Chloe fidgeted in her seat, coffee in hand, as she sat in the living room. She was anxious; it was the day.
"Valentine's Day. Fuck my life," Chloe muttered to herself before taking a sip, "Max probably has some hella grandiose plan already hatched."
Having tuckered out Ellie last night with board games and nerf gun fights, their little nerdling slept in her bedroom while Max was also passed out in her and Chloe's bedroom. It had been a long week for Max; shoots, gallery exhibits, and deadlines had taken up most of her time. The brunette deserved to sleep in, so Chloe obliged. Randomly picking up a photography journal from the coffee table, Chloe flipped through it and caught an image Max had done for a mainstream clothing company. My big nerd is getting up there in the world, she thought with a smile as she set the magazine back down with it open on Max's double-page spread.
Chloe examined the picture, a woman scantily-clad in lace and leather, and smirked. If someone had told Max ten years ago that she would be doing those kind of shots, she probably would have spit out whatever she drinking at the time. That was how much Chloe's wife had matured over the years, growing more accustomed to the world of photography. She still took her selfies and used the Polaroid camera Chloe had given her a decade ago on shoots, but Chloe had to stifle the laughter building inside of her if 18-year-old Max were to meet her present-day self. It'd kinda be night and day. Kinda, Chloe thought before she nearly jumped when two freckled arms wrapped themselves around her shoulders and a kiss was planted on her cheek.
"Thanks for letting me sleep in. Wowser, I needed that," Max said groggily before she walked over to the kitchen for her own specially-made coffee. Chloe drank hers black, but Max had a routine with hers. Cinnamon, sugar, and a little bit of steamed soy milk.
"No problem, babe," Chloe said as she looked over the back of the sofa to see Max wearing nothing but an oversized Paramore t-shirt and smiley face slippers, "Uh, Happy Valentine's Day…?"
"Really? It's today?" Max asked wryly, raising both her eyebrows, "I had totally forgotten…"
"Bullshit."
"Yeah, it's bullshit," Max said as she curled up next to Chloe on the couch, tucking her legs underneath her as she rested her head on Chloe's shoulder between a couple quick sips of her coffee, "That needs to cool a little. Again, though – thanks for letting me crash. I've been so busy this week I was hella tired."
"A lady has no problem letting her lady crash hard when she needs to," Chloe said in a superfluous manner, sticking her pinkie out as she raised her mug to her lips for a drink, "Besides, I kinda like having a little alone time in the mornings every now and then. Pipsqueak's still fast asleep, and the breather is greatly appreciated."
"You two were at it late, last night," Max added, leaning up from her spot to teasingly nibble on Chloe's ear, "Who won?"
"I did, 'course," Chloe said with a wink, "Ellie passed out halfway through so I had the advantage."
"Cheater."
"Hey, winning's winning," Chloe said with a Cheshire grin, "So, tell me. Any plans for tonight? Or, rather, the day in general?"
"Depends. You off?"
"I'm free as a bird," Chloe remarked.
"Well, then," Max said as she sipped at her coffee before draining it, the beverage having hit her ideal temperature, "How's about you come back to bed and I make you say 'Wowser'…"
"Mommies!" Ellie screeched as she came running from her room to tackle both of her mothers, Chloe deftly lifting her coffee-laden hand up so as to avoid spilling the hot beverage on her daughter or wife, "Mommies, it's Valentine's Day!"
"We know, punkin, we know," Max said with a tired laugh as she lifted Ellie up and sat the small child on her lap, "Mommy is Momma's valentine, but you're both Momma and Mommy's. Who's yours?"
"Dunno yet. Aunt Kate wants us to bring chocolates for everyone…," Ellie said matter-of-factly as she shrugged, "Do I have to pick a girl, or a boy?"
"You pick whoever you like, Pipsqueak," Chloe said, gently poking Ellie's nose with a "Boop!" for good measure, "…Wait. Do you like anyone in your class?"
"C-Chloe...," Max stammered. It was preschool; Max was not ready for that kind of pressure.
"Nah, not really," Ellie said with another shrug before she started playing with the hem of the too-big Overwatch shirt, "I jus' thought you were supposed to like someone."
"Nope! Liking someone like Momma likes Mommy is not a pre-requisite," Chloe said with another "Boop!" to her daughter's nose, "You just give candy to your friends and you can all be each other's valentines!"
