The Spirit of Giving: A Caskett Christmas Story

Chapter 2 - A Day In The LIfe

Kate Castle is at her neighborhood grocery store looking to replenish her food stocks at home. She cannot believe the prices, they have gone up again! She goes for the essentials: milk, half a dozen eggs, bread, butter, some veggies, and then a pound of groundbeef. That alone took what she had for groceries. She goes to the discount table and sees Campbell Chicken Noodle soup on sale. She grabs several cans. Along with some of the canned Pork 'n Beans. Soup had become a primary dinner dish for them, along with salad, bread with butter. She spies the ramen noodle going for only cents on the dollar, she grabs several of the packets. Kate is over budget, but has extra tip money she took from her Christmas gift savings. She plans to pay it back when her paycheck comes in today.

Life in NYC can be hard on a young couple just starting out and working part-time. Also they are attending NYU, and paid for tuition. But thru it all, they had each other and that was all they needed for now. They were determined to get past these challenges as they both knew once they had their degrees, they could go for better jobs. Fortunately, rent for them was not an issue. They were living in the basement of Kate's family brownstone. Kate had wisely decided when she put her father in a care facility for his alcoholism and mental illness that she could rent out the main house. They could use the basement to live in the studio that once was her parent's home offices. Both had been lawyers at one time before the murder of her mother.

Renting out the brownstone allowed Kate to pay for her father's care facility, with a little left over that went to their savings account. When both had lost their mothers, they were essentially alone in life. Kate also lost her father to alcoholism and she had the additional burden of caring for her sick father. So now as a couple, they shared their lives and were there to help the other. It was a match ordained by the universe.

They had known each other since middle school, and had gone steady during high school. Their parents were also close, as a result of the two being such good friends initially. The parents shared their kid's school activities and birthdays. Both sets of parents, that is one set, and single mom Martha, realized that the day may come when they became in-laws. The two mothers had died never seeing that come to pass. Jim Beckett also was not really there for them. He had gone into depression at the loss of his wife and that deteriorated into alcoholism and mental illness.

Thru all their tragedies, Kate and Rick had each other. They were family now. Both were so much in love, as each had married their best friend. It was like they had known each other for what seemed like always! They knew the other's moods, fears, ambitions and goals. They also shared many of life's burdens together. Their union, however, was their strength. Neither could see being apart from the other and being alone to deal with life. Kate always felt she could be herself when she was with Rick. Rick felt the same. It was mutual. So Fate had blessed them and united them with purpose; to be there always for each other. It was indeed a match that had been destined to be.

Kate finishes her grocery shopping and returns to their brownstone basement studio to put away the groceries. She then heads to her waitress job, she had an afternoon/early night shift, and then off to her one evening class.

Rick's Day

Ricket Castle was finishing his morning class in Creative Writing, a course that he enjoyed immensely. After class, he would have lunch in the school cafeteria along with coffee, before heading to work. Today was his late shift schedule. In preparing his lunch, Kate had taken their remaining eggs and created an egg salad to use for making sandwiches. She then had packed two sandwiches for her husband. Rick enters the college cafeteria, fixes a coffee just as he likes it, pays for it ,and then heads to an empty table. He no sooner starts his brown bag lunch when who should enter the cafeteria than Lanie Parish, his wife's now good friend. Lanie was pre-med, and Kate had for awhile been pre-law. They had taken some general education classes shared between the pre-med and pre-law students. Lanie and Kate had been classmates in those classes and that is how the two had met to become fast friends.

"Hey Rick", she greets him when she sees him waving her to his table, "just you today, where's Kate?"

"Yeah just me. Kate has an evening class and is waitressing this afternoon till early evening."

"I don't know how you two do it. Make a life for yourselves thru all the challenges you both face. Work, school, finances, and coping with everyday problems, given any other couple, they would have folded in the face of what the two of you are going thru and have gone thru?"

"Lanie, that is how we face our difficulties, together as a couple. I draw strength from her as she does with me. When we lost our mothers, we were both alone, but knew we had each other to lean on. Getting married just seemed right, and it legalized our union so we get the benefits of a married couple. Truth is, I fell for her over the years of our friendship and she has been the only one for me."

"As it is with Kate. Both of you are so lucky to have each other. It is so annoyingly awesome how the two of you are when together. The rest of us normal humans are envious."

"Well thank you for that comment so now sit Lanie. Take a load off your feet and treat your badass self to lunch. When's your next class?"

"Two o'clock, and thank you also for thinking of me in that way. I just have time for a good leisurely meal before tackling the academics. When's your next class?"

"Done, just a morning class today, so off to work after this."

"Well then, let me grab lunch and we can share a moment together before we leave to deal with the day's remaining schedule."

