And I'd go back to December
It turns out freedom ain't nothing but missing you
The next day, Jessica arrived home with a grim look on her face. She dropped her bag on the floor in the hallway before she walked into the kitchen where Pete was cooking dinner. The teenager stopped and watched her father, quietly.
Pete stirred something in a pan before he turned and spotted her standing there. "Hey, pumpkin." He smiled. "I didn't hear you come in."
"I just got in." She shrugged and slumped down in a kitchen chair.
"How was school?"
"Okay."
"What's wrong?" He looked at her closely.
"Nothing," she mumbled.
"That's a lie."
Jessica looked up at Pete but didn't say anything.
"Tell me." He sat down on the chair next to her.
She let out a sigh and dropped her hands to her lap. "There's a mother daughter day coming up."
"Oh." Pete looked at his daughter. "What are you doing that day?"
Jessica shrugged. "Mother daughter activities. I haven't looked at the list."
"I could come," he suggested.
"It's for mothers." She emphasised her point.
"Well, then ask Addi." Pete looked at Jessica.
"She wouldn't want to come." Jessica shook her head.
"You don't know that."
"She's not my mum."
"You should talk to her."
Jessica shrugged and looked down at her hands.
"I'm sure she'd come with you, you just have to ask her." Pete smiled softly.
"Maybe."
Pete smiled and placed a kiss on the top of her head as he stood up again. "Talk to her."
"She'll say no."
"You won't know until you talk to her."
Jessica looked up at Pete and didn't say anything. He gave her an encouraging smile before he went back to making dinner. She watched her father before she stood up and left the kitchen. She made her way through the hallway and picked up her bag before she walked into the living room and up the stairs.
"Hey, Jess." Addison smiled as she walked out of her bedroom. "Did you have a good day?"
"Hey." She looked at Addison. "Was alright."
"Good."
Jessica nodded and shifted slightly as she looked up at Addison in silence.
"Everything okay?" Addison titled her head to the side.
"I just, erm...I-I wanted to ask you something," she began to stutter, embarrassed. "I just," Jessica looked at her and sighed before she shook her head. "Never mind, just forget I said anything." She began to turn away.
"No, Jess, what is it?" Addison urged.
The young girl turned around again and looked at her unsure. "You'll think I'm stupid."
"I won't, I promise." Addison shook her head.
Jessica looked up at her before she took a deep breathe. "There's a mother daughter day coming up in school," she spoke quickly and glanced down on the floor.
"Okay." Addison nodded and looked at the teenager. "What are you doing for the day?"
"I'm not really sure." She shrugged. "Mother daughter activities."
"It sounds like fun."
Jessica nodded and looked up at her. "Would you...I mean...dad offered to come, but that would be weird."
"It would," Addison agreed and smiled softly. "He'd be a bit put out being the only guy there."
"I know." She gave a nervous smile.
"You know, if you wanted, I could come with you," Addison offered. "If you're comfortable with that."
"Really?" Jessica's eyes lit up instantly. "Y-you'd do that?"
"Of course I would, Jess."
"I...I wasn't sure if I should ask. I mean...it's a mother daughter day."
"I know I'm not your mum, Jess, but I'm here for you for anything like that. Just because I'm Alba's mum doesn't mean I can't be there for you, okay?" Addison looked down at the teenager.
Jessica looked back up at her before she nodded slightly. "Okay," she spoke quietly.
"That's of course if you want me to be there."
"I do." She nodded again before she glanced down as she felt the tears sting in her eyes.
"Hey, come here." Addison wrapped her arms around Jessica and hugged her tightly. Jessica rested her head against her chest as a single tear rolled down her cheek. "Shh, there's no need to cry," Addison soothed and rubbed the teenager's back.
"Sorry," Jessica spoke quietly. Addison placed a kiss on the top of Jessica head and cuddled her close. "I just...no one ever wanted to be there for me before." She shrugged lightly. "Other than dad or gran and grampy."
"We're a family, Jess, of course I want to be there for you."
"But I'm not your daughter." She pulled back softly. "I'm here because my dad is Alba's dad. You don't really have a choice but to live with me."
"I want to though, Jess. You're like my daughter. I class you as my daughter."
Jessica looked up at Addison and didn't know what to say for a few moments.
"I'm here for you. I always will be." Addison smiled softly.
"Thank you."
"It's no problem."
Jessica smiled softly before she moved forward and hugged Addison again. Addison wrapped her arms around Jessica and hugged her back.
"It means a lot," she whispered quietly.
"I'm always here for you, always." Addison kissed the top of the teenager's head.
"Thank you." Jessica smiled softly.
"You don't have to thank me, Jess."
"I do." She nodded and pulled back slowly.
"No." Addison shook her head. "I'm here for you just like I am for Alba. You don't have to thank me." Jessica looked up at Addison and gave a soft smile. She placed a soft kiss on the teenager's forehead and smiled back.
Just then small footsteps were heard on the hallway behind them followed by a happy squeal. "Jess!" Alba started to run. "You're home!"
"Hey, Alba." Jessica smiled and caught her sister mid air as she leaped towards her.
Alba grinned happily and wrapped her arms around her neck. "School was long today." She pulled back and looked at the teenager.
"Sorry." Jessica kissed her sister's forehead. The toddler smiled and rested her head against Jessica's chest as she looked at Addison.
