AN: So EXCITED for Season 5. I can hardly believe it's happening! I can't wait to see what the new showrunners and writers have in store for us.

I am still working on Long Road to Home, but this story comes first chronologically and I've been working on it for weeks. This happens during the week in between episodes 418 and 419 while they are all still on Luke's tour. I apologize for being such a slow writer! Reviews are cherished.

In her short time back home, Juliette had discovered that when Cadence was tired she would knock out no matter where she was, whether it was the crib or her carrier or sprawled across Emily's lap while her mother got her hair and makeup done before a set. The second night of the tour, the baby had slept peacefully in the travel crib set up in Juliette's hotel room, completely unbothered by her mother's steps as she paced the floor waiting for something that hadn't happened. Hours later, Juliette finally gave up on Avery and climbed in bed, settling her body on the cool white sheets and blinking away tears as she stared into darkness. Her daughter sighed in her sleep, a teeny breath of air in the silent room.

Maybe he just needed more time, she thought as a tear burned its way down the side of her face. Maybe he just needed more time to think.

She found out soon enough the next morning that Avery hadn't been doing any thinking. Not about her anyway. Not about anything she'd asked him to consider.

By the time that hellish day ended all she wanted was a hot bath and a dreamless sleep. She went to her dressing room immediately after stepping off stage, exhausted and mind weary with barely enough left in her to pick her dress up off the floor after she let it slide from her hips. She hurriedly changed her clothes and then bent over to grab the dress, the sequins coarse and heavy against her fingers. She threw it over the back of a chair and sat down, letting out a sigh as her eyes blurred with sudden tears. She hated it, but she couldn't stop herself from crying, from breaking into tears any time she thought of what Avery had done. The way he'd done it. Finding out that he'd gone to Layla's bed after everything she'd said to him was bad enough, but when she realized that he'd sent Cadence to her room for the night so that he could, when he had been so hesitant to allow her to have their daughter for more than a few hours at a time…she couldn't reconcile that with the Avery she knew.

Her fingers trembled a little as she brushed the tears from her eyes. She had not expected him to welcome her home with balloons or flowers but she had hoped that they could start being friends again and maybe even work together. Foolish hopes. Avery didn't want to be around her; didn't want to talk to her and didn't want her on the tour, even though it had been her gig to begin with. He could not have made that any plainer. Her husband, now ex-husband, who had loved her more completely than any man ever had, didn't want her back.

Maybe it's for the best, she thought. She had been repeating the words to herself for most of the day, anytime she thought of Avery and Layla writing together, singing together on stage and riding in the tour bus with Cadence. She squeezed her eyes closed, thinking that Layla would have more time with her daughter than she would.

She left the chair, walked to the dresser and grabbed a few tissues so she could dab at her eyes. It would do her no good to sit in her dressing room crying over it. Her tears wouldn't change anything. She'd overheard the conversation between the two of them and though Juliette had at first suspected that Layla was using Avery in some way, she had to acknowledge her sincerity. She wasn't manipulating him. Avery had chosen her. End of story. Juliette choked back a sob and pulled another tissue from the box.

There was a quick knock on the door and then Glenn stuck his head inside.

"Oh, good. I wanted to catch you before you left and remind you about the radio interview tomorrow in Charlo-" His words broke off as he noticed her wiping her eyes. He came fully into the room and closed the door behind him. He didn't say a word, just walked over and pulled her into a hug. He'd had the same reaction earlier when she'd told him that he'd been wrong about music being the only thing between Avery and Layla.

"I'm sorry," he said, patting her back lightly.

Juliette circled her arms around him and cried a little more, broken by the events of the day. Finally, she let out a sigh and stepped away. "I spoke to him earlier and he said he was happy so," she shrugged. "After everything, he deserves to be happy."

"But, honey, so do you," Glenn said, putting his hands on her upper arms. "Look, I'm sorry that it didn't work out with you and Avery, but you deserve to be happy too, Juliette." He gave her a tight smile and put his arm over her shoulders, turning her towards the door. "Let me take you back to the hotel so you can get some rest."

Juliette groaned. "I was so excited about the Oscars and now…"

"Hey," Glenn stopped and faced her, waiting until she looked up at him before he spoke. "I know it hurts but don't let this spoil everything else you've got going on. You're back on tour, you're healthy, and you've got Cadence. And me and Emily." He added the last with a smile. "You've worked so hard for this."

"I know," she said. She blinked at him through the tears that she couldn't seem to stop. "Do you think I don't deserve him?"

