July 4, 2017 – Hamptons, New York
Jim Beckett admired the view. He was sitting in a screened off room at his daughter and son-in-law's Hamptons home, and it was spectacular. He could see the bay with its sparkling clear water and he could smell the sea. He had come to love this room when Katie and Rick were recuperating from their wounds last year.
At first, the fact that the both of them had been shot and nearly died had scared the crap out of him. He still hadn't gotten over the fact that Katie had been shot a few years ago, and now the two of them had been wounded. But they both swore they were done chasing down bad guys, and he was choosing to believe them.
And watching this rehab was certainly different from the other. This time, she was doing it with him; this time she was doing it with the man she loved openly. This time, she wasn't alone in their cabin in the woods; this time she was surrounded by her family and friends in a bright sunny home at the beach. Every week, he'd make the drive out to the Hamptons with Martha and they would see the progress the two had made.
So while it wasn't for the best of reasons, Jim spent a lot of time at this house, and had come to love it. It might be big, but it was warm and happy – Rick had made sure of that, and Katie had added her little touches to it over the last few years. It was a home, a very happy home.
It was even better this summer, because there was a new member of the family. In fact, she was the reason they were all here today – Lily Johanna Beckett Castle turned two months old today, and her daddy wanted to mark the occasion with a family picnic at the beach.
Lily Johanna Beckett Castle. Every time Jim thought of her or saw her or held her, he could feel his heart fill up with love. From the moment they had announced the pregnancy, Jim had been so thrilled. Not only were Rick and Katie alive and well, but they were having a baby – a grandchild. Of course, he always thought of Jo, and how happy and excited she would have been by this news. His heart would ache a little at the thoughts, but he also knew that Jo would be happy that Katie was happy.
And then, he got the phone call in the middle of the night – Rick called him to say Katie's labor had started. He was sitting in a hospital waiting room with Martha and Alexis again. By now, he and Martha were good enough friends to know what the other was thinking without saying it out loud – this was the best reason in the world to be sitting in a hospital waiting room.
Then Rick had come out to get all of them. He had an ear-to-ear grin but he refused to say anything other than "mother and baby are great!" When they walked into the room, he saw Katie sitting up in bed holding a bundle wrapped in a pink blanket, and then he heard her announce, "Dad, Martha, Alexis, we'd like you to meet Lily Johanna Beckett Castle!" He had stopped in his tracks. Lily of the valley had been Jo's favorite flower. She'd nurtured the plants that she had near the cabin, and their sweet fragrance would fill the air. And she'd always favored lily of the valley perfume too; the scent was forever part of his memories of Jo. He heard Martha exclaim about the perfect name.
"Yeah, when we saw her we just knew," Kate had said. "Rick had wanted to name her Leia –"
"Well, she was born on Star Wars Day!" he had added.
"Star Wars Day?" Martha asked.
"Yeah, Mother, you remember May Fourth!" And when Martha had just raised an eyebrow, Kate had stepped in.
"May the fourth be with you, get it?" Kate had grinned as it connected for Martha. "When I told him no way, I told him how my mom loved lily of the valley and that's May's flower. I looked it up, and the lily of the valley also means a "return to happiness". And that's what my life is now because of Rick and all of you - a return to happiness. And she looks like a Lily, doesn't she?" Two months later, Jim could remember the soft smile on Katie's face as she looked down at her baby and then at her husband.
And when he looked down at his sweet baby granddaughter, he thought, yes, Lily Johanna, you are a return to happiness for all of us.
A/N: Lily of the valley were my mom's favorite flower, and since May is my birth month, I've loved them too. So I knew of their meaning, and I thought that could be a perfect reason for Lily's name. And I couldn't resist the fun of having her be born on Star Wars day – perfect for our favorite sci-fi geeks!