The final refrain of "Silent Night" from the church organ accompanies Rick, Kate, and her parents as they walk out of the church following the Christmas Eve service. Ever since she was a little girl, Kate has looked forward to the candlelight service each year. There's something comforting about singing carols with the congregation as the flickering light of the candles in their hands adds an ethereal quality to the atmosphere in the sanctuary.
They'd decided that attending church with her parents this year was the best plan, since they would already be with them in the evening. They'll probably go to midnight Mass with Rick's mother next year, but Kate's grateful to have been able to share the service with him this year.
Something cold and wet lands on Kate's nose just as she steps onto the stairs, and she realizes with a start that it's snowing. Despite the fact that snow hadn't been forecasted, large flakes are falling from the sky, and the ground is already dusted in white.
"Rick, it's snowing!" she exclaims, shivering in delight as a few more flakes land on her cheeks.
"I see that," he laughs, brushing snow out of his hair before he puts on his navy toboggan. He'd opened it this morning, when they'd exchanged gifts with Martha, and he was so delighted that he'd hardly taken it off ever since. When he'd finally removed it for the church service, Kate had burst into laughter, attracting the attention of the entire congregation to the unruly mess atop her husband's head. He'd taken it in stride, though, a proud grin on his face as he'd smoothed his hair down.
"The weatherman certainly didn't predict this snow," her father says, placing a hand under his wife's elbow as they descend the front steps. "What a nice Christmas surprise."
"Just like last year," Kate's mother adds, smiling.
Rick freezes with the words, and the congregants filing down the stairs behind them nearly bump into him when he stops. The people grumble as they step around him, continuing down the stairs, and Kate shoots him a quizzical look.
"Babe, you can't stop in the middle of the stairs. Come on," she says, tugging at his hand.
He lets her lead him down the staircase, but stops when they reach bottom, his eyes alight. "Jim, Johanna?" he starts, a smile beginning to form on his lips. "Would you mind heading back without Kate and me? I want to take her for a little walk in the snow."
Johanna smiles, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder. "Of course not, Rick," she says. "Take as long as you need. You can drop by and pick up the things you left at the apartment later tonight. Or any time, really."
Kate looks up at Rick, lips pursed in confusion, but he doesn't offer any explanation for the sudden change in plans. They say goodbye to her parents, then Rick takes her by the hand, leading her down the sidewalk in the opposite direction from which they came.
Kate glances over her shoulder, watching as her parents disappear around the corner behind them, then looks up at Rick. She's confused by his sudden decision to change plans- just an hour ago, he'd been carrying on about how ready he was to go back to the Beckett's apartment, where the brand new laser tag set her parents had given him was waiting. He had declared "impending war, dependent on our arrival back home" on Kate the moment he opened the set. Whatever he had planned must mean more to him than getting to play laser tag.
"What's this all about? Where are we going?"
"You'll see," he says with a smile.
"Come on, Rick. It's cold," she whines. "Can't you at least tell me what we're doing before I freeze to death?"
He laughs in response. "You've got the ear warmer and gloves my mother gave you for Christmas, right?"
"Yeah, they're in my coat pocket."
"Well, put them on, silly," he says. "We aren't going too far. You'll be fine."
She gives an exaggerated sigh, then grins at Rick, pulling her hand from his so that she can pull the new accessories from her coat pocket. It's the first time she's put on the gloves, and the warmth they provide is instant. They're a significant step up from her old, worn gloves, and she makes a mental note to thank Martha again for the gift.
They're in the heart of Manhattan, but the sidewalks aren't crowded the way they usually are. Most of the stores and restaurants closed early for the holiday, and everyone is inside of their homes. Kate imagines parents tucking their children into bed, reading them The Night Before Christmas as they drift off to sleep, eagerly anticipating a visit from Santa Claus.
Someday soon, she and Rick will be doing that very thing. They'll make Christmas so special for their children, providing them with happy memories that will last a lifetime.
"Hey, Kate, I was thinking."
Her husband's words startle her out of her reverie, and she looks up, giving him her full attention. "Hmm?"
"My new name, for when I get published," Rick starts. "What if I change my middle name from Alexander to Edgar, in homage to Edgar Allan Poe?"
"You and Poe," she chuckles. "I swear you'd travel back in time and marry him if you could."
