Kate wandered into the kitchen set to prepare dinner. Rick was at a board meeting, or boring meeting as he liked to call it, leaving just herself.
Suddenly the front door swung open as Alexis walked in. Glancing around the room, the young woman's eyes paused when they reached the detective.
"Hi Kate. Have you seen my dad?"
"He's at a board meeting. He should be back around seven."
Alexis nodded and headed upstairs to her room. Kate let out a breath and looked around the loft. She had moved in a few months ago but she still felt awkward calling the loft home when she spoke with Alexis. Alexis returned a few minutes later with a book in her hands. She made her way towards the couch and cracked open the book.
"Alexis we need to talk," Kate stated as she walked to the living room leaving her preparations of dinner behind.
"What about?" Alexis asked closing her book around her finger.
"About us," Kate gestured between them. "I know we haven't had the best past and because of that we have a tolerable present. But I don't want just tolerable anymore. I want us to be ok."
Alexis moved to place a bookmark between the pages of her book and slid it onto the coffee table giving Kate her full attention. "What did you have in mind?"
Kate drew in a deep breath and glanced at her engagement ring one last time. "A promise or in our case a series of promises. I promise not to pretend to be your mother. You can ask me for things but all decisions regarding your well being will be finalized by your dad. I promise that whatever you confine in me, will stay with me if you ask me to. I won't run back and tell your father everything that we discuss. I promise to give you space. I know that being away at school is difficult at times and sometimes you'll just want to home and have things be the way they used to be. Just you and your dad. There will be more promises in the future I'm sure but for now those are the only ones I can make and keep."
Alexis was silent as she thought about the promises being presented to her. Gina never sat down with her like this. She had just swept through and began taking control over everything. As a young teen it had driven Alexis crazy. As a young adult now, she can realize and respect the courage it must have taken Kate to start this conversation. "I like those promises. There's just one more I need you to make."
Kate's eyes went wide as she thought over the promises she had already made. She had this speech planned out for weeks. Had it entirely memorized for days. How could she have forgotten something? Unless it was something she hadn't thought of. Alexis studied Kate watching the emotions play across her face before the other woman spoke.
"What is the other promise?" Kate asked swallowing thickly around the lump in her throat. Hardened criminals she could face without breaking a sweat but the daughter of her fiancée scared her to her core.
"Could you promise to give that one a playmate?" Alexis smiled as her eyes flickered to Kate's rounded abdomen. "I mean growing up with dad was great. I wouldn't have traded it for anything in the world but having a sibling to do things with was always something I wished I could have had."
Kate smiled as she moved her hand to her abdomen. "I can try to keep that promise. I just don't know how quickly I can deliver it."
