanks for that great welcome, everyone," he began, "I'm excited to be here to talk about my job and help with your activity. I'm going to tell you about what I do and answer questions, how does that sound?"
After a brief explanation of how the task force worked and a mention of his days on the teams, the questions began.
"Do you always have to fight bad guys?" A girl sitting on Ashae's other side called out.
Steve chuckled, thinking, 'and here we go'. "Sometimes, yes. But my job is really about keeping people and the island safe."
"Angie said you were a SEAL." another girl asked, her eyes wide. "My daddy's on the teams, remember?"
"I do remember. I've met your dad here a few times. It's always good to meet another team guy."
"What's being a SEAL like?" A girl named Amy asked.
"It's hard work but rewarding. SEALs train a lot and work as a team to protect our country. It's not just about fighting enemies; it's also about planning and thinking quickly," he explained, his tone serious but light enough to engage the girls.
Angie beamed with pride when Dee, the girl on her other side, nudged her. "Your daddy's super awesome. A SEAL and the boss of Five 0."
Steve continued, addressing the sea of enthralled little girls. "I know some more of your parents are in the Navy, too. You should be very proud of them. They do important work."
"Did you get to go on cool missions?" a girl named Tina, with sparkly purple glasses asked.
"Sometimes," he said, smiling. "But I can't tell you all the details because they're classified. What I can tell you is that teamwork is everything. We rely on each other and trust one another to do our jobs well."
The girls nodded seriously, absorbing his words. Angie raised her hand, bouncing slightly in her seat. "Can I ask something, Daddy?"
"Of course," Steve said, giving her a nod.
"Can you tell everyone your favorite part of being a SEAL?"
"My favorite part was knowing we were making a difference. Whether it's helping people or stopping anyone who wants to commit crimes against our country."
Angie grinned, her admiration for her father evident.
"What's the funnest part of being in charge of the task force?" A girl named Jody asked.
"The most fun? Hmmm." Steve pretended to think, then said, "Is definitely working with my team, because they're also my ohana. My partner, Detective Danny Williams, is even godfather to Angie and her brother, DJ."
"That is fun. School's more fun when you make friends in your classroom," Jody agreed and the others nodded.
"Is it scary catching bad guys?" Another child asked.
"Sometimes, but we are well trained and we have each other's backs."
"Angie said her Mommy used to be on the team and helped you catch bad guys, but now she works for the governor. Does she still help you, sometimes?"
Steve glanced at his daughter, who was looking up at him with love-filled eyes. "She does. She helps by bringing us cases from the governor, and by getting us intel …um, information we can use to catch criminals. She's the best code breaker I've ever known and she sometimes helps with that, too."
"I'm gonna work with my daddy when I grow up," Angie said and her friends grinned.
"That'll be so awesome," Amy said. "Angie's smart and brave so she'll be super good at it."
As Angie thanked her friend with a hug, Steve looked up, catching the eye of Ms. Sarah who nodded that he could wrap up this part of the meeting.
"Alright, how about we move on to some fun with snack time?" He suggested, "Who's ready to make cookie ice cream sandwiches?"
The troop erupted into cheers, and in a few seconds, they were all gathered around a large table with cookies, ice cream, scoopers and several bowls of sprinkles at the ready. Angie stood beside her father, carefully trying to create the perfect sandwich.
"Can I roll it in the sprinkles now?" she asked, glancing up at him. "Can I do half rainbow and half chocolate?"
"You can make it however you want," he replied, giving her a wink.
"Yay!" she announced, and taking the two cookies with the ice cream sandwiched between them, carefully rolled it in both types of sprinkles.
While the girls laughed and continued to make and add sprinkles to their ice cream sandwiches, Steve moved from child to child, as did the leaders.
As he helped Ashae, Dee asked, "Did you ever work with police dogs? I love dogs."
Steve nodded. "Actually, yes, We've had the K-9 officers and their dogs help us on a lot of cases."
"Ohhh. That's so cool!" several girls exclaimed and the kids began tossing out the names of their own dogs, cats and other pets.
As the controlled chaos of cookie ice cream sandwich making continued, Angie motioned to her father to lean down to her level. Kissing his cheek, she said, "You're very very good at this, Daddy. Everybody thinks so."
"Thanks, baby girl. I'm having fun with you guys," he replied, kissing her head.
As the meeting went on, the girls ate their creations, their laughter bouncing off the walls of the large room.
"Angie, your daddy is so fun," one girl said, wiping her cheeks of cookies and ice cream with a napkin. "And he's handsome, you know, for a dad."
Angie giggled her agreement. She knew her daddy was the handsomest man in the whole world.
"You're cool and brave, but fun, too," another girl said, earning a chorus of agreement.
"Well thanks," Steve replied, "I'm happy you guys had a fun meeting."
"Can you come back again?" another girl asked. "Maybe with Lieutenant Catherine and Angie's brother?" She giggled. "DJ's cute!"
"I'd love to," Steve replied and thought how Catherine would say DJ's going to cause a little McGarrettitis of his own.
The meeting wrapped up with parents arriving to pick up their girls. As Steve packed up the leftover cookies, Angie hugged him tightly. "You were the funnest helper, Daddy."
"Thanks, baby girl," he said, kneeling to her level. "I'm happy you thought so."
As they walked out together, Angie looked up at him, her face serious for a moment and her words made him lift her into a hug. "You're the best daddy, ever."
"And you're the best daughter," he kissed her cheek and placed her on her feet as they reached the truck and climbed in.
As they drove, Angie talked about all the parts of the meeting and the fun they had. "Daddy?" She said, her voice softening.
"Yeah?"
"I'm really glad you're my daddy," she said, her absolute sincerity clear.
"Thanks, baby girl. That means a lot," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "Because it's my favorite job ever."
#THE END Thanks for Reading
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