Notes: Happy (belated) birthday to Mari! Sending you lots of love for all the joy and caring you give to us and to everyone around you.

Huge thanks to Sammy for covering last week when I had an emergency at work, and thanks to Mari for bouncing ideas for this story. You two are the best!

Readers and REAL McRollers - Here's the fifth REAL World Valentine's story! Thank you for all your amazing support.

Hope you enjoy!

Makeup Valentine's Day (A McRoll in the REAL World Story)

Sunday

"I wanted to thank you for the gift basket," Esther said. "That was so sweet."

"You're very welcome," Catherine said, holding her phone to her ear with one hand as she held out a puzzle piece to Angie who was sitting with her on the playroom floor. "We really appreciated all the extra help the past couple weeks. Especially the last few days as we wrapped up the case."

"I was happy to help out. You didn't need to send anything special, but I'm definitely going to enjoy all this. The lotion and the shower gel … it all smells wonderful."

Catherine smiled. "I'm glad you like it."

"It's too bad you and Steve missed Valentine's Day, though."

"Oh, it's certainly not the first time. But it's okay, we're doing a makeup celebration today."

"Oh, I'm glad to hear it. Well, I'll let you go. I just wanted to call and thank you for the gift."

"Of course. Bye, Esther. Enjoy the rest of your weekend."

"You, too!"

Catherine held the phone out. "Say 'bye-bye' to Esther, honey."

Angie's eyes lit up. "Ehsa! Bye!" she said, waving at the phone.

Catherine grinned. "There was a little wave with that," she told Esther who laughed.

"Bye, honey," she called. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye," Catherine said once more before ending the call. She smiled at Angie. "Look at that, you finished your puzzle. Great job, honey."

Angie clapped. "Yay!"

"Yay," Catherine agreed. "Do you want to work on another one while we wait for Daddy to get back."

"Dada?" Angie asked.

"He went to get your very special Valentine's Day present. Something I just know you are going to love."

Angie beamed at the warmth in her mother's voice.

A few minutes later, Cammie alerted, turning toward the doorway, and headed out of the play room.

"I bet Daddy's home," Catherine said. "Should we go see?"

"Dada!" Angie cried, pushing herself up and hurrying after Cammie with Catherine right behind.

They came into the living room as Steve was closing the front door, a large basket in his hand wrapped in clear plastic and tied with a red bow.

"Oooh," Angie said, slightly awed as she looked up.

"What do you think of that, Angie?" Steve said, turning it around so she could see the red, pink, and white iced cookies on sticks in the basket.

"What … is that?" Catherine asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Woman at the store called it a 'cookie bouquet,' " he said, setting in on the coffee table so Angie could get a better look.

"Cookie?" the toddler repeated. She cocked her head curiously, having never seen anything quite like it before.

Catherine folded her arms. "You were supposed to get one heart-shaped cookie. This is …" She quickly counted. "Ten. Steve, she's not even two yet."

He shrugged. "They were on sale."

"Yeah, 'cause it's after Valentine's Day and they want to get rid of 'em." She shook her head in amusement. "What is it with you and cookies lately?"

"Just look at her face," he said, watching Angie who was mesmerized by the bouquet.

Catherine smiled, stepping closer and wrapping an arm around him. She leaned up for a quick kiss. "Adorable." Pulling out her phone, she said, "Angie, let's get a picture of you with your bouquet so I have proof of Daddy's overindulgence, then we'll see if they taste as good as they look."

"Mmmm," Angie said a few minutes later as she chewed on the piece of cookie Catherine broke off for her.

"You're right about that, baby girl," Catherine said after swallowing her own bite. "Daddy may have gotten too many, but he did pick out some good cookies."

"Oh yeah?" he asked, sitting beside her on the floor. She held out the cookie toward him and he grinned, leaning over and taking a bite.

Angie giggled at them, then held out her hand. "Mo, Mama."

"Here you go, honey," Catherine said, breaking off another small piece and giving it to her.

"Cammie," Angie said, moving to hold it out to her beloved four-legged companion.

"Wait, wait, wait," Catherine said, gently stopping her. "Cammie can't have all that icing." She scraped the icing off of the remaining piece and gave it to Angie. "That can be for Cammie."

Angie dutifully held out the icing-less piece instead.

"Go ahead, Cammie," Catherine told the waiting dog who eagerly lapped the piece up as soon as the words were out.

Angie giggled and crammed the other piece messily into her own mouth. She reached for Cammie who licked her face with puppy kisses, managing to catch the stray crumbs.

Steve and Catherine chuckled at the sight.

Angie looked over at them. "Mo?" she asked, her eyes going to the cookie bouquet, now with nine remaining "blooms."

"Not right now, honey," Catherine said. "Hey, do you want to give Cammie her Valentine's Day present?"

Angie blinked at her.

"Remember? You picked it out at the store a couple weeks ago."

Steve stood. "I'll grab it."

"It's over on the sideboard," Catherine said.

He returned a moment later with a red rope toy in the shape of a heart.

Angie reached eagerly for it. "Ah me! See ah!"

"There you go," he said. "Give it to Cammie."

Cammie bit on the end Angie held out to her, giving it a gentle tug, not hard enough to dislodge it from Angie's hands.

