Reminder Time

Dan Williams started looking around the house once again to make sure everything was in place before leaving for the hospital. Today was the big day. Today was the day he brought his family home. Dan thought about this being the last time for years to come that the house will be perfectly clean and quiet. This is not a bad trade off, a perfectly clean and quiet house for a home with a loving wife and children. If they are anything like the kids he has been around they will fill the house with love and noise, turning this house into a wonder home.

Dan heads once again into the kitchen to make sure all the food he bought in the last couple of days had been put away. “I can’t believe what is needed to feed us just for a couple of weeks. No wonder Caterina complains about the food budget.”

Everything was perfect in the kitchen including all the dishes were washed and put away. Dan was looking at the gift that Steve purchased to help Caterina out, a new dishwasher, a surprise that Caterina would appreciate greatly.

Going into the dining room he saw the flower arrangement that he had bought for Mommy Williams from the twins were sitting in the middle of the dining room table. There was a seductive smile on his face as he remembered the red roses he bought and placed in the master bedroom for his loving wife. Of course, everything in this room was in its place as well. “Caterina really did a wonderful job of redecorating our home over the past year and half.” The dining room was the only room in the house that still had all the original furniture from her parents.

The living room was neat as could be. He didn’t put all the furniture back where it belonged yet, because he wasn’t sure if Caterina would still need her wheelchair. “I hope that chair is out of here for good. I’ve hated seeing her the way she was for the past three months. She was either confined to the bed and when she did get out of the bed she was confined to that damn wheelchair.” Dan moved to put the morning papers in the recycle bin to go out later in the week. “That’s perfect.”

He turned to look through the sliding doors and saw the calm ocean view and that the backyard was ready for this afternoon's welcome home party. “Be some party if the guest of honor is still to sick to handle it. I hope the guys don’t get sidetracked on the current caseload.” With Dan out of the office, it put extra workload on the rest of the guys. “Then again, they’ve been handling the extra load for the past three months with my having to pull what Caterina calls half days.” Dan laughs to himself as he heads down the hallway to check on the other rooms. “Half days, working nine hours and it is only a half day.”

Dan looked in to the nursery and saw the new laid carpeting that arrived yesterday. The baby furniture is due next month. “Nothing like being prepared for a new family. Then again what else can you expect when the twins decide to come two weeks early.” The walls were freshly painted in bright colors with baby animals painted everywhere. Of course, what would the Williams’ nursery be without a touch here from Chin Ho and there from Kono, plus over there was an item from Steve. In addition, there were gifts from Duke, Arms and Amanak, plus a couple of items from the Steele's that he would like to see get lost or misplaced somehow. In addition, there were other gifts from almost everyone in HPD and HFD. The closet was full of various size baby cloths and diapers, along with other baby needs. Dan wondered “Where do we put the baby furniture when it comes with all this stuff in here?” He rubbed the back of his head wondering. “Something to work on next week before the furniture shows up.”

Dan continued down the hallway to the master bedroom. The new king-size bed had arrived just two hours ago. He had vacuumed the carpet and polished the furniture after having the furniture moved back into the room. Dan went over to bed and finished making it in the new sheets. “Most couples sleep on flowers, plaids or solid colored sheet, not my wife, she has to have unusual pattern sheets.” After three years of marriage and two years living together, he got used to the geometric shapes or something different then floral, plaid or solid colored sheets. “I guess I'm fortunate that she is more conservative with curtains and other things that require fabric.” He finishes making the bed and putting on the new bedspread. He checked to make sure the red roses had enough water and everything in the room was just right.

The twins’ cradles were made and ready for their first nap in them. The master bedroom along with the rest of the house was ready.

