no one even saw my little teaser but I’ll post the preview anyways lol
When Nahele woke up, he was lying on a coat by the window. Steve was missing from his bed. Nahele started to panic until he saw Danny in his own bed and fully awake. If something was wrong with Steve, Danny would have woken him up and would have been more upset than he was now. In fact, he seemed pretty happy at the moment. He’s talking on his phone to what Nahele assumes is his mother.
The time on his phone says it’s only 8 am, so he pulls the blanket that was pooled at his feet over his shoulder and closes his eyes while listening to the detective speak.
“—I think Rachel is actually enjoying this. With me in here, I can’t watch Charlie the way I normally do, so he’s been staying with her the whole time. No, he visits. I think she’s gonna bring him by later today or tomorrow. No, Gracie’s at a friend’s house. She practically lives here, I told her to go out and have fun with her friends. And the same thing with Nahele. Ma, I cannot get the kid to leave.”
Nahele’s stomach sank. Was he a burden? Danny probably wants peace and quiet and Nahele is most likely getting in the way. The second he’s off the phone and Steve’s gone, he’ll leave.
“—of course he’s not, Ma. But he sits here and he worries about Steve and about me, and about the kids and our teams. This kid puts too much responsibility on himself. Last night was the junior prom; I practically had to push him out the door to get him there, and he came home early. Two hours early. Remember when I went to prom? I didn’t come home until 1 am….yeah, alright, I’m not the best to compare to. I just want this boy to live a little, you know? He’s so young and he’s lost so much. I just want him to have good things now.”
Nahele turns over so he’s facing the window. He pulls the blanket over his cheek and presses his face into the pillow to try and conceal his crying. They’re small tears in compares to the night before, but there are enough to make his chest shake. He tries taking a silent, deep breath, and continues watching the wall as Danny speaks.
“—Steve’s alright. A pain in my ass but he’s doing really good. Thanksgiving? I don’t know, Ma. It’s kind of big down here with the team and—yes, I know you only see your grandchildren so often. I know you haven’t met Nahele yet…Ma! You have three other grandchildren and two more on the way, what are you talking about waiting for me to make you more? Now you’re just being greedy. Hey, the boy is sleeping, or at least he’s pretending he is. I wanna grill him about last night…you want to talk to him? I don’t know if he…okay, okay, quiet yelling at me. I’m injured remember? What kind of a mother yells at her injured son?”
The tears were replaced with giggles that were harder to conceal. At one point he must have laughed too loud before he could stop it, and that gave him away. Now there was a pillow thumping into his back. Nahele flips around and glares at Danny. “Oh, good, you’re up,” he grins innocently. The detective waves his iPhone in the air, “Ma wants to talk to you.”
“Uh…” like Danny said, Nahele has never met Clara Williams. Their paths never crossed whenever she was in town. It’s a shame though; she sounds amazing from the stories Grace tells him and how dearly Danny talks about her. Still, he wasn’t in the best mind and doesn’t know if he’d make the best first impression, “Maybe later.”
The bathroom door opens up and Steve comes sulking out of it. The hospital allows him to sleep in a t-shirt and boxers at night since he kept complaining about chafing and a breeze. Danny keeps his gown on but wears his blue puffy robe in the morning. Steve thinks it makes him look like a little old man.
The commander rubs his eyes tiredly as he pads his way from the bathroom to his bed. “Have you ever said no before to Clara Williams?”
Nahele shakes his head with wide eyes. Steve nods in his direction, barely able to look in his direction directly before he gets into his bed and sighs, “Talk to the woman.”
It’s not until Nahele is halfway to Danny’s bed that he realizes he’s still in his tux. The belt is missing, his over shirt is gone, and he has no idea where the tie is but he’s still in the undershirt, pants and socks. Whoever got him the coat must have helped him loose some of the clothes to be more comfortable. As nice as that is, it’s also kind of creepy.
Nahele takes the waiting phone with a shaking hand. He holds it with both of his hands and holds it up to his ear. After a moment of silence, he speaks, “Hello?”
“Oh, Nahele!” a cheerful, vibrant voice says back. Nahele can’t help but smile, “Hello, sweetheart. How are you today?”
“Uh, I’m okay,” he sits down on the edge of Danny’s bed. He smiles as he wipes his hands on the leg of his pants. “How are you Ms. Williams?”
“It’s grandma, honey. You’re family, got it?”
His smile falls instantly. He is family? To a woman he’s never even met before? She wants him to call her grandma. Danny is okay with him calling him Danno. What’s next? Steve wanting him to call him Dad? The idea makes his stomach flip and his neck heat up. No; that’s not going to happen.
“Uh, okay, yeah. Sure.”
“Good. Now I’m told that you are worrying about our boys; and I don’t want you to do that anymore, okay? They are fine. They might whine and moan like children for a while, but they’ll be okay, you hear me? But, if my son is getting on your nerves with his bitching, you just slap him upside the head and tell him to shut up. Same with Steven; right upside his handsome head.”
Nahele chuckles into the phone. He looks up at Steve to find him frowning at him, “Alright, I will.”
“Now, I know Danny said no to Thanksgiving in New Jersey, but I think it would be wonderful if everyone came up for Christmas. Would you run that by him and Steve for me please? They’re much more likely to come if you ask them. I already have the perfect gift in mind for you. Will you ask them?”
Steve was right; how can you say no to Clara Williams? Nahele doesn’t want to know what happens if he does. He nods for a bit before realizing she can’t see him. Turning red, Nahele hides his face in his hand and sighs, “Yeah, sure. I will. Uh…thank you, Ms…uh, I mean…Grandma?”
The word tastes funny on his tongue. He’s never used it as a personal title before. His mother’s mom died when he was a baby, and his father hadn’t spoken to his family years before he was born. Up until now, he never imagined having a grandmother of his own.
“Oh, wonderful, thank you sweetheart. And you’re welcome in our house anytime you want. Just call us up and we’ll arrange everything. We’d love to see you.”
We. Implying more people that care about him. He’s honestly not worth it, he thinks; he’s done nothing to earn all this.
“Okay, yeah, thank you.”
“Now, please put Steven on the phone. I hear he’s not taking his medicine.”
The firmness in her voice makes him laugh. He knows Steve is in for some trouble. With a grin, Nahele holds out the phone towards a waiting, frowning Steve. “It’s for you...Steven.”
