Author's Note: I'm back after the holiday hiatus. I hope everyone had happy holidays and wishing you all a safe, healthy, and happy 2022! And now, without further ado, the next chapter and the much-anticipated meeting between Castle and Jim, in which I used some of the dialogue from the deleted scene for "Knockdown." Enjoy!
Then Came Love
Chapter 25
It was stupid but Kate felt her nerves tightening with every step she took towards the restaurant where she was meeting her dad and Castle for dinner. Absurd to be nervous about this first meeting between her dad and Castle. Really, she had no reason to feel apprehensive at all; Castle might, under the circumstances, but that didn't mean she had any reason to be nervous.
So she told herself, bracingly, but her own pep talk didn't quite manage to convince herself. God, she hadn't even been this nervous when she'd been about to introduce Will to her dad and Will had been her boyfriend at the time! And Castle wasn't a boyfriend; he was just a friend so she shouldn't be any more exercised over the idea of Castle meeting her dad than she had been over introducing her dad to Lanie or the boys.
Except Castle wasn't only a friend. He was also the man who'd gotten her pregnant. After a one-night stand, she added belatedly (and really, when–and why–had it gotten so hard to remember that it had been a one-night stand? Because That Night had been a one night stand, in every sense, because it had never happened again and it was never going to happen again. Ever. Really.)
And because of the baby, Castle would be a part of her life forever. Castle was going to be a part of her dad's life forever, for that matter. The baby, which was a more permanent tie than any boyfriend, even if she hadn't introduced Will to her dad until they'd been together for four months and she'd started to think, wonder, if Will could actually be it. Wrongly, as it happened, but it did prove her point that introducing her dad to Will had not been quite as high pressure a situation as introducing her dad to Castle was.
She grimaced. Okay, that hadn't helped her nerves at all. Quite the opposite.
But fortunately–or not–she had no more time to fret over how the next couple hours might go because she'd reached the restaurant Castle had chosen, one she'd never been to before. She had half-wondered but one step inside told her there'd been no need because the restaurant was nice, subtly elegant but not ostentatious or flashy. It wasn't a typical celebrity haunt like Le Cirque at all but one she could immediately tell her dad would approve of. Castle had put some thought into the choice of restaurant, evidence that he too realized the importance of being introduced to her dad. (Of course he did; Castle was too smart not to realize it.)
But really, there was no need to worry. Her dad wasn't an ogre and he already had a positive impression of Castle, was calling Castle by his first name. To say nothing of the fact that Castle himself was, as she knew all too well, very hard not to like. Besides, of all people she'd ever met, Castle was a people person, adept at basically all social situations so it was hard to imagine he could ever be totally ill at ease in any social setting.
That timely reminder made it easy for her to smile as the door opened to reveal her dad, more than five minutes early as was his habit.
Her dad smiled as well. "Hi, Katie."
"Hi, Dad." She stepped into her dad's embrace, accepting his kiss on the cheek.
He stepped back, his eyes quickly scanning her. "You're looking well."
"Thanks." She was thankful, not for the first time in the last week or so, that it was fall and sweater season which made it easier to conceal the slight curve of her stomach. Actually, what she found more noticeable about the changes to her body these days was the fact that her breasts were a little larger, which she didn't mind, and a little tender too, which she did mind. (Not that anyone aside from herself was going to be touching her body.) But all that was still easily hidden behind a loose sweater. "I've been feeling pretty well too."
Her dad nodded. "Good, good." he glanced around. "Is Rick not here yet?"
Her dad didn't sound disapproving since they were both early but it belatedly occurred to Kate that she should have mentioned to Castle her dad's penchant for punctuality. The politeness of kings, as her dad had often said when she was growing up, rather sententiously, Kate usually thought, albeit with affection.
"Apparently not but you know we're both early."
"True. I've trained you well," her dad smiled.
She allowed her dad to see a small roll of her eyes. "I just know you, that's all."
"Still."
"Fine, yes, it is due to–" Her words were interrupted as the door opened and Castle rushed in, looking somewhat windblown. (And she didn't notice that this somewhat disheveled hair was a good look on him, better somehow than when he was perfectly coiffed without a hair out of place.)
"Beckett, hey, sorry I'm late."
"You're not late," she hurriedly assured him, stepping forward slightly. "I should have mentioned that my dad's always early. Dad, this is Rick Castle. My dad, Jim Beckett."
