Half-Light
Castle leaves Ellery in the baby carrier in the floor of the kitchen, then follows Kate and Dash out the sliding glass doors to the back deck. Dash is off like a shot towards the pool, but he's had a child fence installed around it since they were here last. He knows better now. Dashiell mashes his face against the mesh and looks longingly inside.
"Pool, Mommy."
"In the morning," she says gently, running her hand through his hair.
"We could go now," Castle says, shrugging at her look. "It's not even dark. And the pool has lights." He heads back to the sliding glass doors, steps inside to flip the switch. The lights make the water glow enticingly, and he sees Kate step up to the soft gate, lay a hand over the top.
He heads back outside with the keys to the car in his hand, nudges her hip.
She turns and nods. "Sure."
"Yay!" Dashiell exclaims, jumping up and down. It's been hot enough outside these days that the water will feel like bathtub, but when the sun sets it may get cold.
"For a little while, baby," Kate adds. "Castle. Not too long. Wild man starts to sink when he's tired."
Castle laughs, but it's true. He's been working with Dashiell on swimming, but he tends to quit treading water when he gets tired. So he nods in agreement and turns towards the sliding glass doors. "I'll go get our stuff. Ellery's in the kitchen."
She brushes her hand down his forearm, then raises on her toes to kiss his mouth. Her tongue touches his lips, lightly, before she's backing away again. He feels her fingers release his wrist, and he watches her a moment, but she's already turning to Dash.
Castle leaves them to it, heads back through the mostly dark house, back out the front door towards the circle drive. He pops the trunk and starts unpacking bags, realizing that he probably left a lot at home that they should have. There are only a few baby things here leftover from Dash, so they can make do. Only one high chair, one crib. They'll have to see if Dashiell will sleep in a big bed.
He carries stuff back in, bags slung over his shoulders, piles it in the entryway. Kate comes towards him, grabs the bag he packed Dashiell's clothes in, calls for Dash to follow her. He goes back out and gets the rest of it, wincing as he sees just how little he actually brought for a three day getaway with two kids.
No snacks. No groceries period. A couple of sippy cups. A couple of bottles that were already in the baby bag. He did remember formula, and diapers, but wow. He's forgotten a lot. He'll have to make a run in the morning.
Castle finds Kate's bag and his own, heads upstairs. She's got the baby carrier in their room, Ellery still asleep, so he dumps their stuff on the bed and leans down to brush his finger along Ella's little cheek. She stirs, makes that noise with her tongue or cheeks that sounds like chirping, but her eyes stay closed.
"Rick?"
He stands up and heads down the hallway to the bedroom they use for Dashiell - he had it painted and decorated to match his room at home. "I'll have to pull the crib out," he says, standing in the doorway.
"Huh?" She glances up from the floor, tugging Dashiell's swimsuit up over his hips. "The crib? You mean you didn't bring the pack and play?"
He shakes his head, winces. She sighs.
"Okay. Dashiell is a big boy, right? You'll sleep in the bed in your room, won't you, buddy?"
Dashiell dances from foot to foot, his hands on his mother's shoulders. "I can sleep with you, Mommy."
"No, baby."
"I can sleep with Daddy."
Rick laughs. "Not that either. You can sleep here. But first, let's talk about pool rules."
"Mommy already said."
"Okay. Tell me then."
"No running."
"Exactly, what else?" Castle reaches down and tugs Kate up off the floor; she trails her hand across his back as she leaves the room to change. He calls after her, "Stuff's on the bed."
"Thanks."
"No jumping in without Mommy or Daddy watching-"
"Mommy and Daddy have to say 'go' remember? Not just watching, or you think we're watching. Sometimes you think we are but we're not-"
"Right. Say 'Go!' and I can jump."
"Right." Castle leans back against the bed and wrestles his son into his lap. "You wearing pullups?"
"No! Mommy says not to pee in the pool, though."
"Please don't," he laughs. "No one wants to swim in a pee-pool."
"A pee pool!" Dashiell cracks up, sprawling in Castle's lap.
