Hello, everyone! I'm back with Chapter 7 of The Following Years in Love. I hope you're all enjoying the story thus far. As always, please RATE, REVIEW, and FOLLOW if you'd like. Enjoy!

Nick's POV:

I had been pacing the floors of Bergdorf Goodman's for the past twenty minutes in search of Jordan and Catherine. It was the week before Christmas, and Jordan was running around like a mad woman trying to get everyone on her list the perfect gift. Catherine, being very similar to her mother, enjoyed every minute of the holiday shopping and preparations. Those two together are quite dynamic when it comes to spending money.

I walked around the corner into the long hallway of the seventh floor, into the children's section, and finally I spotted Catherine. She was looking up at all of the toys and frilly dresses. Like mother, like daughter.

She was all bundled up in her bright red winter coat with a fur collar, and a hat to match. Her perfect lips formed a smile as she looked around at the store festooned in Christmas splendor. This is what made this time of year all the more special.

I placed my hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at me with those beautiful grey blue eyes, and her smile grew even wider.

"Hi Daddy!" She said in her sweet little voice. This little girl could really make my heart melt in an instant.

"Hello my princess! Where's Mommy?"

She looked around with a puzzled expression and replied; "I'm not quite sure, she was just here a second ago!"

I chuckled; "Alright honey, let's go find Mommy. Hold my hand, I don't want to lose you."

I grasped onto my four year old daughters tiny hands, and knowing my wife, she was in the dress department or looking at the furs. As Catherine and I were about to get on the elevator, here comes Jordan around the corner with bags and boxes cascaded through her arms.

"Oh Catherine, there you are darling, I was worried sick!"

"Mommy I was with you, and then I looked and I couldn't find you, and then Daddy found me."

Jordan sighed a breath of relief, and then looked to me; "And where have you been? I've been looking all over for you!"

"Jordan, I was in seating area in the main lobby right where I said I would be. Now, c'mon girls, this place is a zoo. Let's go home."

Jordan rolled her eyes at me, and took Catherine's other hand, and we made our way out of the crowded store, onto the frightfully cold streets of New York.

With the three of us hand in hand, we walked up fifth avenue. The amount of people out today was astonishing, as everyone was preparing for the upcoming holiday.

Lights were decorating the streets, and the tree at Rockefeller Center made little Catherine's eyes light up. Nothing could be quite as wonderful as seeing the magic of Christmas through our little girl's eyes.

We finally had made it back to the car, and one by one, we got each and every package in the backseat of the car. Jordan and I smiled at each other for a job well done, and turned around. We looked down and there was Catherine.

"Ummm, Mommy, Daddy…. How am I going to fit in the car?"

We both immediately started laughing, and I scooped her up in my arms.

"I'm sorry my precious girl, lets make some room for you! Afterall, you're the most important little present in the car!"

Her lips formed a perfect little smile, and I gave her a kiss on the cheek. What did I do to deserve such a marvelous little girl? I'll never know, but I am forever grateful.

"Come here my darling!" Jordan said with her arms stretched out.

I handed her Catherine, and both of my girls had the biggest smiles on their faces. Nothing made me more pleased than to see them happy.

With Catherine surrounded by heaps of gifts, our little family sat in the car and made our way back to Long Island. Catherine was singing the Christmas carols that she learned in school, and Jordan and I were laughing and singing along. I never imagined myself to be such a family man, but god, did I love it.

On our way back home, we stopped at a roadside stand to pick out a Christmas tree. Knowing Catherine and Jordan, there would be no rest until the perfect tree was found.

Catherine and Jordan paced around the lot for a solid twenty minutes looking at all of the trees. The two would stop at each one, and look it over, then onto the next one. I'm almost positive that they've looked at all of the trees at least a dozen times, but I was not going to be the fool that would get in the way of Jordan and Catherine Carraway.

After a few moments, I felt a tug at my coat. I looked down, and there was my Catherine.

"Daddy, we found a tree!"

I picked her up, and she pointed me in the direction of her mother, in front of what could have been the most perfect tree on the lot.

I paid the man, and just as we were walking back to the car, Catherine wandered off. She was looking into a little box by all of the trees.

"Mummy, Daddy, look!"

Jordan and I walked over to her, and in the box, was a lone kitten. It was just a tiny little thing, with bright green eyes, and charcoal grey fur. Catherine's eyes lit up at the sight of the little creature.

Apparently, the owner of the Christmas trees cat had kittens, and this was the only one left.

Catherine picked up the cat, and it immediately snuggled right up to her. I wasn't much of a fan of cats, but seeing a cute little girl and a helpless kitten was enough to warm your heart.

Catherine looked up at me with sad eyes and a pout on her face; "Daddy can I please bring the kitty home, please?"

Unsure of what to do, I looked over to Jordan, who was down on Catherine's level stroking the cat and smiling.

"Kitty, Mommy and I are going to have to talk it over. Having a pet is a big responsibility."

Tears began to well in her eyes as she put the cat down into the box. She got into the car, and tears began to fall down her face as her bottom lip quivered. It was a little too close to Christmas to be getting Catherine such a gift, and I didn't know if she was old enough to handle it. It broke my heart to make her unhappy, but there's one thing that Jordan and I didn't want, and that's a spoiled little girl.

With the tree stand being just a little ways up the road from our house, we got home fairly quickly. I brought the tree into the house and put it in the den. After Jordan gave me thousands of directions to turn the tree, she was finally happy with the placement, and it was time to get decorating.

