Make This House Our Home
We all get to see
Who we grow up to be
An anchor when in doubt
An ocean when in drought
We aim for it all
We lift up these walls
To make this house our home
- Home, Blue October
"And this will be your room."
Not for the first time in their years together, she's grateful for Rick's ability to take over and command a room. Especially a room full of teenagers.
"Boys, since you're sharing, we gave you the bigger room. Sprout, you got the bedroom with the en suite bathroom, though, so it's a fair trade."
Lily's response (if she has any) is lost in the thunder of footfalls and excited chatter from the twins. The boys hadn't loved the idea of leaving New York, but they're enough like Rick – able to roll with the punches and make friends anywhere they go – that they've rebounded and embraced the idea of exploring somewhere new.
Lily, on the other hand, has barely spoken to her since the night they'd announced the move. Kate won't lie and say it doesn't sting. Moving to DC isn't a decision they'd made lightly; even with the fifty-one percent rule and even though she had commuted home her entire tenure in the senate, it felt like she ultimately missed more of her children and husband's lives than she was there for over the last few years. And when her second term became even more of a contentious battle to get anything done and required so much more of her attention than it had before, it had gotten even worse. After a fight with Castle that had all-but knocked the roof off the loft, they'd decided to make a change for everyone's sake.
She had accepted the job of chief of the DC Metro police when it was offered to her, eager to help in a different way, even if it hadn't been in New York. Unfortunately, her daughter hasn't come around to the idea of relocating. Kate doesn't necessarily blame her – if Johanna had announced that they were moving in the middle of the school year, Kate herself would have rioted. But getting the cold shoulder from her only daughter is difficult nonetheless.
Still, having her family here together is for the best. Even if Lil hates them – her – for a (long) while.
That conviction is what she holds onto as they tour the house, acquainting themselves with their new space. It's the same place Castle had bought for them the first time she worked in DC, a place they'd never actually lived until now, having rented it out for years while she kept a smaller apartment once she was elected. It's not New York, but they can make this place their home just as easily. It's still theirs.
Rick's hand slips across her back, drawing her from her musings enough for her to realize the kids are nowhere to be found.
"They're in their rooms," he explains, dusting his mouth to her temple. "The boys are loving this."
"And Lily?" she asks, tugging her lip between her teeth.
"Well, she hasn't climbed out the window and started hitchhiking back to New York yet, so there's at least that."
She huffs, winding her arm around him. Rick pulls her closer.
"Maybe I should've tried to make nice with the new mayor, gotten a job at 1PP instead."
Her husband shakes his head, swiping his hand down her back. She feels him sway a little.
"This is the best choice we could've made, Kate. You were offered an amazing opportunity and you earned the chance to take it. She'll realize it's not as bad as she thinks it is. Eventually."
"Hopefully before I die," Beckett drawls, resting her cheek on his shoulder. It's barely eight, but she's already exhausted. Driving a moving truck in tense silence from New York to DC takes a lot out of a person.
His hand cups the back of her neck, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "She'll come around. In the meantime, let's order some food and relax."
She nods, allowing him to lead her into the kitchen and grab the take-out menus she's collected over her time in DC. Those had been the first items to move into the house.
"What do you have yen for tonight?" he asks, wrapping his arm around her when she sidles closer once again. They've always had a strong physical connection, but since their fight and subsequent reconciliation, they've been extra touchy. Right now, she's happy to let his proximity soothe and ground her.
"Get Lil's favorite," she says, rubbing his side. "Whatever you know she'll like."
His hand trips down her side. "You know what food she likes, Kate. You still know her."
She shakes her head. "Not the way you do, not anymore. And I just… I want something to make her happy tonight."
"Hey, stop," Rick orders. "She's sixteen, Kate. Everything is dramatic and difficult and feels a lot worse than it usually is. This move is just one of those things in her life that she'll have to make peace with. She's upset, yes, but I know she'll understand why we did this and realize she doesn't want to do things without you anymore."
He thumbs her cheek. "I know I don't. Ever," he adds, pulling her mouth to his, kissing her slowly, thoroughly, leaving her breathless.
"Me either," she whispers. "And I owe you so many apologies – I owe them so many apologies – for making you do this alone for too long."
"Not alone," he denies, though his accusations about her absence still ring in her ears, even months later. "Just… not as present as we all – yourself included – deserve."
She sniffs, resting her forehead on his. "I'm so sorry."
