December 15 - Snowman
"Mommy," Lily giggles in the doorway behind her. "Mommy, come see!"
"Come see? Come see what?" Kate asks. She doesn't look back just yet, making sure she has everything they need for this trek before turning to face her daughter.
"My brudders look wike snowmen!" Lily announces before doubling over, cackling.
"Snowmen, huh? How do they look like snowmen?"
Lily runs to her, grabbing for her hand and settling for her arm when it becomes obvious that Kate's hands are full. "Come see!" she insists, giving Kate a tug. "It's so siwwy."
Juggling everything takes a little more effort with Lily holding onto her elbow, but they make it out of the bedroom without anything catastrophic happening. She doesn't drop anything or trip over anything (though that stray car did come out of nowhere), and soon enough Lily stops her in front of the couch where Rick and the boys sit.
A chuckle escapes her lips before she can stop it. Lily's right; Reece and Jake do look like snowmen. Or the Stay Puft Marshmallow man, if she's honest with herself. Lil hasn't been introduced to Ghostbusters yet, though, so she'll give her the snowman connection.
"Well hey boys. You um, you look cozy."
Her sons pout over the puffy collars of their coats. Oh, they're unhappy. Not that she blames them; they're adorable in the outfits, but also a little bit ridiculous looking.
"Aww, Jakey, don't make that face," she coos, kneeling in front of him and dropping the items in her hands. Her hands land on his little knees (she thinks they're his knees anyway), jostling his legs. "You don't want to be cold for our pictures, do you?"
"No." He plucks at the down jacket. "Out!"
"Not yet, baby," she says, grabbing the boots she'd been retrieving from a bag in her bedroom and lifting his foot. She wiggles the snow boot on before he can wiggle away. "We'll go get our picture taken and maybe we'll play a little bit in the park? And then we'll come home and get you out of your snowman suits."
Rick snickers a little, earning a glare from both Reece and Jake and a lifted eyebrow from Kate. The pictures had been her idea (though she hates herself a little bit for getting sucked into the hysteria of it all thanks to a mom group she'd joined after finding out she was pregnant with the boys), but the outfits at been all Castle. All Castle.
"S'cute, Reecey," Lily says from over her shoulder, squatting in her dress and puffy coat to help Kate slip the boots onto her brother's feet.
"Thank you, Lily," she murmurs, poking her husband's knee. "Are you ready, Rick? Or are you enjoying this too much to remember your coat, too?"
He grins again. "Well, I am enjoying this quite a bit, but I'm ready, too. My coat is by the door along with the diaper bag and some snacks for afterward."
"Uh huh," she drawls, getting to her feet. "Come on, guys. Let's go get our picture taken."
Thankfully, for everyone's sake, the chill of the morning has been burned away by the sun and once the photos are done, the boys are able to shed their jackets and run free with Lily chasing after them like a shepherd.
Although she and Castle stay where they are and keep a watchful eye on things, Kate slips her arm through her husband's, allowing her head to land on his shoulder.
"That was fun," she murmurs, stroking his bicep. "Even your ridiculous outfits worked out."
He chuckles, covering her hand with his. "Did you have any doubts?"
"Yes, many," she says, her words dry.
A grin splits his face open wide. "Yeah, that's fair."
Knocking her shoulder against his, she watches Reece take off on his little legs, knocking into his brother with an excited squeal.
Jake doesn't love the collision, nor does he appreciate landing on the ground with a thud, but Lily rushes over and helps him up before the displeasure on his face can devolve into a cry.
"Dere you go, Jakey," Lily says, swiping dirt off his bottom, just as Kate does when they fall. "All better."
Castle squeezes her fingers, lifting her hand to his lips after a second. "She acts more like you every day," he says, smiling against her hand.
Her cheeks heat at the observation. "Don't tell my dad; pretty sure one of me was more than enough for him."
Her husband laughs, a low, easy thing that warms her to her toes, despite the cool air around them. "Your dad would take ten more of you, Kate. Don't ever think otherwise. Even seventeen-year-old you," he adds before she can suggest it.
Yeah, she's not so sure about that part, but that's a lesson he's just going to have to learn when Lily gets older. Instead, she'll take the compliment and leave it at that, content to watch Lily and the boys run around the park.
"So, I have to ask," she says a little while later, lifting her cheek from Rick's shoulder. He hums, giving the kids a look before turning to her again. "Why did you pick those snowsuits?"
He grins, looking back at Reece and Jake. "Because they made me think of the abominable snowman."
Kate snickers, covering her mouth before the boys get wind of a joke they're not a part of and come running.
"Especially Jake when he first wakes up," he continues, swaying with her as she dissolves into laughter. "Let's just say our boy is not a morning person."
"Let's also say that he is his father's son," she teases, pressing her lips to his cheek. "Lily told me they looked like snowmen," she says on a laugh. "So, I guess that was a mission accomplished for you."
Rick looks entirely too proud of himself as they turn back to their children and make sure Lily and the snowman twins don't get themselves into too much trouble. They stay until the shadows grow longer on the ground.
Thank you for reading! Until next chapter.