"Dad's going to make dinner." Addison smiled at the girls. "Let's go and give him a hand." Jessica nodded and followed her down the stairs with Alba on her hip.
"There's my girls." He smiled softly as he stirred a sauce on the stove.
"Here we are. Hmm, that smells nice." Addison leaned over the sauce.
"I hope it tastes as nice."
"Let me just try it for you." She dipped her finger into the sauce and tasted it.
"Take your hands out of my sauce." He slapped her hand away softly. Addison pouted with her finger in her mouth still. Pete smirked as he looked down at her and placed a quick kiss on the corner of her mouth.
"We help?" Alba asked from Jessica's arms.
"You can set the table with Jess."
Jessica put Alba down on the floor and gave her some cutlery to put out. Pete took the noodles out of the water before he finished the sauce and took it off the stove.
"We go to beach?" Alba looked at Pete, innocently.
He smiled softly as he carried the food to the table. "Now we're eating dinner."
"After?"
"We'll see."
Alba pouted and folded her arms.
"I thought you were going to take a bath and then we were going to watch Toy Story together." Pete lifted her up and sat her down on her chair.
"Bweach!"
"Maybe." He sat down as well and started to put food onto their plates.
"No." Addison shook her head. Pete glanced up at her and didn't say anything. "We went to the beach yesterday, Alba."
"I want to go now," she whined.
"No." Addison shook her head again.
"Pwease!" She leaned back into her chair angrily.
"No, Alba."
"Alba, you heard what mum said." Pete looked at his daughter. "Now eat your dinner." Alba pushed her plate away and folded her arms. "We're going to take a bath and watch toy story." He watched her. "We'll go to the beach another day." Alba screamed and began to throw a tantrum. "Alba," Pete scolded. "If you don't calm down you can go straight to bed tonight."
"Just ignore her," Addison sighed. Pete sighed as well and began to eat the food on his plate. Jessica glanced at Alba as she continued to scream. The three of them tried to ignore her the best they could but she showed no sign of calming down.
Addison stood up after ten minutes, picked Alba up and carried her into the living room. The toddler continued to scream and wriggle in her arms wildly. Addison placed Alba on the bottom step and knelt down to her level. "Stop screaming." Alba shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "Stop screaming, Alba."
"No!"
"If you don't stop screaming you'll go straight to bed."
"I want beach!"
"No," Addison's voice was stern. Alba looked at her before she slumped down on the step and crossed her arms. "Now, you will sit here for three minutes so you can think." Addison stood up and made her way back into the kitchen. Jessica glanced up at her as she walked away but didn't say anything. Addison sat back at the table and began eating again. A silence settled over them while Alba was sat in the living room alone.
A few minutes later, Addison stood up and made her way back to Alba. The toddler was still sat at the bottom step and didn't look up as Addison walked closer.
"Alba." Addison knelt down in front of her daughter. She glanced at her mother but didn't say anything. "Alba, you can't scream and get your way." The toddler shrugged and looked down at the floor. "You can't. You can't always get what you want either."
"I want beach," she whispered quietly.
"No, Alba, not today."
"Why?"
"Because we went yesterday. We're watching a DVD tonight."
Alba nodded slightly and looked down.
"You have to be a good girl if you want to go to the beach."
"I'm a good girl."
"You think screaming and throwing a tantrum is being a good girl?"
"No," she spoke quietly.
"Then why did you do it?"
Alba shrugged and looked down at her hands.
"Why, Alba?" Addison titled her daughter's head up.
"Because I want beach."
"We're not going today."
"I know."
"So, you're not going to throw a tantrum if you don't get something?" Addison looked at her daughter. Alba nodded and didn't say anything. "Are you going to say sorry?"
"Sorry," she spoke quietly.
"Give me a hug." Addison held her arms out. Alba leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her mother's neck. "I love you, Alba." Addison kissed the side of her daughter's head.
"Love you too," the toddler whispered.
"Let's go and eat dinner."
Alba nodded and stood up from the step before they walked back into the kitchen. They both sat back down and began to eat. Alba kept her gaze down on the plate the whole time.
"Do we have desert?" Jessica asked once they had finished.
"There's ice cream in the fridge."
"Okay." She nodded. Pete gave Jessica a smile before he stood up and collected their empty plates to carry them to the dish washer.
"Time for your bath, Alba." Addison looked at the toddler.
"Do you want me to bath her?" Pete looked at Addison.
"No, it's fine." She shook her head. "Come on, Alba." Addison held her hand out. Alba slid off her chair before the two of them disappeared once again. Jessica watched them go and then looked at Pete.
"What?" he asked her softly as he put the dishes into the dish washer.
"Nothing." Jessica shook her head. Pete nodded and continued to clean up the kitchen. She curled up on the end of the couch and watched him quietly. He cleared everything away and wiped the table before he washed his hands and walked into the living room as well.
"Are we still watching Toy Story?" she asked.
"Do you want to watch something else?" Pete sat down beside her.
"No, it's fine. I was just wondering if we still were."
"I think so."
"Okay." Jessica nodded.
Pete nodded as well and wrapped an arm around her. "So, did you talk to her?"
"She'll come with me."
He just smiled softly and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. Jessica smiled back and curled up to his side. "I'm sure it's going to be fun." She nodded and smiled. Pete smiled and placed another kiss on her hair as they waited for Addison and Alba to return.