"I know," he soothes, sliding his thumb over her cheek again. "And now I'm going to get something we all will like for dinner, because I love our daughter more than the world itself, but she has questionable taste in take-out."
Kate laughs, nodding against his hand. "She kind of does."
He grins, no doubt pleased to have lifted her spirits even a little bit.
"I love you," she murmurs, brushing a hand down his cheek.
"I love you too, Kate."
Unable to resist, she takes one last kiss from his mouth before stepping back and allowing him to look through the take-out menus and make his decision. He doesn't even bother asking for her order once he makes a choice, which only causes her grin to widen; he knows what she wants pretty much anywhere.
"I'll let the kids know what we got," she says, already moving to the stairs.
The boys whoop with joy at the news that they'll be getting fed soon – all of a few hours after they last ate something, of course – barely even asking what's been ordered. Of course, that could also be because they've already found their game system and hooked it up. Either way, she taps the door frame and reminds them that food will be there soon.
"Don't get too engrossed," she warns.
"We won't, Mom," Reece drones, his eyes never leaving the TV.
"Sure." She doesn't believe that for a second. Even the grin Jake sends her way is distracted and unconvincing.
She hesitates in front of Lily's door. The room seems quiet and there's no light coming from the space under the door, making Kate wonder if her daughter has gone to bed early.
"Lil?" she asks, tapping lightly on the wood. "Can I come in?"
Unsurprisingly, she doesn't receive an answer. Lily hasn't said more than five words at a time to her in weeks, so she doesn't necessarily expect much now. Instead, the door opens to her daughter's unimpressed face.
"Hey, baby," Kate greets, stepping into the doorway, just in case Lily intends to close it in her face. "Dad ordered dinner. It should be here soon."
"I'm not hungry." Lily turns back to the pile of her things on the bed.
Kate knows that's a lie based on the hunch of her shoulders but doesn't press her on it. There's no point in fighting over a meal that hasn't arrived yet.
"If you change your mind, he got you some chicken basil fried rice."
Lily's shoulders drop but she doesn't respond. Kate exhales. It's been a long time since she was a cop and has dealt with waiting a suspect out, getting them to talk when they think they'll be able to keep quiet, and Lily manages to test her skills with a startling ease. So much so that Beckett breaks first, stepping closer.
"Sweetheart," she cuts herself off at the look on Lily's face. "Need some help?" she tries instead, gesturing to the mess. "The boys already forgot about unpacking in favor of video games, so you can get a leg up on them. I can help you get organized if you want?"
"No, I'm fine."
"Lil."
"I said I'm fine, okay?" Kate stops mid-stride, halted by the fire in her daughter's voice, a vehemence that hasn't been there in so long. "Just leave me alone."
Hurt lances through her chest but she squares her shoulders and nods. "I'll be downstairs. We'll call up when dinner gets here."
She leaves Lily's room without looking back.
It shouldn't sting this much; she's been sixteen, she knows what it's like to stretch her boundaries and feel smothered by her parents. She even knows the resentment of feeling like she comes second to a job. It still sucks to be on the other side, though.
She feigns a smile upon stepping into the kitchen, joining Rick at the counter.
"PB and J have already hooked up the PlayStation," she says, taking the glass of red wine he offers with gratitude. "They haven't unpacked anything else and they'll need to be pried away to eat, but they're fine."
She sips her wine, leaving it at that. Her husband lifts an eyebrow at her obvious omission.
"And the sprout?"
"Told me to leave her alone. She says she's not hungry, so you get to negotiate that one once the food gets here."
His shoulders square. "Do you want me to talk to her? I'm going to talk to her."
"Rick, no. Just… let her be for right now," Kate insists, catching his arm before he can go charging out of the kitchen all full of bluster and good intentions. "It's just the first night. Let her be angry with me tonight. We'll figure things out, isn't that what you said?"
Castle closes the distance between them, pulling her close.
"Don't throw my words back at me."
She grins, sweeping a hand up his back. "Maybe we'll get lucky and she won't hate school when she starts in a few days and that'll help make it easier on her."
He nods, relaxing into her embrace. "I will hold off talking to her because you asked. But if it doesn't change soon, I'm going to set the record straight."
She kisses him, gentle and soft, humming against his lips. "You don't need to do that. After all, she should continue to be on speaking terms with at least one of us. We'll let it be you."
He doesn't argue, but she can tell from the set of his jaw that he isn't thrilled with the idea of making her take the brunt of their daughter's ire. Kate rests her cheek on his shoulder, making long strokes up and down his back.
