Kate stood in front of the full-length mirror, staring at her reflection.
Rick wouldn't be home for hours, but she was eager to get to his loft early. She wanted to have dinner ready and waiting for him and Alexis when they returned. No matter how their day unfolded, she wanted them to walk in the door and find comfort in a meal already prepared—one less thing to worry about.
It was a gesture her mother had always extended to her father, ensuring a homecooked meal was ready when he returned from a long day in court. It had never failed to lift his spirits. No matter how tough his day, the moment he stepped through the door - soft music playing, the savory aroma of dinner filling the air - his smile would return and his troubles seemed to melt away. It wasn't that their household had been particularly 'traditional' - her mother worked just as hard as her father had, and he had his own special ways of showing his appreciation to her, too - but cooking had always been a way fir her mother to show love.
Kate opened her closet and glanced at the sea of options before her, thinking back to the morning spent with Rick unpacking all of her clothes.
You dress like such a girl, he had teased her at the time. But she had seen the glint in his eye as he undoubtedly imagined her in each little dress or skirt she had pulled out of a box.
She pulled out a denim skirt and a flowing white top: simple and soft to the touch; a summer-time staple. She slipped into the outfit, gave herself another cursory glance in the mirror. Perfect.
Then she walked over to her dresser, opened the jewellery box that sat proudly on top. She brushed her fingers over her mother's ring, then picked up a dainty little silver chain and fastened it around her neck.
She grabbed her phone and her keys, then was on her way.
Tonight was going to be great.
Kate stood at the door of Rick's loft, keys in hand, surprised to hear the soft sounds of music on the other side of the door.
She had left before Rick had earlier that morning, so there was a chance he had been listening and simply forgot to turn it off before he left. Still, as she unlocked the door and entered the loft, she was half expecting to see that he had come home early.
He had, after all, been looking for any excuse to not have to go today. It wouldn't be all that surprising if he had found a reason to bail early.
Kate was surprised, however, to find Martha plodding around the kitchen, humming to herself as she prepared some sort of food.
Curious, Kate made her way toward the kitchen, eyes taking in the chaos before her.
"Hi, Martha."
"Oh, Katherine!" Martha said, her tone laced with surprise though her smile stayed bright. "I didn't expect you this evening."
"Rick asked me to stop by," Kate explained.
"Ah, probably his little reward for making it through the day," Martha added, her eyebrows lifting suggestively. Kate felt a blush rise to her cheeks at the implication. "Good for you guys," Martha continued. "He won't be home for a little while yet, though."
"Oh, I know. I was going to make dinner but it looks like you're one step ahead of me."
Martha stopped fussing with sheets of pastry and met Kate's eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry, Kiddo."
"It's okay," Kate insisted with a smile.
"If I had known-"
"Seriously, Martha. It's fine! I had no idea what I was going to cook, anyway," she insisted, eyeing Martha's creation curiously. "May I, uh, may I ask what you're making?"
Martha's eyes brightened with pride. "Cheeseburger spring rolls. Richard loved them as a kid, and now they're his comfort food. It's one of the only things he lets me cook for him," she added, her voice tinged with humour, "I'm not exactly a culinary genius."
Kate laughed quietly. She'd heard about Martha's many cooking misadventures and had always assumed Rick had been exaggerating but as she looked around the kitchen, noting the mess his mother had made, she thought perhaps not.
"I figured after today, he might like a bit of comfort food," Martha said, her tone softening.
"Do you expect today to have been that bad?" Kate asked, a ripple of concern threading through her words.
She could see Martha's hesitation as the older woman battled internally with how to tread delicately with this conversation before ultimately deciding that delicate was not necessary.
"Hurricane Meredith leaves a chaos of emotion in her wake, regardless of how the day goes," Martha said bluntly. But Kate could hear the hurt in such harsh words, could almost feel the pain Martha felt for her family. "She's here, and then she's gone. That's hard on Alexis, which is hard on Richard, which - despite what he may think - is hard on me."
Kate's heart sank as she listened. She didn't need to imagine the toll Meredith's presence took - she had seen the way Alexis's tears had broken her heart, and the way Rick had struggled to hide his own pain.
"I imagine it's not an easy thing to have to watch," Kate offered sympathetically.
