Heartlines
She regrets it. Shit, no she doesn't. That idiotic, sexy-hot man.
Kate swipes her finger down her neck, but the concealer isn't cutting it. Then there's the teeth marks on her chest, just above her scar. And some bruises that are actually her own damn fault when she yanked him back over her and they fell off the bench on the back deck. The two beds were just not enough for him, apparently.
Two beds at once. The back deck (ug, the splinters are brutal). Living room floor on the way back inside. She smirks, and well. . .he marked her pretty good, but Castle has a black eye from where he smacked into her knee as they fell. And. . .he still hasn't been able to look at Alexis in the face without blushing like a schoolgirl.
Kate has already explained to his daughter. (Briefly.) It's not like Alexis is clueless. All it takes is one look at Castle's mortified and silly face - his poor, bruised face - and everyone must know.
As they should. Castle is hers. He belongs to her. Everyone should know.
She unconsciously bites her bottom lip, winces at the taste of blood. Sticking her tongue against her mouth to puff it out, she checks out the damage in the mirror. She can't remember how it happened, but her lip is cracked; she didn't feel that till this morning.
Castle wraps loose arms around her waist from behind, yawning into her ear as he bends down for a kiss. She gets a sloppy, mouth-open greeting at her neck, but she smiles at him in the mirror, lifts her hand to his messy bedhead.
"Hey there," she murmurs, caressing the soft shell of his ear.
He vibrates against her, wordless happiness, but his body is still gentle, soothing. "Didn't really mean to leave you so. . .marked," he sighs.
"It didn't hurt," she laughs, kissing his cheek. His stubble scratches at her lips and she winces, brushes her palm flat against it. "Shave. That *will* hurt."
He holds his head away from her at that, smooths his fingers over her hip. She glances down, finds another few brusies. "Kate. I can't exactly say I'm sorry. I'm not. Is that bad?"
She grins at him, their eyes meeting in the mirror, noises from the rest of the people out there in his loft trickling back to them. Their little bubble of privacy will soon be gone, but she likes the glow of possession in his eyes, the fierce male urgency of last night, and the gentle regard of his hands this morning.
His. Hers.
Kate turns in his arms and links her hands at his back, sways a little with him, kissing the flat line of his collarbone, his neck, then scraping her bottom teeth lightly against the scruffy place at his jaw.
"It's not bad at all. When I'm running down a suspect or when I'm going flat out in combat training, you think this even makes me stop for a second? A bruise? A scratch?"
"Hell no. You're a beast."
She laughs and tilts her head. "That was a compliment?" He looks surprised she has to ask; she's not really asking. "Of course it was, wasn't it? Hmm. Well. There you go. Anything you dish out, I can take, Rick Castle."
"Oh I noticed," he intones, his voice that low and rough growl. It makes her shiver. In a good way.
"Now. I have a brunch I have to get to, but first I need to pick a different dress."
"No way," he complains, drawing closer. "You're supposed to wear that blue one with the thin straps. All this has to show-"
She laughs at him again, finds it just like a wellspring in her, this amusement and joy. "Castle. You bit me."
"It's a lovebite."
"I can see your individual teethmarks in my skin."
"You were doing wicked things to me."
"Yes I was," she murmurs, lifting up on her toes, distracted again by the heat of him, that voice, damn, that voice that weaves into her, unthreads her nerves and lights everything ablaze.
"You gotta go, Kate," he murmurs back, into her kiss, his tongue like velvet.
"I gotta go," she sighs.
Castle puts her away, pushing on her shoulders; their mouths pop wetly and they both laugh, dispelling some of the crackling electricity.
"Okay. I need a dress-"
A banging on their bedroom door makes them both jump. Castle, the one mostly dressed in his jeans and half-buttoned shirt, heads back into the bedroom to answer it. Kate turns to their walk-in closet and pulls out a few dresses, including that blue one Castle mentioned which she intended to wear.
She can hear part of the conversation.
"I drew the short straw," his daughter is saying.
Kate grins and steps into the bottom of the blue dress, adjusts her bra, slides the straps over her shoulders, then quickly heads for the doorway. Alexis has slipped inside, is watching her father knot his tie, her back against the doorframe.
"Hey, Lex. Beth said you went dancing with them last night?"
"I did," Alexis laughs, blushing. Kate can't tell if it's because of the bite on her chest, the bruise on her father's face, or the dancing. "Alex taught me the waltz."
Castle swivels his head from the floor-length mirror to his daughter. "He did? Was it fun?"
