Alexis Castle (ACPOV)

When dad asked me if we could invite Kate to dinner, I wasn't really sure. He refused to tell me why she was on the hospital the day before, and always answered me when I asked about it saying that wasn't something important but yet, he looked so worried about her, so it couldn't be anything.

Kate arrived shortly after 8 pm and when the doorman called asking permission to let her in, dad started acting like a 9 year old in a sugar rush and I am going to admit that I was also anxious. I wanted to meet Kate since dad talked about her.

When we heard Kate knocking we both rushed to open the door.

"Hey Kate, how are you?" Dad asked taking off her coat and kissing her cheeks.

"I am fine Castle, thank you. How are you?" She asked yet to realize that I was also in the room.

"I am fine. Come here Alexis; let me introduce you to Kate." And I walked until I was by his side. "Kate, this is Alexis my daughter that you heard so much about it."

"Hey Alexis, how are you?" Kate said looking at me and giving me a big smile. That was my opportunity to really see her; I looked into her big brown eyes and her pale face, she was indeed very beautiful like dad said.

"I am fine, thank you. How are you?"

"I am good, thank you." She said with a pleased smile.

"Well, now that everybody knows everybody, let's sit at the table." My dad said walking towards the dinner table that was ready for everybody sit to eat. "The table is ready but the pizzas aren't. More 30 minutes and will be ready. Kate, do you want a glass of red or white wine?" Dad asked her.

"I want a glass of red wine please."

"Sure. And you Alexis?"

"I want a glass of orange juice."

"Okay ladies; sit tight that I will arrive shortly with your drinks."

While dad went to refrigerator, Kate and I sat there looking at each other. I felt a little insecure of myself; I usually wasn't near grown up women. My grandma was my grandma, my mother was too crazy to be considered a grown up woman and too absent to make a big difference; and Gina was never around, even when she and dad was married, so, this was like my real interaction with a grown up woman, and Kate wasn't anyone. She was successful and so pretty. Not really knowing what to say I asked her the one thing that I was most curious about.

"Why were you at the hospital?" When I asked it, I regretted. If dad didn't tell me oblivious was something too personal. She looked suddenly shy, and went with her hand to play with something on her other hand, probably her engagement ring. But when she went for it, she, and I, realized that it wasn't there anymore so she changed her mind and started playing with her watch.

"Hm… I can't really tell you about it, yet." She said unsure if her answer was the right one, I smiled trying to make up for my mistake but trying to understand why she said that she couldn't tell me yet. "Maybe when we get to know each other more? It was something really personal and I am not ready to share it with you." She said smiling at me. I smiled back; she said that she wanted to get to know me more. Anyone of dad's lady friends never wanted to get know me more, just for the only reason to get to know me; they usually would try to use me to get to my father or something like that.

"Okay, I am sorry for asking and thank you for your honest answer."

"There is nothing that you have to apologize, and I may be a lawyer but I just lie about something when I am making money." She said and winked at me.

At that moment dad arrived at the table bringing our glasses and sat.

"So Kate, how was today at work?"

"Well." Kate started and took a sip of her wine. "I was good and really funny, everybody looked at me like they saw a ghost. I have never ever missed a day of work at the office so they probably thought that I ended up dead somewhere."

"You have never ever missed a work day? How long have you been working at this office?" I asked very curious.

"Yes, I have never ever missed a day of work and I have been working there for 7 years, probably."

"Wow that is incredible; you must really love your work."

"Yes, I love it very much. It's good when you find something that you are passionate about. What do you want to do Alexis?"

"Hum… I am not sure yet. Maybe be a lawyer or a doctor."

"Well, when you have some idea you tell me. You can maybe come to spend a day with me at the office or a day with my best friend Lanie, she is a M.O., and I don't know if you would be interested to work with her for a day but if you are I am sure I can probably make it happen. If we had met before you could have even talked to my ex-fiancé, he is a psychiatrist but now I am not really sure if he would do me a favor." She said smiling sadly at me.

