Epilogue

Rick was nervous. Beyond nervous. It was Kate's 20th birthday today and he had a very special present for her.

Reece was going to help him. After Kate had left for classes that morning he had dressed their son in the bodysuit he had bought for this special occasion. Over that Reece was wearing an adorable jumper that had to be taken of completely in order to change his diaper. Very unpractical on a normal day but just what Rick needed for his plan to work.

Now he only had to hope that Reece would need a new diaper the same time he usually did.

Rick was currently preparing dessert with Reece strapped to his chest, when he heard the lock of the front door turn.

A few minutes later Kate came into the kitchen.

„Look Reece who is there. It's mommy" Rick told him. The little boy looked around excitedly until his eyes found Kate and he squeaked in delight.

„Hello there, my sweet boy. Are you helping daddy going over the top for me?" She cooed and Reece laughed, trying to grasp her hair with his baby fingers.

Kate laughed and took him into her arms. Then she leaned over to kiss her boyfriend.

„Hey" she whispered against his lips.

„Hey birthday girl, how was the academy?" he asked.

After a long time thinking about it, Kate had decided to change from law to becoming a part of the force. Reading Rick's books had inspired her to become a detective. She felt an strong pull towards solving murder cases. She couldn't quite explain it to herself but when she'd talked to Rick about it he had told her he would support her in whatever she wanted to do.

Of course he was a little worried that something could happen to her when she became a cop but the prospect of having his absolutely amazing girlfriend become his inspiration for a novel excited him. He hoped that once she made detective he could shadow her for a few cases to get his books more real. He'd wished to shadow someone for his books ever since he started writing but he hadn't had the necessary connections yet. Maybe in a few years when Kate was a detective and his friend Bob became mayor of New York …

„It was great. But I missed you" she looked at Reece when she said it. Rick smiled. „Can I help you with something?"

Rick shook his head. „No. But I wouldn't mind some company while cooking."

„Sure" Kate smiled at him and sat down at the kitchen counter with Reece.

Normally Rick would tell her to go relax on the couch but he needed to know when exactly she was going to change Reece's diaper so he could lurk around the corner when she saw his bodysuit. He needed to see her reaction. It couldn't be long anymore until it was time for Reece to fill his diaper. It happened at the same time every day.

Just not that day, as it turned out. It was almost time for their parents to arrive for dinner and he still didn't need a diaper change as it seemed.

„Doesn't he need a new diaper?" Rick asked Kate.

„No" Kate shrugged.

„Are you sure? He always needs a change this time of the day." Rick said.

„Yes, I'm sure" Kate replied.

„But we should dress him in something else" Rick tried. „Something more fitting for a party"

„Why?" Kate asked. He was being strange. „I think it's cute. He looks adorable. I don't want to put him in uncomfortable clothes because of my birthday. And our parents won't mind what he's wearing anyway."

„Yeah, you are right" Rick said, desperately searching for something he could say to convince her to give Reece a diaper change without a reason. He couldn't come up with anything.

When there was a knock on the door and Kate and Reece went to open it, he sighed. It seemed like his plan wasn't going to work the way he'd imagined.

Kate lead her parents and Martha who had arrived shortly after to the living room. Rick just added the last touches to the dinner he'd prepared. When dinner was ready he turned the stove off and went to join the others.

When he entered the room his eyes travelled in search for Kate like they usually did. He didn't find her. Reece neither.

„Where's Kate?" he asked his mother and Kate's parents.

O-o-o-o-o

Kate put Reece down on the changing table.

„Hello there, my sweet little boy" she cooed and tickled Reece lightly. He squealed in joy.

Kate played a little longer with him before she started the process of pulling his jumper of.

„What did daddy dress you in, Reece?" she asked the little boy. „Why doesn't this thing open on the bottom, hm? We need to pull it off all the way and then we have to turn it on again."

Reece made an unhappy sound.

„I know, baby. Undressing and dressing isn't your favorite pastime. Mommy is trying to make it quick, okay?"

As gently as she could she pulled Reeces left arm out of the jumper. He didn't like it anyway.

When Kate pulled Reece's other arm out of the jumper she noticed that there was something written on Reece's bodysuit. She didn't recognize the bodysuit and pulled down the jumper so she could the whole inscription.

When she read it her breath caught and her heart started to beat faster in excitement.

Will you marry my daddy?

O-o-o-o-o

Just when Johanna was about to tell Rick that Kate had taken Reece upstairs to change his diaper Kate came flowing down the stairs, a half dressed Reece in her arms. His jumper was dangling from his feet and he was laughing because apparently he liked the fast up and down movement while his mother was almost running down the stairs.

Before Rick could fully process what was happening Kate threw herself (and Reece) into his arms.

„Yes" Kate answered the question written on Reece's bodysuit. She kissed Rick, not caring that their parents were just a few feet away.

Rick kissed her back, then pulled away a little, pulling something out of his jeans pocket before sinking down on one knee.

They were making quite a ridiculous picture. Kate crying happy tears with a half dressed Reece in her arms and Rick on his knees in front of her, still in his apron because he'd forgotten to pull it off after he finished cooking.

„Kate" he started. „You are the best thing that ever happened to me. I love you with all of my heart. I can't imagine my life without you. You and Reece are the light in my days, the sunshine in my heart. The thing I'm most afraid of is losing you. I don't ever want to lose you. I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy, be everything that you need and love you. So Kate, will you marry me?"

At his last words he held out a beautiful ring. Kate was speechless. What had she done to deserve him? She nodded.

„Yes" she choked out, her voice tight with happy tears. She cleared her throat and said „Yes, Rick, yes. Yes, I'll marry you."

After he'd put the ring on her finger, she grabbed his shirt with the hand not holding Reece and pulled him closer to kiss him on the lips.

They were going to be a family in every sense of the word soon. Rick couldn't wait. He even had a few more plans for the future but he would hold them back. They were still so young and had all the time in the world to make additions to their little family. For now they were happy just how it was.