It is mid-afternoon by the time the SUV pulls into the resort, but thanks to Aubrey's preparedness, it only takes moments before the family of four is in their suite. Both parents are tired due to jetlag, but Beca is feeling the effects of the many long days and nights at work, combined with the exhaustion that only traveling can cause. Knowing that she is definitely going to need a nap in order to be somewhat coherent at dinner later, she tries to be helpful and unpack some of the necessary items for the rest of the evening while Chloe takes some time to feed Alex. Jack has laid down on the king-sized bed beside Chloe, and Beca can tell that his enthusiasm for swimming has waned somewhat, as his eyelids are beginning to droop. Smiling to herself, Beca straightens up and goes to join her wife and kids on the large bed. She flops down dramatically beside Jack, groaning in relief as soon as her body makes contact with the soft bed.
Jack giggles sleepily, and Beca rolls onto her side, pulling the boy closer to her and pressing a kiss to his temple. Beca watches as Chloe settles more comfortably against the headboard, kicking off her shoes and pulling her legs up onto the bed.
"Looks like someone needs a bit of a nap before hitting the pool." Chloe muses, reaching over to smooth a hand over Jack's hair.
Jack opens his mouth to protest, but he is betrayed by the large yawn that quickly overtakes him.
Beca and Chloe chuckle, but Chloe notices how her wife tries to stifle a yawn behind her hand. It is quiet for a few moments while Chloe finishes feeding Alex, and when he is done she raises him to her shoulder and tries to coax a burp from him. Another glance at her older son lets Chloe know that Jack has indeed succumbed to sleep, and he has curled into Beca's chest. Chloe can tell that Beca is fighting sleep as well.
"Beca, go ahead and nap." Chloe urges quietly, shifting Alex from her shoulder to the bed, where he lays happily between Beca and Chloe. Chloe rubs the baby's belly for a few seconds, smiling as Alex squirms and coos.
"We just got here Chlo. I want to spend some time with you guys, not sleep this whole trip away."
"It's fine Beca. I know you're tired. I'll go meet up with Aubrey and have a drink and catch up with her for a bit."
Beca sighs, but another yawn verifies that she is quickly losing the battle against her exhaustion. She gingerly reaches behind her to where her phone is sitting on the nightstand and spends a few seconds setting an alarm. She drops the phone on the bed beside her and looks up at Chloe.
"Are you sure?"
Chloe nods, leaning down to kiss her wife and older son on their cheeks. "Yep. You guys stay here and get some rest and then we can meet up at the pool for a bit before dinner. I'll even bring Alex with me, so you don't have to worry about him."
Beca smiles tiredly at her wife, once again thankful for Chloe and all she does for their family. Glancing over at the baby who has now joined his big brother in sleeping, she stifles a chuckle.
"Umm, too late Chlo. Looks like bubs is joining us for nap time."
Chloe smiles and moves off the bed, turning around to pick up the now-sleeping infant and place him gently in the portable crib the hotel has provided. After making sure he's settled, she bends down and gives Alex a kiss on the forehead. When she's confirmed the baby is asleep, Chloe turns back to find Beca nearly asleep. Chloe walks over to the brunette sprawled out on the bed and bends down to give Beca a quick peck on the lips. Beca's brow furrows somewhat, and her eyes open briefly.
"I just need an hour maybe. I'll be good to go after a power nap." Beca mumbles sleepily.
Chloe pats her wife on the cheek. "Take a nap Becs. I'll meet you guys down at the pool in a bit, ok?"
"Mhmm." Beca replies, her eyes closing again.
Chloe takes a few minutes to change into her bathing suit, then tosses a thin cover-up on. Glancing back over her shoulder, she sees that Beca and Jack are both fast asleep. She grabs her phone and texts Aubrey, telling her to meet up at the pool in a few minutes. Aubrey replies within seconds, and Chloe locates a pair of sandals and slips them on. Making sure she has one of the room keys, Chloe glances back at her sleeping wife and children, then heads out to catch up with her dear friend.
It only takes Chloe a few minutes to make her way down to the pool area, where Aubrey has reserved a few cabanas for the duration of the trip. She sees her blonde friend across the pool and negotiates her way toward the shaded area.
"Oh my god, Chloe!"
