Much to her surprise, Cat's parents are more supportive of her than anyone would have ever expected them to be. Both Tom and Julie Valentine were very traditional people and Cat was terrified to tell them that she had gotten pregnant before she was married, especially because she wasn't even with the baby's father anymore. But they didn't freak out, they didn't kick her out of the house. They seemed a bit disappointed in her, which was fair because even Cat was a bit disappointed in herself, but they said they would support whatever choice that she decided to make.
Both of them agreed that given their daughter's situation, adoption would be the most logical course of action. But when she tells them that she wants to keep the baby and raise it herself, they are both admittedly a bit excited. They had been a bit older than most people are when they decided to have their own children, and the thought of actually being alive to see their first grandchild be born warmed their hearts. Tom had encountered some health problems as of late, so both he and his wife know it is important to cherish opportunities like this when they come around.
Cat is so eternally grateful for all of the love she receives from everyone around her who loves her. Deep down in her heart she knows that even if everyone turned against her for doing so, she would still want to keep her baby. She already loves it more than she could ever imagine loving anyone ever. But between the support from her parents, and from Beck and Jade, she feels as if she isn't even doing it alone. Her and her baby are so loved by so many people her heart could burst.
She never finds out that Beck went to confront Robbie that night; neither of the men bring it up to her. Jade never finds out either, at least to the full extent. She asks her husband about a week or so after it happens if he has spoken to Robbie at all, and he tells her that he has. He explains that he and Robbie are no longer on speaking terms but doesn't go into any more detail than that, and Jade can tell that it upsets him so she doesn't push him.
When Cat is roughly four and a half months pregnant, Beck gets cast in a movie that requires him to be on location filming in New Zealand for six weeks. The part is a great opportunity for him and has an almost guarantee of a sequel if all goes well so although Jade is upset they'll have to spend so much time apart, she can't be really all that upset. Beck tries to convince her to make plans to fly out and visit him for a few days during filming but due to her own filming schedule for her TV show, she knows she won't be able to make it work. Jade assures him that she'll be fine, that she'll have work to keep her busy and Cat will be around to keep her company. He knows she's right.
"God, Meryl Streep is everything I aspire to be and more..." Jade sighs, grabbing the television remote off of her bedside table and switching it off
The room falls dark, with the only illumination coming from Cat's phone as it lights up her face. Jade had convinced her to spend the night tonight, and the two of them were currently laying in Beck and Jade's bed, having just finished watching Florence Foster Jenkins. Their night had been filled with typical sleepover activities: movies, mani/pedis, junk food (selected according to Cat's cravings), and now staying up way too late. It felt so familiar to both of them, it felt like high school.
"One day there will be some twenty-something up and coming actress laying in bed with her best friend saying 'God, Jade West is everything I aspire to be and more'. Just wait." Cat tells her
"Jade West Oliver." Jade corrects her
Legally, her name is Jade Oliver. That's what her driver's license and all of her legal documents say. But by the time she and Beck had gotten married, she already had a few acting credits under her belt as Jade West, one of which included the first season of the TV show she's currently working on. So professionally, she's known as Jade West Oliver.
"Yeah, yeah." Cat chuckles, laying down on her side to face her friend "You get my point."
"I'm not the next Meryl." Jade sighs "There isn't one, no one can top her."
"You might not be the next Meryl, but you can certainly be the first Jade." Cat reminds her
"I love you." Jade grins "Maybe one day you can be the Cher to my Meryl."
"Maybe." Cat laughs "I think I have some stuff I need to worry about first though before I can start worrying about a career in Hollywood."
"Yeah, how's Squirt doin' in there anyways?"
"Squirt is great." Cat smiles at the mention of her baby "Wanna feel something cool?"
"Always."
Cat moves the blankets back a bit on the bed and grabs her friend's hand, pressing it to her baby bump, that is growing more and more every day, and applying just the slightest bit of pressure right about where her appendix is. Jade knows exactly what she is waiting for, but she's still amazed when she feels something inside of Cat brush up against her hand.
"Oh my god!" She exclaims "When did that start?"
"Yesterday." Cat giggles, rubbing her stomach a bit "Weird isn't it?"
"Yeah." Jade agrees "But it's the coolest kind of weird. Was that a hand or a foot do you think?"
"I'm pretty sure it was a foot." Cat tells her
"There's really a baby in there..."
"Yeah." Cat laughs "I'm not just getting fat for no reason."
"Oh come on, you know what I mean."
"I know, I know."
"Can I feel again?" Jade asks
"Of course." Cat laughs, taking her hand once again "I'm sure all of the ice cream we ate will have this one more than active tonight."
"When do you get to find out if it's a boy or a girl?"
"At my appointment next week." Cat grins "You have to come with me."
"Cat, I'm booked solid filming next week," Jade frowns ",remember?"
"You really can't get away?"
"Not if we want to keep up with our production schedule." Jade sighs "Maybe you can FaceTime me in?"
"Promise me you'll answer?"
"Of course." Jade assures her "I wouldn't miss out on that."
"Wait hang on." Jade says to Cat as she answers her FaceTime call "Let me get somewhere quieter."
"Jade I-"
"I said hang on!" Jade tells her, making her way back to her dressing room and closing the door behind her "Okay, we've got about eight to ten minutes before they figure out I'm not on set anymore."
"The umbilical cord is wrapped between its legs." Cat says flatly
"What?"
"The umbilical cord." Cat repeats "It's wrapped between the baby's legs, they can't get a clear picture of anything down there."
"Are you serious?"
