If Kate's being truly honest with herself, the police academy really isn't much fun. She comes home mentally and physically exhausted every evening after a long day of having orders barked at her from superior officers, taking notes in lectures, and a host of physical activities.
Kate doesn't regret choosing police academy over law school, though. All of her instructors in college said that she was one of their most promising pre-law students, and that she wouldn't have any problems getting into law school, but it was only after she took the LSAT that Kate realized she didn't want to attend law school. She didn't want to spend another several years sitting behind a desk, studying and taking tests, then spend the rest of her life behind a desk doing paperwork more often than not. She'd rather have a job that's unpredictable; one where she can be actively helping people, making a difference in her community.
So, after talking with her then-fiancé and her parents, Kate made the decision to apply for the NYPD police academy. After a battery of physical and academic qualifying tests, she was accepted into the program.
There's only one plus about law school that she can think of- the instructors would have been much nicer there than they are at the academy. Today, for example, one of her fellow recruits made the mistake of leaving his cell phone turned on in his bag. The tinny melody of the Nokia ringtone blared like a foghorn in the stillness of the law exam they were taking. Everyone in the room had to perform two hundred pushups to atone for their classmate's error.
She's the only female in her class, and the instructors don't cut her any slack because of that. Kate keeps up with the boys easily, though- in fact, she's ahead of almost all of them in both academics and fitness requirements. Even so, it sometimes feels like a scene straight out of Mulan, where the training officers are screaming "I'll make a man out of you!" to a room full of men who are struggling to keep up, with a lone woman struggling just to fit in.
Each day, she leaves the academy sore and achy- not to mention mentally drained- but instead of going home and vegging for the rest of the evening, Kate heads straight to work, changing out of her uniform and into her Starbucks apron before she even leaves the academy. She'll have to quit her job at Starbucks once she graduates from the academy just after the new year, and in a way, she can't wait. She'll work full time on the police force, and won't need the second job to supplement their income.
Until that day comes, though, Kate's stuck in this routine of fifteen-hour days and very little time spent with her husband.
After five consecutive days of an intense physical regimen, climbing up the stairs to her fifth floor apartment is even more arduous than usual and she moves slowly, her calf muscles protesting with each step. She wants nothing more than to soak in a hot bath and not move for the rest of the evening.
Too bad their tiny bathroom lacks a full tub.
Kate spots her husband as soon as she steps into their studio apartment, closing and locking the door behind her. They don't have a sofa, so he's lounging on their bed with his shoes kicked off, a book in his hands.
"Hey, Kate," he greets, snapping the book closed. "How was your day?"
"Exhausting," she says with a slow exhale, crossing the room to move toward him.
"Did your test go well?"
"Yeah. I almost mixed up second degree and third degree assault, but luckily, I caught myself." Kate kicks off her shoes when she reaches the mattress, flopping down onto it with a sigh of content. "Mmm, I don't ever want to get up."
His hands move to her shoulders, ready to massage away the tension. When his thumbs find sore spots, she groans, tensing slightly as he works out the knots.
"Does that hurt?" he asks, lightening his touch.
"It's a good hurt," she murmurs, closing her eyes. "Keep going."
She doesn't even realize she's fallen asleep until she's awoken by a loud sneeze from her husband, still laying next to her on the mattress. "Gesundheit," she murmurs, peeling her eyes open. "How long was I asleep?"
"About thirty minutes, I think," Rick says, sniffling. "Sorry I woke you. You hungry?"
"Not really. But I could use some coffee," Kate says with a yawn, stretching her arms out in front of her as she sits up. The unintentional nap was good for her- she feels refreshed now, ready to enjoy the evening with her husband.
"Coffee sounds great," Rick says, kissing Kate on the cheek before he slides off the mattress, his back cracking as he stretches.
Kate changes clothes and scrubs her makeup off while he makes the coffee, and when she joins him at the counter, he has a mug ready for her. She smiles as she takes it from him, humming her thanks as she takes the first sip. Turning around, she takes a step toward the table to sit down, only to hesitate when she spots the large red box sitting on top of it.
"Rick, why do you have a gingerbread house kit?" she asks, turning back to face him.
"Oh, I won it!" he exclaims, his chest puffing out with pride. "At the Christmas party at work tonight. They gave away door prizes, and they drew me for this one."
