Kate had been more stressed than usual. She had always been at the top of her class but she had never been someone who worried about assignments.
Kate paced up and down the length of Rick's dorm.
"Relax, Kate." Rick said.
"I can't." Kate said, still pacing.
"Why not?" Rick asked, trying to follow Kate with his gaze.
"I don't know." Kate said.
"Is there something else going on?" Rick asked.
Kate stopped, looking at Rick for the first time during the course of their conversation. Before she could answer, Rick's phone buzzed. Kate expected Rick to start texting Kyra again but he didn't even look at his phone. He put it on silent and brought his attention back to Kate.
Rick looked at Kate, searching her face for an answer.
"I think I need some space." Kate said.
"What do you mean?" Rick asked, feeling a little hurt.
"I think I need to head home. I'll meet you back here in a few hours." Kate said.
"But what about the assignment?" Rick shouted after Kate but she was already gone.
Rick had tried to keep Kate calm but they really did have to complete this assignment. He picked up his computer and stared at the incomplete assignment in front of him. It was due in a few hours but he didn't want to worry Kate any more than she already was.
Kate rushed home, not really knowing what else to do. When she entered, she saw her father sitting at the dining room table. Kate tried to walk past him, she wasn't really in mood for having a conversation.
"Katie?" Jim said, from the dining room.
"Hey dad." Kate said, walking into the room.
"I thought you were working with Rick on the assignment." Jim said.
"Yeah, I was, I just needed some space." Kate said.
"Was he getting on your nerves again?" Jim asked, jokingly.
"No, he was actually really nice." Kate said, absentmindedly.
"Then what is it?" Jim asked.
"I'm just really worried about the assignment." Kate said.
"I thought you guys were almost done." Jim said.
"We are." Kate said.
"What's going on Katie?" Jim asked, sensing that there was something else going on.
"I've just been so worried about this that it clouds everything I do." Kate said, taking a seat next to Jim.
"You've never been worried about assignments, why are you so worried about this one?" Jim asked.
"It's my first one back, I really want to do well." Kate said.
Jim could sense Kate wasn't saying everything that was on her mind. "And?" He asked.
"I want to make mom proud." Kate said, chocking up a little.
"She's already proud of you, Katie." Jim said, holding his daughter's hand.
"So many times, I'd be sitting in class and hear something interesting about a case and want to talk to mom about it. For those few seconds before I would realise that she's gone, I would feel like nothing had changed." Kate said.
"Oh honey. I know the two of you dreamt of this for you but she'd be proud of you no matter what. She always used to talk about how proud she was of the woman you were becoming." Jim said.
Kate looking at Jim with a small smile as her eyes welled up with tears.
"She's with you, Katie. She would be the first one to tell you that none of this matters beyond a point. I'm so proud of how you've started your life again, it's not easy. I know how hard it can be, but we can do this together." Jim said, putting an arm around his daughter.
Kate always felt reassured after talking to her father. No one understood how she felt, especially about her mother, the way he did. A lot of the pressure she had felt mounting on her shoulders, seemed to dissipate. She decided to head back to Rick's and finish the assignment.
"Hey, sorry about earlier. I know we have a bit left but we'll be able to manage." Kate said., walking into Rick's dorm.
"No need." Rick said, with a smile.
"What do you mean?" Kate asked.
"I finished it for us." Rick said.
"But you'd already done your part." Kate said.
"I know but you were tensed and we're a team." Rick said.
"Thank you." Kate said, with a big smile.
Rick felt butterflies flying amuck in his stomach. There was something about Kate's smile that made Rick nervous and excited at the same time.
"You're welcome. It's all done, you can proof read it and hit the send button." Rick said.
Kate sat down next to Rick on the edge of his bed and began reading their assignment.
"This is really good. I think we're good to go." Kate said.
Kate looked at Rick, took a deep breath and hit send. This assignment had been all she had thought about and now it was finally over.
"Now that this is done, I need you to come with me." Rick said, picking up a bag from the side of his bed.
"Where?" Kate asked.
"Just trust me." Rick said.
Kate gave Rick a look of annoyance, one that she had been giving him since the day they had met.
"Close your eyes." Rick said.
Kate stared at Rick.
"Come on." Rick said.
Kate took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Rick lightly kept his hand over Kate's eyes to make sure she wasn't looking.
Rick led Kate out of the room as a hand covered her eyes. Kate kept trying to ask Rick where they were going but all he said was, they weren't going far. Kate could hear doors creaking. Rick made her climb more steps than she could count and just when she was about to remove his hand, he told her they had reached. Kate heard another door creak open.
"Just a small step more." Rick said. He removed the hand from over her eyes.
Kate opened her eyes to see that they were on the roof of the dorm building.
"What are we doing here?" Kate asked.
"You're stressed. This is where I come, when I'm stressed or confused." Rick said, walking towards to the railing. The entirety of the New York skyline was visible from the roof.
Despite having spent her entire life in the city, looking at it from this damp roof, made her fall in love with it all over again. There was something about seeing New York at night, something that made you appreciate it in a completely new way.
"I wanted to get you up here earlier but I knew nothing would comfort you as much as actually finishing the assignment." Rick said.
"That's really sweet, Rick." Kate said, smiling.
Rick carried two old lawn chairs from the corner of the roof and lay them out. Kate flicked her eyes between the chairs and Rick. She wanted to complain but decided against it and sat down. Rick reached into his bag and grabbed two beers and handed one to Kate.
"I know there's more going on with you than the assignment. I don't need to know what it is. I just wanted you to know that I'm here." Rick said, clinking his bottle with hers.
"You've been really sweet this entire time and I know I haven't been the nicest. I just want you to know, I really appreciate all of it. Thank you." Kate said.
"Always." Rick said, with a smile.
The two of them spent the entire night talking. Looking out over New York and pouring her heart to Rick, really made Kate realise how wrong she had been about him. He had taken care of her, been there for her in exactly the way she had need him to be. As much as she wanted to deny it, she couldn't anymore. Kate was starting to fall for Rick, hard.