The boxes of Christmas things were brought up and with Kate's direction stacked in front of the wall with the large windows. Rick immediately thanked both Ryan and Javi for their tireless efforts.
"Hey Lt. How are ya doin' today?" Ryan said.
"Ryan I'm lying flat and mostly bored" Kate said.
"Yeah it is a good cause because I could not live without seeing my little Katherine every morning." Ryan said.
"Ryan I kno…. Whoops out of the way" Kate said looking green.
Rick rushed to the kitchen to get the supplies his wife will need.
"Guys I will call you later… emergency now." Rick said following his heaving wife.
The boys looked at each other and yelled.
"Yeah I…We'll just let ourselves out." Ryan said.
"Bro just remember washed and waxed!" Javi said.
The boys were leaving as Alexis, Martha, Jackson and Card were exiting the elevator.
"Hello you must be Caroline? I am your Uncle Ryan." Kevin said.
"Uncle?" She sent
"Not really blood related but ya he is my Uncle Kevin" Alexis whispered. "Since he is mine he is yours too."
"I did not want to believe it but you are a very beautiful young lady." Ryan said. "Hey Little Castle so sorry about your ears."
"Uncle Kev…in? She can not hear you. You have to send her a text." Caroline said.
"Oh yeah thanks Caroline." Kevin said.
Javi was getting impatient. Martha and Jackson breezed passed them then entered the loft.
"Well Ryan Javi we have to get going. Nice seeing you guys!" Alexis said.
"You too" He sent finally getting it together.
The two girls giggled as Javi hit his partner in the head.
"Come on Lanie is waiting for me!" Javi growled.
"Watch it will ya? Ok nice seeing you both." Ryan said as he swatted at Javi's arm.
Finally they moved on and Caroline wrote.
"Silly Uncles?" She sent.
"Yes very" Alexis agreed and they entered the loft.
\\\\\
The first thing they did was to take all the bags of clothes Jackson and Martha had purchased up to Caroline's bedroom and had an impromptu fashion show Caroline was showing off everything to Alexis who would applaud and clap enthusiastically. Card had the pose of a model.
"Card? Have you thought about the future?" Alexis said lying across Card's bed with her head in the hands and her feet crossed behind her back gently swaying to the new Classical CD which was playing in the background.
"Future?" She sent.
"Yeah what sort of job or where you want to live or where you wanted to go to college? That sort of thing..." Alexis said.
"No" she sent.
"Why not…?" Alexis asked.
"Mother had it all planned out. I was not to worry about it. So I didn't." She sent.
Alexis looked at the phone then at the girl getting up she hugged her.
"I'm so sorry your mother is gone and will not be coming back. It is up to you now to decide. I know those kind of decisions are very scary. But with help you can make the right one." Alexis said.
Card thinking about a future without her controlling Mother was indeed scary. She broke down and cried.
Alexis held her sister and rocked her gently.
"There There it is ok Dad, Mom and I will help you. So it will not be so scary any more." Alexis said.
"Promise?" She sent.
"I pinky swear" Alexis picked up Card's right hand and hooked her little finger with her delicate one.
Card her eyes still wet from the cry watch intrigued what Alexis was doing.
"This is how we pinky swear. The smallest finger is your pinky. A pinky swear is an oath you can never break. You understand?" Alexis explained.
Card shook her delicate head up and down.
"Good so let's dry your eyes and go down stairs for dinner." Alexis said pointing her at the bathroom.
They got ready for dinner then they descended the stairs. Something good was cooking the smell was irresistible.
\\\\\
Getting to the kitchen Alexis knew that smell. It was her Father's Bolognese sauce. Her Dad seeing Card swept her into a hug.
"Hi ya did you have fun?" Rick asked.
Card hugged back. She was getting the hang of this hugging.
"Yes Dad grams and Gramps got me many pretty dresses and all other types of clothes too. So what are you doing?" Card said.
Rick was looking at the boiling water and with a sieve he captured something and pulled it out to investigate.
"We are eating those? They look like dead worms!" Card said.
"Dead Worms? Huh? Well I guess they kinda do huh? But no these are called Spaghetti Noodles. You place them on your plate and then you pour the sauce over them." Rick said testing the hardness of the Noodles.
Card looked skeptical.
"I promise it is very yummy!" Alexis said.
She looked at Rick then Alexis with a very dubious face.
"Look here as soon as they are cooked I will give you a sample. How about that? There is always salad if you don't like it. I'm pretty sure you will though." Rick said.
"It should only be a few more minutes why don't we go say hi to Mom?" Alexis said.
"Ok Alexis" she sent.
Kate was back on the couch after puking her guts out. She noticed Card and Alexis enter.
"Did you have fun?" she wrote on the iPad.
"Yeah we did didn't we Card?" Alexis said.
"Yes I got to see a Man dressed up in a Red suit and White beard who scared little boys!" Card said enthusiastically.
"I see anything else?" Kate asked.
"We went to the play the Nut Cracker." Card supplied. "What is a nut cracker?"
Alexis went digging through the boxes and pulled out her nut cracker shaped as a soldier.
"Card this is a Nut cracker. And if you pull back his coat you can see his teeth open. That is where you place a nut. Mom could you give me one of your in the bag beside you?" Alexis asked.
Kate handed her a nut.
"This is a nut. Now try biting on it?" Alexis said.
Card tried very hard to break the shell with her teeth. She soon gave up.
"It has a tough shell but watch this." Alexis said.
Alexis placed the nut between the teeth and pushed down. The nut made a satisfying crack. She removed the nut and showed the shell had broken and now she could get to the meat.
Card tasted the inside of the nut. She was happy. She wanted to do it again.
"Card we have dinner soon" Kate warned.
"That is ok Card we can do it after dinner ok?" Alexis said setting the Nut Cracker next to Kate.
Getting settled around Kate Alexis continued describing their day of shopping.
"Grams and Gramps bought her a new wardrobe." Alexis supplied.
"I see will you try them on so I can see them?" Kate asked.
"Mom we already had a mini showing in her room" Alexis said.
"So how did you like your new clothes?" Kate asked.
"I loved them especially the Red dress." Card said then sent Alexis.
"The Red Dress!" she sent.
"Oh yes that Red dress Grams picked out was perfect." Alexis agreed.
At this point Rick came out with a small bowl of noodles and some sauce over the top.
"Here you go Card now sit at the table and try this out." Rick said. Sitting next to her and showing the proper way to twirl spaghetti noodles.
Kate was so enthralled and loved her husband just that much more. She could imagine him doing that with their children.
Rick watched intently as Card took her first bite and chewed.
"Good Huh…?" Rick asked looking for some sign from the girl.
"Yes Dad it is good. May I have some more?" Card asked.
"After we set the table you young lady. Now go where I showed you and get the plates for all of us." Rick said.
"Come on Card I will help you" Alexis said taking the empty bowl into the kitchen.
"You are just so patient with her. You are a great father" Kate said then kissed him as he drew closer to her.
"I need food too Rick. These demon spawns of yours are demanding it!" She said after finishing the kiss.
"Right away my Queen of the Castle!" Rick smirked and got swatted on the rump.
He brought back her dinner as Alexis and Card set the table. Soon dinner was underway.