It hadn't taken the mention of her dad for Castle's gaze to land on her dad, of course, and Castle had already almost imperceptibly squared his shoulders as he held his hand out, with one of his charming smiles. "Mr. Beckett! It's an honor to meet you, sir."
Her dad did not return Castle's smile as he shook Castle's hand. "Mr. Castle, a pleasure."
She blinked at her dad and just barely refrained from elbowing him. Her dad had been referring to Castle by his first name for weeks and now he decided to revert to formality? And unsmiling formality at that?
Castle's smile froze before he determinedly kept it in place. "Please, call me Rick. I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting. I hope it wasn't for long."
"We just got here a minute ago ourselves," Kate inserted. "Don't worry about it. Right, Dad?" She shot her dad a narrow-eyed look.
Which her dad serenely pretended not to see. "Of course," he answered with calm courtesy–and nothing more than that.
Kate tried not to grit her teeth and reminded herself that she couldn't kick her dad or something. At least, not yet, not in full view of Castle and everyone else in the restaurant. "Shall we ask to be seated?"
"Right," Castle agreed eagerly. "I made a reservation." He stepped forward to the welcome desk, greeting the maître d', and they were immediately shown to a corner table by a smoothly hospitable waiter.
Castle politely allowed her and her dad to go first in following the waiter to their table so Kate refrained from nudging her dad or something like that. Besides, her dad wasn't unreasonable and whatever he might have been thinking so far, she knew he was already inclined to like Castle so everything would be fine. Right?
Once they were seated, her dad addressed Castle again. "I've heard a lot about you from Katie."
"And some of it's even good?" Castle managed to joke while she fought back a flush. She hadn't told her dad that much about Castle, had she?
Her dad unbent enough for his lips to twitch. "Some of it," he agreed blandly. "I also read your latest book."
Kate turned to blink at her dad. "You read Heat Wave?" she blurted out. He'd never told her that. And her dad wasn't usually someone who read mysteries, had used to tease her mom for her taste in reading "low-brow popular fiction" since her dad's taste ran more to nonfiction, history or sports and the occasional legal book.
Castle's smile became more natural. "Thank you. That's kind of you."
"I didn't say I'd enjoyed it," her dad noted.
Kate choked on air. "Dad!" She darted a narrow-eyed look at her dad and then turned to Castle, manufacturing an amusement she didn't feel. "He's joking! My dad thinks he's funnier than he is."
"I am joking," her dad agreed, his lips curving slightly, and she noted the glint of mischief in his eyes now. Kate made a mental note to kill her dad, later. What was he thinking, with this faux disapproving act? "My humor tends to be dry," her dad added. "It can take some getting used to."
Castle only laughed. "It must run in the family. I've noticed the same thing about Beckett's sense of humor."
"Castle."
Castle ignored her too, continuing to address her dad. "And there you can see her scolding look. She's really very good at looking threatening," he observed conversationally.
Her dad had the nerve to chuckle. "Oh, I'm very familiar with Katie's disapproving looks."
She was going to kill them both. "I'm sitting right here, you know."
"So, Heat Wave. It's a catchy title and was, mostly, a good read," her dad continued with an odd intonation in his voice. An intonation that abruptly reminded her of the cover art–a naked silhouette–and (oh god) Page 105.
She felt her cheeks flame with color. Her dad had read a fictional sex scene involving her and Castle's poorly-disguised stand-in? And if that wasn't bad enough, her dad already knew that she and Castle had had sex and oh god, she should have killed Castle before he was allowed to have Page 105 published. What had she been thinking? She really did not need her dad picturing or wondering anything like that about her personal life.
Castle coughed, now looking a little discomfited. Served him right. "Ah, well, while my books are grounded in reality, a lot of aspects of them are just… fantasy." His eyes flared and then he hurriedly added, "I mean, not my personal fantasy–my books come from my imagination–not that I've imagined that about–" He broke off abruptly and briefly shut his eyes. "I think I'm just going to stop talking now." He tried to smile. "Sorry. I'm usually better with my words than this."
Her dad unbent enough to give a small smile. "Oh, I didn't think you were doing that badly, Rick."
Her dad's use of Castle's first name had Castle relaxing while Kate took an overly-large gulp of water, trying to cool her cheeks. At least, she told herself, her dad had dropped his disapproving act.
"Do you plan on writing any more books about Katie?" her dad asked.
Castle darted a glance at her. "Actually, yes. My publisher's already confirmed they want more Nikki Heat books."