"If I allow myself to get sucked into her vortex, I won't be able to be there for my family when they need me," Martha reaffirmed, hardening herself against the emotions that were undoubtedly rising to the surface. "And that's why I made a rule for myself: where Meredith is, I'm not."
Kate smiled, but the older woman's words had filled her mind with so many new questions.
"You, my dear," Martha said, breaking the silence with a bright smile, "you've been a breath of fresh air. Don't let Meredith drive you away."
"I won't," Kate promised, but a flicker of doubt crossed her mind. "I just- I don't want to come between family, you know?"
But Martha shook her head. "Meredith will always be Alexis's mother, and Rick would never try to keep Alexis from having that relationship. But Meredith is not family. She lost that right the moment she turned her back on that little girl," she said with quiet conviction. Then, leaning in with a conspiratorial wink, she added, "Besides, only family gets the secret to my cheeseburger spring roll recipe."
Kate laughed, her heart easing slightly, though the weight of the conversation lingered. As Martha reached into the fridge for mustard and carefully added it to the mix, Kate felt a tug in her chest, the ache of everything unsaid.
"Want to help me roll these up?" Martha asked, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Sure," Kate said, moving to wash her hands.
Just then, the front door swung open with a bang, and Alexis stormed in, her eyes filled with tears. Rick was just a few steps behind her, his face twisted with anger.
"Alexis, stop!" he barked, his voice sharp and commanding.
The girl halted at the bottom of the stairs, spun around, and faced her father, her voice cracking with emotion. "You didn't even try!" she accused.
"Didn't even try?" Rick repeated, the words thick with incredulity. He searched her face for some sign of reconsideration. The hurt was clear in his expression, and Kate recognized it instantly. She knew how much Rick tried - how much he always tried - especially when it came to his daughter. This entire forced family day had been for her benefit, and somehow it had all gone terribly wrong.
"I wore the colours. I did the shopping. I paid for the overpriced lunch-" Rick's voice trailed off as he struggled to control his frustration.
Alexis rolled her eyes. "Right, because money is such a problem for you."
Rick's voice dropped dangerously low. "That's not the point, and you know it."
Just then, Meredith walked through the door, her presence immediately shifting the atmosphere in the room. Kate saw Rick and Martha both tense as she entered.
"You're upsetting her," Meredith said, rushing to Alexis's side. "And I paid for the ice cream, so it's not all on you," she added with a saccharine smile.
Rick's sarcasm returned with a vengeance. "Thank you so much for the ice cream," he said, his voice dripping with mockery. "I hope you enjoy the dress, the shoes, and that godawful handbag I bought you. You can go now."
"Dad! Don't be rude!" Alexis's voice wavered, her tears brimming just beneath the surface.
Meredith soothed her daughter with a soft touch. "It's okay, Sweetheart," she said, her voice overly sweet. She ran a hand up and down Alexis's back, then looked at her daughter with a look of feigned concern. "I won't go if you want me here."
Rick's jaw clenched. Of course, Alexis wouldn't tell her mother she didn't want her there - not with her mother hovering over her like that. Rick knew it, and so did Meredith.
"I don't want you here," Rick said bluntly.
"Well, I don't want Kate here," Alexis blurted, her words landing like a heavy blow.
Kate's heart dropped into her stomach, her breath catching in her throat. Rick's expression morphed instantly from anger to confusion.
Meredith glanced over her shoulder, her lips curling into a subtle smirk as her eyes met Kate's.
Rick stammered, trying to recover, but his voice faltered. "A-Alexis..." He wasn't sure how to respond.
Kate, feeling the weight of the moment, cleared her throat. "I, uh... I should go," she said, her voice tight with discomfort. She wished she'd never come over in the first place. She had known the day wouldn't end well, but this- this felt like more than she could handle.
Alexis turned to Kate, her face filled with immediate regret. "I'm sorry," she said, her eyes wide with horror. "Please, don't go! I didn't mean it."
"It's okay, Sweetheart," Meredith interjected, wrapping Alexis in a warm embrace. "You're allowed to express your opinions. Don't let your father make you feel bad about it."
Alexis shook her head vehemently. "No-"
"Rick," Meredith said, ignoring Alexis's protests. "This has gone too far," she declared, her voice a mix of authority and something colder.
"Too far?" Rick echoed, trying to make sense of what was happening.
"Alexis and I have been talking," Meredith continued, glancing at her daughter with a smile before turning back to Rick. "I want Alexis to come live with me."