Castle and The Originals

Chapter 34

"I spy a color that you don't see and the color is..." Rick's eyes darted around the bedroom.

"Come on Dad, I don't think there's anything left in this room that we haven't already spied."

Rick collapsed his head back down on the pillow, he nudged Alexis' arm with his elbow. "I think your right. Give me a sec to think of another one."

The father and daughter were both lying in bed; Alexis was situated between himself to her right and a sleeping Kate to her left. They were shoulder-to-shoulder; both staring up at the beamed ceiling. Alexis fell silent while he racked his brain for another game to play; he really should have put a little more planning into this Castle Family Dark Ages Day thing.

"How hard is it?"

"Hey, cut me some slack here. There are only so many games that can be played while lying in a bed. Well, that I can play with my daughter anyway."

"Eww Dad." Alexis shoved both palms against his bicep. "That's disgusting!"

"Shh." Rick chuckled and grabbed at his daughter's assaulting hands. "You'll wake Kate."

Alexis stilled and scooted back toward her father. Rick had no idea how Kate had managed to sleep through what was now approaching the third hour of he and Alexis playing multiple rounds of Name That Tune, This is Your Literary Character Life, and I Spy: The Crayola Crayon 64-Pack version. They had been diligent to keep the volume down but still...

"You didn't answer my question."

"What question was that, pumpkin." Rick pretended not to remember, but he had sensed the solemn tone when she'd asked it.

He'd been anticipating this conversation all all morning. He and Kate had talked about it at length before she posed the guardianship issue with Alexis. They both felt that if Rick had been the one of broach the subject, Alexis would've agreed instantly without giving it the suitable thought required. Having Kate do it allowed Alexis just enough space emotionally for her to consider her choices properly. Of course they both knew the youngster well enough to know that she would turn to her father about it eventually. Sometimes parenting required a little well-meaning manipulation.

"What Kate asked me last night...?" Rick turned and propped himself up on his left elbow; he looked down at her and smiled; encouraging her to continue. "I need to know. How hard was it, being a single parent?"

"Well, if you're asking me to compare it to any other kind of parenting, I can't; not yet anyway." He nodded past his daughter to the back of his sleeping wife's head. "If you give me a few years..."

"I assume you guys need an answer sooner than that?"

"True, we have an appointment with the attorney next week."

"No pressure then." Alexis laughed, but it sounded a little too sardonic for his liking.

"Well, I'm sure I had it better than most single dads out there."

"How so?"

"For starters, I did have the perfect child. Ouch! Why is it that all the women in my life enjoy using me as a punching bag?" Rick rubbed the sore spot where his daughter's elbow had landed firmly against his chest. "Fine, my job made it easier for sure. Obviously I never had to choose between paying the electric bill and buying diapers."

"So having money makes parenting easier?" Alexis asked in an all too accusatory tone.

"When you have to be on top every single thing that may or may not effect your child, the last thing you need to worry about is where the next meal is coming from."