"Tell me to stay," Rick said, his voice low and rough with emotion.

He sat at Kate's dining table, fingers idly tracing the rim of his coffee cup—though neither of them had touched their drinks in ages. The space between them felt vast, like an entire lifetime hung in the balance.

Kate stood by the kitchen counter, arms braced behind her as if the granite might hold her up. She may have looked composed, but inside, her heart was a riot of conflicting emotions. This conversation—this moment—would change everything.

Rick's blue eyes had carried a quiet sadness for days, a weight he hadn't been able to shake. And she understood why. She felt it too. He loved her. She knew that with certainty. But he had a responsibility he couldn't ignore. Alexis needed him.

"You know I can't," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

His shoulders sagged, but he nodded, as if he'd known her answer all along.

Kate pushed off from the counter and crossed the room, drawn to him as if by some invisible force. He leaned back in his chair as she reached him, and with infinite tenderness, she brushed his hair back from his forehead.

"We both know you have to do this," she said softly. "For Alexis… but for yourself, too."

She saw the conflict in his eyes—the desperate wish for another way, the burden of being the parent who had to make the hard choices. He didn't trust Meredith to be there for their daughter. Flying in for birthdays and the occasional long weekend was one thing, but being a stable, responsible parent for an entire school year? He didn't believe she had it in her.

And if she failed Alexis—if she let their daughter down—Rick wouldn't forgive himself for not being there to pick up the pieces.

And Kate… Kate wouldn't forgive herself either, not if she had been the reason he wasn't there.

With a sigh, Rick reached for her, his hands gripping her waist. She didn't hesitate, climbing onto his lap and straddling him, pressing her forehead to his. They sat like that in silence, their eyes closed, just breathing each other in.

"I could put my foot down," he murmured, his breath warm against her skin. "Tell Alexis she can't change schools."

But they both knew it wasn't that simple. This wasn't just about Alexis. It was about Meredith.

She wasn't above using their daughter to control him. She'd already threatened legal action, making sure her rights as a parent were acknowledged, no matter how absent she'd been before. God only knew what else she'd try if Rick refused to go.

The problem wasn't Alexis. It was her mother.

Rick needed to stand up to Meredith—but he was terrified of the fallout. And so was Kate.

She cupped his cheek, tilting his face toward her. Her thumb brushed over his cheekbone, the scruff along his jaw. "We'll make this work," she whispered, her voice steady despite the storm raging inside her. "I promise."

A shaky breath escaped him. Then a quiet, nervous laugh. "So, you're not gonna just cut your losses?"

She let out a tearful chuckle, shaking her head. "Not a chance in hell." Her throat was tight, but she pushed through it, her eyes shining as she met his gaze. "I love you, Rick."

A strangled sound escaped him—half a laugh, half a sigh of relief. His hands tightened on her hips, pulling her closer, and then—

His lips were on hers.

The kiss was slow, aching, filled with everything words couldn't express. Love. Fear. Longing. A desperate wish to freeze this moment, to keep from stepping into an uncertain future.

Kate melted into him, fingers sliding into his hair, holding him close. No matter how much time or distance came between them, this—they—were real.

And she wasn't letting go.

The week had passed in a chaotic blur. A relentless, exhausting rush of paperwork, transcripts, standardized test scores, and uniform orders. Enrolling Alexis in Atherton Prep had been a full-time job in itself, and of course, Meredith had left the logistics entirely to Rick.

Alexis had helped as much as she could, but there were limits to what a seventeen-year-old could do. Every form needed a parent's signature. Every phone call required his authorization. And so it had been Rick, juggling legal documents and financial arrangements, double-checking flights and accommodations, making sure Alexis had everything she needed to start fresh in California.

Through it all, Martha had been there.

She never said a word against it. Never outright voiced her opinion. But her silence, her ever-present scrutiny, the way she would linger in doorways or glance at him over the rim of her wine glass—it spoke volumes. She disapproved. And Rick felt the weight of it pressing down on him like an anvil.

He understood. This wasn't just about Alexis. This was about him leaving too, about Meredith's control over the family she only ever seemed to want whenever someone else came along.

"Six months," he had promised Kate. "A year, tops. Alexis isn't going to want me hovering once she starts college, and if all goes well, I won't have to stay that long anyway."

He wasn't uprooting his life. He was just... pressing pause. Just long enough to make sure Alexis was okay.

And then he would come home.

To New York.

To the loft.

To Kate.

The airport was bustling, full of hurried travellers and last-minute goodbyes. The sound of rolling suitcases hummed in the background, punctuated by boarding announcements over the intercom.

Rick adjusted the strap of Alexis's carry-on over his shoulder, the weight of it insignificant compared to the ache in his chest.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as they walked through the terminal.

Alexis took a steadying breath. "Nervous," she admitted. "Sad. Excited."

He stopped, gently placing a hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him.

"I'll be there Sunday night," he reminded her. "Just in time to help ease those first-day nerves."

She gave him a weak smile, but her fingers tightened around the strap of her backpack. "She's going to come visit, right?"

Rick's smile faltered, just for a moment.

"I know you said you need the weekend to say goodbye—" Alexis hesitated, clearly not wanting to think too much about that part of his life. "But you're not breaking up, right?"

Rick let out a soft huff of laughter, shaking his head. "You need not concern yourself with my relationship."

Alexis gave him a deadpan look. "Dad. Seriously."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "She probably won't visit for a while. With work and other commitments, spending fourteen hours of her weekend traveling back and forth just isn't realistic. But once you're settled, I'll be able to come back more often."

Alexis nodded, but the worry didn't leave her eyes. "I'll be settled in, like, so quick," she promised. "Seriously, you can probably book a flight for next weekend. That's how fast I'll adapt."

Rick chuckled, pulling her into his side and pressing a kiss to her temple. "We'll be fine. Besides, next weekend is her rostered weekend so she'll be busy."

They reached the security checkpoint, and reality settled in. The moment neither of them had wanted to face. Rick would see his daughter again in just three days, so why did this part hurt so much? Saying goodbye, even if it was only for a short time, was never easy.

Or maybe it wasn't the goodbye, but what it meant. Alexis was really leaving and, in just a few short days, he would follow.

He wasn't ready for that.

"Love you, Dad," Alexis said quietly.

"I love you too, Pumpkin."

She took a step back, then another, glancing over her shoulder as she handed her boarding pass to the agent.

Rick stayed rooted to the spot, watching as she moved through security, giving him one final wave before disappearing into the crowd.

And then she was gone.