Still staring out over the water, Kate didn't quite hear Meg at first. She had her own memories to contend with; summer was fine, spring and autumn the same. Winter still held it's own kind of special pain for her, although that had started to change over the years. The chill still brought in the memory of her mother's death, down to the bone, but Kate had begun to build new memories with Castle and it helped. It didn't mask the sting of the blow completely, but it did soften it.

"Sounds good," Kate finally replied, turning to Meg and offering her a warm smile. She picked up her glass and held it out. "This was a great idea. It's nice to have a break." The beach reminded her of Castle's place at the Hamptons, and that held nothing but good memories for her. "I don't get it, though. The... The castle spends half it's time torturing us and then gives us paradise to visit whenever we want? It doesn't make any sense."