Chloe turns her head to where the exclamation came from and sees Stacie in the shallow end of the pool with her daughter. She can't help but smile widely as Stacie hurriedly tries to make her way to the edge of the pool, easily hauling herself out and running over to capture Chloe in a very drippy hug. Chloe laughs loudly, returning the embrace even though Stacie is dripping water all over her. The two women part and Chloe gives Stacie a once-over with her eyes, taking in the extremely skimpy black bikini that Stacie is currently rocking. Chloe can't help but be slightly jealous of how Stacie's body is still ultra-toned, and it looks as though Stacie hasn't aged a day since the last time Chloe had seen her in person.
"It's good to see you Stacie." Chloe pulls her friend in for another hug. "It's been a couple years."
The last time Chloe had seen Stacie was when she and Beca had gotten married. Stacie nods. "It sure has. It's good to see you too Chloe. Where'd you leave your wife?"
"She's upstairs taking a nap. The jetlag really did a number on her."
"You must have worn her out joining the mile-high club." Stacie replies, giving Chloe a wink.
Chloe is used to Stacie's sexual humor, so she laughs good naturedly at the leggy brunette, who glances over her shoulder and motions to the small girl who is making her way toward the two women. Stacie's face lights up with a genuine smile and she squats down and wraps her arm around the child who is a miniature version of her mother.
"Bella, this is Mommy's friend Chloe. We go way back. You met her once when you were little, but you probably don't remember." Stacie gives her daughter's hand a squeeze, and Bella looks up at Chloe.
"Nice to meet you." She says with a shy smile.
Chloe smiles in return. "Nice to meet you too Bella. Last time I saw you, you were just a baby."
Bella smiles, looking a lot like her mother. "I don't remember, but I was probably too little." Bella looks up at her mother, changing topics. "When is Aubrey gonna come play in the pool with us Mommy?"
Stacie straightens up, and glances over where Aubrey is now standing by the cabana, waiting for Chloe. Aubrey gives a small wave and a brief smile at the group.
Chloe notices Stacie's face soften into a happy smile as she waves back at Aubrey. Stacie turns her daughter back in the direction of the pool. "In a little bit baby. She's gonna talk with Chloe for a bit and then I bet we can convince her to come play."
This answer seems to satisfy the little girl, who turns and skips back toward the pool. "Come on Mommy!"
Stacie laughs and turns back to Chloe, raising her hand to rest on Chloe's upper arm. "We'll catch up at dinner, yeah?"
Chloe nods in affirmation then heads over to where Aubrey is waiting. Both women sit down on lounge chairs, kicking back and taking in the beautiful sights around them for a few moments. Out of her peripheral vision, Chloe notices Aubrey watching Stacie and Bella splashing around in the shallow end with a huge smile on her face. Chloe turns in her chair so that she is facing her friend.
"Okay Posen. Spill."
Aubrey turns to Chloe, with a surprised expression on her face. She blushes slightly, and opens her mouth a few times, finally closing it while she composes her thoughts.
"We…Stacie and I…we're living together." Aubrey suddenly seems very interested in the corner of the towel that is draped over the back of her lounge chair. She plays with it for a few seconds before looking up and studying the redhead who is looking at her expectantly. After a few more seconds she lets out a gentle exhale then makes eye contact with Chloe finally. "We're dating. We have been for almost two years now."
Chloe tries to mask her surprise at Aubrey's confession, but it gets the better of her. She strongly suspected that Aubrey and Stacie had some sort of thing going on romantically, but she never anticipated that Aubrey would confess to it so easily, let alone confirm that it was serious. Chloe tries to stifle a giddy grin, but she can't help it. With a quiet squeal she leans over and pulls Aubrey in for a hug.
"Bree, this is big!" Chloe says excitedly. "I can't believe you didn't tell me sooner. Like, I thought there maybe was something there, but you never gave me enough to actually confirm." She pulls back and looks at Aubrey. "I'm really happy for you."
Aubrey smiles and gives Chloe a squeeze before looking back out toward her girlfriend. "Thanks Chloe. I wasn't sure I wanted to reveal it to everyone this week, but Stacie and I talked about it yesterday on the plane and we decided we want the Bellas to know."
Chloe nods, understanding where her friend is coming from. While she absolutely treasures her friendships with the other members of the Bellas, Chloe knows that almost nothing stays a secret among the group of women, and that there will likely be a lot of teasing headed Aubrey and Stacie's way as the others find out.
