True to his word, the next day Jesse appeared at the front door, a grin on his face.

"Yesse!" Ivy bellowed, wriggling out of Beca's grasp and running towards the screen door.

"Hey Ivy!" he said brightly. "Are we gonna go on an adventure?"

Beca let him inside, smiling. "Hi".

"Yesse!"

Ivy threw herself at his legs and he lifted her into the air, before resting her against his hip. "Hey pretty girl!" he gave her a hug, and Ivy buried her head in his shoulder. "Hey Bec", he beamed at her. "How did you sleep last night? How did she sleep last night?"

"She woke up very anxious at about four thirty, but she stayed asleep when I got home, which made a nice change". She shrugged, plucking Ivy from his arms, and tucking her back between her legs and picking the hairbrush back up. "Nearly done Ivy".

"And then we're gonna go on an adventure!" Jesse said brightly. "Where are your car keys, Beca? I've got things in my car that we need".

"Where are we going?"

"On an adventure". He grinned at her. "We'll have a fun day, Beca".

When he was younger, his parents would often do things like that. They'd pack up the car and wake him up early, and they'd make a day trip. He loved it- he loved exploring and adventuring and getting out of his comfort zone. He knew that getting out of her comfort zone was something Ivy didn't do- but it was getting better. So a day trip it would be.

(Beca's family had never done things like that- spontaneity was not her thing. Her parents had surprised her with a road trip after church and they were on the road for five minutes before her panic was too distracting, and they needed to show her the suitcases in the trunk of the car.)

"Your hair looks beautiful, Ivy!" Jesse said brightly, as he lifted her into the car, Billie climbing over the car seat. Beca leaned in, clicking her buckles together. "You look super cute with your little pigtails".

"She's getting better with her hair", Beca said quietly, kissing her head and tightening her straps. "Next time I'm talking to Cynthia Rose because I think she'll be okay with longer periods of having her hair brushed. What are we at, like twenty seconds? Comfy, Ivy?"

"Ye".

Ivy had loved her infant carrier seat, but her convertible car seat had been a different story. The seat cover had caused her endless discomfort with her sensory issues, and she had screamed through every car ride until Beca had contacted the manufacturer for a new cover.

"I got her to thirty the other day before she started to wiggle", Jesse agreed, nodding. "And when she's used to the brushing- you get her whole head brushed in less than a minute- we'll move onto the hairdryer".

"Good luck", Beca almost laughed. "I don't brush her hair every day. I can't brush her hair every day, have you seen her head? You can't brush that. That's gonna take years to tame. I know because I looked like that".

(She didn't know why she was announcing that, it's not like she was going to pull out her psychotic baby photos. Or worse, invite him into her father's house to see the psychotic baby photos on the mantle.)

"What was she like when she was a baby?" Jesse wanted to know, as Beca closed Ivy's door, climbing into the passenger seat. "I've heard all about her after her ASD diagnosis and right before she was diagnosed, but you've never told me what she was like when she was a baby".

"She was beautiful", Beca said with a smile, pulling her seatbelt across her chest. "She was so beautiful. She was tiny- like so tiny you wouldn't even believe it, she was so small for such a long time- and pink and she was so soft and she smelt amazing. She was pretty- I know that's a stupid thing to say about a baby, all babies just look like babies, but she was. She was a really pretty baby".

Michael had been visiting Beca in Maine when the news broke of the birth of the royal baby, and he'd witnessed his younger sister go off on a rant about how 'all babies look the same' and 'it looks like a baby' and 'he doesn't know he's a royal' and 'babies just look like a sack of potatoes', and he'd laughed along with her. But upon Ivy's birth, he had to agree with her. She was a very pretty baby.

"She was an easy baby, like for the most part, but she was fussy. Not cranky, but she was very particular with what she liked. Showing me what it was going to be like, I guess. It took me like six different formulas to work out which one she would take, and all the different bottles in the world. And pacifiers, God that was a nightmare". She shook her head. "My mum said that all babies go through a bit of sleep regression when they're like four months old? And then she was maybe ten weeks old? And she stopped sleeping all together. She was awake all the time, staring at me like a freaking baby bird. It was terrifying. We'd start the whole routine- because we had a routine, she's always been about routines- at six, and then I'd go to bed because Luke had to be up early for work. We took it in turns". She pulled her seatbelt across her chest. "She was clever- she was very alert from a very young age, she had great head control and could hold onto her toys and things very early, and she was always babbling to herself and me- but things changed very quickly. She lost interest in her toys, even the ones that lit up that she loved. She was upset like she was uncomfortable- which I now know was probably some sensory issues with the clothing I dressed her in- and that's when Luke left, and I moved back in with my parents. That change was the hardest- her dad leaving and the move back to Mum's. When she was happy she was very happy but when she was upset she was inconsolable".