"Ye!" Ellie cried out as she jumped off of Max's lap and went running back to her room, "I'mma get ready for school, Mommy!"
"'Kay, punkin!" Max called out after her daughter before nestling back into her spot, "Raincheck on sexy shenanigans?"
"I'm gonna cash that check real soon, y'know."
"You better," Max said slyly, poking Chloe in the chest before leaning in to passionately kiss her wife.
"Have a good day at school, punkin!" Max waved at her daughter as the child looked back at her and grinned while running with a shopping bag full of chocolates towards the classroom door. Max could just make out Kate's trademark bun of hair as the door closed behind Ellie. Looking to Chloe, the taller woman standing beside her, Max wrapped her arms around one of Chloe's and nuzzled her neck in the empty hallway, "Now what?"
"Wanna go for a drive?" Chloe offered, a mischievous gleam in her eye.
"Uh, depends on what you have in mind…," Max said after eyeing Chloe for a moment, "What've you got up your sleeve, Price?"
Chloe remained tight-lipped throughout the drive and it was after about fifteen minutes outside of Seattle that Max knew where they were headed. Gripping onto her armrests a little tightly, knuckles white, Max figured out that they were headed to Arcadia Bay. The town had been rebuilt over the years, painstaking work, but neither of them had ever bothered to return. Chloe's family had moved up to the Seattle area, and Max's already lived there. There had been no point, not to mention that so many horrible things had happened in the town that it scarred both women, though Max to a greater extent due to her powers. Her anxiety kicking into overdrive as they drove through Portland, Max begged Chloe to pull over at a gas station and she lit up a joint of medicinal marijuana to calm her nerves. Leaning against the SUV, Max heard the driver's side door open and close and watched Chloe come around the front to lean against the hood. Their eyes met and Max's instinctively narrowed a bit. Chloe's knows what that place did, to both of us. What got into her head that this would be a good idea? Max thought as she snuffed out the roach with her boot heel and folded her arms across her chest.
"You're mad at me?" Chloe asked innocently.
"You wouldn't be?" Max shot back before taking a deep breath, "I'm…not mad, babe. Just hella confused. I mean, wowser, going back to Arcadia Bay? For Valentine's Day? What about Ellie? What about-?"
"The pipsqueak is gonna get looked after by Kate and Vic until we get back and it's just two stops there," Chloe said reassuringly, walking over to place her hands on Max's shoulders, "Sweetie, I would never do this unless I felt it was hella important. Trust me."
"You know I do," Max said, unfolding her arms to wrap them around Chloe's waist, "But why now?"
Max watched as Chloe pulled back and spun around on her heel, scratching at her beanie. Unable to see her wife's face, Max could not figure out heads or tails of the situation until Chloe turned around to face her, a serious look of concern on her face.
"Do you know how often you cry in your sleep? How many nights I've held you? I've lost track, Max. It's so common that I pull you to me half the time because I know that you'll need me even when you're asleep. I know you've got PTSD from the place – shit, if anybody would have it from that week it'd be you. I'm… I don't want you to be in so much pain anymore. I want to help."
"You do help me, just by being with me," Max implored, taking a step forward, "You love me, you married me, and we have a child together. We're raising a little girl, our sweet Eloise."
"But you're still in pain. I can see it; moments where you just vanish into your head and come out looking tired or like you're about to cry. Nights where I'm spooning you like I'm sheltering you from another storm. We both need to go back, if only to try and lessen the burden."
Max listened carefully to Chloe's words; her wife was hurting because she was hurting. The pain in Chloe's eyes came from Max's pain and it was beautifully sweet and heartbreaking. Max did not know what to say to that; speechless, she could only open her mouth as if to speak and promptly clamp it shut. Hanging her head, Max put a hand to her face as she felt the tears getting ready to unload only to feel a finger and thumb gently lift her chin up. Looking at Chloe through her watery eyes, Max saw the kind smile and choked back the sobbing that she knew could come at any moment.
"I love you. I love us, our family, and I want us to face this together," Chloe said, almost defiantly, before kissing Max on the forehead, "But if you don't wanna go we don't have to. I can totally see us having a Valentine's Day Portland trip. It'd be like when we finally got to Portland the first time, remember?"
"H-How could I forget?" Max managed to choke out with a weak laugh as she rubbed at her eyes with the back of a hand, "You actually got me to try weed. You kinda remember that sort of stuff."
