Chloe flips the television off and grabs her phone when it rings. She taps the screen to accept the FaceTime call that she's been waiting on all day. Beca's face comes across the screen and she smiles big.
"Hi beautiful." Beca says, quietly.
"Hi baby, how are you?"
"I'm okay. How about you?"
Chloe shrugs and pulls the blanket that's wrapped around her shoulders tighter.
"Alright. I miss you."
"I know, I miss you guys too."
"Long day today? You look tired."
Just hearing Chloe's voice helps Beca relax.
"Yeah, I'm ready to come home."
She doesn't want to admit it, Chloe can tell. But she's glad to hear her say it, because she feels the same way.
"Three weeks is a long time."
"You're not kidding. I have my last two interviews tomorrow and then I'm on a flight tomorrow night. Where's Scout?"
"Sleeping. It's eleven o'clock here, remember?"
"Oh yeah."
Beca scoffs and looks down before looking right back into the camera and scratching her temple.
"You want me to wake her up, don't you?"
"Could you?"
Chloe lets out a little giggle, "Sure. But you owe me big time."
"Oh come on."
"Come on what? You're not the one that has to deal with the grumpiness in the morning."
"Alright that's fair, but this is the last time."
"Yeah, yeah, you're lucky I love you."
"The luckiest."
Chloe gets up and walks down the hall to Lucy's bedroom. The door is slightly ajar, so she pushes it open fully and allows the hallway light to wash into the room, right onto Lucy's face. She doesn't stir. Chloe walks over and flips the bedside table light on and climbs into the bed. She kisses Lucy's head and shakes her gently. Beca's heart aches at the gentle way Chloe deals with her. She wishes she were there, instead of 3,000 miles away.
"Wake up, sweet girl."
She's met with a dramatic groan and a pathetic swat in her direction. Beca laughs and Chloe speaks again, just as quietly as before.
"There's someone that wants to say goodnight."
"She missed it. I'm asleep." Lucy says, muffled into Chloe's shirt.
"Alright, I guess I'll just go to sleep here, all alone, in this hotel room. Alone." Beca says.
"Give me the stupid phone."
Lucy takes the phone and holds it in front of her face, from her spot, now nuzzled into Chloe's side. Her eyes are barely open and she stifles a yawn.
"This is the last time, Lou."
"That's what you said a week ago."
"I know. But I mean it this time. We're not extending the trip anymore. I have a flight tomorrow night, I'll be home by the time you wake up on Wednesday."
"I'll believe it when I see it."
Beca knows she isn't actually mad. It's not her fault the press tour has kept her away longer than expected; and she knows Lucy knows that too.
"I miss you." Beca says.
"Miss you too."
"Alright kid, go back to sleep. I just wanted to hear your voices and say I love you both."
"Love you too, Bec." Chloe says.
"Love you." Lucy says, already almost asleep again.
Chloe takes the phone and blows a kiss at the screen.
"We'll see you soon."
"Yes you will. Goodnight."
"Sleep tight, baby."
Chloe ends the call and lays down further against the pillows, making Lucy adjust and let out one last final sigh before falling asleep again.
The next morning Chloe wakes up with a crick in her neck. Lucy is still sound asleep against her. She's been sleeping a little more than usual, but she figures it's probably just from all the exercise she's getting during lacrosse. She slips out of the room to start some coffee and flip on the news for a little bit before it's time for Lucy to get up and ready for school.
With Beca being away on her press tour, she has been given the full experience of being a parent. She has been left to deal with Lucy's mood swings, help her with homework, and bring her everywhere she needs to go. That's on top of doing all the daily tasks that need to be done at home, including shop for the new apartment; which, much to Chloe's chagrin, is still not fully furnished.
She takes a breath and breathes in the scent of her coffee. A couple minutes later, Lucy comes shuffling out into the kitchen looking bleary eyed and very tired.
"Good morning." Chloe says, with a smirk.
"I love Beca, but if she's gonna call every time she's away, she needs to start calling earlier. She's messing with my REM cycle."