Jesse nodded as he pulled the car into the road, soaking up everything she was saying- learning about the little girl he'd never met.

"She was very, very fussy with what she wanted to eat- everything was spat back at me. I let her feed herself and she'd throw it back at us. I took her to the doctor once, because I was worried that she was going to end up starving, and he told me that as long as she was drinking she was fine. It took me so long to work out what she would eat without throwing up from her sensory issues- and then the next week she wouldn't go near it. Her diet isn't limited because I don't try, I try so damn. I didn't want her learning my food issues, but it seemed she had her own". She paused, turning around to glance at her daughter. Ivy was staring out the window, clutching her doll, taking in the scenery. "I think I've always known that she was a bit different, I always knew there was something about her. I wasn't shocked when they said she had autism. I was relieved, because they had a name for it. But it shocked everyone else".

Beca had always known her daughter was different- and she had always thought she was a little bit different as well. When she was in kindergarten, she'd approached her mother and informed her that she had a different heart to the other girls in her class. Her mother had been understandably confused ("are you saying the other girls are mean?"), and Beca had shrugged it off and hard prepared herself to be an outsider for most of her life.

"I don't know why. I think deep down, we all knew what it was. We all knew that she was different, and life wasn't going to be easy for her. But they were still shocked. My mum cried, so much". She shrugged again. "It made it easier, knowing that it had a name. It gave a reasoning for all her little quirks- her sensory issues, her processing issues, her lack of speech and fine motor skills".

"She had an early diagnosis, didn't she? Very early, I think".

"Twenty one months", Beca said quietly. "Very early. Which is good, because it means she could get the early intervention she needed, but still. Really early. She was just different".

"Mama?" Ivy called.

"Yeah baby?" Beca turned around, smiling at her daughter.

"Pad?" she said clearly, and Beca reached down the side of her seat to pull the iPad out.

"Are you gonna watch a movie, Ivy?" Jesse said conversationally.

"No".

"Are you going to watch The Wiggles?"

"Ye".

"Do you love The Wiggles?"

"Memma".

"Oh, you love Emma". Beca rolled her eyes. "I think you love Emma more than you love Mama".

Ivy giggled, wrapping her arms around her doll and turning the iPad on.

"Where are we going?" Beca wanted to know, staring out the window.

"Just out for the day", he said smoothly, patting her thigh gently. "Its gonna be an adventure".

Beca liked to know where her adventures would take her, and Jesse was the exact opposite. They were poles apart, and yet they worked.

"Where are we?" Beca wanted to know with a small yawn, as he pulled the car to a stop.

"Beach beach beach!" he cheered, and Beca frowned at him.

"Thank you for clearing that up for me Jesse".

"We're on an adventure! I'm not really sure where we are! But we're gonna have a fun day", he declared, killing the engine and unbuckling his seatbelt. "Adventure, Ivy J! It's exciting!"

"Where's Beca?" Aubrey wanted to know, as she marched through the front door of the big house. "I went down to the little house and her car wasn't there but I assumed she would be".

"Beca, Ivy and Jesse left early this morning on whatever adventure they were going on", Sheila shrugged. "They're having a good day; Beca sent me a photo of Ivy at the beach". She held out her phone and Aubrey smiled at the sand covered little girl. "Beca's going to have fun cleaning her car seat tonight!"

"They're out with Jesse?" Aubrey raised an eyebrow and Sheila gave her a look.

"Leave her be, Aubrey. They're very happy right now".

"Yeah, but what's going to happen when he graduates?" Aubrey countered. "Then everyone is gonna get hurt, especially Beca".

"Hey Aubrey", Michael said brightly, coming down the stairs.

"Did you know your sister and Ivy are out at the beach with Jesse?" she said.