"It was great," Alexis says, something sad in her eyes.
Kate bumps her hip into Castle in front of the mirror so she can see her reflection, works on getting her dress right. Ung. This is not going to work. Castle drops a hand to her shoulder, brushes his finger over the redened skin at her collarbone. She narrows her eyes at him but he's looking at Alexis intently.
Kate turns and looks at his daughter too, finds her holding back tears. On instinct, Kate jerks away from the mirror and wraps both arms around Alexis's neck, pulling her in close.
"Oh, whoa, Lex, what's going on?" Kate lifts her eyes to Castle in question, but he looks baffled, and irritated, and something else that she-
Oh. She kinda cut in front of him. Oops. Kate unwraps an arm and holds it out to him; Castle sighs and buries them both in a massive, rib-crunching hug.
"Alexis," he murmurs. "You broke up with Ashley."
"Yeah," she cracks, shoulders hunched.
Kate glances to Castle. How did he know that? His eyes seem to be saying I can tell.
"You want to talk to your dad," Kate says, sliding her arm out from under Castle's crushing hug, trying to slip away.
"No," Alexis says, shaking her head. "I'm done talking. I'm good. Better now."
Kate can tell she's not better, but Castle is releasing her, tugging on Kate's elbow for her to let go as well. She doesn't want to. She wants to make Alexis talk, which is hypocritical of her, and she knows it, and she doesn't even care.
"Alexis-" she starts, even though she really shouldn't, it's not her place.
"I got to dance last night. And we talked about Ophelia," Alexis rushes on, filling up the space before Kate can ask. "And it was good. I'm okay. Beth is getting married, and now we have to go to the bridesmaids' brunch, Kate, so. . .are you really wearing that?"
Castle laughs and drops back down on the bed; Kate gives him a healthy glare.
"It's your fault."
"You asked for it."
"Oh, jeez, parents, too much information!" Alexis claps both hands over her ears and gives Kate a look. "You shouldn't encourage him." Her face ripens into a blush and she closes her eyes. "Oh no, I didn't mean like that. Whatever you do - between you - oh my gosh, no-"
Kate's mouth drops open; she looks at the girl's father, floored by Alexis's rambling. "Lex."
"You can do whatever you want. I mean, it looks painful, but I'm sure you-"
Castle is absolutely rolling with laughter. Kate struggles to keep it off her face, out of her ribs (because it still hurts to laugh too hard), and she reaches out and takes Alexis by the shoulders.
"Lex. Let me stop you there, before you dig that hole any deeper."
Alexis shuts up with another bright red tint to her face, nods, breathes deeply, her eyes avoiding Kate's.
"Okay, your honest opinion. If I wear this, put on a little more concealer, you think I can play it off as the perils of the job?"
Alexis glances between them, then steps back from Kate as if assessing her. "So long as no one sees him-" she jabs a thumb towards her father "-then you should be okay. But when they see Dad's black eye, and the bite on his neck, they're all gonna know."
"Hey!" Castle jumps up, pushing past Kate to get to the mirror. "Bite on my neck! Kate!"
Castle corners Alex Conrad in the kitchen after all the girls leave. He's giving Rick that nervous, what is this about grin.
"Hey, Alex. I heard you danced with my daughter yesterday."
Alex chokes on his toast but swallows it down with a gulp. "Yes, sir."
Castle lets the grin break out on his face, claps his hand on Conrad's shoulder. "You made her happy."
"I did?"
"You know you did. Thank you."
Conrad bobs his head, brushes toast crumbs off his hands. "She was. . .you know about her and Ashley?"
"Yeah, she told me. I couldn't be here, so I'm grateful to you for doing what you could, Alex."
The younger writer looks at him funny, then nods again, picking up his coffee mug and wrapping his fingers around it. "It earned me points with Beth too," he grins. "But that's not why I did it."
Castle leans back against the counter, crosses his arms over his chest. "I know. I know the kind of guy you are, which is why you were ever even allowed within teen feet of Beth-"
Alex chokes again and laughs, rubbing a hand down his face. "Ah, well, thanks?"
"You're going to be a good father, Alex."
The man drops his mug; it bounces, flinging hot coffee in all directions. Castle doesn't move, doesn't even flinch as it sprays, although Alex immediately jumps back and starts cursing.
Castle watches. That was interesting. "Is she pregnant?" he asks.