Catherine sat in my chair in the living room with the saddest look on her face. She hasn't said much since we left the tree stand, but I could tell that she was missing her feline friend.

Jordan turned to me and whispered; "Nicky, what should we do about the cat?"

"I really don't know, Jordan… Can a four year old handle having a pet?"

"Well Nick I don't know… but wasn't that cat awfully cute?"

"Well yes, I suppose, but Jordan, we can't be giving Catherine everything that she wants... "

"Of course I know that Nick, but wouldn't that be a lovely Christmas present for her? Can you imagine how happy she would be if Santa brought her that little kitten?"

I smirked at Jordan; "Gosh Jordan, I can't tell who wants the cat more, you or Catherine."

She laughed; "Oh really Nick, be serious. Wouldn't that be the perfect gift?"

"I guess it would be nice to see her so happy on Christmas morning…"

"After I put Catherine to bed, why don't you go back to the tree stand and get the cat?"

"Jordan…. Where in the hell are we going to hide a kitten from a four year old?"

Jordan looked puzzled for a moment; "I haven't thought that through yet, but just get the cat later and we'll figure it out!"

I couldn't help but laugh, leave it to Jordan to think of such a complicated way to get a cat.

I walked over to Catherine to see if she wanted to start decorating the tree with Jordan and I. I crouched down to her level so I could see those pretty eyes of hers. However, Miss. Catherine wasn't looking too happy right now.

"Kitty, do you want to help Mommy and I decorate the tree?"

Her lip continued to quiver, and her eyes were still watery.

"Catherine, what's bothering you?"

She sniffed, and tried to keep the tears from falling; "It makes me sad that the little kitty is going to be all alone, Daddy. I loved him…"

I usually wasn't one to have such a soft spot for animals, but she did have a point.

Jordan stepped in from decorating the tree and added; "Kitty baby, Daddy and I are going to talk about it, okay? Now, look here's your ornament that we got you when you were just a baby… How about you hang it up for Mommy?"

That seemed to make her feel a little bit better. Jordan handed her the ornament with her baby picture from 1923 in it. It was always bittersweet to look at that hanging on our tree each year. It meant that our little girl was getting older, and we were too.

With the festivities seeming to distract Catherine from her new feline friend, I decided to go outside and get the presents from the car.

Flakes of snow were beginning to fall, and my breath was visible in the air. I grabbed a few gifts from the car, when all of a sudden, I heard a noise coming from the side of the house.

I wasn't quite sure what it was, but decided to investigate further. I walked into our garden, which lacked color this time of year, and saw something underneath a snow-covered shrub.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I got a closer look. It was that same damn cat from the tree stand! It must have followed our car up the road and to our house.

It was clearly shivering, so I picked it up, and brought it inside to our cozy home.

The fire was going, and both of my girls were smiling again as they were decorating the tree. All of a sudden, Catherine saw me out of the corner of her eye. Her eyes grew to the size of saucers, and a big grin came to her face.

She gasped, and came running toward me with open arms.

"Daddy, how'd the kitty get here?"

I got down to her level so she could see the cat and replied; "Your little friend must have followed us home… I think he wants to live here. What do you think Jordan?"

Jordan looked over with a grin to match Catherine's; "It's okay by me. What about you Nick?"

"I think that we have a new member of the Carraway family for Christmas… How does that sound Kitty Catherine?"

Catherine ran into my arms, and gave me the biggest kiss on the cheek; "Thank you, Daddy!"

That was all of the thank you I needed.

Catherine got her new little friend warmed up, fed, and was playing with him by the fireplace on the floor. I sat on the couch, with my feet on the coffee table, as Jordan was sprawled out on the couch, head resting on my lap. We both took drags from our cigarettes and looked around our home.

Our house was warm and cozy, with the glow of the fire, and the emanating glow of our Christmas tree, this was pure bliss.

I read some of my final drafts for my upcoming novel as Catherine was playing, and Jordan lounging in front of me. All of a sudden, Catherine starts running around chasing the little kitten, who had taken her hair ribbon.

"Hey, Mister! You get back here!"

Jordan and I chuckled, and Catherine finally made her way back into the den in front of Jordan and I.

"Make sure you keep an eye on him Kitty… Kittens are very curious." Jordan said.

"That's right. You need to take good care of your little friend." I added.

"Okay Mommy, okay Daddy." Catherine replied.

"You're our good little Kitty, aren't you darling?" Jordan said to Catherine.

She looked a little confused, and responded to her mother; "Mumma, are you talking to me or the cat?"

Jordan and I both let out a laugh. "We can't have a Kitty and a kitten in the house. What are you going to name your little friend there Kitty Catherine?" I asked her.

Just as Catherine was thinking of a name, the little kitten jumped out of her arms, and started playing with an ornament on the tree.

"Mister you get back here before you get into trouble!" Catherine said to her cat. Then, a light bulb appeared to go off in her head.

"I know! I'll name him Mister!"

Jordan and I looked at each other and laughed. "Mister sounds like the perfect name." I said to her.

Catherine got Mister under control, and decided to curl up with Jordan and I on the couch. We turned on the radio, and listened to Christmas songs. We smiled and laughed, and spent some quality time as a family. This is what the holidays were truly all about, not the things that made up the floors at Bergdorf's.