"Annnnd you got a sick tattoo, too. Even if it was henna," Chloe added, the crooked grin of ten years ago back on her face, "C'mon, Max. Trust me on this."
"Alright. Alright, I'll go," Max conceded, "But I'm smoking in the car."
"I'll air-freshener her up later so our tiny tot doesn't smell it. No worries," Chloe said as she opened the passenger door for Max, "After you."
"Why, thank you," Max said with a goofy smile as she climbed into the SUV with Chloe shutting the door behind her, "You're such a dork."
The drive to Arcadia Bay was like a time machine in of itself, old music and a marijuana haze drifting both Max and Chloe back to ten years ago. They talked about Blackwell, about late night pool swims and Chloe's lame attempt at getting Max to kiss her for the first time. Chloe laughed when Max admitted that she had rewound that a few times to get the kiss over and over again, further fueling the more upbeat mood that was making its way through them both. They were ten years older, ten years together, and all the stronger for it. Their hands held as Chloe took the wheel with her other while Max would occasionally check up on Ellie through texts from Kate, Max hardly noticed that they had pulled into the parking lot for the lighthouse path. Hearing the engine switch off, Max's head popped up and she blinked a few times in disbelief before looking over at Chloe as her compatriot got out of the car.
"C'mon, hippie. You still need to shake that bony white ass," Chloe teased from outside the SUV as Max got out with some trepidation.
"My ass isn't that bony anymore," Max said with a laugh, "I guess I have carrying Ellie for nine months to thank for the slight curves I have now."
"Our pipsqueak, the magic-maker," Chloe said as she took Max's hand and began to lead her up the wooded path, "C'mon, slowpoke."
The walk up the woodland path was long, Chloe having elected to match the pace Max set rather than try to speed the brunette up the hill. She wanted to observe Max some, make sure her wife was doing okay. This trip back to Arcadia Bay had been a spur-of-the-moment idea, but the intentions behind it were well-founded. Chloe was tired of her wife's suffering, and wanted to try and do something about it. Her meds help, and I know that me an' little Ellie help tons, but when she has a flashback or nightmare the situation's almost like we are starting all over for a little bit. She'll withdraw, isolate in her office space, and do nothing but work. I don't want it to affect our family life, y'know? Chloe thought to herself, thin-lipped, as she walked alongside Max while the brunette slowly made the climb up the trail. They had reached the final sign pointing in the direction of the lighthouse when Max finally spoke.
"You've got this," Max said, albeit to herself, before looking over at Chloe standing next to her, "Will you…ugh, this is lame… Will you hold my hand, keep me grounded in case I lose my shit?"
"Of course, babe. Like you have to ask," Chloe replied, holding onto Max's outstretched hand.
The hilltop was a tad chilly with no trees to block the slight wind picking up off the coastal waters as Max and Chloe ascended the last part of the trail to stand on the bare hilltop. The rock pile cleared long ago, a small gazebo had been erected and the old bench sat in its usual spot. The shed by the repaired lighthouse was covered with even more graffiti and the trash can bolted to the ground by it was near to bursting with beer bottles and takeout bags from fast food places. Skipping the gazebo, it's two small tables bare and lonesome, Max led Chloe to the bench and stood for a moment behind it. Leaning against it with her free hand, Max looked out across the bay to where Arcadia Bay stood.
"It… It looks different, and yet the same," Max noted, scrutinizing the town from a distance while trying to keep her emotions and anxiety in check, "Life…Life is weird like that, I guess."
"Did Joyce tell you they rebuilt Two Whales?" Chloe asked, though it was more of a subtle mentioning.
"What? The diner's back?"
"Yep! It's been back for a while now. Same owner, the whole retro-y shtick," Chloe said as she led Max around the bench so they could sit down, "Man, this place brings back a lot of things."
"Yeah…," Max said, growing distant as her eyes seemed to look somewhere beyond the picturesque view laid out before her. Chloe tightened her grip on Max's hand to reel her wife back.
"Dude, not every memory here is terrible or horrible. Remember, this is where we first got back together as buds, you following me up here after David busted me for the pot I'd been smoking. Also, we used to hang here all the time as kids. See?" Chloe said, pointing over at the weathered tree stump that was still marked with their etching.