"What?" Conrad jerks up from his hunched position, the mug in his hand again, dangling by his finger. "No! No. Oh my gosh, no."
"Oh. Well, you kinda freaked out there."
"I would love for - no, I mean. She's not pregnant, but we want kids eventually. Much later. And. We just. We had this conversation maybe three hours ago. So it's just. . .spooky. We want to travel together, have some time for us before we think about kids. Holy crap, you scared me."
Castle chuckles, leans over and grabs the dishcloth from the handle of the oven, drops it down over the worst of the spill.
"Thank you for saying that, though," Alex continues, clearing his throat and grabbing paper towels. "Sorry for destroying your kitchen in the process."
"It'll be fine. Kate hates the tile in here anyway."
Alex laughs and wipes at the coffee staining his jeans. "Well. Okay. Shoot. I'll have to change pants, and my shirt too. Before we go."
"Tux fitting and then what's after that?"
"Nothing until your. . .poker game."
"You'll be fine. You're a mystery writer too," Castle adds, grabbing more paper towels and mopping up a puddle that Alex has missed.
"Yeah, but there's no way I'm even in your league."
"Talk like that will get you nowhere. You're good. You should know that by now. I mean, Beth reads your stuff, doesn't she?"
Alex pauses, glances up at him. "Yeah. So?"
"So. Beth doesn't even read my novels. Well, the ones based on Kate, she does. But nothing else. She's picky. Pickier than Kate. Who's kinda in love with me, so she's a little biased."
"Same goes for Beth," Alex says indignantly. "And your stuff is so good. All these layers, meanings to things. Especially knowing the two of you, it just-"
Castle holds up a hand, grinning. "Not fishing for compliments here. Just saying. Beth read your book before you guys were serious about each other. You know? And Beth has some strict standards. So you must be good. Surely you respect your own woman's opinion."
Alex dumps coffee-soaked paper towles into the trash can. "I'm going to say yes, but add the disclaimer that she's not my woman. Just in case she can somehow hear this conversation."
Castle chuckles, throws the dishcloth into the sink. "Kate's mine. She knows it."
Alex regards him dryly for a second. "I think we all know it now, thank you very much for that."
If Castle were holding a coffee mug, it'd be splattered on the floor now as well. Instead he laughs and touches the tender spot at his eye. "It's noticeable?"
"Oh holy hell, man. It's a neon sign!"
"Damn. It won't be gone in time for the wedding."
"What did you *do*?" Alex uses his foot on the paper towel to mop up coffee. "Wait. Do I want to know? Will I be able to look your partner, my fiance's own sister, in the face after you tell me this?"
"It was just her knee. We fell. Off a bench out-"
"No. No no no. No more."
Castle grins wickedly. "All right. Your loss. Might learn something, son."
Conrad rolls his eyes, stoops down to gather the paper towels. "Don't need any pointers, thanks. No complaints from the other Beckett sister."
Castle laughs. Point for Conrad. "Come on, Alex. Let's finish cleaning this up and get over to the rental shop. Kate would probably kill me if I said anything more anyway."
Kate is proud of herself for not saying a word about the breakup with Ashley during the drive to the French restaurant that Lucie found. She focuses on the road instead, pushes the words back down her throat fiercely, giving Alexis one-syllable answers when the girl tells her about the waltz last night, about the Chinese dinner she and Beth cooked.
If Castle doesn't feel the need to interrogate his daughter, then she shouldn't.
Except –
No. No, Kate Beckett, not your job.
When she's married to Castle, then maybe. When they're married. Oh god.
When did the thought of being married to Richard Castle become *normal*? Normal enough to only generate these quiet little flutters in her stomach?
An empty parking spot distracts her from these disturbing considerations, and she pulls over deftly, smiling in satisfaction. Rick said not to take the car, that she'd never manage to park close. It seems like once again, she's proven him wrong.
Alexis is out of the car in seconds; she seems pretty excited about the whole thing. And "pretty excited" is a euphemism. Seething with excitement would be more accurate.
These are the moments when her resemblance to her dad is the strongest, no doubt about it.
"Have you never been a bridesmaid before?" Kate asks curiously as they start walking to the restaurant.
She honestly doesn't think it's such an amazing thing. Or maybe the fifth and sixth times got the better of her enthusiasm. That's possible. Although, it's different this time. Of course.
Because it's Beth.
Alexis wrinkles her nose, saving Kate from wondering what her mom would say if she was here.