"As much as it sucks to have her angry, it's not the first time someone's been mean to me, Rick. I can take it."
"I know you can, but you shouldn't have to," he says after a long moment. "I don't want you to have to put on a brave face about this."
Kate exhales, resting her forehead on his cheek. "I know, me either."
She isn't really surprised when her kids turn down her offer to drive them to school on Monday, but where the boys say fast, exuberant goodbyes before running after the bus, Lily ignores her presence completely on the way out of the house. The girl doesn't look back, either, setting off on foot in the opposite direction her brothers had taken, heading toward the high school they'd made a point of scoping out the previous afternoon.
"That went well," Castle drawls from behind her once Lily can no longer be seen.
Kate snorts, closing the door. "No kidding. Let's just hope she actually goes to school."
"They'll call if she doesn't. Especially since it's her first day and they're supposed to assign her peer mentor today."
She nods. "That's true. They'll call you?"
Castle's head bobs. "I put my number down as the primary contact since I'm working from home, but if they can't get ahold of me for whatever reason, they'll call you."
"Good," she murmurs, reaching over to squeeze his arm. "That's good. But hey, if you're not really feeling like staying home and unpacking, I could swing a visitor pass and let you see my office."
Rick grins, looping an arm around her waist and drawing her close. "Why, Chief Beckett, I would be delighted to be your guest for the day."
Her heart lifts. He had come to her office in the senate before and has visited her new office at the DC police since she accepted the job, but never for very long and never at a time when she could truly appreciate his steady presence, his comfort.
Kate squeezes his arms, lifting into the kiss he drops on her lips. "Perfect, Mr. Castle. Let me get my briefcase and my shoes and I'll be ready to go."
"I'll get my bag, too," he says, eager and sweet, and she can't help but bounce at the familiar excitement that zings through her. He might write about this – or use what he experiences in some way in his next novel – like old times. Even if he doesn't, she'll have him near, just as it used to be.
They reconvene in the entry way a few minutes later, slipping into their coats and sharing smiles.
"Ready?" Castle asks, offering her his arm.
She takes it with ease, moving closer to him than strictly necessary, though she hears no complaints from her husband.
"Ready."
Her husband is, as always, a hit with everyone he comes across in her office, charming them all with a smile and a laugh. He steps out as she starts to get settled, returning with coffee for her entire staff. He brings Kate hers in her favorite mug, pressing a kiss to her forehead when she offers an almost-shy thank you.
"So, what's on the agenda today?" he asks, pulling a chair into the space beside her desk and taking his seat. Peace floods her once again. This is good, this is right.
"Reading and responding to letters and emails that Nina has passed to me, drafting a statement or two for vetting, and preparing a budget and manpower proposal to take to the mayor by the end of the week."
Rick nods, drawing his notebook out of his bag. Her lips lift as he uncaps his pen.
"Well, it looks like we'll both be writing today."
Kate grins. "Looks like it."
He tilts his head. "Maybe we should see who gets the most done by lunch?" he suggests, trying and failing to look innocent.
"Hmm, maybe we should." She looks over, shifting her gaze to her pile of paperwork.
"Loser buys lunch?" Castle offers.
She grins. "You're on."
They shake on it, snickering at their obvious attempts to keep the other from starting by hanging on a little too long. Finally, she yanks her hand away, diving into her work.
"Better get started, Mr. Castle," she taunts.
Rick leaves in time to meet the boys at home after school lets out, departing her office a couple hours after their return from lunch – purchased by him, as per their agreement – with a smile on his face. The same smile she wears for the rest of the day.
She's still smiling when she opens the door at home and steps inside, letting the ease and the chatter wash over her. The boys are downstairs, playing one of Rick's video games judging by the sound of it. What's miraculous, though, is that they've gotten Lily in on the action, if her daughter's hysterical laughter is anything to go by.
God, she's missed hearing her little girl that happy. It's been too long since Lily has relaxed around her enough to be unabashedly joyful, and she can only resolve to make it easier for her daughter to find it with her as well, not just with Rick, Reece, and Jake.
"Hey guys," she calls, hanging her coat in the front closet. "How was school?"
Two nearly identical groans filter out of the living room.
"We had quizzes in three classes," Reece groans. "On the first day."
"That's like half the day!" Jake adds.
Kate hears her husband snort and smothers her own smile. "Clearly math wasn't one of them," Rick says. "If it was, maybe we should be worried."