Glenn wouldn't lie to her. He'd told her that in the beginning, when she was just a scraggly, know-nothing kid with a big voice and even bigger dreams. He had promised her then that he would never lie to her. She knew his answer would be the truth even if she didn't really want to hear it.

"No, I don't think that, Juliette." He gave her another small hug. "You're going to be fine. Okay?"

She nodded and leaned into his shoulder as he escorted her from the room. "Promise?"

"I promise," he said. "It might take a little while, but trust me on this."

Glenn waited to open the door to his room until she had used her keycard in hers. She waved a goodnight as she pushed her door fully open and was surprised to find Emily and Cadence on the couch. Emily stood and Cadence struggled against her, wanting to be put on the floor.

"Hey," Juliette said. "What are y'all doing here? Avery's letting me have her again tonight?"

Emily shrugged, adjusting Cadence on her hip despite the baby's wiggling. "I thought he might have said something to you."

"No," Juliette said. She took her daughter in her arms and kissed her cheek. "Hi, baby. Why are you awake so late? It's past your bedtime, little girl."

"She was asleep until she heard the door. I was just about to put her in the crib." Emily crossed her arms over her chest. "How was your show?"

Cadence hugged her mother's neck and laid her head on Juliette's shoulder. "It was all right, I guess." She pulled Cadence's pajama shirt down to cover her back. "Luke sang Boomtown with me. I think it was a good show." She stepped out of her shoes and kicked them to the side. "I'm just tired."

"I can take her while you jump in the shower," Emily offered.

"Nah. Don't worry about it, Em. Only thing I want now is to go to bed." She started towards the bedroom but then turned back to her assistant. "I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier."

"It's okay. I know you were upset."

"I was, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you." She turned so the baby was facing Emily. "Say goodnight, Cadence."

"Goodnight, sweet pea," Emily said, patting the baby's hand as she gave a tired wave. "I'll see you guys in the morning."

"'Night." Juliette went into the bedroom as Emily left through the door that adjoined their rooms. She sat on the bed and adjusted the tired baby on her lap. "You want Mama to read to you? Let's get your book." Juliette reached over and picked up the copy of Goodnight Moon from the nightstand where she'd left it the night before. "This is Mama's favorite too. Your grandma used to read this to me sometimes when I was a little girl." Cadence yawned and Juliette kissed her daughter's forehead as she opened the book to the first page. It wasn't long before Cadence's eyes fluttered closed as she fell back to sleep. Juliette finished reading the book anyway, rocking slightly as she held her baby.

She slid the book back on the nightstand and glanced at the crib in the corner. She knew Avery probably wouldn't approve, but she decided to let Cadence sleep in her bed. She didn't want to spend another night alone. Juliette laid Cadence down on the mattress and then pushed most of the pillows onto the floor in case her daughter rolled over. She got in bed and watched as Cadence's chest rose and fell as she slept. She kissed her baby's forehead, praying for such peace. She reached her hand out to turn off the light, then curved her body around her daughter's.

She could feel the beginning of a headache creeping in at the base of her skull and her eyes burned when she closed them. Her day had gone from amazing to terrible in seconds but lying next to Cadence helped tremendously. She inhaled, taking in her daughter's sweet smell. She appreciated any time she got to spend with her child, but couldn't help wondering if Avery had only allowed her to have their daughter so he could spend another night with Layla. She wondered if he hated her that much. Or maybe he was just wanted to be with Layla that much. That was more likely, because it wasn't like Avery to be overtly cruel.

She missed him. And it hurt that Layla had his kindness when he acted as if he could hardly stand to talk to her. Layla had his friendship when he treated her as if she was a nuisance that he had no choice but to deal with.

Her beautiful Avery had been so sweet from the very beginning of their relationship. Gentle and patient but unwilling to take any of her guff. That right there, that he wouldn't let her run over him, had only made him more attractive to her. He'd looked out for her and she came to seek his advice. He was the first person she wanted to talk to when anything good happened in her life. Their relationship wasn't like any she'd had before; he was her first real friend. She hadn't meant to fall for him and when she did it came out of nowhere, bowling her over with the force of a gale. He was dating Scarlett at the time so she tempered those feelings as best she could until she just couldn't help her heart anymore. And when he fell in love with her she knew it. He showed her in a thousand ways. Even after they were married, he didn't often say the words straight out like she would, but his actions shouted what she already knew. She felt his love every single day.