"They have?" Kate blurted out. "You never told me that." More Nikki Heats? She didn't know how she felt about that.
"I haven't mentioned it because it hasn't been finalized yet." He shrugged a little. "Call it superstition but I don't like to mention things like this before they're official. My agent and my publisher are still hammering out the details but at this point, it's looking like three more books."
Three books? That would keep Castle busy until the Sprout was ready to start kindergarten or something. (Oh. When had she started to measure lengths of time in terms of the Sprout's age?)
"I'm a little surprised you're not more personally involved in the negotiation process," her dad noted.
Kate inwardly winced. She couldn't tell from her dad's tone if he was disapproving or not. She was half-expecting Castle to give one of his characteristic flippant remarks about trying to avoid doing real work or something, which was not likely to impress her dad.
Instead, Castle sobered. "I've been doing this for long enough that I've learned it's often best if I'm not actually in the room. My agent knows the parameters of what's acceptable to me and then she does the job I pay her to do."
Castle really was on his best behavior right now. And it occurred to her that this might be another facet of his character she'd never seen or even considered, that of a businessman and an employer. And he had to be reasonably astute in both roles to be as successful as he was.
"I suppose that makes sense," her dad responded. "An actual arms' length negotiation is usually the recommended course."
Castle gave a faint smile. "Spoken like a true lawyer."
Her dad chuckled. "Guilty as charged."
This odd conversation was momentarily interrupted by the arrival of the waiter to take their orders and they each made a somewhat hurried choice.
"How are Alexis and Martha, Castle?" Kate interjected once the waiter had left. Castle was generally at his best when talking about Alexis. Oh, and her dad would undoubtedly meet both Alexis and Martha at some point, wouldn't he? Certainly when the Sprout was born, both her dad and Castle's family would need to be there. (Oh god.)
As usual, Castle's expression softened at the mention of Alexis. "They're both fine. Alexis seems to have generally bounced back and my mother is being kept busy with her new play."
"That's right," her dad inserted. "Katie's mentioned that your mother is the actress Martha Rodgers. Actually, I went to one of her performances years ago."
Kate looked at her dad. "You have? You didn't tell me that."
Her dad returned her look blandly. "It must have slipped my mind. I think you were about 11 or 12 at the time. I…" he paused, his voice altering almost imperceptibly before he finished, "I bought the tickets as a gift for our anniversary."
"Oh," was all she could say, her throat suddenly tight. She had, oh, not forgotten–that, she could never do–but not thought about the way her dad's anniversary gifts for her mom had often involved show tickets, because her mom enjoyed going to performances–plays, musicals, concerts, even the occasional opera–and it allowed her parents to have a night out. And she remembered too that her mom had always given her dad one of her bright, starry smiles usually followed by a kiss (which had always made her younger self turn away in something like disgust) because they both knew that her dad, if given the choice, was not much of one for performances himself. Her dad enjoyed the occasional play or concert but not musicals and certainly not opera but for her mom, he had willingly gone to all kinds of such shows. Kate had not appreciated it at the time but now, as an adult, she saw it for the sign of love that it was.
"Which play was it?" Castle asked, his voice quiet, respectful.
Kate and Jim both turned back to him, reminded of his presence.
The older man cleared his throat a little. "Blithe Spirit."
"Oh, yes, by Noel Coward. I remember that one; my mother played Madame Arcati."
Kate had to smile at the mental image of Martha playing a medium. "I bet Martha was great in that role."
"If you're saying you think my mother would be good at playing a charlatan, I have to agree."
She choked on a half-horrified laugh while her dad coughed a little. "I told you he likes to talk nonsense, right?" she addressed her dad in an aside before turning back to Castle. "I only meant that I remember Madame Arcati being a fun, vibrant character, the sort I'm sure Martha would enjoy playing."
"We certainly thought she was very good in the role," her dad interjected. "You can tell your mother I said so."
"She doesn't need me to tell her that," Castle demurred. "Believe me when I say my mother is well aware of her own talent."
Kate couldn't help but smirk. "Gee, that sounds a lot like someone else I can think of."
Castle narrowed his eyes at her. "Very funny, Beckett."
She gave him a look of exaggerated innocence. "You're not flattered to be told you're like your mother? But the resemblance is so obvious."
Castle shot her a look of mock horror. "Bite your tongue."
She grinned and heard her dad laugh. "Are you two always like this?"
Kate felt herself flush, although she wasn't sure why. She had only been teasing Castle the way she usually did.