Chloe lets out a laugh this time and she knows Lucy wants to, but she doesn't.
"She's a real pest, isn't she?"
"I can't wait for her to be back." Lucy answers, earnestly, into the refrigerator while searching for the orange juice.
"I know."
"Beca, good news," Theo starts, walking into the dressing room where she is getting ready for, what feels like, the millionth morning show interview in three weeks, "the label is thrilled with the press the album's been getting and they want to extend the press tour overseas."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
She stands from the chair and adjusts her blazer.
"They want you in London tomorrow night to start a new leg of the tour."
"London? Theo, I can't go to London."
"Beca, come on, you had to have known that this was a possibility." He argues.
"I have to get home."
"What you need to do is promote this album; that is, if there is going to be a second one."
Theo doesn't wait for a response, he walks out of the room and answers his phone that was ringing for nearly their entire conversation. She sighs and looks into the mirror. She promised Chloe and Lucy she would be home tomorrow morning. She wants nothing more than to be with them, sleeping in her own bed, but she also doesn't want to mess any of this up. She wants a second album.
"Alright, so plans for Saturday night?" Matteo asks, running up to Lucy, Lincoln and Poppy in the hallway.
"What's Saturday night?" Lucy asks.
"You're kidding, right? It's Halloween!" He nearly shouts.
Lucy scoffs and looks to her other two friends but sobers when she realizes they don't look at all bemused.
"Oh, I guess I forgot. I don't know, I was probably going to stay home."
"No way," Poppy starts, "we always do something on Halloween."
"Even you?" Lucy asks Lincoln.
"It's the best holiday of the year."
Needless to say, this shocks Lucy, but she brushes it off quickly when Matteo says,
"We've really been slacking this year though. We don't even know what we're dressing up as."
"I already made my suggestion." Lincoln says, smugly.
"We're not doing that." Matteo says.
"What was it?" Lucy asks.
"Trust me, you don't want to know."
Lucy doesn't ask again, because he is most likely right. She shuts her locker and falls in step with them. She hikes the strap of her lacrosse bag up higher on her shoulder.
"Any ideas, Lou?" Poppy asks.
It still feels so odd to have someone other than her family use a nickname in conversation. She shrugs and thinks on it for a second.
"We could be superheroes."
"A little unoriginal, don't you think?" Matteo asks.
Lincoln elbows him and he gives a whispered "Ow".
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
"We'll keep brainstorming. But if we don't go now, we're going to be late for practice." Poppy says and pulls Lucy toward the locker room.
Chloe walks up to the field to pick Lucy up after practice. She leans on the chain link fence and watches while she runs up and down the field. She can hear some of the girls yelling and some are laughing and it makes her heart feel a little lighter. She catches glimpses of Lucy being a normal kid here and there; it's becoming a much more common thing but still not as much as it should be.
She gets lost in her thoughts. She's looking in the direction of the field but her eyes have gone kind of blurry while she wonders what other parents think about when they watch their kids play sports or perform in a play. She wonders when she started to think about Lucy as her kid so completely.
"Chloe, coach is putting me in for the first time tomorrow." Lucy says, running up to her after practice.
"What? Are you serious?"
"Yeah, she said since I've been working so hard she's going to try it out."
"That's amazing."
They go home and Lucy starts on her homework while Chloe makes dinner. It's become natural, this quiet coexistence. Every day is very much like the last. Chloe handles things at home while Lucy is at school, she picks her up from practice and they have a calm night in together. As much as Chloe wants Beca back, she doesn't want to disrupt the normalcy they've managed to find amongst the chaos of their lives.
At the dinner table, Lucy sips her water and pushes her food around. It hasn't been much of an issue lately, but some nights, the ones where she's too much in her head, she still has a hard time getting anything in her stomach.
"Matteo, Lincoln, and Poppy were wondering if I could go trick or treating with them on Saturday."
"By yourselves?" Chloe asks, with a raised eyebrow.
"Matteo's older brothers are going to take us. Matteo said they don't really want to but their mom is making them, and that they know the places that give out the best candy."
