A/N: Happy Mother's Day to all the moms, sisters, aunties, friends, and grandmas out there. We love you and everything you do.

I hope this chapter makes you smile, even if it's just for a few minutes. This is how Kate Beckett celebrated Mother's Day 2024.

Enjoy!

Kate sighs awake, stretching out in the luxuriously soft hotel bedsheets. She lets out a wide yawn, opening her eyes to look directly at her best friend.

"Hey there, Sleeping Beauty," Madison chuckles.

"Hey," Kate says, voice rough with sleep. "How long was I asleep?"

"Well, you left us at the pool around two, and now we're changing for dinner. So…"

"Oh my god!" She ducks her head in embarrassment, throwing the covers back and moving to sit up. "I'm so sorry. Give me ten minutes and I'll be ready!" She jumps up, her mind already twelve steps ahead. The anxiety of not doing enough she'd been trying so hard to keep at bay all weekend finally breaking loose.

"I mean, isn't that the whole point of this trip? No plans. No responsibilities. Just us girls hanging out." Maddie's words stop her in her tracks. It's as if she were channeling her husband with her words.

Castle had said the same thing to her before she left on the girl's trip he'd organized. Four days to do nothing at an all-inclusive resort. Four days without work calls or emails. Four days to not be touched by six million kids who want six million different things.

It had been amazing and she'd loved every second of it.

"You know what: you're right," Kate nods, still moving to get ready, but without the stress.

"Is she awake yet?" Lanie asks, coming into the bedroom.

"Yes!" Kate shouts through the bathroom door. "What are you? My mom?"

"Maybe I should be! Hurry up and get ready, girl! I want to eat my weight in shrimp."

"If you would stop badgering me, I could get ready faster!" Kate groans.

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The next morning, after eating an amazing meal and dancing at the resort's nightclub, Kate wakes up early enough to partake in one of the yoga classes she'd seen advertised on their first day there.

"Beach or pool?" Kate asks a few hours later as she slips shorts over her bikini bottoms.

"Pool," Madison decides for them. And soon enough, they are claiming three shaded lounge chairs on the pool deck and ordering drinks from a waiter.

Kate is working through her second book of the trip when her phone rings and she's quick to answer when her husband's picture comes up on the caller ID.

"Hey, babe!"

"Hey. Happy Mother's Day!"

"Thank you." her body turns hot, and it's not just from the sun. She loves being a mom in every capacity of the word.

"What are you up to?"

"Oh, you know. Just laying in the sun while young, nubile men serve us drinks." She can almost picture his shocked face and it makes her laugh.

"Not funny," he groans.

"It was a little bit funny."

"You girls getting into too much trouble?"

"Not as much as you and I would, but yeah. Some."

"Oh, I'd love to get up to some trouble with you."

"Me too. I promise this summer, we will," she hopes he can hear the intent in her voice.

"Oh, you bet we will."

She smiles; even though she was enjoying the trip, she still missed her family like crazy. "Good. How are you? Miss me yet?"

"Of course I miss you! We all do." There's static on his end and she can hear the muffled sounds of someone talking in the background. "Hey, I'll talk to you later. There's some people who want to talk to you."

"Okay?" she chuckles.

"Hi, Mommy!"

"Oh! Hi, Mia girl!"

"Happy Mother's Day!"

"Thank you, baby!"

"I miss you."

"I miss you too! I'll be home soon, okay?"

"Okay. Oh! Guess what!"

"What?"

"I got my double pirouette in jazz!"

"Baby! That's amazing! I'm so proud of you!"

"Thank you! Oh, mommy, Nemo wants to talk. Bye!"

"Hi, momma!"

"Hi, Nemo!"

"We made strawberry shortcake for our last cooking class and my teacher said mine was the best!"

"Did he? That's awesome! Will you make me some when I get home?"

"Yeah! Hey, momma?"

"What, baby?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, Finn. Let me talk to someone else, okay?"

The phone is passed again, and Kate looks over to see both Lanie and Madison smiling at her.

"Momma?"

"Hey, Bubby!"

"I miss you."

"Me too. I'll be back in two more sleeps, okay?"

"Okay.'

"Hey, did you finish making that game in Roblox yet?"

"Yeah. and Josiah played it and he says it's really good."

"Yeah? Well, how about when I get home, we play it together. Okay?"

"Okay! Love you!"

"Love you too."

Liam passes the phone to his twin, and Kate hears them arguing about something before Austin gets on.

"Hi, mommy."

"Hey, Tin! Great job on making summer league!" Lacrosse was a new sport for her son; he'd only played one rec season and had tried out for the competitive league just for experience.

"Thank you!" she can see his smile through the phone, big and crooked, just like his dad.

"I made the U9 team too!"

"I know! Dad sent me the email! Great job." It really was an amazing feat for a newly seven-year-old to make a team meant for kids two years older. "Looks like we're going to be going to a lot of games this summer, huh?"

"Yeah! And Dad says that we get to stay in hotels and everything!"

"How exciting!" Kate smiles, excited for her son.

"I love you, momma. Happy Mother's Day."

"I love you too, bud."

She doesn't need to hear her last child speak to know she's on the phone, and Kate can feel Danielle's frustration and wishes she could take it away. "Hey, banana."

"Hi."

"How did open gym go?"

"It's still not back!" Towards the end of her most recent competition season, Danielle hit a mental block and couldn't do a tumbling move she'd been able to do for years. Kate knew it was common and would go away eventually, but to her daughter: it was the end of the world.

"I know. But it will! You just have to trust yourself and let it take its time. Did you work with coach Maddie? She made you start small again, huh?"

"Yeah."

"And did it help?"

"A little. But I still can't do my full!"

"You will. Don't give up!"

"But mommy! Tryouts are soon! If I can't do my full, I won't make Voltage again!"

"I don't believe that! Your coaches know what you can do. And you still have time. Don't worry, okay?"

"Okay."

"I love you."

"Love you too."

"Okay. Let me talk to Daddy."

"Hey! Two more. Sorry." Rick is quick to hand the phone back off.

'Hey, Kate! Happy Mother's Day!"

"Alexis! Happy Mother's Day to you too!"

"I know dad wanted to talk to you some more, so we'll be quick. Say 'hi' to grandma."

"Hi, grandma! I love you!"

"Hi, McKenna! I love you too baby!" She's so surprised that it was the voice of her granddaughter that made her cry and not her husband or kids.

"We'll see you when you get back. Max says love you too. Love you," Alexis finishes.

"Love you!"

"Hey," Castle returns on the phone and Kate sniffs away the last of her tears. "So, we all miss you, but we know you're having a great time!"

"I miss you guys too!"

"I'll call you later?" This time, it's him with the suggestive tone and butterflies flutter in her stomach.

"I'll be waiting," she husks.

"Tease!" he whines.

"You love me!" she laughs.

"I do. Bye!"

The call ends and Kate sets her phone down and smiles.

Yeah. This was just what she needed.