Jake huffs. "Three quizzes, eight classes. It's close. Ish."
"Ish is right," Kate teases, moving across the room to kiss their heads. They grin up at her in reply.
She makes it as far as hovering over her daughter's shoulder when Lily jumps up.
"I have homework to do."
"Lily," Rick warns. "You already did your homework. Why don't you sit and relax for a little while longer?"
The girl whirls on her father, giving him a glare. He doesn't back down, though; he's had years of experience to draw on in times like this, and he stands firm.
"Just for a few minutes. You didn't even tell me how your day was."
Lily's eyes flash, but the words that come out of her mouth are bland at first. "It sucked. It was awkward and weird, and it sucked." She crosses her arms. "Nobody wanted to talk to me, even my 'peer mentor' ditched me after one class. And, oh, speaking of classes, I'm totally lost in most of mine because they're not covering things in the same order we were at home. Plus, I can't even run, because – oh, guess what? – I missed try-outs by two weeks and the dick in charge of the coaching staff won't even consider making an exception for me. So yeah, thanks for all of this. I'm going to go upstairs now to figure out how not to fail everything. I'd like to not end up repeating tenth grade and have to spend an extra year in this hellhole."
Nobody has a chance to respond before Lily spins on her heel and storms out of the living room.
"Wow," Jake exhales after a moment. "Can you say PMS?"
"No," Rick answers quickly, his tone brokering no argument. "Your sister has a good reason to be angry. Just like you're entitled to be annoyed about your three quizzes. Don't ever discount her upset, for any reason. Understand me?"
Both boys look contrite, nodding in response.
Reece answers first. "Yeah, Dad. We understand."
"Sorry," Jake adds, looking down at the controller in his hand. "Sorry, Mom."
"Thank you." Kate squeezes his shoulder. "Have you eaten?"
"Dad put something in the oven an hour ago. It'll be ready soon – hopefully," Reece says.
Castle ruffles Reece's hair. "For that, you can check the timer and see how much longer the stew has."
He groans, squirming away from his father's hand.
"Unless," Rick adds, "you want to be around to witness me kissing your mom hello. And I promise you, it's going to be loud and smoochy."
The boys jump up, retreating to the kitchen before Rick even draws her closer.
"Well, three out of four being happy I'm here isn't bad," she says, looping her arms around her husband's neck, pulling him down to tease her lips over his. "Missed you this afternoon."
"Missed you, too." His hands slip down her back, fingers pressing into her hip bones. "This morning was fun. We should do it again sometime."
Her lips lift. "I'd like that."
Rick touches his mouth to hers again, gentle yet promising for what's to come. Kate grins, coming back for what she intends to be one last peck, only to sink deeper against him.
This is what she'd missed so badly when they lived in separate cities. This closeness, the security of his warmth, the way his touch can spark life within her tired body.
"Ugh, come on. That's so gross."
Castle grins against her mouth, his next kiss exaggerated and sloppy, enough to make the boys gag. Kate plays along, making a show of holding his head and keeping him close.
"Dad, Mom, stop," Jake insists. "For my poor brother's sake."
"And for my poor brother's sake, I beg you," Reece adds.
"Well, now we know who's embracing Mother's flair for drama today," Rick murmurs against her mouth.
"All of you," she whispers back, stepping away after taking another – real, this time – kiss from his mouth. "I'm going to change clothes and then I'll be back."
Rick nods, catching her hand and giving it a squeeze. "How's the stew doing, boys?"
"Thirty minutes left on the clock," Jake says, bouncing over the arm of the couch and picking up his controller once again.
She nods, patting Rick's chest. "Plenty of time," she says, making her way to the stairs. "I'll be back."
She gives Lily's closed door a long look once she's upstairs, but continues to her own bedroom first, figuring maybe changing out of business attire will help. Her daughter wants to talk to her – when she speaks to her at all – as a mom, not a senator or a police chief, and she feels far more like herself once she's shed the suit and has pulled on a sweater and leggings.
She knocks on Lily's door a few minutes later, waiting far too long for an answer before tapping on the door again.
"Lil, it's me."
Again, no response. She sighs, pressing her lips together. "Listen, I'm sorry your day sucked, and I know you're pissed at me for it. I'm sorry for that, too." She lowers her chin. "If you want, I could call and talk to the coach, ask them to–"
Kate backs up when the door jerks open. Lily steps into the doorway, crossing her arms over her chest.