Chloe scoffs, she remembers the days where her parents would make her older brothers take her and her little brother out on Halloween; some things truly stand the tests of time.
"I'll have to talk to Matteo's mom first, and check with Beca, but I don't have a problem with it."
"Okay, cool."
"What are you dressing up as? We need to find you a costume."
Before Lucy can answer, Chloe's phone rings. Lucy's stomach flutters with excitement but quickly settles when she sees Jessica's name come across the screen. Chloe puts her hand on it,
"I'll call her back later."
"That's alright, take it. I'm done anyway and have a ton of homework to finish."
She picks up her plate and clears it into the garbage before putting it into the sink. She hears Chloe answer the call and immediately start talking a mile a minute, excited about something, before she closes her bedroom door to finish her work.
Chloe is sitting in bed, a little later, when her phone rings. She answers the call, it's a lot earlier than usual which makes her worry a little.
"Hi baby."
"Hey Chlo."
"What's wrong?"
Beca lets out a little chuckle and it makes Chloe's heart skip, "Why do you automatically assume something's wrong?"
"Because you should be on your way to the airport."
"How do you know I'm not?"
"Are you?"
There's a pause.
"No."
"What's wrong?"
Chloe turns the television off and sits back against her pillows.
"They want you to extend again, don't they?" She asks, when Beca doesn't answer right away.
"They want me to go to Europe. For three more weeks."
Now it's Chloe's turn not to answer right away.
"Chlo?"
"Uh, yeah, I'm here. Europe, huh?"
"I know I can't go, it's just-"
"Why can't you go?"
She can hear Beca breathe deep and something move that sounds like a plastic bag or maybe it's just static.
"I need to get back home to you and Lucy."
"We're fine. We can manage for a couple more weeks. If this is important for your record to do well, then we can deal with it."
"Lucy's going to be so mad at me."
"She'll get over it. She might be mad at first, but she's so proud of you, she'll realize what it's all for."
"It's just not fair. You're there with her all alone."
"I knew what I was signing up for, babe. I'm telling you right now, go."
She can still practically hear the apprehension in Beca's thoughts. She knows the look that's on her face; the sympathetic stare, her eyebrows pulled together and her cheeks rosy with held breath.
"I know you want to go."
"Of course I want to go."
"Then you need to go. Because you can deal with Lucy being a little mad at you but I don't think you could ever live with the regret of not doing something that could benefit your career like this."
There's a long pause before she hears Beca say,
"I need to hear it one more time, Chlo."
Chloe knows that she needs to be told something several times before it manages to break through the thoughts of self-doubt and guilt. It's something she's known about her since they first became friends, and something she truly began to understand when they started dating; it's only become more apparent since the accident. She's about to tell her again when her bedroom door is pushed open and Lucy appears just inside the doorway.
"Hi Lou," Chloe says, so that Beca knows she's there.
"Is that Beca?"
Beca can hear her voice, although it's a bit muffled from the distance, it sounds lighter than it usually does. Her heart hurts because she knows she's about to ruin it.
"It is. Come over here for a second." Chloe taps Beca's empty side and Lucy hops up. "Bec, can you switch over to FaceTime?"
"Mhm."
A second later, Beca's face appears on the screen and she is still completely done up from her interviews earlier in the day.
"Hi Scout."
"Hi, guess what." Lucy says before her sister gets the chance to start talking and she isn't able to share her news.
"What?"
Chloe watches Beca chew on her bottom lip and she knows it's killing her.
"Coach is putting me in the game tomorrow. She said because I've been working so hard at practice, and I've shown so much improvement, that I can play."
Beca's face falls and she looks like she's about to cry.
"And it's at four so you'll be able to make it, right? Cause your flight gets in in the morning. Isn't that perfect?"
Chloe is almost certain that she catches a single tear drip down her cheek, but the quality of the video isn't great so she can't be completely sure.
"That's amazing. But listen."
Lucy slumps next to Chloe and she knows what's about to happen.