"I was a bridesmaid when Dad and Gina got married, but I was only eleven, so that was like ages ago. And besides..." She chews on her lower lip, slides a glance to Kate as if to make sure this is a suitable topic.
The detective lifts her eyebrows, gives her a faint smile of encouragement. She really doesn't mind hearing about Meredith or Gina. Castle says jokingly that his two marriages feel like another life, like a bad dream that he's woken from. A long-gone shadow.
He says that this – them – this is the real thing. And she believes him.
Her lips quirk as she remembers yesterday, the two beds together. No one else. No one else ever.
"I never really liked Gina," Alexis lets out in a rushed breath, as if it's wrong. "She was always nice to me, but I – I didn't like the way she talked to Dad. Always so bossy, you know, like she thought he was her slave or something. And he just – let it go. All the time. That was so annoying. I wanted him to stand up to her, but he always acted like he didn't care. At the beginning, anyway."
Kate smiles, her heart warming at Alexis's indignation, at her eagerness to take her father's side and jump to his defence. She hooks a loose arm around the girl's waist, squeezes affectionately.
"You're a good daughter, Alexis."
"I think I just...wanted more for him, you know? I didn't want him to settle for anyone. He was always my dad, always this fun, amazing, slightly crazy guy, and I – I thought he deserved better."
"Someone he would love," Kate agrees quietly.
"Someone who'd love him back," Alexis finishes, giving her such a meaningful look that her heart tightens, thumps harder in her chest.
"Think he's found that?" She can't help but ask, pressing her lips together, trying to keep them from curving into a smile.
"I don't think you need me to tell you," Castle's daughter answers, slyness lining the tenderness on her face. She winds her arm around Kate's waist, rests her head on her shoulder.
"Thanks, Kate."
All the words die in Kate's throat, melt on her tongue, her own thanks strangled by the emotion that wraps so tightly around her heart. She can do nothing but cradle Alexis to her side, let her lips brush across the soft red hair.
She's done nothing to deserve this. But she closes her eyes anyway and hangs on tight, with a sad, bittersweet thought for her own mother.
She'll be that to Alexis, if the girl lets her. She'll be anything, anything, she promises silently, fierce and determined. Anything they need her to be.
Alexis and –
The others. Castle and hers.
The little ghosts crowding her mind, her heart, waiting to be acknowledged. To be given an existence, a breath, a voice.
Oh, god. She didn't think it was possible to want something so bad, and the strength, the depth of her need winds her, breaks her open, leaves her trembling and raw on the sidewalk.
"Kate?"
There's a hint of concern to Alexis's voice, and Kate answers her question by tightening her hold on the girl, warm and reassuring.
Nothing's wrong. Too much happiness, is all.
Kate Beckett doesn't do happiness.
Well, that's not true exactly. Kate Beckett didn't use to do happiness. Not until she met Richard Castle. And since then...She's been learning. She's learning still.
Joy crackles in her, little sparks flying around and lighting her whole being, and she knows she's beaming.
But no matter how hard she tries, there's no getting that smile off her face.
"I propose a toast," Lucie says with a cheeky smile, lifting her wine glass, "to Beth Beckett. My best friend. Alex had better try his hardest to deserve you."
Beth laughs along with Kate and Alexis, and they all clink their glasses together before drinking. The wine – a dry white, because Lucie doesn't like red – is delicious, and Beth savors it, lets it roll down her throat as slow as she can before she opens her eyes again. She gives a little sympathetic smile to Alexis, who is merely drinking water, but the girl doesn't seem to mind.
Le Cercle Rouge is a fancy brasserie in Tribeca, and Beth loves how much it reminds her of France, the old-fashioned posters for Les Folies-Bergères on the wall, the huge mirror that makes the room bigger. The waiter is much nicer than the ones she was used to in Paris, though – a tall, friendly guy, who keeps making jokes and reminds her vaguely of Castle - a little goofy, really earnest.
"Nice place, Luce," she comments with a happy smile.
"Thought you might like it," her friend shoots back with a wink.
"I do. I love it."
A rush of nostalgia runs through Beth, tugs at her heart. She loves New York, and she's enjoyed these months of rediscovering the city, making it her own again. But she cannot deny that her travelling instincts are starting to kick in now, the beast waking up, demanding to be fed.
Well. They *do* have a honeymoon planned – a month travelling through Asia, Thailand and China for sure, and probably Indonesia (she managed to convince Alex to keep some of it open, which is no small feat, because he *likes* planning things). And then, who knows?
