June 29, 2017

The first night at the hospital, Lily let her parents sleep for most of the night. Only to wake halfway through the night to eat. It was not very long after they arrived home that Beckett and Castle began to realize just how exhausting newborns are. Of course, Rick already knew this, but doing it all over again decades later was a completely different story.

"Is she asleep?" Kate asks as she slumps further down onto the couch, looking at her husband as he strolls out of the bedroom without their daughter.

"Finally," Rick answers as he takes a seat beside Kate.

Although it was one in the afternoon, Beckett is still dressed in a nursing gown, her hair up in a bun and no make-up on. Castle, although showered, is still in his t-shirt and sleep shorts. "Look what our angel has done to us," Rick observes, looking over at his wife, laughing at the spit up that stains her nightgown. It makes Castle wonder what he did to deserve a child with the woman he loves—even if she desperately needs to shower.

"I don't think I will ever be able to look decent again," Kate jokes.

Rick doesn't hesitate. "You look great. What I worry about is you not resting enough, are you still sore?" Rick questions sincerely.

Although his concern is endearing, Castle asks Kate if she is okay at least twice every hour. Beckett knows that soreness is normal, and she can only rest so much with an infant. Besides, she wouldn't want to miss those precious moments of exhaustion in the middle of the night with her daughter—even if she was in pain. Last night, Kate and Lily spent an hour in the rocker. Kate eyed her daughter, taking inventory of her again and again. It seems that every time she looks at Lily, she finds something new to love about her.

"Castle, I am fine, don't worry about me," Beckett tells him seriously.

"Alexis brought over some groceries. How about I make some lunch, while you rest?" Castle questions.

Kate smiles and draws Rick closer to her, planting a kiss on his cheek. "That would be amazing," she says with a small smile, the exhaustion in her eyes evident.

Castle kisses the top of his wife's head before making a beeline for the kitchen. He busies himself making paninis and salad—something he knows that Kate would like. He glances at the baby monitor that has been installed in nearly every room to see Lily sound asleep, her hands behind her head. Rick can't help but stare for a minute as he tosses the salad.

By the time he is done making the food, he calls out to his wife, who is still laying on the couch. "Kate?" he calls again.

No response.

Castle puts down the plate of food he is holding, and walks back into the living room. He sees that Kate is passed out, using the stuffed giraffe Alexis bought for Lily as a pillow. Her hair is plastered to her forehead, the way a toddler's does after a long nap. Something about her makes Rick's heart skip a beat. Castle takes his phone out and snaps a quick picture—silently vowing to never allow Kate to see the picture, knowing she would make him delete it.

Beckett wakes up to the sound of silence. The curtains are drawn over the windows and there is a lingering smell of food in the air. Confusion sets in when she sees where she fell asleep: on the couch with Lily's giraffe holding her head uncomfortably. A blanket is drawn around her and she immediately knows that she must have fallen asleep and Rick let her.

More noticeably, Kate's boobs feel as if they are about to burst and panic begins to set in as she wonders if Lily missed a feeding in her mother's absence. Kate throws off the blanket and grabs the baby monitor that is sitting on the ottoman. Lily doesn't appear to be in her cradle in their bedroom. Beckett switches to the feed they had set up in Lily's room, where she will be when she graduates from the cradle to the crib.

Beckett smiles immediately when she sees that Lily is in Rick's arms, as he appears to be singing to her as she drinks a bottle. Castle is in his sleep shorts and is not wearing his t-shirt. He takes skin to skin bonding very seriously—claiming it is only fair because Lily spent nine months with Kate before meeting him. Rick's voice is so low and gravelly that Kate can't make out the words he sings at first, but it becomes clear as he repeats the lines.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know dear, how much I love you," Castle sings.

The tenderness at which Rick sings brings tears to Kate's eyes. She settles back onto the couch, holding the monitor, watching the pair. Kate can't help the tears that fall.

It took them so long to be here. To be a family.

"You know, Lily, if you are the sunshine, then your mommy is the air I breathe and your sister—she is the brightest star," Rick whispers to Lily. Besides Beckett's initial reaction of rolling her eyes at her husband's cheesiness, she is rendered stunned that a man like Rick even exists.

Lily squirms the slightest in her father's grip and Rick chuckles. "I know, I am cheesy. I'm a writer, you better get used to it now," Castle tells Lily as he adjust her so she is cuddled closer to him.

Kate can't help herself anymore as she throws the blanket off and heads for the stairs. The baby monitor is still in her hand as she steps into the doorway of Lily's room. Beckett gives Castle a sly smile and he returns the smile. His gaze moves to the monitor in Kate's hand and he shakes his head. "Mommy is spying," Castle announces to Lily.

"I love you, Rick," Beckett says as she crosses the room, putting the camera down on the night stand and reaching for Lily.

Castle is beaming as he stands and gives Lily to Kate. "I love you, too," he says sincerely.

"So, the air you breathe, huh?" Beckett jokes.

"It seemed…poetic," Rick justifies.

Beckett decides to let it go. At this point, after everything they've been through, perhaps he isn't far off by describing their relationship in that light. The mere thought of losing Rick is like drowning on dry land.

"Thank you for letting me sleep," Kate utters as reaches up to Rick and kisses the tip of his nose.

"You needed it, you slept almost four hours," Castle informs her.

Kate blinks at him and shakes her head. "You should have woke me up, every two hours—remember?"

"She did fine with the formula and you really needed some rest," Castle justifies, his worry over her clear in his eyes.

"I appreciate it. I do," Kate assures him.

"Lily just started this bottle anyways," Castle says, motioning to the forgotten bottle on the floor.

Kate looks down at her daughter who looks to be on edge, evidently she is still hungry. "Listen, I enjoyed the nap, but my boobs are about to burst so I can finish up here," Beckett announces.

Kate takes a seat in the rocker, adjusting Lily so she can breastfeed. Suddenly, Lily spits up across Beckett's shoulder, the white goo traveling down Beckett's shoulder. Rick erupts into a fit of laughter. "It's not funny," Kate says, tossing a forgotten burp cloth at him.

"I just don't think I'll ever get used to you like this, it is adorable," Castle declares.

Kate adjusts herself so Lily can begin to feed. Abandoning all hope of cleaning up Lily's spit up mess immediately. "Get out of here, you creep," Beckett replies teasingly.

Castle shakes his head and leans down to kiss the top of Kate's head. "I'll heat up your leftovers," he murmurs before turning and walking out of the nursery.

Beckett smiles slowly and shakes her head. "What would be do without daddy?" Kate asks her daughter quietly.

Beckett never saw her life working out like this. She never imagined a life that was so domestic, so normal—particularly after her mother died, but here she was. The feeling of being whole overwhelms again her as she looks down at Lily.