Note to the Readers: I have become bored with this universe—need some form of inspiration to continue on this set of Rick and Kate.
BTW my twins really did insist on touching all the time until they were 6 mos. of age. And the kissing image is real too. I have a lovely photograph my husband took their second day home from the hospital where they look like one is kissing the other.
Disclaimers: No, I don't own them. If I did Andrew Marlowe would have already had our beloved couple getting on with a life together and stop all of this stupid jealousy/misunderstanding garbage. Yes Marlow, it is getting very TIRESOME. To quote Stana, "It's time to let them say I love you, get married and start having little Castle babies."
Epilogue-The Loft
Rick woke to find his bed empty again. He walked as quietly he could down the new corridor to the girls' nursery where they currently shared a crib. They don't like to be separate. In fact, they scream and cry when they aren't actually touching. He finds Kate asleep in a rocking chair with a girl tucked into each arm and one foot on an ottoman. Hannah' little fist touches her sister's cheek lightly. Rick picks little Hannah out of his wife's arms and her eyes open wide. Rick holds her tightly and begins to sing a lullaby. The little fist opens to feel his face. He grimaces at the strength in the little hand as it pulls his ear.
"You are your mother's daughter," he says as he checks her diaper and then lays her in the crib.
He reaches for Nicole, but he has to unfist her little hand from around a tendril of her mother's hair. The little red head's eyes gleam brightly. She squeals delightedly as he spins her in his arms. He checks her diaper singing the same song and re-swaddles her before putting her to bed; he always places them at least a foot apart to watch them work. They claim newborns, especially preemies can't see, but his two little girls wiggle and roll to get to each other. They are once again touching in less than two minutes. His little miracles. This time Nicole snuggles close to her sister turning her head sideways so that her lips and nose touch her sister's cheek. With their little squeaks, they go back to sleep.
Rick lifts his wife gently from her rocking chair. She is still recuperating, but she gets less sleep now than she did in the worst of cases. The girls require feeding and changing every two to three hours. It should be done in shifts, but Kate, always the self-sufficient one, often does not wake Rick when it's his turn. He doesn't struggle with her. Her weight has dropped ridiculously low. But, he has been trying to put meat back on her body. She worries over getting fat, but he is concerned about her health and how delicate she appears. He doesn't tell her that she makes him think of that day at the hospital after she was shot. That was one of the worst days of his life, he won't ever forget how close to death she has been or how many times she has been there. Her face isn't as gray but her eyes are hollow as are her cheeks.
He pulls the covers over her once she's in the bed.
He opens his laptop and opens his website.
For all of you who have kept us in your thoughts and prayers, I thank you. My beautiful girls have been home for three days. Kate has been home for three weeks. I am the luckiest man in the world and the richest, not because of the books you bought but because of what lies down the hall from this office.
For those of you who don't know, Gina Cowan is no longer in control of Black Pawn; her half-brother has been given control of the business. Gina will be in a detention facility for the next four years if she does not behave, a mere year if she does. I wish her the best as long as she is out of our lives. As for my first wife, she will be allowed to be the crazy aunt to my twins. You will be able to see her and my mother in the first installment of the Derrick Storm film series coming in October to ABC. This is the last day of the family blog. I will still be posting short stories and excerpts from my new work.