My deepest, most heartfelt thanks to everyone who is continuing to read and review and support this story. And a special thanks to WRTRD, who helped me to see that continuing to follow my heart in crafting this story is the only way to go regarding the most important point of this chapter. You're an excellent writer, friend, and reader.
And so it was that Kate announced her candidacy for Manhattan City Council to her and Rick's family and friends, earning a boatload of support from them, including offers from all of her friends, Martha, and Jim to gather signatures from their respective apartment buildings, and Alexis's offer to canvass among her friends and classmates at Columbia before her graduation in December to gather signatures from those who were Manhattan residents. By a fortuitous stroke of luck, Rick hadn't yet found a buyer for his old P.I. office, and he insisted Kate use it as her campaign office, which led to a spirited debate among Lanie, Jenny, Gates, Alexis, Martha, and all of the men (except Gates' husband, who was at home in bed with bronchitis) over when and how to move the few things Rick had left there out and how best to optimize the space for Kate's campaign, while Jim and Martha jointly offered to team up to write campaign literature for Kate, a prospect which panicked Rick much more than it panicked Kate.
"You do remember my mother's one-woman show, right?" Rick asked Kate when they were getting ready for bed that night.
"I thought it was very good," she replied. "Besides, my dad will keep her from getting too theatrical or melodramatic. It's nice to see them getting along so well, considering the first dinner we had with them."
"Well, we've all come a long way since then," Rick said as he drew back the covers and climbed into bed next to Kate. "And when they find out about Sweetpea, I think the race will be on to see which grandparent will spoil him or her more."
"And with the baby's big sister, and all the aunts and uncles, four of whom will be godparents, this kid is gonna be completely spoiled by the time we come home from the hospital," Kate replied.
"We won't let that happen," Rick said. "Our kid is going to be amazing. Our kid already is amazing—growing every day, I gotta get some books, some of those What to Expect When You're Expecting kinds of books. I'm sure they've updated since Alexis was in utero."
Now Kate did show panic. "You can't go down to the bookstore and buy pregnancy books!" she exclaimed. "It'll end up on Page Six, and then everybody will know, and our Christmas surprise will be ruined!"
"Nothing is going to get ruined," Rick promised her. "Amazon, Kate. I'll have them delivered right to our front door. They even come in plain brown boxes, the way the old National Geographics used to come in plain brown wrappers." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"Which you no doubt read for the articles," Kate said wryly.
"It was a very educational magazine all the way around," Rick said, his too-innocent expression making Kate dissolve into laughter. Rick beamed at her then. "I hope Sweetpea has your laugh and your smile, especially if she's a girl," he said.
"Well, if he's a boy, I hope he's as ruggedly handsome as you are," Kate replied. She was startled when Rick bounded out of bed and raised his arms in the air in triumph, fists pointed at the ceiling, and gave a whoop of triumph. "What?" she asked.
"You finally admit it! You think I'm ruggedly handsome!" he exclaimed happily. "It only took eight years, marriage, and getting pregnant with our first child, but you said it, and you meant it!"
Kate rolled her eyes, but good-naturedly. "Yes, babe, you really are ruggedly handsome, and I hope that our future son or sons are as ruggedly handsome as you are."
Rick climbed back into bed as Kate turned out the light and then moved to straddle him. "So me being a goofball works too?" he asked hopefully.
"It always has," she replied before leaning down to kiss him as his body began to respond to hers.
Kate wasn't entirely sure why she was nervous. Well, okay, bringing up last year was the main reason, but she hoped that her belated first-anniversary gift would make up for it. She really hoped her belated first-anniversary gift would make up for it. If not for LokSat, she would have given this to Rick on schedule, last year. But she also wondered about his reaction to it. They had never really discussed it. She refused to believe that he didn't have an opinion, but she hadn't consulted him before doing this...not because she was pulling away from him, but because she wanted this to be a (hopefully wonderful) surprise for him.