"Wow, I haven't done a gingerbread house in years," Kate says, walking the rest of the way to the table. "I think I was nine or ten the last time I made one."
"Let's do it now, then!" he says. "Unless you don't want to spend your Friday night on a gingerbread house."
His tone is casual, but he's looking at her with concern, the spark of elation that was in his eyes seconds ago now dim. He wants to build the gingerbread house tonight, but, as usual, is trying to put his wife's needs before his own.
She really couldn't have married a better man.
"This is the perfect way to spend a Friday night," she answers, grinning as the childlike glee returns to his eyes.
They unpack the box, setting bags of various candies aside and separating the large gingerbread pieces that form the walls and the roof. Kate fetches a knife for each of them, so that they can spread icing along the edges of the wall pieces, and they both take two walls and get started.
"So I've been doing some reading this week, to see if I can find any inspiration for a potential name change," Rick starts as he frosts his portion of the gingerbread wall. "After doing some research, I'm thinking about Rook- like the chess piece. It would keep the alliteration, too. Richard Rook."
Kate wrinkles her nose. "But… Rick Rook?"
"Oh," he says, eyes widening in realization. "I didn't think about that."
"Clearly." She shakes her head slowly, grinning. "I'm going to start calling you that now. Rick Rook."
"Rick Rock?" he counters, eyebrows raised in a playful gesture.
"Rick Rack," she says with a nod. "Rick Ruck...us," she trails off, laughing at how awkward it sounds outside of her head.
Her husband loves to play with words like this- changing vowel and consonant sounds ever so slightly to make new words- and she's come to appreciate the game, matching him word for word and giving as good as she gets.
He pauses for a moment, and she thinks she has him beat until a sly grin appears on his face. "Two words," he says, nodding.
She squeezes her eyes shut. "Damn it."
This is another of Rick's favorite games. Upon the declaration of "two words," they can only speak in two-word sentences for the rest of the evening. Whoever slips up first loses, and the game is over. Kate doesn't enjoy this game as much, but she'll indulge him tonight and play along.
"Yours ready?" he asks, nodding to the iced gingerbread walls in her hands.
"It is. Let's assemble."
They piece the four walls together atop the cardboard base, high-fiving each other when the structure stays standing after they let go. The slanted roof pieces go on next, and they carefully place them on the tops of the walls, using a thick coating of icing to glue the gingerbread roof to the house.
"Nice job," Rick says, admiring the completed structure.
"It's… bare," Kate replies, gesturing to the pile of unused candies on the table. "Not finished."
"Let's decorate! Problem solved," he replies, tossing her a bag of candy to open.
They tag team the decorations, with Kate in charge of the roof and Rick in charge of the main house. She spreads thin rows of icing across the gingerbread slants and places tiny multicolored candies evenly across them while Rick outlines the doors and windows in white icing, adding bits of candy holly to the corners. Together, they attach evergreen gumdrop bushes to the front of the house and create a peppermint walkway to the path, adding colored candies around the windows to look like strands of Christmas lights.
After Kate adds the last bit of candy around the arched doorway, Rick stares at the tiny house, a grin on his face. "Looks good. Let's eat!" He lunges toward the rooftop, his fingers pinching the edge of one of the sloped pieces of the gingerbread roof, and Kate grabs his arm and pulls it back.
"Just kidding! Wasn't- ow! Apples! Apples!" he cries out with an exaggerated wince as Kate gives his wrist the tiniest of twists.
She releases him at his safe word, and a mischievous grin makes its way onto her face. She looks at him, quirking an eyebrow. "You lose."
"No I didn't! I said… oh." His shoulders slump in defeat. "That's not fair."
"Hey, you're the one who was about to tear apart the beautiful gingerbread house we just built. I was only stopping you."
"No, you cheated," he decides. "I declare a rematch. Two words, in bed."
"How about no," Kate says, her jaw coming unhinged with a yawn on the last word. "But I like the 'in bed' part." Whatever reserves of energy she built up with the nap have been depleted, and she feels the weight of exhaustion again, her muscles beginning to ache with it.
"Okay, sleepyhead," Rick laughs, standing. He offers her his hand, and she takes it, swaying into him after he helps her up. "Let's go to bed."