Okay, so I feel like a super jerk right now :,(
I woke up this morning and realized that I hadn't updated anything in forever!
I hope this makes it up.
Rick lifts the lid off the red gift box and receives the squirming pup. As he settles the golden lab into his arms he reads the note on his collar.
Richard,
I apologize for my behavior. I realize that I am not always the easiest person to be around, but I was true to my word. I would like to be in Alexis' life. Consider this a start. Also, give my apologies to Katherine.
Martha
Rick finishes reading as he reaches the counter and sees Kate holding Alexis.
"Someone dropped a stray at our door?" The pup barked which caused Alexis to squeal and hide her face in Kate's shoulder. Rick walked over and allowed Kate to read the note. Surprisingly, she smiled and let out a soft chuckle.
"Your not upset about this?"
"Rick, how could I be? I mean, no she may not be the best person right now, but she is trying. And if she's willing to try the least you could do is meet her half way."
"No." He said setting the puppy down "The least I can do is nothing." He reached in the fridge to grab a water, but when he turned around the other three inhabitants of the kitchen were right in front of him, startling him.
"Rick, I get the you guys have a rocky past, but it wasn't always like that right? For most of your life, your relationship has been pretty solid. I know you and I know you miss that." Rick dropped his head. Damn he hated when she was right. "Besides, forgiveness is important. You wouldn't want to set a bad example now would you?" He looks up and catches not only Alexis, but also Kate and the puppy giving him the sweetest eyes they could manage.
"You know, one day that's not gonna work." He says, admitting defeat.
"Yeah, sure it won't." She mutters while walking away. Rick looks down at the pup, expecting him to follow Kate out of the kitchen. He's surprised when the small dog lays at his feet.
"You already won. You can quit it with the cute eyes now." He mumbles as he walks towards the office, the puppy hot on his heels.
Later, Kate is sitting in the living room, playing with Alexis and her toys, when Rick emerges form his office.
"I called her." Kate turns hopeful eyes to him. "She didn't answer, but I left a message. Now it's up to her." They both shrug and he sits down next to her. They sit in silence and watch Alexis play as thoughts run through their minds. Kate breaks the silence by pulling her phone out and dialing a number. Rick stares at her curiously until he hears her first word.
"Dad." Rick suppresses a gasp as he listens in. "It's uh, it's Kate. I was just thinking and... I'd love to meet up and catch up so uh... call me. Whenever you get the chance. Bye."
Rick watches as she ends the call and leans onto his shoulder. He waits her out until curiosity wins him over. "What was that?"
She looks up at him with pure, unhindered love in her eyes. "Nothing. Just decided to take my own advice." She smiles at him and he can't help but melt his own smile into hers. They kiss and kiss and kiss until their little girl demands their attention. She squeals loud and throws a rattle across the room. The puppy, who up until this point was sitting patiently by the couch, trots across the room and gets the toy, carefully placing it back in front of Alexis and going back to his position by the end of the couch.
The child shares the same confused looks as her parents before throwing the toy again. And again, the canine trots over, retrieves the toy, and brings it back faithfully to Alexis. This time Rick breaks the silence with a chuckle.
"He's playing fetch." Soon after he says it, he and Kate share a laugh. Alexis joins in although she has no idea what's going on and Rick beckons the dog over, slightly patting his head.
"So, what should we name him?" Because obviously they are keeping this dog.
"Oh! Cosmo!" He blurts and then drops his head shyly when he's met with three disapproving looks. "Fine, someone else pick."
"What about Fredrick?" Kate suggests and turns to the dog to gauge his response. The pup places his head on the floor and allows his ears and tail to flop down, clearly disapproving. Rick laughs at the motion and Kate softly hits his chest. "Shut up."
"MO!" Alexis excitedly yells out. Kate and Rick don't take notice. 'Mo' is just another one of the sounds she has been frequently blurting. However, Alexis refuses to be ignored. She crawls over to her parents until they see her.
"Mo!" She yells again and they look to her and then the dog.
"Mo?" Kate tries and sees the dog happily perk up at the name. "Mo it is!" Kate grabs Alexis and tickles her in celebration as rick grabs the- Mo and rubs his tummy. Kate pets his head and Alexis giggles loudly when he licks her cheek. They spend the rest of the night welcoming the new member into their family.
Alright, so some of you may hate this chapter. Some of you may love it. I really think I could've done better, but I couldn't make you all wait any longer.
I'm thinking of doing a time jump, but I'm not sure how big I want the jump to be.
1) 2 weeks
2) 6 months
3) a year
4) 3 years
5) your choice
Please review and also pick a time jump if you would like one.
Love Always, XOXOX