Another Chance
Chapter 28
Castle would not have thought it would be easier to put together a major fundraiser than it is to organize a wedding, but so far, that's been the case. For one thing, he's had a lot of help. Mental health, especially regarding the prevention of mass shootings, is a hot button topic, with many people, including celebrities, eager to get involved. He hardly had to open his mouth to have the use of the venue, the grand ballroom at the Four Seasons, donated. Previous donor lists from associated activist organizations provided a guest list and members of the entertainment community, including some of Mother's friends from Broadway, called him to volunteer as entertainment. The gala is set for New Year's Eve. It will be streamed, as a method of raising additional funds and to provide an alternative to the usual ball-dropping festivities.
Charles Bollendorf is a resident in a locked down psychiatric program, a judge having declared him incapable of understanding that he had committed a crime. As far as Castle has heard, the shooter's shown no signs of shedding his delusion. Perhaps the money the function raises will in some small way help to change that or to find a path back to sanity for someone else. In any case, the cause of keeping guns out of the hands of the dangerously mentally ill will be put squarely in the public eye, at least for one night.
He and Kate have settled into the routine at the 12th. A body drops every so often, and in between, there is paperwork - lots of paperwork. Before Kate left the force for DC, she was always riding him about not doing his share, despite his talent for composing a gripping narrative. Now, he is trying harder to join her in her clerical efforts, but he also has to satisfy Black Pawn's demands. Even writing short books takes time. If anything, in order to achieve the compression necessary to tell a good yarn, he has to put more thought into every word. He has one novella well into the publication process and is three-quarters of the way through writing another one. He's even been able to adapt some of his adventures with Kate to Derrick Storm plot lines, although they are still primarily a mixture of whole cloth-creation and what he garnered while he was working with the CIA.
When he thinks about the company, he wonders if his father might make an appearance. Jackson Hunt, or whatever his real name is, knew all about Kate. He made it clear that he keeps tabs on the entire family. He must know about the upcoming wedding - and probably even about Alexis' relationship with Micah and the unexpected turn her studies have taken. Castle isn't sure how he feels about his daughter's plans. He has a lot of respect for entrepreneurship, but he's been an investor long enough to understand just how risky trying to launch a company can be. Even if he can ensure that she will never have to starve, he hates the thought that she might take a fall.
On the other hand, he managed to make it through many downtimes himself, during each one of the 20 rejections of In A Hail of Bullets, and Mother wasn't in a position to contribute much to fill his rumbling stomach. Whatever happens, Alexis will survive, as will Micah, and they'll probably be stronger for it. They still have a year and a half before they finish college. By then, they may not even be together, although he doubts that will be the case. And if they are, their goals may have undergone another shift. In any case, Castle will be there to provide whatever support and if necessary comfort that Alexis is willing to accept.
He checks his watch. Alexis isn't the only one who might need some comfort. After a morning of paper-pushing, Kate can use a little distraction in the form of a lunch that doesn't come from vending machines or out of the break room refrigerator. As the temperature has fallen, she's been less into salads and increasingly enthusiastic about more substantial fare, which suits him just fine. A new place opened up not far from the precinct, called Fork Tender. He gave it a try and found that it lived up to its name, at least as far as the pot roast was concerned. Chunks of succulent meat, potatoes, and vegetables should appeal to Kate, and he's planning on attempting to figure out just what they put in their gravy.
Alexis gazes around the condo with satisfaction. Most of Golda's furnishings came with it, minimizing Micah's expenses in moving from his parents' house, but as much as Golda was into nerd culture, the place needed some more up to date touches. The framed prints on the wall reflect newer movies, although with similar themes to the ones Golda loved and Micah still does. Alexis recovered the couch and helped Micah pick out a new mattress.
The building itself dates back before Alexis, or for that matter, her parents were born. Gram has told her tales of a neighborhood caught between the wealthy celebrity abodes on Central Park West, and a mix of the workaday middle class, struggling theater and television performers, and a gay community everyone knew about but rarely mentioned. It's more gentrified now, and no one cares about sexual orientation, but echoes of the past remain in some of the quirky ethnic and specialty stores and restaurants. A short walk from two subway stops, the condo is beautifully situated so that both she and Micah can get to school or wherever else they need to go. It's just about perfect. The only thing that would make it better is if she could give up her room at the dorm and really live there, but Micah hasn't asked her to do that. She has no idea when or even if he will.
Micah studies the rings in the window of a jewelry store. Between earning a manager's salary and not having to pay rent to his parents, he's been putting money away as fast as he can, but he's still not even close to having enough to buy the kind of stone he'd like to put on Alexis' finger. He could just ask her to move into the condo with him. He's almost sure she'd say yes, but he wants to be able to promise her that it will be forever, not just some kind of arrangement like so many of the other students have. At least they can spend time together now without the intrusion of dorm life or parental surveillance. Every moment of that has been incredible, but he wants to give her more. He always wants to give her more. He does some mental arithmetic. If he is careful and maybe even a little lucky, he may be able to pop the question at the end of the school year. He gazes skyward saying a silent prayer that Aunt Golda is whispering in God's ear to aid his efforts.
Kate dabs at the corners of her mouth with a napkin. Lunch out is just what she needed. For the past few days, she's been starving. There hasn't been a reason, except maybe the boredom of filling out forms instead of chasing down clues. As usual, She and Castle have had hearty breakfasts together. Still, by noon, she's been ravenous. She reached for one of the rolls their server brought, almost before he put the basket down. She is feeling better now, especially since Castle has volunteered a couple of hours on paper patrol. Still, she's wondering if she might be able to get an extra dessert to go.