"And end up hearing all about how the great Chief Beckett sunk to the level of calling in favors for her kid? No thanks," Lily snaps. "The last thing I need is to be the cause of your bad press."
Beckett has to refrain from snorting. "I get plenty of bad press already. Better to have it be something I've done than something I haven't."
"How noble of you."
God, had she been this sharp-tongued as a teenager? If she had, it's no wonder her father had always looked like he might throttle her.
"Lily," she sighs. "I don't want this to be miserable for you. If there's some way I can help, let me."
"You can't help. Okay? How hard is that to get? You got what you wanted and now I get to suffer."
"Okay, enough," Kate snaps. "That's enough, Lily. I've taken my lumps and I'll take more when there's something I deserve. But this? This is not on me. I want to do what I can to make this better, make this easier, but you need to meet me halfway. If it's not talking to the coach and explaining the situation, then what else would you like me to do?"
She waits, knowing her daughter will most likely have something to say in response. To her surprise, Lily just turns away, storming into her bathroom and slamming the door.
Kate sighs, rubbing a hand over her face. "Good talk."
She leaves the room when Lily doesn't emerge after a few minutes, shutting her daughter's bedroom door behind her. Rick meets her at the bottom of the stairs, reaching out a hand and drawing her into his chest.
"She was pretty rough on you," he murmurs. "We heard her from down here."
"Jeez." Kate rests her cheek on his shoulder. "Sorry."
Castle shakes his head, swaying with her. "Don't apologize. She should be apologizing to you. We aren't doing this to ruin her life, Kate, and the sooner she realizes that the happier she'll be."
Beckett sighs, nodding into his shirt, feeling her elation and optimism from earlier in the day slipping away. "Welcome to DC, sorry our kid hates me."
"She doesn't hate you. She'll come around once she settles in and sees how cool this place is. We can do the museums this weekend, and hey, maybe you can run the trail with her."
"And give her the opportunity to push me down an embankment and leave me?" she jokes.
Rick, to his credit, doesn't take the bait and join her in her bout of dark humor. "It was only the first day, Kate."
She sighs. "I know. She'll adjust. And I appreciate you not going up there and reading her the riot act."
He squeezes her tighter. "It's taking a great deal of restraint not to," he admits, pressing a kiss to her temple. "But you asked me to give her time. I'm giving her time."
She exhales, nodding.
"Things will get better," he says, though she detects the waver in his confidence, the same shakiness she feels.
"And if they don't?" she asks. There are options, of course, but they don't really feel like a solution, more like a last resort.
"Then we'll figure it out. But they will," he says, dropping a kiss on her temple.
She has to hope he's right.
Two weeks later, the twins have settled into their routine, but Lily's days have yet to make any noticeable improvement, leaving her (and everyone else) short-tempered. Even Rick can't draw her out of her frustration the way he usually manages to.
"We could see if Alexis will let her stay with her," Beckett suggests one night, breathing her words into the curve of her husband's chest. "Let her go back home?"
Castle cups her ear, pressing his mouth to the center of her forehead. "She is home, Kate."
"Yeah, well, she's miserable here at 'home.' I just want to help her be less miserable. And if letting her go back to New York and finish out the year, or even finish out high school, is the way to do it, then maybe we should consider it?"
He sighs. "I don't want it to come to that. The reason we did this was to have all of us together; Lily being in New York while we're here defeats the purpose."
"I don't know what else to do, Rick. We can force her to tough it out here, but is that what's best?"
His chest expands under her ear. "You were a teenage girl once, you tell me."
"You raised a teenage girl already," she counters, looking up at him. "You tell me."
"Yes, well, let's all remember the time Alexis brought Pi home from Costa Rica because she was – with good reason, I admit – angry with me and realize that I, perhaps, do not have all the answers about parenting teenage girls."
She snickers. "Point taken."
Castle rubs her back. "Why don't we do this: we ask her for a month. A month, starting now, to make the rest of the transition and give this place a real chance. If nothing's changed at the end of the month, we'll explore other options – like asking Alexis to let Lily live with her for the rest of the school year."
Kate nods, draping her arm over his chest, pressing closer. "That's a fair compromise, I think. Assuming she'll try?"
He nods. "She will. She won't just throw it for the sake of getting her way. You wouldn't at that age, would you?"
"No. A deal's a deal."
He smiles, nodding. "Why don't you take her for a run tomorrow morning and tell her?"
"If she'll come with me."
Rick kisses her forehead. "She will."