"Yeah. Yeah, I guess it wasn't all bad up here…," Max said, a weak smile on her face as she tried to look past the darkness of that week in October of 2013, "…It's just hard to be here and not think about the…the storm, or what it did to the town. That whole week. This place kinda just conjures it up, y'know?"
"I know, babe. I know," Chloe said, patting Max's hand only to interweave her fingers into it again, "But you made it up here. You made it back here. And hey, you've managed to not 'lose your shit.' Hella bonus."
Max smirked at Chloe's remark, chuckling a bit at her partner as she fumbled through her camera bag to pull out the old Polaroid camera she had been given by Chloe that week. Checking to see if it had any film, Max slapped in a new cartridge and pulled Chloe in for a selfie together. Holding the camera up in the air, the moment almost felt like a victory to Max. She had made it back to Arcadia Bay; they had survived the storm, together.
"To new memories," Max said, smiling as she leaned her head against Chloe's and took the shot.
The drive back to Seattle was mercifully shorter than it should have been, thanks mostly to a lack of stops and Chloe's speeding. Electing to not make Chloe's second stop at Two Whales, the visit to the lighthouse being enough to take for one day, Max had taken her anti-anxiety pills and laid asleep in the back seat. Keeping the music's volume low, Chloe played all the songs she remembered listening to back when she had been a resident of the Bay. Overall, Chloe thought the trip had been good for both of them, but a little overwhelming for Max at the end. She had tried to convince Max that Two Whales would be a great finish for their brief visit to the small coastal town, but had readily caved when Max told her she would rather just go home. I hope I didn't put her too much through the wringer, Chloe thought as she glanced in the rear-view mirror to see Max dozing off from her medication, It's Valentine's Day, after all. I…I just wanted to do something right by her, help her out. Let her know that I care. I mean, of course she knows I care – we're married – but I wanted to take that extra step. I hope I just didn't hella overstep... Hearing Max groggily wake up from her drug-induced sleep, Chloe snickered and looked in the rear-view mirror again to wink at her wife as they headed into Seattle.
"Damn, woman, you better be well-rested because it's Valentine's Day and you're totally not off-the-hook for that," Chloe joked as Max sleepily grinned and climbed from the back seat to the passenger seat once they had reached a red light, "You okay?"
"I'm much better now," Max said, yawning, as she stretched a little in her seat before looking out the window, "Wowser, I slept the whole way? Chloe, you should've woke me up – I could've driven some-"
"Dude, the last time you drove while on your meds we nearly hit a parked car," Chloe said in a flat tone, smirk on her face, "Relax, babe, and lemme go get Ellie from Kate and Vic's place while you wake the fuck up, m'kay?"
"Fine. Fine, that's fine," Max said after yet another yawn, Chloe laughing as she pulled into a parking spot at Kate and Victoria's apartment building, "I'll just sit here…a-and…"
"Wake up, Max," Chloe said mischievously, poking her wife in the ribs with a finger to get Max squirming with eyes alert and open almost instantly, "Be right back, babe."
Max looked out her window, watching Chloe as she ran into the building, then looked down at her hands. Clenching them into fists, Max brought them up to her temples and fought back the urge to just bawl; she did not want to do this to Chloe and Ellie, not on Valentine's Day, but sometimes just being hurt like hell. She and Chloe had been through so much together, and the fact that Chloe proactively tried to help by taking her back to Arcadia Bay meant a lot to the diminutive brunette. The idea of being there again and actually setting foot on the hilltop were two different things, however, and Max could not reconcile the mixed emotions stewing around inside of her. She loathed Chloe a bit for doing what she did, but loved her tenfold as much for doing it as well. The fuck is wrong with me?, Max thought as she squeezed her eyes shut. She was tempted to take another dose of her anti-anxiety medication and just trip balls the rest of the day in a fugue state through whatever Chloe had in mind for Valentine's Day – Max had thought up something simple, them ordering food and just being together. Now… Now, she did not know what she wanted.
"Mommy!" Max heard a shout from outside and opened her eyes to see Ellie in Chloe's arms, the little girl's smile fading as she tugged on Chloe's collar and looked at her momma, "Momma, Mommy looks sad. Why's Mommy sad?"
"Uh, Mommy's had a rough day, pipsqueak. Kinda Momma's fault," Chloe said as she opened the back passenger door one-handed while hefting Ellie in the other. Locking Ellie in her car seat, Chloe ruffled her daughter's green hair, "Momma's gonna do everything in her power to make it all better, though, mm'kay?"
