Gifts of Love Large and Small - Chapter 3
"What do you think about this one?"
Kate swings Jake's hand, smiling down at him when he giggles. He's been her partner for the afternoon, sticking close to her while Reece and Lily bounce beside Rick. She's still not convinced that leaving the stroller behind had been the right choice, but it's been sweet having her son beside her as they walk the Christmas market and look for presents for Gram, Grandpa, Alexis, and the rest of their extended family.
"Do you like it?" she asks, checking with the stall owner before lifting the necklace she thinks Martha will love and squatting to show it to her son.
He touches the pendant with his little fingers, eyes glued to the bright blue and green stones surrounding a brass starburst. "S'pitty."
Kate nods, looking it over with him. "It is pretty. Should we buy it for Gram? It can be from just you. We'll let Lily and Reece pick something out themselves to give her."
Jake grins, nodding.
She'd known he would jump on that; her babies love when something is theirs and theirs alone, even gifts (though the boys are still working on the part where some gifts are for others and not just them). And if it helps make shopping with two two-year-olds easier, then she's all for personalizing the experience in a way Reece and Jake will understand.
Kate drops a kiss on his nose. "Perfect. Okay," she exhales, standing again and passing the pendant over to the stall owner and nodding. "Should we keep looking for anyone else's present?"
Jake bounces, lifting his arms for her to pick him up. She hefts him onto her hip, rubbing a hand over his back and smacking a kiss to his chilled little cheek.
By the time they get to the end of the stall, he's picked out gifts for her (though she's sure Castle will take them to buy other gifts, she promises to pretend to be surprised when he gives it to her), Alexis, Lanie, Aunt Jenny, and even Lily, too. Kate leans her head on his while the vendor runs her credit card, telling him what a great job he'd done.
"You picked beautiful presents, baby. Everybody's going to love them."
He turns a bashful smile to her shoulder, making her grin. He can be a hellion sometimes – any son she and Castle shared was bound to be – but he makes up for it with his sweetness, his cheer, and his cuddles.
"Okay," she says once she has her card back in her wallet and their bag dangling from her wrist with a couple of their other purchases. "Mommy's hungry. Let's find the others and see about some food before we get our Christmas tree."
Jake giggles, draping his arms over her shoulders and cementing his place in her arms. She hefts him a little higher up her torso to keep from catching a knee in the side, looking around the outdoor market to see if the rest of their party is anywhere nearby. They'd been walking together for the first part of their journey, but then they'd drifted to different stalls, pulled by curious children (and in a couple of cases, a curious daddy, too) and she'd lost track of them.
"Can you see them, Jakey?" she asks peppering kisses over his forehead. "Do you see Reece and Lily, or Daddy in his silly Christmas hat?"
Her son cackles at the reminder of Rick's hat. Never one to go for subtle, after sliding beanies onto the kids' heads before leaving the loft, her husband had whipped out a bright green and red sequined Santa hat, complete with a set of felt elf ears sewn to the sides. She knows it could've been worse, though, he could've worn the hat that's meant to look like a tinsel Christmas tree, right down to the gold star at the top. Thankfully, that one remains on their dresser at home because she had mentioned pretending not to know him while they're out today if he'd worn it.
"No."
"Okay, we'll keep looking," she promises, carrying him to the end of the row and sweeping her eyes over the crowd, glancing down the next aisle and the one beside that to see if they've made it that far without them.
Jake squeaks after a moment, pointing down the line in the opposite direction. "Daddy! Dere! Mama, dere!"
She swivels, spying that ridiculous hat first and following the line of her husband's body to see Lily and Reece bouncing beside him, their hands shoved in his pockets since his hands are full of bags.
"Oh, good eye, baby," she praises, stepping in their direction. She won't tell Castle that they'd been able to find him because of his hat; she'll never hear the end of it, and it will definitely encourage him to wear the other one next time they go out.
Castle grins when she makes her way up to them. "Hey stranger," he greets, dropping a kiss on her mouth once she's close enough to reach. "How's your shopping going?"
She pecks back, savoring his nearness, his calm in the chaos of the Christmas market. After a second, she steps back and sways with Jake, winking at Lily and Reece. "I think we're mostly done. We got some good stuff all in one place because Jake has a great eye."
Her son giggles, saying something she doesn't quite catch. Reece, on the other hand, seems to get it, jabbering back eagerly. Jake squirms in her arms, patting her chest and asking to be let down.
"How's your stomach?" she asks Rick and Lily once Jake's back on his feet and standing with his twin. "I'm starving."
Lily groans, slumping into Castle's side. "I'm so hungry, Mommy."
"So hungry?" she asks, wiggling her fingers for Lily. "All the shopping is wearing you out, huh?"
"Uh huh!"
"Well, we better find some food, don't you think? So we'll have energy to hunt for our perfect tree?"
Lily nods, looking up at Rick. "Daddy said s'gotta be so big! Almos' as big as da ceiling."
