Like Father, Like Son ✔

Chapter 45 - New Year's Kiss

CHAPTER 45

CAT

November went by like a whirlwind.

Cat left her job at the music store and started working at a little Italian restaurant a lot closer to the apartment, close enough for her to walk. She was supposed to be part-time while she was going to school, but most weeks lately she still ended up with at least forty hours. Her wallet was very appreciative, but it meant she hardly got to spend any time with Nick and Luke as a family, since he was working too.

After her second paycheck from the restaurant, she decided to open up a new savings account that'd go entirely to the wedding. She only put a hundred bucks in it to start, but at least it was something.

They still weren't sure exactly on a date, but Nick agreed with her that a summer wedding might be nice. They could do it outside under a tent, which was always Cat's dream. So she started pinning things on Pinterest and writing notes down whenever she could get a few minutes to spare.

Luke was really enjoying preschool, although he was beginning to cause a bit of trouble with a group of kids. Cat couldn't believe it when his teacher first approached her about it. OK, maybe he was a little loud and energetic, but she never imagined him as the kind of kid that would end up sitting in front of the principal's office a couple times a week.

It was time for her and Nick to sit him down and talk to him. They had to lay some ground rules regarding his behavior in the classroom.

Cat and Nick weren't the kind of couple that fought very often. They never raised their voices at each other, and didn't believe in storming off or going to bed angry. During those couple weeks dealing with Luke's issues at school however, they definitely put their relationship to the test.

Nick just wasn't good when it came to discipline, and Cat was struggling to make him realize she couldn't be the bad guy all the time. He had to stick with her, and reinforce what she was saying. Luke couldn't go around thinking his dad would always let things go.

December came around, which meant college finals and Christmas shopping.

At least Nick's exams were over pretty quickly, which meant he had an extra week of break to try and get things done before the holidays. Cat came home most evenings to find Nick and Luke cooking dinner for her. It was so sweet to watch the two of them together, something she didn't think she'd ever get completely used to.

"We should put up the Christmas tree tonight," Nick suggested as they ate squash spaghetti.

"Oh, yes that'd be great! I only have an exam on Thursday, so I can go to bed a bit later tonight," Cat agreed, while Luke just made a complete tomato sauce mess of his face in the booster seat next to her.

The tree they had was very small to fit in their two-bedroom apartment. Cat grabbed the box from the back of a closet in the hallway and they set it up on one of the side tables in the living room. Luke had such a blast helping Nick string the lights on, and Cat showed him all of the ornaments she got for him every year.

"Do you remember this one, bud? You were just a little baby when I made it," Cat said, showing Luke an ornament with his first ever picture with Santa Claus.

"Was I in your tummy like Jeremy?" Luke asked.

"No, no, you were out... Look, this is you right there, the little baby," Cat giggled and pointed at the little baby in Santa Claus' arms. "You had the cutest chubby legs," she said, mostly for Nick's benefit.