So I've only seen the penultimate episode, the finale's airing tonight for me, so maybe something that'll be revealed will totally make everything about this story impossible. But from the very second that Beth mentioned bringing the baby to the arcade like they'd done for Chloe and Danny when they were little, I knew that I had to do it. Also while I'm in the author's notes- why does Chloe not have a character slot? It seems odd.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, settings or events of Broadchurch.
All the Lights and Sounds
They'd been relieved when it was a girl.
Truth be told, if the rosy baby had been too much like Danny, it would have been hard, impossible or painful to be happy about it. But no, they'd gotten a rosy baby girl alongside a change of mind, heart and scenery. The baby, after all, couldn't just take Danny's room. She needed her own, and so they'd moved into a clean new house in which no police officer (save Ellie, of course) had stepped foot, whose windows offered a gorgeous view and who was much closer to a few of Chloe's friends' house.
Far from home at present, the baby was bundled up in a blanket sprinkles with polka dots- all blues, brown or pink, one that Chloe's mates had found. It'd become the favourite, despite how baby toys seemed to come left and right- from Nigel, from the people at the Echo, Ellie...
Mark held the door open and Beth slid through- which she couldn't have managed only months ago, she reminded herself.
"Where do we begin?" Chloe asked looking out at all the games.
"Getting the tokens," Mark said ruffling her hair.
"You know what I meant," she scoffed.
Air hockey ended up being the first stop. As Chloe scrambled to try and hold a candle to Mark, Beth leaned against a nearby machine and readjusted her grip on the baby.
"If you keep wiggling someone's going to think that you want to get dropped," Mark said, poking Alexa's nose with a fingertip. "I'll take her."
"After saying that?"
Mark grinned.
"Chloe's rubbish at this, I think that you're more up her speed," he said.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Beth asked. Mark managed to slide the baby out of her arms and into his own.
"Go," he said. "You've got to play too. This is a family thing, you said so yourself."
"She knows I'll beat her," Chloe taunted. That she couldn't let her daughter, well- her eldest daughter-, get away with. So she slid the diaper bag off her shoulder and over Mark's and off she went, to beat Chloe (who really was garbage). Mark was engrossed in a game of peek-a-boo with Alex, and so they tried their hand at the teddy picker. Mark's conviction that any game with a claw was configured to cheat the player meant that they played rarely but at every occasion to get him going. This time they actually succeeded in grabbing a plush elephant, which Chloe carried and reminded Mark of proudly and at any occasion.
A hybridised basketball mini-game was next on the menu, followed by a racing game that reminded Beth of why they still weren't teaching Chloe how to drive. Mark deposited Alexa back into Beth's arms to try out the shooting games- which Chloe was very much against. The rant she delivered was probably quoted from the new, vegan, tree-hugging girl next door that she'd recently befriended. Alexa was also against it judging by the crying which limited Mark's playing time to one round.
"I'm very sorry," he said kissing her forehead.
When they brought her to the pinball machines, the various 'dings' and flashing lights as the ball bounced around from obstacle to barrier shushed Alex's tears and raised some giggling.
"You like that, do you?" Beth said readjusting Alexa's blankets yet again. It was getting warm in the arcade. As soon as they were out, small, meaty hands started flailing around and trying to catch onto what they could. Beth's hair was just out of reach, to the baby's disappointment. It loved Chloe's hair, and got frustrated with Mark and Dean for their lack of. Anyways, Alexa settled for Beth's blouse collar and didn't let go. She had such a grip for a tiny thing.
"I did it!" Chloe cried. They'd come full circle, back to the air hockey table, where Chloe had finally scored on Mark for the first time.
"Well done," Beth said.
"Chips are on me, then," Mark said.
"You were paying one way or another," Chloe said.
Alexa giggled.
"She agrees with me," Chloe said approaching. "Don't you Alex?" She blew a raspberry on her little sister's forehead and Alexa giggled.
"I don't think she understands you," Mark said.
"She could be a prodigy, for all you know." Chloe said.
"The next Mozart or Picasso, curled up in a polka-dotted blanket as we speak," Beth said. "I like the sound of that. It'd make up for your exam results…"
"Mum," Chloe sighed.
Mark put an arm around each of them. "Not now, Beth. We were on the subject of chips."
And so there were chips in the picture only minutes later, doused in vinegar and spreading oil on everyone's fingertips. Chloe, sandwiched between her parents, had Alexa in her lap. Her free arm stole fries left and right. Whoever's mouth was empty was making nonsense noises at the baby, who was trying to grab chips much like her sister. With less success of course, for lack of practise.
Beth had been right. The baby had liked all the lights and sounds at the arcade.
But perhaps more importantly, so had all the Latimers. The glow of nightlights and the cooing of a baby had been welcomed with open arms into the household.