A Not So Gray Day

A Post-Series photo prompt from NikkiBeckettCSM

"What about there, Momma?"

Kate lets her daughter pull her along the well-worn path to the dock, taking care to keep her footfalls steady on the slick ground. They've been at the cabin with her dad for almost four days, and this is the first day the rain has let up for any solid amount of time.

So of course, Lily had chosen their reprieve from the weather as the moment to request a walk and her "photo session," kissing her sleeping brothers on the heads and patting her father on the shoulder before grabbing Kate's hand and tugging her beyond the covered porch for the first time since their arrival.

It's a bit indulgent, and a little dramatic, the concept of having a photo shoot prior to cutting her hair, but at six and a half years old, Lily Castle is every bit Martha Rodgers's granddaughter, right down to choosing the most fashionable sweater and knitted cap to wear over said hair. And as with everything else in her life, she wouldn't be discouraged from this when Kate suggested waiting for a brighter, warmer day.

"There looks good, baby," Kate murmurs, swiping her thumb over the girl's tiny fingers. She has gloves for her daughter in her pocket, but it's a battle she's only going to fight if necessary. If they're out here too long. "Not too far on the dock, though."

Her daughter bobs her head in agreement. "Bessie might get me."

Kate can't smother her laugh fast enough, no matter how hard she tries. "Bessie?"

"Uh huh," Lily says, unconcerned with her mother's amusement. She's preoccupied with choosing which side of the dock entrance to claim as her perch.

"Don't you mean Nessie?"

Lily shakes her head. "No, Mommy. Nessie lives in Scotland. Bessie lives in our lake. Daddy said so. She's friendly, but sometimes she gets too excited to see people, and she gets 'em."

Smothering a smile, Kate makes a mental note to ask her husband what else he's been teaching their kids about water safety. Bessie? Really, Castle?

"She does, huh?"

Lily grins. "Yeah, an' that's why the rule is you only go all the way out on the dock if you're with a grown up and you're gonna swim or fish. Because Bessie might make you get in, even in your clothes!" she adds, releasing a hearty cackle.

"Phew. I'm glad you told me about Bessie then. We'll make sure to stay here for now, just to be sure."

Lily nods, making herself comfortable, tossing her hair over her shoulders, only to change her mind and bring it back in front of her a second later. Kate gives her a moment, watching the concentration involved in making sure it's all going to look perfect in the picture. Once Lily's squirming seems to cease, Kate squats and lifts the camera to her eye.

"Okay, honey," she singsongs. "Say cheese."

Instead of a front-facing grin, she's met with Lily's profile and her daughter's contemplative frown.

"Hey, what's that face about?" she asks, tilting her head.

Lily shrugs. "Just thinking."

Kate bites her lip. "Lily, if you don't want to cut your hair, you don't have to. Or if you want, we can wait until it's a little warmer, or even until after summer. Nobody's going to be upset if you want to think about it for a little while longer."

Her daughter shakes her head, vehement in her refusal. "No, I wanna cut it soon. Another kid needs it more than I do."

Affection floods her chest. Her sweet, thoughtful girl. Lily's been waiting so long to have enough hair to donate, talking about it nonstop, about how badly she hopes it can help a child waiting for a wig. Kate hopes so, too.

"You're right. And they're going to love how strong and soft your hair is, and how much you're able to give them. You've done great, baby."

Lily nods, lowering her chin as her cheeks turn pink and her lips turn up. "Thanks, Momma."

Kate snaps the picture then, taking a short burst of extra shots for insurance before joining Lily on the dock and taking a couple of the two of them with their cheeks pressed together.

"How's that?" she asks a few minutes later, smoothing Lily's hair off her shoulder. Her daughter nods, resting her head against Kate's shoulder. "Good. Now," she starts, lifting her eyes to find her husband watching them from the path back to the cabin, his face soft with adoration, "let's get Daddy down here and we'll go say hi to Bessie before we go back inside."

A/N: I hope you liked it! To see the photo that inspired this, check out the cover art for this story, or head to my tumblr: bunysliper post / 163867628895

Thank you to Anon on tumblr for nudging me to post this ficlet here!