After locking up the house Dan headed for the new family car. A new four-door Rose-colored 1986 Cutlass Supreme fully loaded. It was a beautiful car that Caterina fell in love with at first sight. He remembered talking about it for a month before Dan decided to use some of Caterina’s trust fund for the car because they would need a car that was not police issued. Caterina last agreement for using the trust fund for getting the car won him over. “The car will be a family car and only a family car. I will be driving it to and from work since I will be taking the kids to the day care center. We can get Steve to authorize a radio for the car like those officers with family cars are permitted to have. But the standing rule that you will have to live with, and I WILL NOT LET YOU GET AROUND THIS, if the children are in the car you can answer the radio but CAN NOT, and I do mean CAN NOT answer the call to assist in anyway. Our children are more important then either of our jobs. IS THAT CLEAR Mr. WILLIAMS.”

When his wife called him Mr. Williams in that police authoritative tone of voice it was time to cave in or you better have a stronger argument against hers. Dan only remembered agreeing with her, “Yes sweetheart, our children are more important then our jobs.” Then he promised never to take the children on any police calls, not that he would have taken his children into those kinds of situations to begin with but he let his wife believe she won the argument on that fact. Dan loved his wife and their little disagreements never rubbed him the wrong way as a rule or at least not for long.

Dan watched Caterina relax after his promise was made and then fell asleep in his arms. Two weeks later, he drove into the driveway with their new family car. That was a month ago and Caterina hasn’t been able to drive the new family car yet.

Dan checked the baby seats to make sure they were properly secured. Then he got into the driver seat and headed for the hospital. He wanted to make the trip to the hospital alone. No Steve, no friends, no anybody. He wanted this to be a very private family moment.

He noticed that the lights were in his favor that afternoon with thoughts of his family and maybe having a party that afternoon would not a good idea after all. He arrived at Queens in record time. When parking the car in the lot he noticed three blue and whites in the area and wonder what was going on that it took three units to be there now of all times. “Oh well, something is going on so let me get Caterina out of here as quickly as possible.”

Dan entered the hospital going straight to the admission office and signed all the necessary paperwork to have his wife and children released. After finishing up all the paperwork, he then headed up to the maternity wing where his new family was waiting for him. There was a happy bounce in his steps and he wanted to get to Caterina’s room as quickly as possible, so he took the steps two at a time since waiting for the elevator usually took forever to get to the main floor. Today he was in too much of a hurry to get were he was going.

As Dan approached Caterina’s room, he could hear her arguing with Amanak about something. He thought this is just wonderful she is arguing with Amanak about something preposterous, which made him realize that was a good sign that Caterina was on the road to a full recovery. At least Caterina was finally getting back to her old self after the past week in the hospital, were she was barely able to lift her head off the pillow.

He watched the exchange from the doorway, Amanak was trying to help Caterina get dressed and heard clearly, “Come on Amanak, Dannya is going to be here any minute now.”

“If you would stop fighting me, you would have been dressed ten minutes ago. Now just relax Catie. You don’t want Danny to hear you arguing with me, do you?” Amanak saw Danny smiling in the doorway watching them.

Dan watched as Caterina finished buttoning her blouse, then she turned to see him in the doorway.

When Caterina saw him she asked, “How long have you been standing there, Dannya?”

“I just got here.” Dan walked over to his wife, took her into his arms, and embraced her as tightly as he dared, then kissed her.

“Well, well, I can see that you two are getting back to normal again.” Amanak laughed as she went to get the wheelchair.

Dan broke the embrace and went over to check on his son and daughter. “Hello DJ, Guinevere. Today we all get to go home together.” He leaned over and kissed each one on the forehead saying, “I Love You.” Slowly he turned round to his wife. She was smiling so proudly at him. “As for you” he walked back over to Caterina “I Love You, Mrs. Williams,” kissing Caterina and embracing her body against his. He looked her in her beautiful blue eyes, “I love the fact that you have given me a pair of beautiful twins, and I will love them forever, but I have missed holding you tightly like this.” Dan pulled her even closer for one of those passionate kisses he enjoyed so much. When the kiss ended, he just held her until the wheelchair arrived.

Amanak brought the chair into the room with a look of total disapproval on Caterina’s face. “All right you two, this is a hospital. I know it has beds but they are for sick people.” Amanak pushed the chair closer to Caterina and helped her into it. “If you two want to get that lovy dovey get out.”