"So," Lucie says, her dark eyes sparkling. "I think maybe the bride is expected to give a little speech here."
Beth groans in mock despair, but everyone turns to her, Kate giving her that sly smile, and she just has to do it now.
"Well," she says, cradling the glass of wine in her hand and looking at it for inspiration. "Let's start with the obvious, and thank you girls for coming. For being a part of this. I couldn't have dreamt of a better group," she smiles, glad to catch the flash of pride and joy that crosses Alexis's blue eyes.
"Also, I should probably thank you for putting up with me and all the – shall we say it? – last minute preparation. I know I'm not very good at organization (yes, Kate, you can roll your eyes), so thanks for your ability to make up for this. It's greatly appreciated."
"Does that mean we don't even get paid? Darn," Lucie complains laughingly. "And here I was, thinking I was going to get rich. Maybe I should start a career as a wedding planner. I see great opportunities before me."
"And just as many mother-in-laws waiting to contradict and argue with you," Beth points out, arching an eyebrow.
"Mmh. True. Maybe this career change isn't my best idea after all. I should just stick to what I know."
"From what I've heard, you're a pretty good translator," Kate adds with a smile, tilting her head. The sun streaming through the window catches in her chestnut curls, caresses the side of her face; Beth finds herself a little breathless. The soft light, the unguardedness of Kate's eyes make her look just like Johanna Beckett.
Lucie laughs, manages to sound both flattered and modest. "Ah, don't listen to Beth; she's not the most impartial judge. And I wouldn't take credit for it anyway – I just love the words. I'm so lucky, to get to play with them for a living."
"I know someone else who would fully agree," Kate says, glancing at Alexis for confirmation or support. The angle of her face changes and the resemblance lessens; Beth is able to detach her eyes from her sister, look at Castle's daughter instead.
"Oh, Dad definitely loves words. A little too much, sometimes. You should hear him talk about the merits of 'svelte'. Can last for hours." Alexis chuckles, then cuts her eyes to Lucie, hesitates. "So, um, Lucie? How did you and Beth meet, exactly?"
Uh-oh. Lucie *loves* telling that story. Damn. Beth cannot think of a way to escape. Her friend looks at her, gloating, that Cheshire cat smile on her face.
"I was hoping you'd ask," she says delightedly, leaning forward a little as if preparing to share a big secret. Alexis opens wide, eager eyes, and Beth feels a sudden urge to disappear.
"Maybe it's time for me to go to the bathroom," she says quickly, lifting herself from her chair as she speaks.
"Oh, no, Elizabeth," Lucie opposes firmly. She hooks her fingers through the waist band of Beth's skirt, tugs her back down. "You stay right where you are."
"My name's not Elizabeth," the future bride mutters stubbornly.
"Is it not? Funny, I was under the impression that it was the name on your passport," her friend volleys back.
A suspicious sound erupts on Beth's right; she lifts her eyes to glare at her sister, who is, no doubt, responsible for that little snort of laughter.
"Sorry," Kate says, though she doesn't look sorry at all.
The little commotion attracts their waiter back; he smiles at them, asks if they're ready to order.
"Yes," Beth exclaims, grateful for any interruption. "Yes, I think we are."
Lucie gives her a look that says "you can delay all you want but I'm still telling that story," and then turns to the waiter – Tom – with her most charming smile to ask what the soup of the day is.
Ordering takes entirely too little time, and Tom is gone again within moments, leaving Beth defenceless against the next attack. She will just have to suffer through it.
"Back to my most excellent story," Lucie says, commanding the attention of the table.
"Yes, we all want to hear this," Alexis pipes up. Beth shoots her a mock glare, but Alexis is grinning. She hasn't seen the girl so. . .carefree in awhile. It's good to see. She hopes that means that Katie has been talking to her.
"Right, so you know Liz worked for that sleazy hotel in Paris when she first arrived-"
"Don't make it sound so glamorous," Beth grouses.
Kate swivels her head to her sister; Beth winces. "Sleazy? Bethie. . ."
"Katie, I had to work. I hadn't gotten my. . .what's it called, Lucie? Work visa here."
"Permis de travail. Right. So I'd just dumped, thoroughly dumped, my boyfriend JD-"
Alexis laughs. "JD? That doesn't sound French at all."
Lucie waves it off. "So here I am, single again, and completely without a place to stay in Paris. No apartment. It's freezing cold. So I figure, what the hell, I've got to stay somewhere. So I get a room in this awful hotel-"
"It's called a motel here," Beth interrupts, glaring at her friend. "When it's that bad."