"Oh, here we go". Sheila rolled her eyes heavenwards. "You are worse than Beca when it comes to blowing situations like this out of hand. Just let them be happy, Michael. You too, Aubrey. Be like Chloe, she's happy for them".

"I am happy for them", Michael said through a forced smile. "But I am also a little bit concerned because Ivy's getting attached, and she's going to get hurt. And Beca, who is attached to no one, is getting close to him as well, and I'm not gonna be responsible for picking up the pieces!"

"Why are you so negative?" Sheila wanted to know.

"Okay, Chloe has been over here too often", Michael frowned. "That girl is no good for anyone. I blame her for this, all of it".

"No no no". Aubrey shook her head. "She's going to twist it to make my fault. She always does".

"Enlighten me". Sheila raised an eyebrow at them. "How is Beca going to make it your fault this time, Aubrey?"

"Chloe is my best friend, I'm dating him, and there'd be no Chloe without me. Ergo, my fault".

"God you've been spending too much time with Beca", Michael grumbled. "What's going to happen when Jesse graduates, Mum? We all know this job is only temporary; he wants to move to LA. He wants to make music and work over in California, and he's going to leave Beca and Ivy here, and who's gonna have to pick up that shit? Oh that's right, it's Michael. Again". He glared.

"Michael-"

"She's gonna get hurt again Mum! And worse, Ivy's gonna get hurt again too".

"Whatever you do, don't say anything", Sheila warned. "She's happy. She's very happy, and we want her to remain that way".

"I won't say anything", Michael shrugged. "But if he hurts her-"

"Then he'll have you and Chloe to deal with, that's fine", Sheila agreed. "But for now we're going to leave it. Okay?"

"When was the last time you were at the beach?" Jesse wanted to know, as Beca pulled her hair up into a ponytail.

"Before we left Maine". She shrugged, smiling a little as Ivy let the sand run through her tiny fingers. "When we were in Portland we'd go to the beach every day, because she loved it. My mum and stepdad would take her sometimes, just to let me sleep. I miss that, I miss taking her to the beach".

"And there you were claiming to hate it", he almost chuckled, scooping a handful of sand onto Ivy's castle.

"Ever tried to get sand off a child?" she retorted. "Specifically that child?" she scratched Billie between the ears, making the dog wag her tail in contentment.

"Yeah I'll give you that". He smiled, offering Ivy a spade. "She looks so happy".

"She is", Beca agreed. "She loves the beach. I'd move back to the beach in a heartbeat just for her, but at the moment, it's not possible. Not with everything going on- and I can't afford to live at the beach. I can barely afford to live at Dad's place".

"One day".

"Yeah, one day". She looked down at her fingers, letting the sand run through it. "One day, right Ivy?"

Ivy said nothing, instead scrubbing her fistful of sand to her cheek.

"Okay, that can be your problem".

"Fair enough, I deserved that", Jesse agreed, gently brushing Ivy's cheek. "Careful sweetie, you don't want sand in your eyes!"

He was so gentle with her. She loved it, and at the same time it tugged at her heartstrings, because she had thought it would be Luke that would brush the sand out of her eyes. She'd made a mistake the first time, and she didn't want to make the same mistake with Jesse.

Eventually, the cold winter wind got too much for them, and they packed the sand toys back into the car and put their shoes back on, heading down the boardwalk, Ivy walking between them.

They stopped at a cafe for lunch- Jesse ordering for Beca, and Beca trying to encourage Ivy to eat her crinkle cut French fries instead of the usual shoestring cut potatoes. Billie lay at their feet, and people walking past would genuinely think they were a family, spending their Sunday out together.

There was only so much walking Ivy's little legs could do, and while she tried so hard to keep up, eventually it was easier for Jesse to swing her up onto his shoulders. She squealed as she clung to his head, before relaxing a little and wrapping his arms around her neck. He kept a firm grip on her knees as she wiggled herself into a comfortable position, settling down.

"Are you having a good day, Ivy?" he twisted his head to look up at her, and Ivy beamed her ear to ear smile, nodding enthusiastically.

"Ye!"

Beca couldn't help herself. She pulled her phone out of her pocket, taking a photo (or twenty) of the two of them.

Ivy was so at ease. She was out of her comfort zone, but she was in her element with her best friend by her side. She had taken to Jesse immediately, which both thrilled and terrified Beca. She loved it because it made her therapy sessions so much easier- and it freaked her out because Jesse could leave at any time. His graduation was looming, and Beca didn't know what to do.