He was her rock throughout the end of her pregnancy when she needed him in ways neither one of them anticipated. That horrible week she had insomnia, he stayed up with her every night. He made her warm milk with cinnamon (which had not worked), watched movies with her and read to her until he dozed off with the book in his hand and she didn't have the heart to nudge him awake. They had walked around the block in the wee hours of the morning, her hand safely enclosed in his. The only way she'd finally been able to fall asleep was lying in his arms, his steady heartbeat thudding behind her.

When she went into labor, she was so thankful to have Rayna there. Would forever be grateful for her reassuring calm in the midst of everything, but it wasn't Rayna's hand she'd expected to hold as she gave birth to her daughter. Avery came in at the last, when the pain had left her nauseous and she was convinced that she wouldn't be able to do it. His presence gave her strength and he had stood by her side, counting while she pushed and holding one leg while Rayna held the other. He kept telling her how good she was doing, how amazing and how strong and how proud he was of her. After hours of pushing, Cadence came in a sudden, slippery rush and a relived Juliette held their squalling daughter while Avery cut the umbilical cord. They both had tears in their eyes as they got their first look at their daughter before she was whisked away to be weighed. Avery took a step towards the baby and then hesitated, torn between going or staying by his wife's side.

"Go with her, babe," Juliette said, squeezing his hand. "I'm okay."

She remembered how he'd beamed when he brought the baby back and handed her over. Rayna had called their daughter a "precious chunk" when she heard the weight and Avery said something about sea salt caramels. They had laughed but all Juliette could do was stare at the baby, at the beautiful new life she and Avery had created.

The next day she could hardly move without grimacing. Her husband was there, helping her out of bed and into the shower. She'd held on his shoulders, unsteady on her feet so soon after giving birth. "Sorry," she'd apologized as she stood in a stream of warm water. "You're getting wet."

"Don't worry about it, baby. Lean against me. I won't let you fall."

He bathed her, almost reverently, gently running a soapy towel over her body. That day, he'd told her he loved her numerous times. Once when he had kneeled down to wash her feet, cradling an ankle in his hand. He moved up her legs, to her thighs and hips. He said it again as he soaped parts of her with his bare hands, his calloused fingers tender as they slid between her breasts and over the skin of her stomach. He washed her shoulders, her arms, her elbows and wrists, her palms and the flesh between her fingers. She turned around and he held her steady with one hand on her hip while he squeezed the towel, letting soap run down her back. He kissed the back of her neck, sending shivers down her spine despite the warmth of the water. He whispered his love in her ear and then washed her hair with the same careful attention he had her body. Afterwards, she faced him and he cupped her face with both hands, tilting her chin until she was looking up at him. "I love you," he said. His lips were trembling as if he were on the verge of tears.

Juliette forgot for a moment that he was still fully dressed and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him a bit further into the shower with her. She wanted to tell him how much she adored him, how much he had changed her life for the better and how full of love her heart was for him and their baby, but she found the words wouldn't come. He'd left her near speechless and it was all she could do to say, "Me too, babe."

Avery wasn't there for her to lean on anymore. Because of everything she'd done, he hadn't been there to stop her from falling. And the person who had stopped her had died doing so. Knowing that she had been the cause of Jeff's death weighed on Juliette like a heavy stone. The guilt was a constant, immutable thing and she didn't think she would ever be able to forgive herself. She'd spent a lot of time wondering why Jeff had saved her and why she was alive and he wasn't, when it wasn't supposed to be that way. She was grateful for her life and for the second chances she'd gotten with Emily and Glenn. Avery was gone, but he had allowed her to see Cadence and to have another shot at motherhood. He certainly hadn't had to, not since she'd signed away all legal rights to their daughter.

Juliette would never forget the day she'd signed the divorce papers agreeing to everything Avery had demanded. She could hardly hold the pen steady and had been crying so hard the words blurred on the page. She could vividly recall when the messenger came and how her hand hung in the air after the girl had taken the envelope from her. She'd signed away her family, the only thing she'd ever wanted. She was alone. Truly alone. And she knew right then that that would never change no matter how many people were around her or how big a crowd she played for. She didn't want to live like that.

Juliette covered her face with one hand, trying to hold back her tears. She didn't want to think of all that while lying next to her baby. Cadence deserved two happy parents. If moving on made Avery happy, Juliette reckoned she'd have to learn to live with that no matter how much it hurt. And for Cadence's sake - for her own sake, she had to pull it together.

"We'll be all right." She smoothed her hand over her daughter's stomach. "Mama promises. We're gonna be all right, baby girl."