"Are you going to bribe her?" she asks, lifting on an elbow, resting her cheek on her hand.
"Absolutely," he deadpans, drawing a surprised bark from her lips. He drops a kiss on her mouth, replacing her laugher with a low, contented hum.
"Love you," she murmurs against his mouth. "Thank you for doing this, all of this, with me."
Rick's fingers slip up her back, sliding into her hair and bringing her closer. "I will do anything for you and with you, Kate. Anything."
Her chest expands, warmth flooding her limbs as he continues, "Figuring out ways to peacefully coexist with our kid is – well, it's not easy, because she's ours, but there is no way I wouldn't try with you."
Kate surges into him, slicking her tongue over his lip. She doesn't deserve him, this sweet, caring, loyal partner she's found in Rick Castle, but god if she won't continue to try to be worthy of him and of every amazing, wonderful gift he gives her.
Starting with showing him the extent of her gratitude.
In the end, Rick isn't the one to bribe their daughter to go with her. She wakes Lily early the next morning, ignoring the girl's groan in favor of dangling a running outfit of hers that she knows her daughter has been coveting for a long time over her body.
"Rise and shine, Little Flower. We're going for a run. Be awake in the next three minutes and the precious is yours for good. No need to return it to me."
Lily's eyes pop open, curiosity overtaking her instinct to glare. "Really? You're giving me the–"
"Yep," Kate pops her lips, bouncing on her feet in her running shoes. "If you're vertical in," she checks her watch, "two minutes."
She has to take a step back to avoid the wild swing of her daughter's legs as Lily throws the covers aside and hops out of bed. She grins, hoping the enthusiasm will mean good things for the rest of the morning.
"Gimme." Lily thrusts a hand toward her.
With only minimal sadness – she really does love that outfit – she hands over the workout gear.
"I'll wait for you downstairs."
Lil disappears into the bathroom with a bounce in her step Kate hasn't seen in months.
She doesn't have the endurance she used to, but she's able to keep up with Lily for just over three miles before asking to slow for a break. Her daughter slows beside her, walking the rest of the trail at her pace.
"So, your dad and I were talking," Kate starts once they come to a stop overlooking the banks of a creek. "The last thing either of us want is for you to be unhappy, Lil, so we want to propose a compromise. Give it a month, and if you're still unhappy after that, we'll figure something out with Alexis to let you go back to New York and stay with her.'
Lily looks down at her shoes, then out at the landscape. She's quiet, but it's clear she's heard the offer and is considering it.
"What do you think?" Kate prompts after a bit. "I know it's not the immediate solution you wanted, but Dad and I agree that it's the best option we have."
Lily nods, the movement subtle but present. "Okay," she says a moment later. "One month. No more than that."
Kate extends a hand. "Deal."
"Deal." This time, Lily actually smiles. Kate grins in return, pushing her luck by pulling her daughter closer, the way her mother used to when she was Lil's age. Lily doesn't return the affection, but she doesn't fight it, either, which is more than enough for now. More than she could've hoped for when she woke up this morning with a fire in her spirit.
"How's your knee?" Lily asks after a minute, shifting away.
"Better," she promises, not wanting her kid to worry about anything, least of all an old injury from when she was on the police force and out in the field. Nearly everyone in the family (save for the twins, given how young they were when it happened) remembers it as the injury that ended her career in the NYPD, but it's nothing more than a minor nuisance now. "I'm just out of practice keeping up with you."
"That's 'cause you're old," Lily quips.
She narrows her eyes, ignoring the dig in favor of poking her kid's side. "But, I hope we can start fixing that."
Her daughter's smile expands, lifting another brick from Kate's shoulders.
"And then I'll show you old."
The girl snickers. "We'll see about that."
They race the entire way back to their place, where Lily crows about her victory with all the grace she's learned from Rick Castle, the world's worst winner, before disappearing to shower. She doesn't emerge from her room until much later in the day, but when she does, she takes a spot beside Kate on the couch and stays a while.
Kate tries not to celebrate, tries not to push for too much too quickly, but she does a victory dance of her own later that night before she slips into bed beside Castle and tells him she loves him. They've finally made a good start, a fresh start.
And tomorrow they'll keep at it, making this house – this city – their home.
Dancing in the kitchen in the pale moonlight
Only care in the world is that our kids are all right
Daddy loves mamma and mamma loves him
Tomorrow we get to do it over again
- Home, Blue October
Thank you for reading!