"Motel?" Lucie rolls the word around on her tongue. "Ah, right. Yes. Motel. So I'm in this room and it's one of those extended-stay places."
"Those are hotels," Kate argues. "An extended stay would be a hotel."
Beth sighs dramatically. "Katie."
"I'm just saying-"
"Thank you, Kate," Lucie says primly, shooting Beth a look through her lashes. "Someone is trying to help."
"I'm not helping you tell this terrible story. Besides, you always get the details wrong and make me sound like a complete idiot."
"Okay, enough bickering. I want to know what happens," Alexis says, holding her hand up to Beth.
Beth laughs but Lucie is already plowing head.
"So I'm in my suite about to heat up noodles on the little hot plate. I turn the water on to run it over the cup of noodles and this brackish water comes spewing out-"
"Oh my word. Get *on* with it," Beth growls.
"Hush, Bethie," Kate says, leaning in to shoot her a stern look. Two parts NYPD detective and about one part big sister; it makes Beth laugh to see it.
"And then the sink is literally coming apart in my hands. No, not the sink. The uh, what do you - the faucet. The faucet just comes right off in my hands, and so now there's water gurgling out the tap and spraying from where the handle should be, so I immediately call down to the front desk-"
"Where I'm working. My second day of work, mind you," Beth adds.
"And when I say, 'The sink is broken and water is pouring out everywhere' she says, 'What am I supposed to do about that?'" Lucie starts laughing, little breathless things as she tries to keep it under control.
"I did not. I said that you should've called the maintenance number because I didn't have any way to help you-"
"Only, your French was atrocious-"
"It was passable. But I'd forgotten that the maintenance guy left at eight that night and it was nearly ten and I couldn't - just could not get fired. So I thought - how hard can this be? Dad's a handy guy, always fixing stuff-"
"So here she comes into my room with one of those rain ponchos draped over her clothes, her head; she's swallowed up in it. She hands me one and says not to worry; she's got it. But it quickly becomes apparent that she doesn't have it at all, and there's both of us battling this erupting sink-"
"I got fired for that. I came running back down to the lobby soaking wet and called the manager and of course he fired me."
"Beth," Kate laughs.
"So," Lucie continues. "I hear him screaming at her - half of it she didn't even get, with her terrible French-"
"I knew every word he said!" Beth interrupts. "My French slang was much better than my formal. That's why whenever I answered the front desk phone, I sounded like an idiot."
"So I hear him yelling at Beth - the whole hotel hears it - and I run downstairs too - the plumber is already fixing the sink; they've moved me to a new room. I grab Beth - Beth is yelling back that she quits-"
"Only, I'm yelling at him in English because I was pissed off-"
"-and I guide her back to my new room and-"
"And we stayed up all night talking while the plumber worked on the pipes and the manager had to man the front desk and we were both soaking wet."
"She borrowed some of my clothes. Which I never got back, thank you very much, Lizzie."
"You lie."
"I do not-"
"You guys are hilarious," Alexis interrupts. "Did Lucie move in with you after that?"
Beth nods, splitting her attention from Lucie to look at Little Castle. "Yeah. We just clicked. I helped her carry everything over to my place - it was just a studio apartment - and she helped me get the job at the hotel-"
"Not a motel this time, I hope," Kate says.
Beth grins at her overbearing, overprotective sister. Whom she loves. To pieces. "Yeah, Katie. A real hotel. Lucie schooled me in French and I taught her English idioms."
"The best words-" Lucie sighs.
"Like what?" Alexis says excitedly. Like her father. Like Alex.
Alex. Beth grins and takes a sip of her wine, watching Alexis interrogate her friend Lucie for the 'best' words in English.
When she was alone in Paris back then, disconnected from her unapproachable older sister and recently motherless, alone and needing a job to keep her apartment, needing a friend-
She found a sister. Lucie was everything that Kate couldn't be for her, but in a completely different way. Beth wasn't the best sister to Kate either, running away the moment she turned eighteen and denying her mother's memory, her mother's heritage, everything.
But now here they all are. Lucie in the States for Beth's wedding to a man (a writer) who she met through her sister's partner. Her amazingly resilient, beautiful sister.
Beth turns her head, catches Kate watching Alexis with a soft and yearning look. She snags her sister's hand and squeezes.
Kate glances at her, smiles distractedly, but Beth impulsively throws her arms around her sister.
"I love you, Katie."