At The Restaurant

Kate enters the restaurant where she works and sees her boss, Mel Sandoval, owner of said establishment, preparing the afternoon orders. She greets him and then sees his wife, Rita, already with her apron on to take the orders of waiting patrons. Kate had started her part-time waitress job back in high school when the Sandovals had offered it to her. This place was the main location where they had celebrated her and Rick's many memorable events; such as birthdays, graduations, both middle school and high school, plus many other such celebrations. The Sandoval restaurant was a neighborhood hang-out for such occurrences. Some of Kate's best times here had been shared here with her parents along with Martha and Rick, who had become close to her parents. The families coming together as a result of their children's strong friendship. So both the Beckett and Castle households were known to the Sandovals.

"Afternoon, Mel and Rita", she says to them.

"Well hello yourself. Get that apron on, we got customers waiting on orders", exclaims Rita.

"Yes ma'm, I'm on it!"

Kate grabs her receipt book and heads out to take down the waiting customers' orders.

The day proceeds in a typical manner. Kate does well with tips and takes in $35, not bad for a part-time job. She finishes her shift as the night waitress comes in to take the evening shift. The night waitress is also a NYU student working her way thru college. The Sandovals were known for hiring young employees, particularly those from the neighborhood. They were truly a kind and caring couple, probably one reason why their restaurant had become such a neighborhood fixture for meals and celebrations.

Finishing her shift, Kate rushes out to catch the subway for NYU and her evening class. This class is an introduction to Criminal Profiling and one Kate took interest in as it was a class that she knew would help in solving cases when she becomes a Detective. The class is filled with many Police Academy aspirants and all are trying for a good grade. Kate was still the best academically in the course, having aced all the tests and her midterm exams. Kate was trying for top score in finals and best in class status.

Kate liked many of her classmates. There was one, Javier Esposito, who was to join the Army after taking enough courses to qualify as a Military Police. Then there was one obnoxious classmate who kept hitting on her despite Kate flashing her wedding ring at him, one William Sorenson. He had commented that it was too bad she was already taken because she would have enjoyed a date and spending a night with him. She rebuked him immediately reminding him that she was married. Threatening him that if he continued with his comments, she would file an harrassment claim against him with the Dean of Student Affairs. Kate dugged the knife in deeper with Sorenson by saying such a claim would be a black mark for him in applying to the FBI Academy. Sorenson had made it known that was his ultimate goal after graduating. So Sorenson took the hint and behaved himself when he was in her presence.

In one of her general courses Kate had taken, she met, thru Lanie, another pre-med student, Josh Davidson. He was tall, dark haired and quite good looking. She sensed Josh's attraction to her immediately. He was always cordial to her, treating her in the highest regard and always greeting her when he saw her. He had attempted just to get to know her, despite the fact she was already married. Most of her male classmates tended to put her at a distance when they learned she was married.

Kate had sensed Josh's disappointment when he saw her ring, which Josh initially had not noticed as he was so busy admiring her stunning good looks and marveling at her quick intellect. Kate was for Josh Davidson the epitome of the ideal woman.

"You're married?! I had not noticed the ring before."

"Yes, we got married at the end of our sophomore year."

"Who is the lucky man?"

Kate then proceeded to tell Josh of their story. She could see as she related the story to Josh how much more attractive in his eyes she had become to him. For Josh, his attraction to Kate went way beyond her physical beauty. Josh realized Kate had an internal beauty that is rare. She was as humble and caring as she was beautiful. What was even more surprising was how Kate really did not know how attractive she was physically. Kate truly was a unique person and one that few were privileged to have as a friend. Josh striving continually to be that friend to her, while balancing that familiarity with some distance required for a married woman.

"I am glad you have Rick as your one and done. You married your best friend and that makes for a sound marriage. There is data to support that, and statistically, those marriages tend to last. Maybe I will be as lucky and find a wife like you Kate. One to share a lifetime with."

Kate realized that she felt a connection to Josh. He was so much like her husband Rick in so many ways. In an alternate universe, they might have even become a couple, but not in this universe. Kate was already spoken for in this universe! Still, Josh was there in this reality.

Josh again became their classmate in other general education courses that she took with Lanie and the other pre-med/pre-law students. He was also there for many of their course activities: evening study sessions, some during a shared meal; course projects, which at one time had the three of them on the same team; class get-togethers and parties. Kate enjoyed all the interactions, not just with Josh, but all her classmates, many of whom had started dating each other. Some even became an item. But for all his qualities, Josh Davidson remained just a classmate and friend for Kate Castle, albeit, a good friend.

So Kate did not do the college dating scene. She had no need to and many of her female classmates were envious of her. She already had her one. Those classmates became even more envious of her, particularly after meeting Rick. Rick was a catch, and all her female classmates knew this. So there was Josh as a fall back for these young women. Josh did date them, but it never became serious.

Thinking about Josh's situation, Kate wondered how many of Rick's female classmates had been interested in him, but like Josh, they remained just friends knowing that Rick already had someone in his life. Kate knows she does not regret the absence of an active college dating life and knows that Rick felt the same. They were indeed fortunate to have found each other so early in life; one that they would share for decades to come and hopefully with children blessing their marriage. Their union may have lacked in some matters, but it was richer and fuller in others that counted and made for a good marriage.