all across the hours 11/24
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July 11th 2045, 10.01am
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Kate runs her fingers through the loose curls of Sarah's hair. Her daughter's reflection grins up at her, cheeks flushed with happiness, dark eyes glistening. The white and the lace and the years all melt away until she's staring into Sarah's face and seeing it all, all at once, grown woman and little girl both.
The lines around Kate's eyes deepen as her smile widens to match her daughter's.
"I'm so proud of you," Kate says, heart full up and brimming with it. "Your father and I both are."
Sarah leans back, tilting her head and lifting her eyes to meet Kate's. Her daughter catches her hand and squeezes tight as the smile on her face trembles. "I love you guys."
"Don't you dare cry, you'll ruin your make up."
Sarah laughs, the tremble of tears disappearing as she bumps her head back against Kate's abdomen. "Way to spoil the moment, mom."
"You're welcome." Kate makes herself focus on her daughter's auburn locks. "What are we doing with this?"
The young woman pretends to consider, pretends that she hasn't had every detail carefully planned for years, from the flowers to the music to her make up and hair and bridesmaid dresses.
"Up," she says finally and Kate grins.
Up is how they've been doing it ever since Sarah was a little girl, pretending to marry her dolls. The memory springs to mind easily, the little girl clutching her daddy's hand, dressed in her makeshift white gown and her mother's heels.
Kate remembers the way the details changed as her daughter had grown – bright pink roses to classic white, strawberry milkshakes to sparkling champagne flutes – but some things had always stayed the same. Her hair up, her mother's dress, the skip in her dad's step as he'd walk her down the aisle, the way Kate would fuss over her in the mirror.
Kate twists her daughter's hair into an elegant bun, purposely letting some of the soft curls escape to frame the young woman's face. Sarah smiles her approval as Kate works.
"Are you nervous, sweetheart?"
Her daughter shakes her head, no. And then quickly nods, yes.
Kate laughs as the movement shakes loose Sarah's hair and she lets out a frustrated whine. Still her little girl, then.
"Hold still," she chides gently, trying to fix the mess before giving in and starting from scratch.
"I'm all kinds of terrified, mom," Sarah confesses.
"It's not too late if you think you're making a mistake."
Her daughter's eyes dart up to meet hers in the mirror. "I don't."
"Good."
Sarah bites her lip. "Do you think I'm making a mistake?"
It's not exactly what Kate had imagined for her when she'd been watching her young daughter dance around on the tips of her husband's toes. It's not even close, really, but Kate smiles gently as she thinks of her daughter's fiancée, of how happy the woman makes her youngest child. "No, sweetheart, I don't."
"But you and dad-"
"Are so incredibly proud of you," Rick interrupts, coming up to stand behind them both.
Kate smiles at her husband's reflection over their daughter's shoulder. Rick's face is cracked with age but his eyes twinkle back at her.
"Thirty years later and your stare is still creepy, Castle."
"I'm allowed to stare today," Rick counters. "And who can blame me if I can't take my eyes off two of the most beautiful women in the world?"
Mother and daughter roll their eyes but they're both smiling. "Have you been here long?"
Rick shakes his head.
"They're waiting for you, sweetheart," he says, gentle eyes on their daughter. "Are you ready?"
Sarah nods and stands to accept her father's extended arm.
"I'm ready."
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a/n: Put a rush on this as an apology for making you guys wait so long last time. Hopefully I can get the next one done quickly too. I want to take the time to thank everyone individually but until I get the chance: massive thanks to everyone who's shared their thoughts, you guys make my day.