"You won't be here." It isn't a question.
"They want me in Europe. I have a flight to London that leaves in about two hours."
Lucy, slowly, nods her head. She bites her lower lip, much like Beca had been doing only a few minutes before. She sniffs and stiffens her jaw.
"I'm so sorry, Lou. I know I said I would be home but they need me, you know?"
"Can't do a press tour without the artist. I get it."
"I'm sorry."
"I get it. Have a safe flight and I'll talk to you when you get to London or wherever."
Before Beca can say anything else Lucy basically tosses the phone at Chloe and leaves the room.
"She hates me."
"She doesn't hate you. She's just a little hurt."
"That's worse."
Chloe sighs and looks into Beca's face, wishing she could kiss her right now, run her thumb over her cheek and tell her, to her face, that everything will be okay. Instead, she settles for a gentle reminder.
"You're doing this for a reason. She'll get that at some point."
"Yeah."
"And Beca," She waits until Beca looks back into the camera, "I am so incredibly proud of you."
"Thank you."
This time Chloe knows for sure that a couple tears drip down Beca's cheeks.
"Have a safe flight and let me know when you land."
"I will. And you better tape that entire game."
"Every second."
Beca nods and swallows thickly.
"I love you. So much."
"Love you more."
Chloe kisses her hand twice and blows a kiss before hanging up the call and sitting back into her pillows, letting out a huff.
The next morning, Lucy is at her locker. She is shoving books inside when one falls to the floor with a loud slap. She sighs heavily before bending down to pick it up.
"What's wrong with you?" Lincoln asks, coming over and leaning against the wall.
Lucy looks at her and fights the urge to roll her eyes. She gets the book in her locker and finds the one she needs before slamming her locker closed.
"Seriously, what's going on?"
"Beca was supposed to be coming back today."
"And now she's not?"
"She has to go to Europe for like three weeks."
"That sucks."
Lincoln doesn't sound at all empathetic but Lucy can tell by the twinge of her eyebrow that she is. She nods her head and grits her teeth.
"Yeah, it really does."
"But we've got the best distraction. Halloween."
"What is it with you guys and Halloween?"
"Horror movies, cool costumes, free candy, what isn't to like?"
"Hard to beat that logic." Lucy says, only half serious. "But I don't think I'm gonna go."
"What? Chloe said you couldn't?"
"No, she's fine with it." Lucy says, pushing a piece of hair out of her face. "I just don't feel much like being around a ton of people or-"
"Having fun?"
Lincoln gives a smirk and Lucy hates that she's right. She nods and shrugs one shoulder.
"Well, I think you're wrong. But it's up to you."
Lincoln pushes her shoulder with her own before giving a little wave and continuing down the hallway. Lucy watches her until she disappears behind a group of kids.
Lucy wipes the sweat from just above her eyes and laughs when Lincoln comes over and hits her on the shoulder. The final whistle just blew and she can't believe she played as well as she did, or that she even played at all. And she especially can't believe they won.
"Good game, Peach. Keep playing like that and you might become a starter."
"Doubtful, but thanks."
"Me and Pop are going to the library to do some homework. Do you wanna come?"
"No thanks, I have dinner with Chloe and Stacie tonight."
"Your sister still isn't back?" Poppy asks, coming over to join the conversation.
"Uh, no, not yet." She answers, simply.
She hadn't had the chance to tell Poppy about the tour extension and she doesn't want to get too deep into the subject and risk breaking down into tears.
She walks over and grabs her bag from the sidelines and walks, head down, over to the bleachers to hopefully find Chloe.
"Nice game, number 9."
Lucy turns slowly at the familiar voice behind her. A few yards away, her sister is standing, with her arms crossed over her chest. Lucy can't move; she's in such shock. But when Beca pushes her sunglasses up on top of her head and smiles, it breaks whatever trance she's in and she drops her stuff before running over to hug her.
"You're here."
"You think I would miss this?"
"I thought you were in London."
"I hear it's overrated."