"Dead serious." A voice from the background of Cat's end of the call says, Jade assumes it must be the ultrasound technician
"So, what does that mean exactly then?"
"It means I won't know if the baby is a boy or a girl until it's born." Cat explains
"Aw, Cat. I'm so sorry." Jade sighs
She knows how much Cat was looking forward to finding out if the baby was a boy or a girl. She had already purchased a crib, which is currently sitting in its box unassembled in the corner of her room, but was ready to start looking for more gender specific things like clothing, blankets, and bedding. Not knowing will obviously make that a lot harder. Cat's entire pregnancy was the definition of unexpected, and Jade just wishes that one thing could go according to plan for her friend.
"It'll be alright." Cat shrugs "I guess the universe just has one more surprise in store for me."
"I guess so." Jade chuckles "Hey, why don't you come down to set and hang out for a little while?"
"Jade-"
"C'mon Cat, please?" Jade begs "You haven't been down here in months and I haven't seen you all week. Plus, it's a free meal in the catering trailer."
There's no better catering than the catering that comes from Hollywood soundstages.
"...alright fine." Cat smirks "You got me at free food. I'll be there in half an hour."
"Alright, see you then." Jade smiles "Love you."
"Yeah yeah, love you too."
"Jade?" There's a knock at the door to her dressing room "Are you in there? They need you on set."
"Out in a minute, Em!" Jade calls out to her assistant, Emily "Had to take a phone call!"
She plugs her phone into the charging port on her end table and retreats back to set. The scene she has to film isn't really anything exciting this time, her character and her fiancé are walking out of a cafe, saying goodbye, kissing, and going their separate ways. In reality, it will be a thirty to forty second scene when the episode airs, but it will take them forty-five minutes to an hour to film. When the director finally gets all of the shots that she wants, Jade is sent back to her dressing room with a new outfit to change into, and an order to be in the makeup trailer in about forty-five minutes so that they can change her hair and makeup and get her ready for her next scene.
Jade isn't surprised to find Cat sitting on the couch in her dressing room when she returns, but she is surprised to see her own phone in the hands of her best friend. She's even more surprised to see her husband's face lighting up the screen.
"Jadey!" Cat smiles when she enters "Hi!"
"Hey." Jade laughs "What are you two up to? Gossiping about me?"
"Always." Beck says
"Beck called while you were on set." Cat explains "I was just explaining the whole debacle with the baby. And passing time waiting for you to get back."
"Well I'm back now." Jade takes the phone from her and sits down on the couch as well "Hi baby."
"Hi." Beck grins "You look gorgeous today."
"It's amazing what an hour in hair and makeup will do for a gal." Jade chuckles "How's New Zealand?"
"Still cold." Beck sighs
It's summer in Los Angeles so that makes it winter in New Zealand. Beck had lived in Canada for the first part of his life, so the forty degree weather in New Zealand wasn't all that bad for him, but it was freezing compared to the eighty or ninety degrees he's used to experiencing in California this time of year.
"Poor baby." Jade teases him "Still miss me?"
"More and more everyday."
"If you were literally anyone else, I think I would have vomitted by now." Cat interrupts
"Not into the lovey-dovey husband and wife shit, huh?" Jade laughs
"Not at all." Cat shakes her head "But you're two of my best friends, and you're kind of relationship goals...so I'll let it slide this time."
"We're sorry, Cat." Beck chuckles "We'll leave the words of affirmation for when we're alone."
"Thanks." Cat smiles a bit "Hey, while you're both here...well, I mean, kind of here, sorry Beck. I wanna talk about something."
"Alright?" Jade raises an eyebrow at her husband through the camera
Beck only shrugs. Whatever Cat wanted to talk about hadn't been brought up in conversation before Jade entered the room.
"Beck, I...we...have something for you too, but you're not here for me to give it to you in person. So you'll have to wait until you get back because I'm getting anxious as hell and I just want to do this finally." Cat explains, pulling a small box out of her purse and handing it to Jade "Jade, this is for you though."
"For me?" Jade is surprised as she takes the box in her hands, reading the tag attached "To Aunt Jade, love Squirt."
"What is it?" Beck asks his wife
"A necklace." Jade grins as she removes the lid, eyes falling to the writing on the inside of the box "'I need an extra pair of hands to help me learn and grow. I think that yours would be the best, because Mommy told me so. Will you be my godmother?' Oh my god, Cat..."
"Do you like it?"
"I love it." Jade nods, moving her head closer to speak to the baby residing in her best friend's abdomen "Of course I'll be your godmother, Squirt. I love you!"
"Beck, there's a coffee tumbler that says 'The Godfather' on it waiting for you when you get home." Cat tells him through the phone screen "If you want it."
"Of course I want it." Beck tells her "I'd be honored."
"I know you two would be there for the baby regardless, and that you don't really need the titles..." Cat sighs "But I wanted to give them to you."
"Thank you." Jade smiles as she takes the necklace out of the box "I love this so much, I'm going to see if costumes will let me wear it in the next scene."
It's a simple necklace, a gold ring on a gold chain, but the message behind it was what's important.
"That would be a cool easter egg to show him or her when they're old enough." Cat says
"You don't mind me wearing this in place of our star necklaces?" Jade teases Cat
When they were seventeen, they bought matching necklaces that consisted of a star charm suspended on a simple chain. Cat's is gold and Jade's is silver, both women still wear them frequently. The matching stars are intended to represent the careers in show business they both had wanted to achieve when they were young.
"Maybe you can alternate?" Cat laughs "I can't let Squirt steal all of your love from me."
"I think alternating can be arranged."