"So. You are two years old, almost three. So there are two pool rules. But, when you're three, you'll have three rules."
"Oh. What's my third rule?" Dashiell holds on to his father's shoulders and steps up onto Castle's thighs, his little feet sliding back and forth as Castle's flexes, making them both grin.
"When you're three. Your third rule will be about swimming."
"Why I no have rules about swimming now?"
"Because you're not really swimming, are you? I hold you up and you tread water. But when you're three, you'll be able to swim without me holding you."
"What about Mommy?"
"Mommy too. She'll be happy to see you swimming."
"Mommy told me a story while I peed in the potty."
"Yeah?" Castle pops his knees up and causes Dashiell to bounce, giggling.
"I walkin' on you, Daddy."
"You are. You did a good job going potty, by the way."
"Can we go to the pool now?"
"Sure. Let's go see if Mommy and Ellery are ready."
He scoops Dashiell up and heads for the master bedroom. He convinced Kate last year to buy a few things, redecorate, and he really loves what she did with the whole house. In their room, the king-sized bed is covered by a simple cloth patterned in cool blue and grey, light in the summer heat. The floors are bamboo, the pieces of furniture easy to clean; the whole place, actually, looks effortless and simple and fun, a place to live rather than a museum.
"Mommy?" Castle calls out, carrying Dash into the room.
Kate steps from the bathroom into their line of sight, pulling her hair back with a ponytail holder. "Ready."
Dashiell leans out for her; she takes him from Castle and gestures towards the carrier.
"I think she needs to be changed."
He narrows his eyes at her as she smiles and gives Dashiell a loud raspberry against the boy's neck.
He leans over the carrier in the floor and unstraps Ellery, just in time to hear her making those chirping noises again, as if echoing her mother. "Hey, wait a sec."
He lifts Ella out and turns back to Kate as she hesitates in the doorway, Dashiell with both arms around her neck and leaning out towards the hall.
"Dashiell," Rick calls, getting his attention. "Listen to Ellery. Hear her? She wants a kiss from Mommy too."
Kate gives him a funny look but steps in closer; the three of them fall silent and Ellery sucks on her cheeks or maybe it's her tongue, and then she clicks and chirps, watching them.
Dashiell laughs and leans over to his baby sister, his fingers out. Castle catches him before he can poke her in the eye, juggles the girl in his other arm. "Careful, buddy. Soft touch."
"She makes sounds," Dashiell says, sounding surprised.
"She's trying to figure out how to talk," Kate laughs, kissing his cheek when he leans against her. "She hears her big brother talk talk talk and she wants to be like you."
"I talk talk talk?"
"You talk a lot," Castle laughs. "But we love to hear you talk."
"Shh," Dash says suddenly. "I wanna hear what she says."
Castle sees Kate bite her lip and throw him a shared laughing glance; he grins back and they all remain silent, listening. His eyes stray to Ellery, the baby so light and fragile in his arms, his little, tiny girl.
She makes those noises again, her eyes on his, seeing something she likes in whatever she can focus on - maybe the round line of his face or even Dashiell leaning in close. She loves to watch Dash.
Kate gives a soft little noise and reaches out a hand, brushes it over the top of Ellery's head. Castle can see the amazing tenderness in her eyes, the joy. He's not sure he can remember seeing that look on her face when she was pregnant with Dashiell, but she had it often with Ellery. He feels proud that he has had anything at all to do with putting that look there.
He raises his hand to steady Dash, and that lets Kate lean in closer and kiss Ellery's forehead, thumb brushing over the spot when she lifts up again.
"Hey there my little cricket," she murmurs, her voice low and gorgeous, soft and thick with emotion.
"Cricket," he echoes, and grins at her. She gives something of a vulnerable smile back and comes in closer, their kids crowded between them. Dashiell wriggles around, but Castle has a hand on him, keeps his head from butting into their chins, manages to get his lips to Kate's.
When she kisses him, she kisses like he actually has put that joy there, like he has entirely everything to do with it.