Oh, how times have changed.
If someone had told Chloe this would one day be her life, she probably would've laughed in their face.
The last two months have been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. Between setting up Beca's prenatal appointments —a battle in and of itself. Apparently being pregnant wasn't a good enough reason to "let an old dude shove a wand up my vagina Chloe."—consulting a family law attorney, and starting to clear out her old room (turned guest room) to turn it into the nursery Chloe's patience has been tested more than once.
Because even though pregnancy has managed to soften Beca around the edges, a sort of careful gentility coating her movements, she's still Beca. Stubborn, diffident, closed off and fiercely independent. Even though it's what she'd fallen in love with in the first place, as Beca likes to remind her, it makes their current predicament rather pointless.
And unnecessarily difficult.
"For the last time Rebecca, this is not optional."
"Why? I'm a small enough person. I'm sure they'll put two and two together soon enough," Beca argues with a raised eyebrow.
"Beca, this is getting ridiculous. We can't just not tell anyone we're having a baby. That's not the way this works."
Beca's scowl and indignant huff in response threaten to bring a smile to her face and Chloe bites the inside of her lip to keep herself in check. Laughing right now wouldn't help her case.
"Well, it should be."
Chloe sighs in frustration, pinching the bridge of her nose, desperately trying to keep herself in check. She has truly been so patient about this.
At first Beca claimed she just wanted to be cautious. That it was too soon to start telling anyone and instead suggested they wait until they saw an OBGYN and made sure everything was okay; it wasn't an unreasonable request and so, Chloe easily agreed.
But then Beca actually started to read the baby books Chloe had bought and signing up for those 'Your baby week by week' emails and forums and blogs and paranoia had more or less set in.
She was convinced they were going to jinx themselves if they told anyone before the first trimester was over. Not even Damian, Beca's closest confidante these days was in on the secret.
It was starting to drive her up a wall honestly, keeping this pregnancy a secret.
But Beca hit 16-weeks this week, she was well out of the first trimester and Dr. Scarlett gave her and the baby a clean bill of health at their appointment last week. There is absolutely nothing standing in their way… except for Beca's stubbornness.
"Why don't you tell me what this is really about, Becs? Because I'm not buying whatever this little act is." Chloe putters about the bedroom getting ready for bed, feeling Beca's eyes follow her movements from the bed. She knows without looking over her shoulder Beca's giving her her best glare.
It's cute really, how she seems to think that still works on Chloe after all this time.
She leans against the dresser leveling Beca with her best glare. The one that usually makes her students fold in 3… 2… 1…
"You can't laugh."
Piece of cake.
"Promise."
Chloe crawls into bed, settling next to her grumpy girlfriend on her side, fingers unconsciously trailing over the barely-there-bump underneath Beca's favorite, well-worn, tank top. She's already dreading taking Beca shopping for maternity clothes.
Should be an interesting evening.
"I like that it's just the two of us and no one else knows, okay?" Beca rushes out on an exhale, a blush spreading all the way down to her chest.
"Aaaawwww, Bec," Chloe curls an arm around Beca's waist tugging her closer to press a kiss into a reddened cheek. And another and another, enjoying the way Beca's blush considerably deepens.
"No, stop it. You said you weren't gonna laugh," Beca practically whines crossing her arms over her stomach and looking not unlike one of Chloe's second graders whenever they don't get their way.
Chloe knows Beca prides herself in presenting this badass persona to the world but she hasn't fooled anyone since her sophomore year at Barden when they all moved into the Bella house.
She'd spent that first week lounging around in oversized sweats and a messy bun that made her 5'2 frame look even smaller. It was kinda hard to take her too seriously after that. If any of their friends could see her now, any lingering threads of that badass would be nonexistent.
"How are you so cute?"
"I'm not cute."
"Yeah 'cause pouting's gonna help your case."
"Chlo, come on."
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. But as adorable as that is," Chloe says, ignoring Beca's objection that she's not adorable either, "we have to tell our family and friends. They might be a little upset if we don't."
Beca goes quiet at that, seemingly considering her words and Chloe takes the opportunity to simply look at her. The way her shoulders slowly relax and how she's nervously biting on her bottom lip. One of her hands tenderly strokes over the gentle swell of her stomach and Chloe's heart melts. Who knew Beca Mitchell had that much softness and warmth in her?
It's absurd how in love she is with this ridiculous, amazing woman. She can't wait to see what other changes their little one brings out in Beca.
"You know it'd be nice if you weren't always right."
"I know."
"Be good and don't sleep in too late and call if you need anything okay?" Chloe stands in front of their vanity, lipstick poised halfway to her lips, trying to catch Beca's eye from the mirror's reflection and huffs when, after a minute, Beca simply burrows deeper into her blanket nest.
She turns and climbs into bed with enough fanfare to hopefully disrupt Beca's light slumber.
Sleepy, dark blue eyes peer up at her from under heavy eyelids once Chloe finally manages to pry the duvet down far enough to uncover Beca's messy bedhead.
Beca whines in protest at being kept from her precious sleep and Chloe can't resist dropping a gentle kiss on her lips.
"Words, please, Mitchell."
"Let me sleep!"
"I will in a minute baby, look at me."
Beca finally ceases her efforts to get away from Chloe and gazes back, bleary eyed. Sleep clings to the corners of her eyes, exhaustion weighing down her features. She hasn't slept much in the last week, though she's tried hard to hide it from Chloe.
Chloe's heart thuds painfully in her chest at the sight; she presses a light, soothing kiss to Beca's forehead as an apology. "We're grabbing coffee at Jitters, I'll only be a few blocks away. You call me if you need anything okay?"
"I'll still be sleeping by the time you're back, babe."
She hopes so. "Still. Please?" She lets a hand linger on Beca's cheek, gently stroking over the apple of her cheek.
"Calling, got it." Beca mumbles through a yawn, already fighting to stay awake.
"Don't forget breakfast, grumpy pants."
"Don't think I don't know what you're doing. Stop stalling, Beale this was your idea."
It's with a heavy sigh that Chloe finally relents and pries herself out of the bed and their warm, mid-morning cocoon. "Shut up."
"Go tell Aubrey she's gonna be an aunt, okay? Take a picture of her gaping fish face please."
"You're the worst. I love you, you dork."
"I love you too, nerd." Beca sighs as she settles in bed again. "Now get outta here and let me sleep."