"Good girl," Catherine said, reaching over and running a hand over Cammie's back. She looked at Angie. "I think she likes it."

Angie smiled and let go, watching happily as Cammie gave the toy a shake before lying down and chewing on the edge.

"And here's your present for Mommy," Steve said, pulling a bag from behind his back that he'd also retrieved from the dining room.

Catherine looked surprised and smiled as he gave the bag to Angie.

"Give it to Mommy, Angie," he coaxed.

Angie beamed, holding it out to Catherine. "Mama. Bee yah."

"Thank you, honey." She tossed a quick smile at Steve. "This doesn't look like my cherry cordials …" He smiled enigmatically as she reached in the bag and pulled out a ceramic box with clay footprints pressed into the lid in the shape of a heart. "Ohhh," she breathed, tracing the footprints.

Steve smiled softly. "We thought your butterfly box was getting a little full."

She looked at him, touched. Leaning over, she gave him a kiss. "It's beautiful. Thank you." She lifted the lid to examine it more closely before carefully replacing it.

Angie moved in closer for a better look and Catherine looped her arms around her daughter so the toddler could lean back against her as she studied the box.

"Are those your footprints, honey?" she asked as Angie touched them.

"Bah me," she said. "Ah mah."

"It reminds me of the little dish we had made for Mom for her birthday," Catherine said, looking over at Steve.

He smiled. "That's where I got the idea."

"See mah," Angie said, pushing Catherine's hands to the ground so she could lift her foot and try to put it on the lid.

Chuckling, Catherine shifted Angie's foot into place. "Yep, that's your foot, baby girl." When Angie lifted her other foot up, Catherine laughed, holding her upright as her balance wavered. "Woah. Careful, honey."

Angie clapped, then held both arms in the air. "Dada, see!" she said, looking at Steve.

"I see you," he said, grinning at her. "You're having almost as much fun now as you did making the footprints in the first place."

Catherine swept an arm under Angie's legs and cuddled her close, kissing her cheek. "I love it, honey. Thank you." Setting her back on her feet, she carefully put the box up on the coffee table and stood. "Let's get Daddy's present now, huh?"

Angie clapped at the idea of another present and ran after Catherine. "Yay!"

The two returned a moment later with Angie awkwardly carrying a flat box.

"Go ahead, give it to Daddy," Catherine said, and Angie thrust it in his direction as soon as she was close enough.

She leaned over his arm as he opened it. He smiled as soon as he saw the picture frame with a photo of Angie in her tiny combat boots standing in front of an also boot-clad Steve with a huge smile on her face.

"We thought your office needed a new picture," Catherine said as she sat back down beside them.

He smiled, taking in every detail. "Perfect."

"Dada," Angie said, pointing to his image in the picture and then beaming up at him.

"Yeah, that's us, Angie," he said, giving her a smile.

"Like father, like daughter," Catherine said, leaning over to kiss him.

"This is great," he said sincerely. "Thank you." He kissed Angie's head. "And thank you."

Angie smiled happily at the affection, then pointed over at the bouquet still on the coffee table. "Cookie, Mama?"

Catherine chuckled, running a hand over her hair. "You and your cookies." She sighed. "Okay, we'll share one more since it's a special occasion."

Steve grinned, setting his gift down as she moved over to retrieve the cookie, Angie right at her elbow. "See? Aren't you glad I got more than one?"

She threw him an amused look as she broke off a piece for Angie. Settling back next to him, she held out part of the cookie to him as they watched Angie eagerly eat.

"Far cry from chocolates and not making it to the bed, huh, Commander?" she murmured, leaning against him.

He smiled, voice dropping low as he tilted his head down towards her. "Hold that thought, Lieutenant. Our makeup Valentine's Day isn't over yet."

An hour later, Catherine descended the stairs after putting Angie down for her nap. She smiled at the sight of Steve standing in the living room, a familiar red heart-shaped box in hand.

"Now that's what I'm talking about," she said.

He grinned. "Can't have Valentine's Day without it."

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she took a few steps over to the end table to set the baby monitor down. Her hands now free, she accepted the box of candy and smiled.

"We've certainly had our share without it," she said. "But not for quite a few years, I'm happy to say."

He smiled, leaning down to kiss her. "Me, too."

Pulling back after a moment, she grinned. "Let's see what we've got here." She took a seat on the sofa and opened the box.

"No surprises," he said, joining her. "Just a box of cherry cordials, as usual."

"Perfect." She plucked one of the chocolates from the box and popped it in her mouth. "Mmmm," she said, imitating their daughter.

He chuckled. "I notice you don't seem to mind that there are more than one of those," he teased.

She rolled her eyes, feeding him one of the chocolates. "That's hardly the same thing." Eating another one herself before closing the box and putting it on the coffee table, she added, "And luckily they taste just as good a few days late."

His eyes stayed on her as she shifted, swinging a leg over his so she could slide into his lap. His hands came up to her waist naturally, thumbs working their way under her t-shirt, and he smiled. "We makin' good on the other half of the equation here?"

She ran her hands up his chest and curled them around his neck, nodding at him with a saucy smile. She leaned down to kiss him, pausing to say, "Valentine's Day or not, we still don't always make it to the bed."

His grin widened. "Some things never change."

Hope you enjoyed!

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