Lucy squeezes her a little tighter and hears her laugh under her breath. After another minute, Lucy lets go and she pulls back and just stares at her sister's face.
"I can't believe you're home."
"No place I'd rather be, kid."
Before they can walk away, Lucy hears her name being called.
"Lucy, wait up!"
She turns and Poppy is jogging toward them.
"Hey Beca, welcome home."
"Thanks Poppy. Good job out there." She says, gesturing to the field.
"Thanks," She turns her attention back to Lucy, "me and Lincoln are having a sleepover tonight, do you wanna come? You know, after your dinner and everything."
Lucy's eyes widen. It may not be noticeable to the untrained eye but Beca picks up on it right away.
"Oh uh, well my sister just got back and-"
"No, I totally get it." She says, "Maybe another time."
"Definitely."
She walks away, leaving Beca and Lucy alone again.
"You didn't have to say no just because I'm back."
"I didn't."
Beca lifts an eyebrow, "Didn't you?"
"No, I just didn't really wanna go."
"Why not?"
Lucy goes quiet. She watches the ground as she continues to walk.
"I just didn't."
"Have you ever had a sleepover before?"
Another pause.
"Lou?"
"No, okay? I've never been to a sleepover and I don't think I want to."
Beca bites her bottom lip and nods slowly, even though Lucy isn't looking at her.
"It's okay to be nervous about stuff like that."
"No it's not."
"Of course it is. Anything new can be scary."
Lucy hikes her bag up higher and it rustles against her uniform shirt. She grips the strap tighter in her fist and sighs.
"It's not like it's anything hard. Kids have sleepovers when they're like five."
"But you didn't, and that's okay. I'm proud of you."
Lucy scoffs. But when Beca doesn't laugh or make a joke she looks up at her.
"You knew yourself well enough to know that it's not something you're ready for. You didn't push yourself. That was very mature."
"I chickened out."
"That's not how I see it."
Lucy's stomach gurgles. She missed her sister so much. She had almost forgotten over the past few weeks just how special Beca makes her feel. She looks at her like an equal and not just her annoying little sister and having her back makes her feel almost whole again; almost.
When they make it to the fence, Chloe is standing there with Bella in her arms. She's bouncing her back and forth to make her laugh.
"Hi Chlo."
"Hi sweet girl, I'm so proud of you, you did amazing. I think, although if I'm honest, I don't really understand the rules of this game."
She gives her a side hug, careful not to drop the baby. Lucy laughs and follows them both home.
The next couple days go by smoothly. Chloe and Lucy continue on their normal schedule and Beca takes a day at home before going back to work. Thursday night rolls around and Lucy comes home, rushes into her bedroom and starts rummaging through her closet. Beca follows her into the room and watches for a minute in amusement before clearing her throat.
"What are you looking for, Scout?"
"I need a costume for Halloween."
"And you're just realizing this now?"
Lucy picks her head up and looks back at her sister with a glare.
"If you're not going to help, you can leave."
Beca lifts her hands up in surrender and leaves the room. She still has a smirk on her face as she enters the kitchen.
"What's up with her?"
"She's looking for a Halloween costume."
"Oh, so she decided to go with her friends after all? She's been going back and forth about it all week."
"For the moment she seems pretty determined."
Chloe nods and continues to work on dinner.
"You okay?" Beca asks.
"Mhm, just a little tired."
Beca has noticed a change in Chloe's demeanor since she's returned home. She's been quieter than usual but she can't quite figure out what it is. She hasn't brought it up yet because she knows neither of them have the energy for a fight; especially one they don't need to have.
By the time Saturday comes around, Lucy has decided she will be going out with her friends. She has refused help with her costume from both Chloe and her sister. She, Lincoln, Poppy, and Matteo are all in Matteo's bedroom getting ready.
"This was a great idea, Lou." Poppy says.
"Yeah, a spin on a classic." Matteo agrees.
"Alright, are we ready?"
They all nod and leave his room for the kitchen. Matteo's mother is at the counter, on her laptop. Lucy has become much more comfortable at Matteo's house, thanks to the weekly tv sessions.