"Yes, pretty much," Castle answered, shooting her a smile that had her cheeks flaring with yet more color, stupidly. He turned back to her dad. "But I'm inured to it. Both my daughter and my mother like to give me a hard time too."
"Well, you do make a tempting target," she informed Castle, affecting a saccharine smile.
He actually made a face at her and her dad chuckled again, making Castle hurriedly smooth out his expression.
"Tell me more about your daughter," her dad asked, apparently taking some pity on Castle. "She's 15, I believe Katie's told me?"
"15 going on 30, I sometimes think," Castle answered, his pride in Alexis obvious.
"Yes, Alexis is very sensible and mature for her age," Kate put in, adding because she couldn't quite help it, "I don't know where she gets it."
"I don't either," Castle agreed airily, taking the wind out of her tease. "I'm just glad I lucked out with her."
"That is lucky," her dad chimed in. "I'm not sure I would have said the same of Katie here when she was 15," he added dryly.
"Dad!" She was definitely going to kill her dad.
Castle, on the other hand, looked delighted, because of course he would. "No, really? You mean Beckett wasn't always so rule-abiding?"
Her dad actually snorted. "Suffice to say that Katie's teenage years had me going gray before my time."
"Dad," she gritted out, shooting her dad a look. "Not another word."
For the first time that evening, her dad chose to listen. Thankfully. "But of course," he went on smoothly, "Katie's also always been as smart as a whip."
"That hasn't changed," Castle chimed in. "It's as much as I can do to keep up with her in the first place."
Well, this was somewhat better but still, she could really do without listening to her dad and her–partner–talk about her as if she wasn't there. "How is Alexis doing in her classes?" she jumped in.
Castle blinked but answered readily enough, talking about how Alexis had recently gotten an A on a physics test, a topic that lasted until their food arrived shortly afterwards causing a brief lull in the conversation.
Fortunately for Kate's sanity, the remainder of their dinner passed pleasantly and with no more distressing or embarrassing moments. Castle remembered Kate having mentioned that her dad was a baseball fan (which she didn't even remember telling him but she was starting to realize that Castle apparently had a very good memory for anything concerning her) and mentioned that he happened to know Joe Torre, a subject which easily engaged her dad's attention (and her own, for that matter).
When the waiter arrived with their check, Castle immediately reached for it, forestalling her dad's reaction. "Dinner is on me," Castle insisted.
Kate glanced at her dad but somewhat to her surprise, her dad relented without argument. "Well, that's very nice of you, Rick. Thank you."
"It's my pleasure. I'm glad to have been able to meet you, Mr. Beckett."
Her dad waved a hand. "No more of that, Rick, call me Jim."
She felt the last lingering bits of tension dissolve. Yes, her dad did like Castle.
Castle's expression lit and she felt something squeeze inside her chest. Castle had been more worried about her dad's opinion than he'd let on and she didn't know why that somehow affected her so much.
"After all, I imagine we'll be seeing quite a bit more of each other once the baby comes along," her dad added.
It was, somehow, the first time all evening that the baby had been mentioned, her dad putting into words what had until then been the (small) elephant in the room. She felt a little jolt go through her.
Castle coughed a little. "Ah, yes, well…" was all Castle managed to say, meaninglessly.
"That's a few months away," she quickly inserted. "I think we have some time before really getting into all that," she babbled, nonsensically really.
But fortunately, her dad responded mildly, "Perhaps."
Thankfully, the waiter chose that moment to return with Castle's credit card, signaling an end to their dinner, and they all stood to leave the restaurant.
Her dad turned to Castle once they were outside. "Well, thank you again for a wonderful dinner, Rick."
"No thanks necessary. I was glad to do it." Castle turned to her. "Beckett, see you on Monday."
"Yes, thanks for dinner, I'll see you at the precinct," she managed, not quite coherently, somehow even more conscious of her dad watching her and Castle than she had been earlier. "I'll drive you home, Dad."
"Thank you, Katie." Her dad shook Castle's hand, with a genuine smile. "Rick, I'm sure I'll be seeing you again."
"I'll look forward to it," Castle responded with every appearance of sincerity before hailing a cab while she and her dad turned to walk towards her car.
Kate slipped her arm into her dad's as they walked, her heart pinching a little as her dad patted her hand. Even now, even after so many years, she could not take for granted being able to walk with her dad like this, having her old dad back.
"Well, Dad?" she finally ventured when they had walked about a block.