It was November 10...their second wedding anniversary. She had gone traditional with her first-anniversary gift to him, which had always been her intention, but non-traditional with her second-anniversary gift, because she couldn't find anything in cotton or china that she thought he would like or use, and they weren't exactly the most traditional couple in the world, anyway.
"I can hear you thinking." Kate looked beside her to see Rick staring sleepily up at her. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing," Kate fibbed.
Rick sat up and leaned back against the headboard next to Kate. "Something's the matter. What's wrong on this, the greatest day of the year?"
"I thought that was Christmas," Kate stalled.
"Okay, it's a tie," Rick relented. He reached for Kate's hand. "Seriously, Kate. It's our wedding anniversary. And we're waking up together this year, so that's a big step in the right direction right there."
Kate bit her bottom lip, then said, "Well, I got you an anniversary present for this year-"
"I got you one too," Rick said, smiling.
"-but I also have the present I was supposed to give you, the present I wanted to give you, last year and didn't get to," Kate continued, "and I'm not sure how you're going to react to it."
"It's from you. I'll love it," Rick said confidently. At the mention of presents, he had instantly become more alert. "And our mind meld remains intact, because I got you a present for last year too."
"You did?" Kate asked.
"Of course," Rick replied. "I'm not the kind of guy who's going to forget our anniversary. Ever. If I thought you wouldn't consider it excessive, I'd get you a present every March 9." He paused. "March 9 was-"
"-the night we met," Kate concluded in unison with him. At the look of surprise and happiness in his eyes, she said, "I don't forget important dates either. And March 9, 2009, is one of the best days in my life. I didn't know it at the time, but believe me, Rick, I know it now, and I'll always consider it one of the best days of my life...along with November 10, 2014, and when Sweetpea makes his or her debut." She got out of bed then, crossed the room to the closet, and, moving some things around, emerged a moment later with two gift-wrapped boxes, one of which was a box wrapped in gold foil and ribbon, with a big red bow on top and a lid that clearly was to be lifted straight off the box to reveal the gift, and the other a larger package wrapped in paper emblazoned all over with 'Happy Anniversary!' but with no bow on top.
"You should probably open this one first, since this is the one from last year," Kate said, holding out the gold foil-covered box.
Rick all but tore the gift from Kate's hands, and she watched anxiously as he removed the lid and pushed back the tissue paper. Then he frowned as he sifted through the contents of the box before looking up at her in confusion. "This is your driver's license, Kate...and your passport, and your Social Security card. Do you want to take a trip somewhere, like a babymoon?"
"The first anniversary is traditionally paper," Kate said.
"Right," Rick said, still not getting it.
"Look more closely," Kate said, holding her breath.
Rick lifted her passport out of the box and flipped it open...and, as instructed, he looked more closely.
And there it was on the top line, underneath Kate's photograph: SURNAME: Castle.
His heart pounding, Rick picked up Kate's driver's license next.
There it was again: CASTLE, KATHERINE B.
595 BROOME STREET
NEW YORK, NY 10013
DOB: 11-17-79
Feeling his vision start to blur, Rick picked up Kate's Social Security card last, and sure enough, that too now read, CASTLE, KATHERINE B.
He looked up at her in shock and awe. "Professionally, I'm still going to be Kate Beckett," she said, "because that's the name I built my career and my professional reputation on. And you do still occasionally call me 'Beckett,' and I've always liked the way it sounds when you do that." She ducked her head shyly for a second before looking up at him again. "We never really talked about it, me taking your name, and I didn't really start to think about it until...well, until LokSat. Because right before all of that stuff first hit the fan, when I got called in to talk to the party and they wanted me to run for the Senate, they attacked my methods as a detective at the 12th, and our relationship, and the Nikki Heat books, and I told them off. I told them how proud I am to be your wife, and to be your inspiration, and that was when I first started seriously thinking about it. And I put everything in motion to make the change legally two days before I pulled my first disappearing act because of LokSat.