“Do I have to use that thing?” Caterina protested as she sat in the wheelchair.

“Hospital rules.” Amanak replied then went over to where the overnight bag and other miscellaneous bag were sitting, she handed them to Danny along with a dozen roses of six colors in sets of two. Next Amanak went over to get the twins one-by-one and put them into Caterina arms and lap.

Police Nurse Calander came into the room to help Amanak with the twins. Noticing that both twins where in Caterina’s arms, she decided to take the bags out of Dan hands. She puts them on the floor and then hands Danny his son to him. The six of them left for the car.

“When we get down stairs, I’ll go get the car and bring it over to the door. Catie, you can wait by the door with Amanak until I get back.”

By the time they arrived at the front entrance of the hospital, their new family car was just being parked. Dan looked up in surprise to see Arms getting out of the driver’s side. Arms walked over to the Williams Family, “Sorry Danny, I knew you didn’t want any friends here for your private family moment, but orders are orders.” Arms took the bags from Calander and put the bags in the opened trunk.

“Whose orders? I didn’t tell Steve what time I was coming to the hospital.”

Arms laughed one of his heartier laughs, “Steve, you got to be kidding, Bruddah, I said orders were orders. The only kind of orders I can’t say no to are from my wife.” Arms went over to wife Amanak and kissed her. “Hello sweetheart.”

Danny understood those kinds of orders all to well, wife orders are the hardest not to follow. “But how did you get the keys to the car?” Dan checked his jacket pocket and the keys where still there.

“Amanak took the keys out of Caterina handbag back at your house, a couple of weeks ago when you two weren’t looking. So Danny, the keys are in the car waiting for you to take your new family home.” Arms bent over and kissed Caterina. “Hello Catie. Now, you two have a safe trip home with my new O’hana.”

Danny went over the driver’s side of the car to put DJ in the first car seat. Dan noticed that there was a patrol officer at each end of the driveway that Arms must have arranged. There you go DJ all nice and secure. Dan kissed his son on the head and closed the door gently.

Dan started around the back of the car and noticed that there was another patrol officer at the other end of the driveway speaking to the driver of the car waiting to come through.

Dan took his daughter from Caterina and placed her in the other car seat. “There you are Guinevere ready to go home with your brother.” Again, Daddy kissed his baby girl on the head and closed the door.

Next, it was time to put the last passenger into the car. When he stepped back from the car, he found Caterina was standing behind him. “They are perfect and beautiful Daddy Williams.” Caterina put her arms around him and kissed him on the back of the neck. “Thank you for such a beautiful pair of twins.”

Dan turned in Caterina embrace, kissed her on the lips, and then helped her into the car.

“Mahalo for your help today.” Dan said as he headed around to the driver’s door.

“Your welcome Danny. It was our pleasure,” Amanak replied with a broad smile.

Dan got into the car and headed home. As he approached the end of the driveway the patrol officer, who was down there, was gone. He looked in the rearview mirror and noticed the other officer gone as well. I’ll have to find out who those two were and thank them for their help today.

Dan slowly pulled into traffic and headed home with his family in tow. “Catie?”

“Yes Dannya?”

“Steve and the guys are planing a welcome home party for you this afternoon, that is, if you are not too tired and are feeling up to it. If you don’t want to do it today, I’ll call them when we get home and tell them another day.”

“That’s all right Dannya, I overheard Steve mentioning something yesterday to Amanak. I told him to make it a couple of hours later then planned so it can be more of an evening party. I want us to show off our new family together.”

They were stopped at a red light, so Dan turned to his wife and asked, “Are you sure?”

Caterina was relaxed sitting in the passenger seat watching her husband drive the car. She reached her hand over to him and caressed the back of his neck telling him, “I’m sure, an evening party would be better, that way we get the afternoon together, just the four of us.”

Dan liked the idea of spending the first afternoon alone with his new family.

Pau