"Ye!" Ellie said excitedly before looking over at her visibly-pained mommy, "Mommy, I got lotsa chocolates today! Everybody was everybody's valentine!"
"That's sweet, punkin," Max said absently, glancing at Ellie through the rear-view mirror before looking over at Chloe as she climbed back into the driver's seat, "I'm exhausted."
"I know, babe. I know," Chloe said, patting Max on the thigh, "How about we just chillax for V-Day? Order in some good eats, watch stupid, sappy movies, and spend the time away together?"
"That sounds perfect," Max said, pausing for a moment before leaning over to kiss Chloe on the cheek, "And thank you, for today. I know how much you want to help, Chlo. I've always known. Today was…just kinda shellshock-y…"
"Yeah. Not the smoothest move for a Valentine's Day surprise, I guess," Chloe said sheepishly as she started to drive them all back to their apartment complex, "But I wanted you to know how much you mean to me. It is V-Day, after all."
"I know how much I mean to you, and you know how much you mean to me," Max said, warming up a little inside as she started to withdraw from her self-imposed emotional isolation, "How much both of you mean to me. You better left your moms some of those chocolates, punkin. We wanna be your valentines, too."
"You can't be my valentines, Mommies," Ellie said in a tone that made it sounds as though that were obvious, "You're each other's valentines. You're my mommies."
"She's got you there, Maxaroni," Chloe said with a chuckle as Max slumped in her seat and fake-pouted at her daughter from the rear-view mirror, "D'aww, you're so cute when you pout."
"Shush," Max said, her feigned pout turning into a warm smile as she unbuckled her seat in the moving vehicle and climbed back to sit with her daughter, "Soooo, let Mommy see your haul. We don't want you binging on candy all night. Gonna spread this load o' chocolate for a while, kiddo."
"Awww, but Mommy…"
Max sat in the living room with Ellie, both having changed into her sleep clothes, while Chloe was on the phone ordering Thai food for dinner. The day had turned out to be lousy for Max, especially for a Valentine's Day. She had wanted to take Chloe and Ellie to a nice restaurant, get all "dolled up" as Chloe would say, and have some romantic time with her wife after their little pipsqueak had been put to bed. Instead, she was in her PJs with Ellie playing Resident Evil 7 while Chloe snagged them some Thai food. Wowser, what a goddamn day, Max thought as she heard Ellie giggle through the headphones she was wearing with the PSVR; while Chloe would not care too much about Ellie seeing a horror game, Max had no desire to cause her daughter nightmares as she ran through the hallways of the game's main house.
"Mommy, I wanna play!" Ellie cried out, more than loud enough for Max to hear a "Ellie, shush" from Chloe as Max lifted up the headset briefly once she had paused the game to look at her daughter, "Mommy, please?"
"When you're a big girl and it's not so close to bedtime… Maybe," Max said with a teasing grin as she ruffled her daughter's hair before setting the old PS4 Pro to rest mode, "Now, punkin, just what are we gonna do with all this candy? Can't have you eating it all at once, y'know…"
"C-Can I have some now?" Ellie asked excitedly, moving to sit right next to Max, tugging at her mother's shirt sleeve, "Can I?"
"I dunno. Will you behave and not get a sugar rush?" Max asked, eyeing her daughter with a faint smile on her face as she feigned appraising the situation.
"Hewwa behave, I promise!"
"One," Max said, lifting a finger, "You get one piece now, and another after dinner. That's it for tonight. Deal?"
"Yeeee!" Ellie cried out as she ran to the bag on the kitchen counter and grabbed what looked to Max like a truffle of some sort. Watching Ellie look at her with a winning smile before heading into her bedroom, Max slowly got up off the living room floor and sauntered over to the kitchen as Chloe finished her call. Sliding her arms around the taller woman's hips, Max hugged the blue-haired punk from behind and nuzzled Chloe's back.
"Hey," Max said warmly, "Sorry for being a buzzkill."
"Nah, we're good. Food's on the way, and it's kinda my bad for thinking that taking you back to Arcadia Bay today was a good idea," Chloe said as she intertwined her finger's with Max's.
"It's the thought that counts, my love, and it was hella sweet of you. I… I know it must've been pretty hard for you, too."
"Yeah…," Chloe said before shrugging, "But I do have something in the bedroom for you that might yet save V-Day for us."