"These were ready this time last year. But everything was so uncertain then, and then we were hiding the truth from everyone for so long, I didn't want to do this, give you these, that night with that shadow hanging over us. So I decided I'd save them for this year and give them to you as a belated first-anniversary present.
"Professionally, I'll remain Kate Beckett. But personally, I'm Kate Castle. I want to share your name, Rick. I want to have the same last name that you and our children have. Because as proud as I am of being Jim and Johanna Beckett's daughter, and as proud as I am of everything I accomplished as Officer, Detective, and Captain Beckett, I'm even more proud to be your wife, and I dare any other mother to be as proud of her kids as I'll be of ours. And one doesn't cancel out or diminish the other. I'll be both, at the same time, in a way. So happy belated first anniversary, and I really need you to say something now."
Rick was floored. He had actually had the name conversation with both Meredith and Gina, and it hadn't taken 60 seconds in either case before both women said a resounding 'no.' It stung both times, but more out of ego than anything else.
And he and Kate never really had discussed it. He had just assumed that she would remain Kate Beckett, and he was okay with that. There were times he had thought how wonderful it would be for Kate to take his name, but he wasn't going to push. As she had just pointed out, she had built her career on the Beckett name, and he would never do anything to diminish that or take it away from her. As long as she shared his life, he didn't need for her to share his name.
But now she was telling him that she had thought about it, and she had put enough thought into it that she had gone out and had her name legally changed, and her personal identification documents updated to reflect that change. At a time in their lives when everything was going wrong, when Rick was wondering if he was going to lose Kate, she was solidifying her connection to him in the only way she knew how then...and she had waited until now to tell him in order to make their anniversary even more special then it already was, with this being their second one and Sweetpea being on the way.
Words were his stock in trade, but he couldn't find any words that would let Kate know how much her taking his name meant to him.
So he carefully set aside the box with her driver's license, passport, and Social Security card in it, got up on his knees, framed her face in his hands, and then kissed her, slowly, tenderly, thoroughly, until Kate sighed and melted against him, and they kissed until they were both out of breath.
When Kate caught her breath, she said, "And you still have this year's present to open."
Rick laughed so hard and long, the few tears remaining in his eyes leaked out, and Kate laughed too.
When they caught their breath from the laughing, Rick said earnestly, "I love you, Kate Castle. And it's not an ego thing, I swear it's not, but I have to tell you...I really like the way that sounds."
She beamed back at him. "Me too," she replied. "And I love you too, Rick Castle." Then she handed him his second gift, the one commemorating that day, their second anniversary. Rick tore off the wrapping paper and opened the box to reveal a 12-inch digital picture frame with 8 gigabytes of memory, a clock/calendar function, and stereo speakers, since it could play video in addition to displaying photographs.
"This is awesome!" Rick exclaimed as he inspected the power adaptor and the USB stick that were included with the frame. "And just in time, too, since we'll be taking a ton of pictures of Sweetpea. Thank you."
"You're welcome," Kate replied.
Rick then got out of bed and rushed to his office to retrieve Kate's gifts. Both boxes were small, but one was rectangular in shape, and the other was a perfect cube. "Happy anniversary, Kate," Rick said with a big smile. "The one on top is the paper gift."
Since officially getting together with Rick, Kate had rediscovered the joys of unwrapping presents. She was completely floored at what the box contained. "Front row Bon Jovi tickets at Madison Square Garden?!" she exclaimed.
They're going on tour next year. I have a guy," he said. "I know you like them, and I'd like to be your date to the concert."
"You're absolutely going to be my date to the concert!" Kate exclaimed. "You know, Bon Jovi was my first concert. 1993, the I'll Sleep When I'm Dead tour. It was July, it was unbearably hot, they were playing the Garden, actually, but since I was only thirteen, my parents didn't trust me to go alone, so they got four tickets, and they took me and Madison, remember my friend Madison?" Rick nodded as Kate continued, "I should call her and catch up. Anyway, I was completely embarrassed that both of my parents were there. Madison had no such qualms, however. We were in the tenth row, and she screamed herself hoarse singing along and trying to get Richie Sambora's attention. Which she didn't. By the time they got about halfway through the set list, I managed to forget my parents were right behind us, and I started screaming and singing along with Madison, saving up most of my energy and lung power for my two favorite songs, of course, which they played at the end: 'Wanted Dead or Alive' and 'Livin' on a Prayer.'"