"Thanks for trusting me with your secret Aubrey." Chloe reaches over and gives Aubrey's hand a squeeze. "And you could do much worse for yourself. Stacie is a total babe and a doctor to boot."
A smile spreads across Aubrey's face and she leans back and relaxes into her chair once again. "Thanks Chloe. We're very happy together."
Chloe follows suit, lying back against the semi-reclined chair and crossing her feet at the ankles. A thought crosses her mind, and a wicked grin appears on her face. "I bet the hunter is happy too."
Aubrey sits up, spluttering at Chloe's comment. She blushes furiously and gives Chloe a light smack on her arm. "You shush, Chloe Mitchell!" She says in an angry whisper.
Chloe laughs at Aubrey's reaction, and winks at her blonde friend. Chloe's laughter dies down, and it is quiet for a few moments. Chloe certainly doesn't expect what comes out of Aubrey's mouth next.
"The sex is insane Chloe."
Chloe's head whips to her left where Aubrey has a smug grin on her face. Chloe stares slack-jawed at Aubrey for several seconds. When she finally composes herself, she can't help but laugh.
"Get it Bree." She says with a wink. "At least one of us is getting some…" Chloe claps a hand over her mouth when she realizes what she just admitted. "Oh god…I didn't mean to say that out loud."
Aubrey gives Chloe a sympathetic smile. "Chloe, you guys just had a baby. Give it some time."
Chloe considers Aubrey's point. While Aubrey is right, she doesn't want to say just how long it has been since her and Beca had been intimate. It took Chloe until a month or so ago to feel physically ready for sex after having Alex, but it had yet to happen with Beca working so much. Chloe almost gasps when she realizes that it has been over five months since the last time her and Beca had sex. Five. Whole. Months. Chloe begins to chew on her lip, feeling embarrassed at the lack of intimacy in her marriage. She had always considered her and Beca's relationship to be very healthy sexually, so actually contemplating their current dry spell was a lot for Chloe to take in. Chloe knows that Beca loves her, but not being able to be physically intimate with her wife had clearly taken more of an emotional toll on Chloe than she realized.
"It's been since before Alex was born, Aubrey." Chloe says quietly. "Probably close to five months."
Aubrey processes this information, and to her credit, doesn't make any outward indication that she is surprised by Chloe's statement.
"If you guys want a night to yourselves while you're here Chloe, all you have to do is ask. Stacie and I would be more than happy to watch Jack and Alex."
Chloe smiles at Aubrey's offer. While she definitely looked forward to reconnecting intimately with her wife, she didn't want to force it. "Thanks Aubrey. I'll think about it."
Aubrey waves her hand in dismissal. "Just let me know." Stacie and Bella make their way over to the cabana. Stacie picks up the towel beside Aubrey and hands it to Bella, before sitting down and giving Aubrey a kiss on the cheek. Chloe can't help but smile as one of Aubrey's hands makes its way to rest on Stacie's thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"Chloe, Bree says your newest addition is a heartbreaker." Stacie says, picking up another towel and wrapping it around herself.
Chloe grins. "Yes, he certainly is. He takes after his mother." She picks up her phone and swipes through her pictures until she finds one of Alex in Beca's arms. Chloe holds it out, so Aubrey and Stacie can see.
Stacie snatches the phone from Chloe and squeals at the adorable picture, before turning to Aubrey. "Come on! Is this not the cutest thing?" Aubrey smiles and nods her head, as Stacie hands the phone back to Chloe. "When I'm done with residency we're definitely getting on the baby train." She pulls Bella in to sit on her lap and kisses the girl's cheek several times. "I love you Bells, but you need a sibling or two."
Aubrey blushes briefly, but Chloe can see that Aubrey is excited at the prospect of eventually having children with her girlfriend. Aubrey shoots Chloe a smile, then leans in to kiss Stacie. When she pulls back, she gives Stacie a wink. "I think we can definitely revisit this conversation when you're done with your residency."
Chloe is thoroughly overjoyed watching the interactions between her two close friends, but she suddenly finds herself missing the company of her wife. Glancing at her phone, she sees that she's only been gone for a half hour. Chloe relaxes back into her chair, hoping that Beca and the boys will rejoin her soon, and returns into the conversation with two of her dearest friends.