Looking over Chloe's shoulder, having to stand on her tip-toes to do so, Max caught Chloe's mischievous grin before it vanished from her wife's face and narrowed her eyes out of suspicion.
"What are you up to, Chloe Price-Caulfield?"
"Just gimme a few minutes and you'll see, Max Price-Caulfield," Chloe said with a slight bubbly tone to her voice as she detached herself from Max and nearly skipped into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.
Max raised her eyebrows and opened her mouth to speak but clamped it shut just as quickly, not wanting to spoil whatever it was Chloe had in store. Going instead to Ellie's room, Max giggled at the sight of her daughter sitting in the middle of her bed with a chocolate smear around her mouth and a huge grin on her freckled face. Walking back out into the small hallway, Max entered the bathroom and wetted down a washcloth before wringing it and returning to wipe her daughter's face clean.
"Let's get that chocolate off your face, punkin," Max said with a grin on her face as she gently wiped away the sticky treat's remnants clean from around Ellie's mouth, "Was it good?"
"Ye! It had a creamy center, and it tasted like white chocolate, and it felt all melty as it went down my tummy!" Ellie said, elated at her prized delight as she played with the foil wrapper, "Can I have 'nother one of those after dinner?"
"Of course, Ellie," Max assured her daughter, tossing the soiled wash rag from Ellie's doorway into the bathroom opposite the hallway. Hefting her daughter up into her arms, Max nuzzled Ellie's neck and gave her a large kiss on the cheek, "You're my lil sweetie. So delicious…"
"Mommy, I'm not candy!" Ellie giggled, squirming in Max's arms as Max tickled her neck with little kisses, "Mommy, nooooo~!"
"What's goin' on out there?" Chloe asked from inside the closed main bedroom, "What are you two up to? Is it shenanigans?"
"Mommy's tryin' to eat me, Momma! Help!" Ellie cried out, still giggling, as she squirmed her way out of Max's arms and ran into the kitchen, "Mommaaaa!"
"Momma can't save you now…," Max teased in a sing-song voice as she play-stalked her daughter, chasing Ellie through the small kitchen area and into the living room where she scooped her up and blew a raspberry on the little girl's belly. Ellie burst into a hysterical fit of giggles as Max heard the bedroom door open. Facing away, Max set a giggling Ellie down on the couch and her jaw dropped at the sight of Chloe.
Dressed up in a black suit jacket and white button-down shirt with her nice pair of jeans and dressy combat boots, Chloe looked like she was ready for a night on the town. Smiling wryly as she strutted over to Max, Chloe took her wife in her arms and kissed the brunette passionately with Ellie smiling as she watched her mommies. Pulling back for a moment to catch her breath, Max smiled and bumped her nose up against Chloe's before wrapping her arms around Chloe's neck to lean in for another kiss. The taller woman met the kiss with her parted lips and both giggled a little as Ellie gasped when they kissed with just a little tongue.
"Mommies, is that how grown-ups kiss?" Ellie asked, now very inquisitive, as she tugged on Max's sleep shorts.
"Yeah, pipsqueak, that's how grown-ups kiss sometimes," Chloe said, beaming down at her daughter as Max laid her head against Chloe's chest, "You okay, babe?"
"I… I'm in my sleep clothes, a-and you're all dressed up nice. I feel like I ruined Valentine's Day," Max sheepishly replied, hiding her face by burying it in Chloe's jacket.
"Max," Chloe said, pulling back so that Max would have to look at her, "Every day is V-Day when I'm with you. I don't need a special occasion to let you know how I feel about you. We've been married for years, and together for over a decade now. If anything, Valentine's Day reminds me just how lucky I am to have you in my life. I love you, Max. I love you so much."
"C-Chloe…," Max said, hand to her mouth as happy tears trickled down her cheeks. Waving her free hand for Chloe to come to her, Max wrapped her arms around her partner and held Chloe tightly as Ellie got to her feet and hugged her mommies, "Happy Valentine's Day."
"Happy V-Day, babe. Love you."
"Love you, too."
"Ye!"
Max leaned up, on her tip-toes, and brought her lips close to Chloe's ear.
"…You better be cashing in that raincheck tonight, lady."
"Hella yes," Chloe whispered back, a crooked grin on her face.
Happy Valentine's Day, Cinnamon Rolls 3
Stay hella!