"I wonder if they'll take requests?" Rick mused.
"Even if they don't play those two songs, it'll still be a great concert," Kate said. "And this time, I'll get to go with you."
Rick picked up the second gift, the one commemorating the anniversary they were celebrating today, the moment two years ago they had gotten married. "This is the untraditional gift, for today's anniversary."
Kate removed the wrapping paper and opened the box to reveal a round red object. At Rick's encouraging, excited look, she opened the lid to reveal a decorative compass, wood with a rosewood finish. The interior of the lid was gold, and Rick had had it engraved with the following:
"KB-
You are my North, my South,
My East & West,
My working week
& my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight
My talk, my song
Our love will last for always.
-RC"
"It's beautiful," Kate said softly. "I love it. And my concert tickets. And you."
"Happy anniversary," Rick said, tucking her hair behind her ears.
"Happy anniversary," Kate replied before leaning in to kiss him again.
A week after their wedding anniversary was Kate's birthday. She insisted she didn't want a big party like she had surprised Rick with a few years ago, along with the murder mystery that really wasn't while he was recovering from his skiing accident. But birthdays were another thing that Rick had given back to her, so when he insisted, "It's your birthday, Kate—I can't not celebrate that. It's your day, so whatever you say goes. But November 17...it's sacred to me. The day you were born is one of the greatest days of my life, Kate, and it's worth celebrating."-Kate couldn't say no to some kind of celebration.
"Let's have everybody to lunch at Remy's," Kate said. "That way, they won't get suspicious when I don't drink wine because Remy's doesn't serve wine. Then we can come back here for cake, and you and I can have some alone time, maybe go out for a nice dinner."
"You got it," Rick replied with a smile.
Alexis, Martha, Jim, Ryan, Esposito, Lanie and Alan all joined Kate and Rick for lunch at Remy's. The boys and Lanie brought birthday presents for Kate. "You guys, you didn't have to get me anything," Kate protested.
"It's your birthday!" Lanie exclaimed. "We wanted to get you gifts. It's taken long enough for you to celebrate your birthday the way it should be celebrated, Kate."
Everyone looked at Rick then, but it was Alexis who spoke. "If Dad could get away with it, all of our birthdays would be national holidays."
"Rick, you do have a lot to do with the changes in Katie's outlook," Jim piped up then. "And I thank you for it."
"We all do," Lanie said.
Esposito's gift was a book on the history of the New York Yankees from before Babe Ruth to after "The Boss," George Steinbrenner. Sarah Grace had made a birthday card for Kate with construction paper and crayons to accompany the iTunes gift card Kevin and Jenny got her. Lanie and Alan's gift was a spa day for Lanie and Kate to share. Kate made a mental note to discuss with her obstetrician whether there was anything she should avoid at the spa, and had just finished thanking her friends (Jim, Martha, and Alexis would be at dinner that night, and would give Kate their gifts then) when everyone heard a female voice excitedly, breathlessly calling, "Kevin!"
Nine pairs of eyes found Jenny Ryan standing in the doorway, her cheeks bright pink from the cold November wind, her eyes shining, one hand wrapped around the handle of Nick's stoller, the other holding tightly to Sarah Grace's hand.
Kevin hurried toward his family even as Jenny was hustling the kids into the restaurant proper and towards Kevin. "I thought you couldn't make it," he said.
"When the kids and I got home from Sarah Grace's preschool, the mail had come, and this was in it," Jenny said, pulling an envelope out of her coat pocket and holding it out to her husband.