"Mama, what do you think?" Matteo practically shouts.
"Wow, look at you guys. What are you supposed to be?"
"We're superhero versions of historic figures." Poppy says. "It was Lucy's idea."
"Lincoln is Amelia Earhart. Poppy is Jane Goodall. Lucy is Joan of Arc, and I am John Wayne."
Matteo's mother looks rather impressed and they all take it as a compliment.
"Where are Cash and Felix?" He asks.
"They were finishing getting ready, they should be down any second."
She can barely finish her sentence before Felix, Matteo's oldest brother, jumps out at them and scares them. He's dressed up as Freddy Krueger and Cash, Matteo's second eldest brother, is dressed as Jason Vorhees. Poppy lets out a little yelp and immediately looks embarrassed. Lincoln punches Felix in the arm and he makes a noise very similar to Poppy's which makes them all laugh.
"So, you know the drill, you are to stay within a five block radius and be home by 9 o'clock. If you're going to be late, call me. Don't be late."
They all nod like obedient soldiers before bidding their goodbyes and leaving the building.
"What building should we go to first?" Matteo asks but both of his brothers stop walking right in front of him making them all stop.
"Oh, we're not going trick or treating." Cash says.
"We're not?" Poppy asks, thoroughly confused.
"No way," Felix starts, "we heard about this awesome haunted house. We're going there."
"A couple guys are school told me they went last year and some kid got so scared he actually threw up." Cash adds.
"Cool, where is it?" Lincoln asks.
"Near Washington Square Park."
"Dude, no way." Matteo says, "Mom will kill us if she finds out where we were."
"That's why no one is gonna tell her. Right?"
Lucy's stomach starts to hurt. She's not a good liar. She thinks about bailing when they all start toward the subway but she keeps her mouth shut and follows along because she knows they wouldn't make her do anything that would get her into any actual trouble; at least she doesn't think they would.
"I can't believe we haven't had one trick or treater." Chloe whines, plopping down on the couch next to Beca.
"Babe, we live in the penthouse. No one can even get up here without a keycard."
"Then why did I buy all this candy?" She asks, gesturing to the overflowing bowl.
"I told you not to."
Chloe sighs, "And it's so quiet without Lucy here."
"You want me to groan and slam some doors or something?"
Beca smirks and looks out of the corner of her eye at Chloe.
"You know, this is the first time we've been alone in the new place."
"What about when we unpacked all of this stuff?"
"Okay, the first time we've been alone in this place with a bed."
Chloe scoffs but when she catches the look in Beca's eye she feels her knees go shaky and her arms nearly go numb. She licks her bottom lip before pulling it back with her teeth. Beca stands and extends one hand out to help her up.
"That big old cast isn't going to, um, inhibit you?"
Beca turns once they're in the bedroom and pushes Chloe back onto the mattress. She climbs on top of her and shakes her head. Her hair flows from side to side and then falls like a curtain around them when Beca leans down to kiss her.
"Nothing can get in your way when you've got the skills that I have."
Chloe lets out a hearty laugh but she also knows, somewhere deep down, that it's true. She pulls Beca into one more deep kiss before rolling them over.
When they walk up the stairs from the subway, Felix has his phone out tracking one of his friends locations while they rest of the group blindly follows.
"It's this way."
Cash grabs the phone from him and Felix swipes trying to take it back.
"It's that way, idiot."
"What?"
They begin to argue about which direction they need to head in and Lucy looks around. She's never been to this part of the city. In fact she's never been past Canal Street.
"Dude, this shit's in Tribeca."
"What are you talking about?"
"You didn't look up the address first?"
They continue to banter back and forth as they continue to walk. Another block or so down and Lucy stops in her tracks. Lincoln who had only been about half a step behind her walks right into her and nearly takes her down.
"What the hell, Peach?"
When she isn't met with a bumbling apology she gets a little concerned. The whole group stops and turns but her gaze stays on the same spot.
"What is it?" Poppy asks.
"It's, um," She clears her throat, "it's Gardner."