"I would be really interest at going to the office with you one day and spending a day with your best friend, if she doesn't mind of course."

"I am sure she wouldn't." Kate said smiling widely at me.

"So, hum… if this is going to be another question that is too personal you tell me, but why did you and your fiancé break up?" I said feeling a little bit brave since she had been nothing but sweet with me since she arrived.

"Well, I had a lot of reasons to break it and I don't mind telling you. The most important one was that he was trying to make me stop being friends with your father since the article that I am sure that you must remember something about it."

"I remember." I said quickly, I remembered it really well. When I saw it I got really pissed at Kate for being that person, I was sure that she would be different, but she had disappointed me at the end, I was happy when my father sat me down and explained that none of that was true and the photos were out of the context and were shot from angles that appeared worst than really were.

"Right, after that he got really jealous about everything and insecure about our relationship. I couldn't marry a guy that didn't trust me or was insecure about our relationship. Second, I am not sure if I was ready to marry him or anyone for that matter. We had been together for almost 5 years and I couldn't bring myself to move in with him and I would get almost sick of the thought of moving in with him even after we were married, so something clearly was wrong. And in the end, I didn't love him anymore."

"You didn't love him anymore? So why were you still together with him?"

"I am not sure, because was easier? Because of the hum…. You are 16, right?"

"Right." I said anxious to know what she was going to say that before she had to ask my age.

"Maybe I was still with him because of the sex." She said with a serious face, my father looked at her spooked about her too honest answer and I was glad that once again she was really honest with me. "Hey Castle, don't get mad at me, she asked it!" She said smiling at my father.

"Kate, she is my baby girl."

"Well, that doesn't mean she won't have to reproduce, right?"

"Hum… right. But I don't want her thinking about it now! And I don't want to think about it now either!"

"Dad calm down. I am not thinking of do-doing it and I am big enough to know what sex is."

"But you are my baby girl." Dad whined.

"I am but like Kate said, that doesn't mean that I won't have to reproduce right?" I asked smirking at him

"Alexis, let's change the subject before your father has a heart attack, I have been inside of the hospital enough for a year." Kate said laughing.

"Sure, let's drop it." And with that the oven ringed warning us that the pizzas were ready.

"Thank God that the pizzas are ready, I am hungry!" Dad said totally recovered from the conversation.

When everybody was served, we ate in silence. After we finished, dad served the dessert and we ate laughing and teasing each other. I had just met Kate but I was already feeling like she was my best friend. During all the night I tried to find something about her that could tell me why she was at the hospital, but nothing ringed a bell. She didn't cough, didn't winced in pain or something like that. The only thing she appeared was to be too pale but that didn't give away the reason behind her going to the hospital.

Right after 10 pm Kate left with the promised we would all meet again soon and remembering me to call her about getting to know her job and the job of her best friend. When she left; dad and I cleaned up everything in a content silence, like we had to recover from a wild and pleasant event.

"Did you like Kate?" Dad asked after some time without saying anything.

"Yes, she is so nice dad, and just as beautiful as you told me."

"Yeah, I know. I am happy that you liked her; she is having and had a tough road but we are going to be there for her."

"Why won't you tell me the reason that she went for the hospital?"

"Because like she said; it is something really personal and…"

"Dad, were you listening to our conversation?" I asked punching his shoulders and interrupting.

"Well, of course pumpkin. The dinner table is near the kitchen and you two weren't whispering." He said bringing me into his arms and hugging me.

"And…? You didn't finish your sentence."

"And I am not ready to tell you." He said smiling sadly at me. I felt bad for pushing the subject so I decided to drop it until Kate could tell me.

After that we watched a movie and we both went to sleep feeling happy and satisfied.

I hoped you guys liked this chapter. Please, take a minute or two to review, it is always appreciated!