Everyone at the tables they had pushed together to fit their party of nine watched as Ryan's expression completely changed when he looked at the envelope.
It could only be one thing: the results of his sergeant's exam.
"Well, go on and open it, bro!" Esposito called across the restaurant.
Kevin helped Jenny herd the kids to the table while Espo and Rick pulled up another couple of chairs, and Rick flagged down their waitress to ask for a booster seat for Sarah Grace.
Kevin Ryan looked at his friends and family. This was the moment of truth. Jenny had removed her coat, and Sarah Grace's coat, hat, and mittens, and unbundled Nick and was now holding him on her lap. "I'm sorry to hijack your birthday celebration like this, Beckett," he said earnestly, looking at Kate.
"You're not hijacking anything, Kevin," Kate said seriously. "Go ahead and open it already!" The others began to call out encouragement to Kevin to open the envelope as well. He looked at Jenny, who was looking back at him with all the love, faith and encouragement in her heart. He looked at Sarah Grace and Nick, who didn't really understand what was going on, but were both smiling up at their dad. Then he looked around the table, his gaze roving from Beckett to Castle to Castle's mom to Beckett's dad to Lanie to Alan and lastly, to Alexis and Javier.
Then, with a deep breath and a silent prayer to St. Joseph of Cupertino (the patron saint of success in examinations), Kevin opened the envelope, pulled out the folded paper inside, unfolded it, and stared at it, his eyes going over and over the words on the printed page.
The silence seemed to stretch out forever, and was unbearable. "Well?" Javier finally demanded.
Kevin looked up from the paper in his hands to everyone at the table, this time letting his gaze take in everyone. Then his face lit up like a Christmas tree as he announced, "I passed!"
Everyone began cheering and congratulating Kevin. Jenny shrieked and, carefully shifting Nick to the crook of one arm, sprang up and gave Kevin a big kiss and a hug while chanting, "I knew it, I knew it, I knew you were gonna pass!"
"I did better than just pass," Kevin said, his arm around Jenny's waist. He held the paper in his other hand aloft. "92 out of 100!"
This led to another round of cheering. Sarah Grace wasn't sure why everyone was cheering, but she clambered out of her booster seat and started jumping up and down before asking her daddy to pick her up. Kevin carefully folded the paper and stuck it in his back pocket before picking up his daughter, perching her on his hip. He got hugs from Beckett, Castle, Lanie, and Martha, handshakes from Alan and Jim, and then he looked at Alexis and Javier. Sarah Grace was squirming by now, wanting down again, so Kevin set her on her feet and she went back to the table, where chicken fingers, French fries and a chocolate milkshake were waiting for her, courtesy of Rick, who had quietly told Jenny to order anything she and Sarah Grace wanted, since now they had another reason to celebrate.
"I couldn't have done this without you guys," Kevin said seriously.
"You did all the hard work," Alexis insisted.
"Yeah, we were just your moral support and interrogators," Javier said.
"I'm serious," Kevin said. "I'll never be able to thank you enough for all that you did to help me with this."
"We were happy to help out," Alexis said. Then, belatedly realizing how that sounded, she hastily added, "I'm glad my decades of study skills were of use to you."
"You're my best friend. You're my partner. There's nothing I wouldn't do you for you, Kevin," Javier said.
Kevin and Javier hugged, then Kevin hugged Alexis.
Javier then picked up his milkshake glass. "A toast," he said, and everyone picked up their milkshakes and sodas, and even Sarah Grace picked up her plastic cup of milk with a straw and lid. "To Kevin Ryan, the newest sergeant on the NYPD...and he'll make a da-arn good one," Javier quickly censored himself because of the kids.
"To Kevin," everyone chorused.
Then Rick said, "And to the extraordinary Kate Beckett...happy birthday, and many, many, many more."
"To Kate." "To Beckett." "To Katie," everyone chorused.