She knew that Los Angeles was Jesse's dream- he wanted to go to California and score movie soundtracks and make a big name for himself. But at the same time, she knew how much he loved what he did.

She didn't know what he was going to do.

"She's very still up there", Jesse commented, and Beca glanced up- before her heart almost melted out of her body.

"She's asleep", she said with a small smile, and Jesse beamed, letting go of one of her knees and taking Beca's hand. "She never falls asleep like that".

She had always been a terrible sleeper. She had slept through the night exactly once in her entire life, and Beca hadn't slept through the night since she was pregnant.

"She looks happy", she said quietly, and Jesse pulled her closer. "Are you okay?"

She smiled, leaning into his side. "Yeah, I am".

After a while, Jesse lifted the little girl off his shoulders and held her to his chest, her breath hot on his neck as she wrapped her arms around his chest.

"She's so comfortable with you", Beca said. "She's never like this, you know? You see such a different side to her".

"What do you mean?"

"She took to you immediately". Beca shrugged. "It's like she knew you were different to everyone else- to my family, to her other therapists. Back in Maine her original OT was hell on earth, because they weren't a good fit for each other. Here, she's more relaxed. I was initially very against moving, even though I knew how good it would be for Ivy. And the move itself was hell, a shit fight. But Barden has been good for her".

Barden was good for both of them.

Eventually- after Ivy woke up- they made their way back to Beca's car, strapping Ivy in with her doll, weighted blanket and iPad, Billie by her side. Beca quietly pulled her seatbelt across her chest, resting her head against the window.

"Thank you Jesse", she said quietly, as he started the engine.

Before he knew it, both girls were asleep- Ivy with her head slumped to the side, Beca's head resting against the passenger side window.

That day, a little old lady- it was always the old ladies, he noted- had stopped them to say what a sweet little family they were. With Ivy asleep against his chest, and one hand firmly gripped in Beca's, he supposed they did look like a family.

He'd always said that he wanted a big family. Ever since he was a little boy- as an only child with a mountain of cousins, he had dreamt of having a houseful of children, where they were never bored with the company of their siblings. And yet, right then and there, all he wanted was what he had.

Beca, and Ivy, and Billie the dog. In a little house by the beach, their weekends filled with adventures and day trips and movie nights and five a.m Christmas mornings. He wanted to build a life with them, to watch Ivy grow and thrive and Beca smile, because Beca's smile was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

He'd had his heart set on moving to California after he graduated- just like Beca had sworn she would do, had she not fallen pregnant. But he didn't want to move to California if it meant leaving Beca and Ivy behind.

Jesse had always been told not to mix work and relationships- it was the worst thing that he could do, he'd been told. Which was why he'd always stayed clear of anything other than friendship with any of the girls he'd worked with in the past.

His parents had met at work. Barry and Caroline Swanson- back when they were Barry Swanson and Caroline Lipstein- had worked in a movie theatre together during college, and by the beginning of their senior year, they were married. So it didn't always end in heartbreak, they were his living proof.

Barden hadn't been his first choice for college. But barden had turned out to be the best thing he'd ever done. And yet, there he was, gearing up to graduate.

Barden was good for him.

"Hey sweetie!" Chloe said brightly, as Jesse steered the car into Beca's parking spot under the tree. Jesse killed the engine, easing himself out and smiling at Chloe.

"I'll get Ivy out", he offered and Beca fumbled with the keys before finding the ones she needed.

"Screen, door, thank you".

"How was the beach, Bec?" Chloe wanted to know, watching as Jesse lifted the toddler out of the car, Ivy immediately wrapping her arms around his neck.

"She had fun", she said with a shrug, tapping her thigh to encourage Billie out. "I need to get her car seat out and get all the sand out, and I need to wash all the stuff we took today, and-"

"The washing can wait", she said lightly. "I want to hear about your day! Where did you end up going?"

Beca didn't answer- instead, in a very out of character move, she pulled Chloe in for a hug. Chloe smiled, melting into the smaller girl's embrace.

"Thanks Chloe", she whispered, her voice barely audible, and if Chloe hadn't been listening she would have missed it. "For- for everything".

Chloe kissed the top of her head, smiling. "I love you Beca".