This chapter was a struggle. It was a massive struggle. And I'm really sorry for leaving you guys hanging for so long. The good news is that the remaining chapters are fully written so updates will be much more frequent now.

Thanksgiving Day 2047

"Hey, sleepyhead," Castle murmured as Kate's eyes slipped open. He watched the confusion turn to understanding as she glanced around the room, realized she'd dozed off on the sofa in what used to be Castle's office. "Unintentional nap?"

"Mmmm," she hummed. "I ate too much."

He patted his own stomach, a little fluffier now than it was in his younger years. "Me too. But everything was delicious."

"That pie was incredible," Kate agreed, shifting positions to allow her husband to sink into the sofa next to her.

Over the years, Castle and Kate had alternated with Alexis and Cam for hosting Thanksgiving dinner. Lily and Matt had yet to host, as it would require the entire family to travel to California, but they did make it back to New York for the holiday most years. But this had been Alexis's first time hosting since the divorce; she'd been nervous, but everything went off without a hitch.

This was also the largest Thanksgiving gathering they'd ever had as a family. Even with a 4 month old baby in tow, Lily and Matt were able to fly back to Manhattan. Jake and Aiden – his boyfriend of nearly two years – made the drive down from Boston for the weekend. And Reece brought along his girlfriend Gianna, introducing her to the family for the first time ever.

After having both daughters and then Aiden bring home their boyfriends, Castle found himself – for the first time ever – in the position of assessing a future daughter-in-law. Gianna was a NICU nurse, a kind and thoughtful and energetic person, and from all that he'd learned and observed so far, Castle was fairly certain he liked her.

Reece and Gianna had departed a few minutes ago along with Lily, Matt, and baby Joey, who would be staying with them for a couple days before heading back across the country. Aiden and Jake were on their way back to Boston, and Connor and Emma had disappeared to their rooms. Leftovers were put away, the kitchen was dark, and the loft was quiet save for the soft hum of the dishwasher. After so many years of noise and chaos, Castle had come to appreciate such moments of silence.

He and Kate wouldn't be heading back to the Hamptons until Saturday; in the meantime, they were staying here in their old home. Some of the furniture was new and certain decorations had been moved or replaced. It was strange to see these changes each time they visited, but even with the differences the loft brought back many fond memories.

It was a place of so many firsts. Their first (non-undercover) kiss, their first time, their first Thanksgiving and Christmas and a handful of other holidays. It was their first home together. The place they raised their family. Castle loved their life in the Hamptons, but being here now was reminding him of the reasons he sometimes missed the city and the place he'd called home for so many years.

Kate found him in the living room twenty minutes later, pen in hand and their journal on his lap, most of the page filled with freshly scrawled words.

"Writing?" she asked softly, tilting her head to read his words. "To me?" she added.

Castle hummed in affirmation. "Just needed to get some thoughts out."

She bent down to press her lips to his forehead and he caught her around the waist before she could slip away, nudging her onto the sofa next to him. "I'm done now, but we could read some letters."

"Sounds perfect."

July 19, 2047

Congratulations, Kate,

Or should I say, Grandma Kate?

I know Alexis already has two children and you've essentially been a grandmother for twenty years, but I have to assume it's somewhat different this time around because Joey is biologically related to you.

"I guess maybe it is," she confessed thoughtfully. "Knowing that it's my genes being passed on this time."

Watching you hold him is like watching you be a mother all over again, and it's the most beautiful thing I've ever witnessed. I can see the pure love in your eyes, the pride, the fierce protectiveness. I know exactly how you feel. I'd do anything for him, too.

I can't wait to watch you watch him grow. I can't wait to watch you spoil him, even though you swear you won't. After all these years of you being the stricter parent – and I don't mean that in a bad way, I've always felt like we had a good balance – I have a feeling you're going to spoil your him rotten. I'm not judging you; that's a grandparent's job, after all.

It's been 16 years since Emma was born; I'm excited to have another baby grandchild. I can't wait to introduce him to all our family traditions. It's going to be different this time, though. Our other grandchildren were born and raised in New York. Joey will be living in California. I know Lily and Matt will visit a couple times a year, and we have the finances and flexibility to travel across the country periodically, but it still won't be the same. We've seen Connor and Emma at least once a month since they were babies. Even with semi-regular visits, we won't be seeing Joey that frequently.

I know there are plenty of people who only see their grandchildren a couple times per year. For many families, that's normal. And I would never ask Lily and Matt to move back to the east coast. They have their life and their friends and their careers in California and they love it there. It's just going to take some getting used to on my part. It's something I'm going to have to accept.

I'm also nervous this time around, in a way I wasn't with Connor and Emma. I'm 78. When Emma was born, I was only 61. I definitely don't have the energy or stamina now that I did then. What if I can't keep up with Joey? What if he doesn't like coming to visit Grandma and Grandpa? What if he thinks we're old and slow and boring? What if we never have a close relationship with him like we do with Connor and Emma?

I don't know the answer to any of these questions, and they've been weighing on my mind pretty heavily the last couple days.

It was different. Castle and Kate flew to California for Joey's birth, but they hadn't seen him since. Four months had passed, and he was still a baby but was already starting to develop some personality. Castle wasn't sure when they'd see Joey next, but he was certain there would be many more changes in their youngest grandchild when they saw him again. And Joey was still far too young for any of Castle's other worries to be assuaged.

"Babe, Joey is going to love you," Kate promised, urgency in her words in an attempt to soothe his concerns. "And if there's one thing I know for certain, it's that you will never, ever be boring."

Castle chuckled and smiled to himself before returning his attention to the page.

I suppose all we can do is be there for Lily, Matt, and Joey in any way we can, even if from a distance. It won't be the same and I'm sure we have a lot to learn about how to manage a grandparent-grandchild relationship from afar, but I have a feeling we'll figure it out. Between your brain and your heart and my creativity, we'll make it work. We always have been an unstoppable team.

In the meantime, we still have a few days left here in California and I fully intend to enjoy every minute of it. The first thing I plan to do is sit down on the couch and join you and Joey in your impromptu nap.

Love,

Rick

"Do you think we can handle babysitting for a few hours?" Castle asked, setting the journal aside and re-situating on the sofa so he was facing his wife.

"You mean Joey?" Kate asked.

He nodded. "I thought Lily and Matt might enjoy having some time to themselves while they're here."

"A few feedings, some diaper changes, and some naps?" she recited confidently. "I think we can handle it."

Thoughts?