As lunch progressed, talk turned to Thanksgiving. Alexis, Martha, and Jim were, of course, spending the holiday with Kate and Rick. Lanie and Alan hadn't made any firm plans—Lanie's parents weren't coming to town, and Alan's parents, retirees who lived in California near his brother and his brother's family, their only grandchildren, were staying close to home with the grandkids for the holiday—so they jumped at Kate's invitation. Kevin and Jenny were having two Thanksgiving dinners: lunch at his sister's house with his family, and dinner at Jenny's parents' with her family, since both sets of grandparents wanted time with Sarah Grace and Nick, so they wouldn't make it to the Castles' for Thanksgiving, but made plans to come over the day after.
"You're not working again this year, are you, Javi?" Kate asked Esposito.
Making sure to avoid eye contact with Alexis, Javi said, "Actually, I'm not."
Rick peered critically at Esposito. Then his face lit up, and he said, "Well, what do you know? Our Esposito's got himself a secret girlfriend!"
"Oh, come on," Kevin blurted in an effort to cover for Javi and Alexis. "We'd know if he had a girlfriend."
"Kate and I didn't tell you about us right away," Rick pointed out.
"Well, that's you guys," Kevin said. "We knew, though."
Kate noticed Javi focusing on his coffee mug. "Rick's right!" she exclaimed, amazed. "You ARE seeing someone, Javi!"
To everyone in the know, Alexis and Javi were very pointedly not looking at or reacting to each other in any way. But Rick was teasing and badgering Espo about his secret girlfriend.
"Are you spending the day with her?" Kate asked, not-so-subtly elbowing her husband in the ribs to get him to shut up.
"I can't," Javi said, and the tone of voice in which he uttered those two words made it clear that the topic was not up for discussion.
"But you do have the day off?" Kate continued.
"Yes," Javi said.
"So spend it with us," Kate said. "You're family, Javi. If you can't be with your girlfriend, be with your family."
Now everyone was carefully schooling their expressions so as not to give Javi and Alexis's secret relationship away to Kate and Rick. Jim Beckett, being no fool, quickly put two and two together and followed everyone else's lead, keeping his mouth shut and his expression normal.
Javi knew he had to play it cool. And it would be a challenge, spending the holiday with Alexis and not acting like boyfriend and girlfriend, since Kate and Rick would be right there the whole time.
But this was the first Thanksgiving in Javi couldn't even remember how long that he was looking forward to the holiday, and even if he had to put on the best acting job of his life, getting to spend it with Alexis, and with the friends he considered family, was worth the charade...although he and Alexis were going to have to come clean to Rick and Kate very, very soon.
"I'll be there," Javi said, with a flash of a smile and a curt nod to Kate and Rick. "Thanks."
"You're family," Kate repeated. "We'll see you as early as you want to get there."
"We make a day of it," Rick added, "so bring your appetite."
"I will," Javi promised.
It was all Alexis could do not to react. She and Javi had thought they would have to sneak out and meet somewhere, but now, she would get to spend the whole day with him...but she couldn't act like his girlfriend, because her dad and Kate had no idea, and neither did Kate's father (Alexis didn't know that he had figured it out just now). It would be a challenge, but they could get through it...and they were going to have to make a plan for telling her dad and Kate about them, and soon. She really didn't want to still be hiding this from them at Christmas.
Hmm...Christmas...That might be something!
And if not Christmas, then New Year's Eve, Alexis resolved, also resolving to talk to Javi about it as soon as possible.
Javi, Kevin, and Lanie were called to a murder scene then, and Alan had to get back to work, and Jenny had to get the kids home, since it was time for Nick's afternoon nap, and Sarah Grace still sometimes took a nap too.
Alexis, Jim, and Martha went back to the loft with Rick and Kate. Alexis had gotten Kate a new briefcase to use in her upcoming campaign for City Council; Martha gave Kate a gift certificate to her favorite motorcycle shop ("Perhaps a new helmet...I'm sure you'll be able to find something you like."), and Jim surprised Kate by gifting her a pair of sapphire earrings that had belonged to Johanna.