He pokes her in the side. "Hey now. I have a crush on his writing, not on him."
"Uh huh, suuuuure."
On their first date, in what Rick claims was "a moment of nerves-induced awkwardness caused by the most beautiful woman in the world sitting across from him," he'd spent an entire ten minutes talking about nothing but Poe. Ever since then, she's teased him about his "man crush" on the poet. He vehemently denies it every time, but the look of ecstasy on his face when he unwrapped a complete anthology of Poe's works from her at Christmas last year was proof enough for her.
It's only fitting that he'd want to change his name to reflect his love for Poe.
"Richard Edgar Rodgers," she muses. "I like it. It's so… sophisticated."
"I think so, too," he nods. "At least, the Richard Edgar part. The Rodgers part is going to change, too."
"Have you decided what you want your new last name to be?"
"No," he sighs. "Every time I think of a good one, I find a reason it won't work. Like King, for example. It would be great, but there can't be two Kings in the fiction world. I've thought about all of the chess terms," he continues. "I just can't manage to get off of the chess theme, apparently."
"Chess," Kate echoes. "Well, what about Queen?"
"That one's out, too," Rick says. "Partly because I want my new last name to be in the first half of the alphabet, and partly because it goes all too well with Stephen King. You can imagine the comments that might be made."
"King and Queen," she says with a giggle. "Yeah, that association would always be there."
"Mmhmm," he nods. "We already know that Rook is out, and I thought about Bishop, but 'Richard Bishop' just doesn't sound good."
"It doesn't flow," Kate agrees. "And I guess Pawn is out, since it's in the latter half of the alphabet?"
"Yep. That, and I don't want to be Richard Pawn. That sounds stupid."
"You'd just be a pawn in the game of fiction," Kate says.
"Exactly," he says. "And I want to be more than that. I need a last name that's sophisticated enough to fit with 'Richard Edgar,' but strong enough to stand on its own."
She takes his hand in hers, giving it a squeeze. "You'll think of something, babe," she says. "I know it. Oh, we're going to the bridge, aren't we?"
It had taken her a while, but Kate has finally realized where her husband is taking her. They've just reached the southeast corner of Central Park, and she can see The Pond a few hundred yards away, the beautiful stone bridge over it dusted with snow.
Rick doesn't answer, only smiling in response as he leads her into the park, and Kate feels her heart begin to flutter. He's taking her back to the place where they got engaged last year. The sentiment isn't lost on her at all; it had been snowing just like this that night, too.
They stroll hand-in-hand in silence around the edge of the water, and after a moment Kate tilts her head back, letting the large flakes of snow fall on her face. The ground is already covered in white, and icicles are forming on the leaves on trees and bushes, while the edges of the water glisten with ice. Growing up in the city, with concrete and pavement in place of trees and grass, Kate has come to appreciate the beauty of nature. Central Park is one of her favorite places in the city for that reason, but it's even more beautiful covered in snow.
They stop walking once they reach the center of Gapstow Bridge, and Rick turns to her, taking both of her hands in his. "I've been thinking about this all day," he says, his voice reverent. "And when it started snowing after the service, I just knew we had to come back here. It's just like it was..."
He trails off, and Kate smiles. "One year ago," she finishes for him. "Exactly one year ago, in this very spot."
"One of the best days of my life," he murmurs.
"Mine, too," she agrees, squeezing his hands. "I can't believe it's been a full year."
"The best year I've ever had," Rick says. "I didn't know what my life was missing until you became a part of it."
She instantly recognizes the phrase as one he used in his wedding vows. They'd each written their own, and the sweetness of Rick's words had all but reduced Kate to tears at the altar. Even now, she can feel tears pricking at the corners of her eyes at the memory.
Kate grins through her tears and raises herself up on her tiptoes, leaning towards him. "I couldn't have said it any better myself," she whispers, pressing her forehead against his. "And you know what? I think it's only going to get better from here."
He wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her into him. "I agree," he breathes.
Snow continues to fall as they share a kiss in the middle of the bridge, a peaceful silence settling around them with every passing second. Despite the chill in the air, Kate feels warm inside, content in a way she'd never thought possible before being with Rick.
It really has been the best year of her life.
Author's note: There will be one final chapter after this, followed by an epilogue. Thank you for all of your support with my ficathon venture!