"Well, Katie," her dad parroted and she narrowed her eyes at him and he chuckled. "I liked him, Katie, but you knew that already."
Okay, so maybe she had but still, it was different to hear her dad say it. "Castle was on his best behavior tonight, at least most of the time," she responded rather wryly, "but he is kind of hard not to like."
"Mm," was her dad's noncommittal response. She knew her dad well enough to recognize when he was trying to formulate his words and she waited before her dad went on with an odd note of caution in his voice, "Katie, I'm about to do something I once swore I would never do and feel free to ignore me if you want."
"I would never ignore you, Dad."
Her dad slanted a small smile at her. "Wait until you hear what I'm about to say before promising that." He sobered. "You and Rick…"
"We're just friends and co-workers, like I told you," she hurried to assure him.
Her dad waved his free hand. "I know that but what I wanted to ask is, why?"
She gaped at him. Surely her dad couldn't be–he wasn't–telling her he thought she should be dating someone.
He grimaced a little as if guessing her thoughts. "Look, Katie, I know you're perfectly capable of making your own decisions especially about something like this, but I just wanted to say, having met Rick, he cares about you and you care about him. Don't try to deny it."
"Because we're friends," she tried, the words sounding unconvincing even to her own ears, as she blushed. Castle cared about her–of course Lanie had told her the same thing but it was different coming from her dad.
"Do you know what I saw watching you and Rick interacting this evening?"
"That we tease each other?"
Her dad gave her a look and she closed her mouth. "What I saw were two people who enjoy each other's company. You looked… happy, in a way I haven't seen in a long time and if I'm any judge, it was Rick who put that light in your eyes. It was certainly not your old man."
"Dad," she protested, "You know I'm always happy to spend time with you."
He smiled a little. "Thanks for that, Katie, but I mean it. Watching you and Rick tonight–you acted more like a couple than you did when you were with that Sorenson guy."
"I thought you liked Will."
"I didn't dislike him."
"Da-ad," she drew the word out into two syllables at this piece of prevarication.
He twisted his lips a little ruefully. "I know, but it's the truth. He seemed nice enough and at the time, you seemed happy enough but…" he shrugged eloquently. "It wasn't close to what you looked like tonight, when you were talking to Rick."
"Dad, me and Castle, it's different, complicated," she finally managed. "With the baby and everything. We've found a sort of balance we can manage and that's enough."
To her surprise, if not shock, her dad waved a dismissive hand. "I'm not talking about the baby right now, although of course it's a consideration. I'm concerned about you, Katie, and what you want, what would make you happy."
And he thought what would make her happy was Castle. She flushed but somehow, under her dad's steady gaze, she found she couldn't exactly lie or hide from the truth, even to herself. (Damn it.)
Actually being with Castle like that–she could picture it, picture it all too easily. And yes, she could admit she wanted it too. Not just the sex, although it was definitely a factor (she could not believe she was thinking this while talking to her dad), but the other things, spending more time with Castle, going on actual dates with him. Like the dinner they'd had at Mirabelli's to talk about the baby weeks ago, like their lunch at Remy's just days ago. It would be fun, with Castle's charm and his humor and, oh fine, yes, his hotness, she didn't doubt that.
It was everything that came after the first few dates she wasn't sure about, the real relationship part. Because even now, she still couldn't quite believe that she and Castle could make a real relationship work for long. And she and Castle could never make a clean break because she would still need to see him constantly because of the baby. Would never have the space or time away from him in which to get over him, move past the hurt. Her whole chest seemed to curl up defensively at the thought.
"It's not… that, Dad," she finally managed, trying but not quite able to say in so many words that she did care about Castle. "I just can't see anything between me and Castle really going anywhere and why would I set myself up for failure, especially when there's the baby to think about too?"
"Why do you think you'd be setting yourself up for failure?"
"Because, Dad," she waved her free hand, "think about his life. He's this rich, best-selling celebrity author and I'm just a cop and–"
"I wouldn't say you were 'just' anything," her dad interjected.
She managed a small smile. "Thanks but you know what I mean. Castle's used to dating models and actresses and we just come from completely different worlds. I mean, sometimes even I still find it surreal to think that I actually know Richard Castle." And she thought but didn't say, that Castle was so cheerful, such a bringer of light, and she… was not, was so haunted by the death of her mom, the murders she saw every day. And it wasn't as if either his or her past relationships gave more reason for optimism.
"Oh, Katie, Katie," her dad actually chuckled a little, making her blink at him.
"What's so funny?"