Cadence woke up ridiculously early but in a playful mood. They lay in bed for over an hour as Juliette entertained her. She tickled her daughter's feet as they played this little piggy and then itsy-bitsy spider; she wiggled her fingers over Cadence's face as the rain came down. She started a game of peek-a-boo, pulling the blanket over their heads and then snatching it away. Her daughter's giggles made her laugh and she wished she could just stay in and play with Cadence for the entire day. When it was just the two of them everything else seemed to melt away and she felt more herself than she had since she'd been home. Juliette pulled the covers away again and Cadence broke into a fresh set of giggles.

Emily knocked on the bedroom door before opening it. "Good Morning, ladies," she said. "I ordered breakfast. We have to get a move on. The buses are leaving soon." At the sound of her voice, Cadence rolled onto her stomach and crawled over her mother's legs towards the edge of the bed. "Morning, sweetheart," Emily said. She picked the baby up and sat her on her hip.

"Morning." Juliette sat up and swung her feet to the floor. "Can you watch her while I get in the shower?"

"Of course."

"Thanks. I'll be out in a minute," Juliette started towards the bathroom. "And find her socks, please," she called over her shoulder.

"J," Emily said and Juliette turned around in the doorway. "When we get to Charlotte, I was wondering if you might want to go to the spa after your radio interview? Have a girls' day?"

Juliette paused, only because she noted the concern on Emily's face. "I don't think so, Em."

"You have to take care of yourself. That's what Dr. Kitley said."

"I know." She had called her therapist on Emily's insistence and the doctor had stressed self-care. She knew it was important, but didn't feel like an afternoon at the spa would help her feel any better. If she had it her way, she'd get to Charlotte, do the radio interview and then end her day with a tub of ice cream and the biggest spoon she could find. "I'm not really in the mood for a spa day," she said. "But thanks."

They ate breakfast on the couch. Cadence had started out sitting between her mother and Emily, but had wiggled her way to the floor to play with her toys while Juliette and Emily leaned over to feed her spoonfuls of oatmeal and fruit. She pulled up on Emily's leg and reached for her hand, babbling as she waited for her next bite of food.

Juliette broke off a quarter of a banana in her hand and offered it to her daughter. "Come here, baby girl. Walk for Mama."

Cadence smiled and let go of Emily's knee, rocking slightly as she found her balance. She reached for the banana and stumbled, toppling backwards on her bottom.

"So close," Juliette picked her up and kissed her cheek. "So close, my little monkey." She sat Cadence in her lap and handed her the banana.

"Won't be long," Emily said.

"I know. I wonder if I'll even get to see her take her first steps." She made sure the socks were snug on the baby's feet. "I know it's my fault, but I've already missed out on so much with her. I don't really want Avery to miss it either but what are the chances of us being in the same place when she starts walking? He doesn't even want me on this tour."

Emily slid her empty bowl on the coffee table. "I think Avery's trying to-"

"You know what," Juliette interrupted. "I don't even want to talk about him. It's only going to make me upset." She took a bite from the rest of the banana in her hand. "What's my itinerary today?"

Emily sighed, probably at the sudden change of subject but she withheld comment. "Not much. Flying out to Charlotte at 10. Radio interview in the afternoon and then you're done. Show's tomorrow."

"How long is the drive from here?"

"Three or four hours, I'm guessing. As a matter of fact," Emily glanced at her watch, "I should probably get her to Avery soon."

Juliette swallowed and sighed, looking down as her daughter ate the last of the banana. "I wish you could come with me," she said, kissing the top of Cadence's head. The baby picked up her mother's phone from the couch and turned it over in her hands.

"Since you do have the night off," Emily said slowly. "I know you don't want to go to the spa, but we could still do something when we get settled in the hotel."

"Em…"

"I'm not going to let you mope in your room and gorge yourself on a quart of rocky road ice cream."

"I wouldn't have eaten the entire thing," Juliette said in a weak defense. Emily tilted her head to the side and looked at her. Juliette shrugged. "I wouldn't have."

"No moping. No ice cream," Emily said. Juliette raised one eyebrow at her assistant but Emily ignored her. "We could go work out."

"Work out?" Juliette considered. She hadn't been in a gym in weeks but maybe that kick of adrenaline she got from an intense workout would jar her out of the funk she was in, at least temporarily. "You're gonna have to keep up. I'm not going to slow down for you." She warned.

"You won't have to," Emily said.

"Fine. Then I guess we'll have a girls' day after all."

Cadence suddenly flung her arms open, throwing the phone in a wide arc. It crashed against the coffee table and then the floor. Juliette leaned forward to pick it up, groaning when she saw that the screen had cracked.

"I just got that replaced," Emily said, holding out her hand for the phone. "If there was ever any doubt that she's yours," she quipped. "I think that proves it."