"Almost as big as the ceiling?" she repeats, looping an arm around Lily's shoulders and drawing her closer. She wiggles her fingers for the boys, too, grinning when Reece is the first to take her hand. She dips to kiss his cheek, whispering that she'd missed him. "That's going to be pretty big," she continues, looking back at Lily. "Do you think one that big will fit on our car?"
"Umm," Lily hums, tapping her lips. "I don' know. We gotta try it."
"You're right. We'll have to try it," Kate agrees, glancing up at her husband. "And if not, I'm sure Daddy's got a guy who can help us get it home."
Rick laughs, shifting the bags and snagging Jake's hand with his. "Daddy has a guy everywhere, Mommy. You know that."
She grins, dropping a kiss to Lily's head. "You got a guy to scrounge up some lunch for us?" she asks.
"Of course I do, but I don't think he'll be needed this time." Off her look, he gestures toward the far end of the market. "Food trucks; I think we'll be able to find something for everyone over there."
"Especially if that something is chicken tenders," Kate quips. "Right, Little Flower?"
Lily grins. "Right!"
Thankfully, there are tables set up underneath patio heaters alongside the food trucks, giving them the opportunity to sit down and enjoy their food. She knew her boys had to be hungry when they crawled onto their chairs and stayed the whole meal; usually she and Castle take turns eating while the other contends with Jake and Reece the roving eaters.
Kate sits back in her seat once her food is gone, releasing a slow breath. It's been a fun day so far, but it's also been busier than she'd expected; this brief reprieve is more than welcome.
Castle's hand covers hers. "Get you some coffee?" he offers.
"God, yes."
Rick laughs, his eyes crinkling with his easy smile. "Okay, I'll be back. Stay put, all of you," he adds, pointing between the three kids but lingering on their boys.
Lily giggles into her hand, getting to her knees in her chair and leaning her elbows on the table. "Mommy?"
"Yes?"
"Daddy has wotsa guys, right?"
Beckett nods, scooting the chair closer to the table before one or both the furniture pieces can go flying and the rest of their afternoon is spent in the ER instead of walking the rows of Christmas trees.
"He does have lots of guys," she agrees. "Why do you ask? Need somebody to do you a favor?"
Her daughter cackles. "Nooo, 'm just curious."
"Uh huh."
She reaches over to tickle Reece, offering him a toy from the diaper bag when he giggles. Not to be left out, Jake holds out his hands for one too.
"Is Santa one of Daddy's guys?"
"Oh, good question," she praises. Lily's at the age where she wants to know everything about everything and she's weighing what she's told against what she can see for herself. The legend of Old Saint Nick is no exception for the almost five-year-old.
Lily looks expectant, propping her chin on her laced fingers and waiting for Beckett's response.
"Well," she starts, tapping her chin in thought. "I don't know that I would say that Santa is one of Daddy's guys, exactly. But…" she trails off, lowering her voice and leaning closer. "Just between you and me, I think Daddy is actually one of Santa's guys."
Lily's jaw drops. "Like a elf?"
"An elf," she corrects gently, nodding. "Kind of, yeah. Because Daddy and I can talk to Santa, but it's still Santa's call. And sometimes," she adds, glancing over her shoulder to make sure Rick isn't coming back just yet, "sometimes Santa actually asks us for a favor."
"Like wif the toys," Lily breathes.
Kate nods. "Just like with the toys we took to the precinct the other day, you're right, baby."
"Mommy?"
"Yes?"
"Are you a-n elf too?"
She grins, winking. "I'm one of Santa's helpers, too," she says.
Lily giggles, but Kate can see the wheels turning in her head, see more questions brewing behind her eyes. But there's excitement, too. A childlike awe that Kate envies a little bit even as she pats herself on the back for helping preserve Lily's sense of magic.
"Okay, I have two coffees and two hot chocolates – the second of which will be split between PB and J," Castle announces, setting four travel cups on the table in front of their respective owners and dropping kisses all around before he grabs the sippy cups from the diaper bag and pours the water out. Deftly, he splits the fourth drink and closes the cups, handing them to the boys carefully. "I added some extra milk to it," he adds for her sake. "Cooled it down a little bit more."
Kate reaches out, rubbing his hip gently. "Thanks, babe. Let's take a few minutes to sip and then we can walk some more?"
He tilts his head, looking surprised at the suggestion. She knows he'd expected her to decide they should make it easier on themselves and hang out until their drinks are finished.
She nudges her chin toward Lily, noting the way their daughter squirms in her chair, the way she practically vibrates with anticipation. Whether it's the thought of her parents as Santa's helpers or a general joy from the day, Kate's not sure, but she looks ready to burst.
"Yeah," she says. Her fingers slip through his belt loop, giving him a little tug for emphasis. "We have a Christmas tree to find before it gets too dark to see if we're getting the right one. And then we can do a little more shopping if we want," she adds, winking. "I still have a few things I'd like to find for a certain someone."
Castle grins, nodding. "That sounds delightful, Beckett."
Thank you for reading! See you next chapter!