Her dad sobered. "I was just thinking that you really are like me in some ways. I told myself some of the same things about your mom and I when I first met her."
She stared. "But you and Mom, you were both lawyers, you worked together, lived in the same world."
"Maybe but in other ways, your mom and I weren't obviously compatible. Your mom was outgoing, dynamic, and I'm not, was always happier with a book than in company. Your mom liked going to shows while I can take them or leave them; I liked going to baseball games and your mom usually got bored, remember?"
She had to smile. "That's why you started taking me instead of Mom." Baseball had become their father-daughter activity, about the only thing she and her dad did on their own, without her mom usually. She'd been closer to her mom, she thought with the usual pang, but baseball–baseball had been hers and her dad's.
Her dad's expression softened, became wistful and melancholy. "I was afraid that your mom might get bored with me after too long. Why do you think it took your mom and I so long to get together?"
"You were friends and co-workers first," she offered. "That complicates things." Not that she'd ever thought about her parents' relationship in such a light before; she had known that her parents had been friends for a few years before they'd ever started dating but to her younger self, her parents ending up together had seemed as inevitable as the sun rising in the east. It had never occurred to her that either of her parents could have ever doubted that they should be together. Her parents had always seemed like a single unit to her, not really two separate people at all. She could never have imagined either of her parents without the other–even now, still found it a little hard and a lot painful, to think of her dad alone, without her mom.
Her dad sighed. "And if you think I don't regret every single day that I hesitated before asking your mom out, the thought of the time I wasted being afraid and doubting that we could work…"
Her heart squeezed in her chest. "Oh, Dad…" she choked a little.
Her dad tried and managed a faint, wistful smile. "All I'm saying is that you can never really know just from looking at two people on paper if a relationship will last. You have to take a chance. And real relationships always take work, Katie, there's no magic formula to them. Even your mom and I had to try and try hard to make our relationship work."
She stared. "But you and Mom were always so happy." She could barely remember her parents ever exchanging a cross word, not really. Oh, she remembered a few minor tiffs, little annoyances, cropping up, but nothing that had ever lasted or disturbed her childish, serene confidence in her parents' rock-solid relationship.
Her dad's lips twisted a little ruefully. "Thank you, Katie. We tried never to fight when you were around, tried to always present a united front, but you know, your mom and I both had tempers and neither of us were angels so we did have fights."
"I don't remember anything like that," she managed. Strange and surreal to be learning new things about her mom even now. It had seemed as if her knowledge, her memories, of her mom were set in stone since her mom's death but apparently, she could still learn more. It was… sweet and painful and poignant. And made her feel closer not only to her dad but to her mom too.
He smiled faintly. "Well, we did have fights. Now, in hindsight, none of them were that big a deal but they didn't feel like that at the time. My point though is that where relationships are concerned, you really can't know until you try. What matters isn't the outward differences so much as if you're willing to put in the work and if you trust the other person to do the same." He paused and then went on, more slowly, "What I know is that your mom was always the first person I wanted to talk to about anything, was the person whose company I enjoyed the most. We might have had our differences of opinion but I always wanted to know what your mom thought and I trusted her."
They had reached her car long before but had just been standing beside it as they had this conversation. A little absurd but Kate was fairly sure she couldn't have managed to concentrate enough to drive while having this talk. But now, finally, she unlocked her car before glancing at her dad. "I just… don't know, Dad," she sighed. "There's the baby to think about and Castle has Alexis too and we are so different."
"I'm not saying your situation with Castle is the same as mine was with your mom. With the baby and everything, it is different and more complicated for you. And whatever you decide, you know I'll support you. I just… I want you to be happy, Katie, and I'd hate for you to miss out on a chance to be happy because you're too afraid to take a chance. Just think about it, that's all I ask."
She managed a smile. "Okay. Thanks, Dad."
He returned her smile, lifting his hand to chuck her chin lightly in one of his occasional affectionate gestures. "Anytime. You're still our fearless Katie-bug, you know."
The use of the childish moniker that her dad only used in particularly tender moments made her soften even further, stupid, ridiculous tears pricking at the back of her eyes that she hurriedly blinked back. "Come on, Dad, I'll drive you home," was all she managed to say.
Her dad smiled faintly but dutifully made his way around to the passenger side. And the drive back to his apartment passed in light, undemanding conversation, even as her dad's words lingered in her mind.
~To be continued…~
A/N 2: I hope this was worth the wait. Thank you to everyone who's still sticking with this story.