Kate recognized them instantly. "These—these are Mom's," she said, looking from the earrings to her father in shock.
Jim nodded. "I gave them to her for our 20th wedding anniversary," he said. "You always admired them, and I think they'd look really great on you, Katie."
Choked up, Kate hugged her father tightly, and he hugged her back. "She's always with us," she whispered to Jim.
"She is," he agreed, sounding emotional himself. "And she is so much more than how she died. It's time to remember the way she lived, Katie. I think...I think I'm finally ready for that."
Sniffling, Kate pulled back. "I am too," she said, thinking of the baby and the big Christmas announcement she and Rick were planning for everyone.
While Jim and Kate were having their moment, Martha and Alexis helped Rick with the cake and candles, Alexis gathering enough plates and forks and the cake cutter.
"Dad, what about your present for Kate?" Alexis asked.
"Later," he said.
At Alexis's horrified expression, Rick said, "Get your mind out of the gutter, young lady!" Martha chuckled.
After a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday" had been sung and the candles, in the shape of a number 3 and a number 7 had been lit, Kate asked, "Aren't I missing a present?" and looked at Rick expectantly.
"Later," Rick told her. She rolled her eyes, thinking, as Alexis had, that it was an intimate gift. "And it's not that!" Rick exclaimed in frustration. "Why does everybody think that?"
"Because we know you, dear," Martha said.
"Humiliation: the gift that never gets old," Rick said when he saw the sparkle in Kate's eyes as she tried not to laugh. "Make a wish and blow out your candles, Mrs. Gutter Mind."
So Kate did, and after their parents had said good night and gone home, and Alexis had said good night and gone upstairs, and Rick had finished loading the dishwasher, he took Kate's hand and led her into his office. "Wait, it's really not...you know?" Kate asked.
Rick looked at her, amused. "I didn't say that," he said. "But that's not the main component, no. We'll get to that in a few minutes." He went around to his desk drawer, opened the top middle drawer, and removed an envelope with a red bow on it. "This is." He walked back around the desk, leaned a hip against it, and handed Kate the manila envelope. "Happy birthday, Kate."
Kate opened the envelope and pulled out the sheaf of papers. Skimming through them, she looked up at Rick in more shock than she had looked at her father when he had given her her mother's earrings.
"You're putting my name on the loft?" she asked.
"I probably should have talked to you about it first," Rick conceded, raising his hands in surrender, "but then it wouldn't have been a surprise. And I wanted to surprise you." He stood up and rested his hands on Kate's shoulders. "This is your home, too. And this is going to be where we raise our kids. It's our place, Kate, and I just thought the deed should reflect that fact. So from this day forward, this is legally our loft." He grinned. "You are officially a mortgage holder."
Kate launched herself at Rick, hugging him tightly. "You've been home to me for years," she said, and he could hear the tears in her voice. "You've given me the life I always wanted and didn't think I deserved anymore, or could have. 'I love you' doesn't seem like enough, but it's all I have."
Rick drew back, his hands coming up to frame Kate's face. "Your love will always be more than enough for me, Kate," he said softly. He leaned down and kissed away her tears, then whispered, "Happy birthday, Kate."
She looked up at him, her eyes shining with love and tears, before saying, "It's the best birthday of my adult life."
"Good to know. Now I know where the bar is for next year," Rick said seriously.
Kate laughed happily, knowing that he'd go all out for Sweetpea's birthdays too, and any kids they had after that, and that he would, indeed, consider it a personal challenge to top himself on her birthday every year from now into perpetuity.
"Let's go to bed," Kate said then, pulling Rick toward the bedroom. "I bought myself a little birthday present while I can still fit into it, and after I get into it, I'm gonna need you to get me out of it. It's black and silky and short."
"I'm the man for the job," Rick said.
Kate stopped, looked over her shoulder at him, then turned around to face him and pulled his head down so she could give him a quick, hard kiss. "You certainly are," she agreed before pulling him into the bedroom.