Here is chapter 29, enjoy !
She was there. Somewhere in this group was her mother and yet she couldn't see her. Not yet anyway. When all the agents had cleared the surroundings, they left the room and left the family together. She could see her now. She would recognize her everywhere. Even after so much time. The picture was blurred because of all the tears that were gathering in her eyes and rolling down her cheeks. However, she saw her father moving slowly towards Johanna who was also crying. They hugged tight, both of them in tears but with huge smiles on their faces.
"Rick?"
"Yes?"
"Come with me?" she asked, starting to move to her parents.
"Always"
She walked forward slowly, as if she was scared her mother would disappear with every step she took. When Johanna saw her, she let go of Jim and froze.
"Katie?" she asked, as if she didn't believe the woman before her was her daughter.
That was all Kate needed to let go of Rick's hand and literally run into her mother's arms and broke down in tears. She had waited so long for that moment, she could not believe it was actually true. She felt relief pour out of her. She had thought she would feel joy, of course, but she didn't expect relief. She felt like an enormous weight had been lifted from her shoulders, as if her life could finally start again. This feeling had started when she met Castle a few years back. Until them, her life had been on pause, focused only on bringing justice to her mother. After meeting Rick, she had started to feel life come back in her again, and more and more as time went by. To the point where she thought she was back to her old self when they finally got together. But apparently, she was wrong. At that precise moment, crying in her mother's arms, she could feel that she was back. She was brought out of her thoughts when she felt her mother kiss her face.
"I can't believe you're so grown up! You're so beautiful!" Johanna said, not even trying to stop her tears any more. She took a step back to take a good look at her daughter, her hands secured in her. As she squeezed her daughter's hands, she felt it. She looked down and gasped.
"Oh my God! Is that an engagement ring ?" she asked, a huge smile on her face.
"Yes it is." Kate answered, matching her smile. She turned to look at Rick but didn't find him where she supposed he would be. He was sitting on a bench, comforting Lizzie who was crying her eyes out.
Kate took her mother by the hand and lead her to them, Jim going to hug his mother. When he saw them approach, Rick stood up and found that he was actually scared. He was going to meet his fiancé's mother for the first time. He felt like he knew her already, through everything Kate and Jim had told him, but actually seeing her stand in front of him … However, he did not have to start the introduction.
"You're engaged to Richard Castle?" Johanna asked, looking between her daughter and the man whose books she had managed to read throughout her time away. "You're marrying MY Richard Castle?"
"Sorry, but he's mine now." Kate said, laughing for the first time since her mother had arrived.
"It's a real pleasure to meet you Ma'am." Rick said, extending his hand for her.
"Please call me Johanna." she said, hugging him. The gesture was as much that of a mother as that of a fan who met with her favorite author.
O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O
After about an hour spent at the airport, the whole family drove back to the loft for dinner. As soon as they arrived, Kate went to the kitchen, desperate for peanut butter. It was becoming a habit for her to eat it right out of the jar but Rick didn't say anything … he thought it was cute. He led everyone in the living room and joined her in the kitchen to bring the drinks.
"How are you?" he asked, hugging her from the side.
"Fine. Better than I would have thought actually. Maybe it's because I don't really realize it yet. We'll have to wait and see but I think it'll be ok. If feel so much better than I have in a long time! Just knowing she is alive is enough for me for now. I just want to make the most of it." Kate explained.
"I'm glad. But tell me if you need anything alright? I want to be able to help you if you need anything." Rick said.
"I know, don't worry. That's why I love you. You're always here when I need you … and even if I don't." she said before kissing him lovingly.
"Mmm, peanut butter." He said before gathering the cup of coffee and heading to the rest of the group.
Kate joined them a few seconds later, a new jar of peanut butter and a spoon in her hands. Rick was surprised, she didn't usually like people knowing about her cravings or intimate life details. But she was with family after all. She sat down beside him, pulling her feet under her and cuddling into his side, and looked at her parents on the opposite sofa, her father's arm around her mother. Seeing them like that, even if there were still a lot of things to be said, she realized how much she missed scenes like this, which had been frequent when she was younger. She was brought out of her thoughts when her grandmother called her.
"Katherine, why did you bring peanut better?" Lizzie asked.
"To eat it?" she answered, not sure of what she meant.
"Well, I thought your parents had brought you better than that. You don't eat right out of the jar. And certainly not when you have guests." Lizzie scolded gently.
Johanna, who had been lost in her thoughts too, startled when she heard these words. She looked at her husband who had a smile on his face and pride in his eyes. She turned to look at Kate and studied her.
"Katie?"
"Yes?"
"Am I going to be a grandmother soon?" Johanna asked, smiling like a mad woman.