Thank you for the well wishes. My daughter has been released from quarantine as of this morning, and the rest of the family has not been infected. Enjoy this chapter. Thanks a bunch to 22-Ti for your help!

Beca

Beca picked her mother up at the airport the next day.

"Let me look at you!" the older woman exclaimed, giving her daughter a once-over.

"Mom, I'm fine," said Beca.

"Are you eating enough?"

"Yes, Mom."

"Are you warm enough? You're not wearing a jacket!" she exclaimed.

"It's sixty-five degrees, Mom. I'm fine."

"Okay, okay. I'll stop fussing."

"It's all right, Mom. Do you need to get your bags?"

"No," she replied, gesturing to the tiny suitcase she'd been rolling behind her. "I carried on."

"Then, let's go," said Beca.

Beca finally told her mother about the disaster than had been her last a cappella competition on the ride to her apartment.

"I'm sorry, honey," she said. "But, you patched things up with Chloe?"

"Yeah. I know we both made mistakes, and I didn't want to leave things unresolved before the break. I mean, what if her plane crashes? Or she dies in surgery or something?"

"That's awfully morbid."

"I know that. Either way, I'd feel awful if my last memory of her is when I slammed the door in her face."

"Well, I'm glad you two are okay. I do hope I get to meet her sometime."

"Me too."

They pulled up to the apartment, and then Beca gave her mother a tour of the place. She wasn't the least bit surprised when her mother began to open her kitchen cabinets.

"Sweetheart, what do you eat for breakfast?"

"I usually just grab some pop-tarts."

"But, you don't have a toaster."

Beca shrugged. "I just eat them cold." She left out the fact that she usually just ate them in the car on her way to school when she saw the horrified look on her mother's face.

"This won't do," said her mother. "And you don't have a vase for those flowers, either. What else are you missing?"

"What?"

Her mother began to go through the cabinets again. "I really should have flown out here with you. That is a lot of Easy Mac."

"You know how much I love my mac and cheese."

"Why do you have so much tea? Is that your new thing?" she asked.

"No, Mom. I've been fixing it for Chloe for her nodes."

"Oh, right. That's what she's having surgery to fix?"

"Yes."

She opened the refrigerator, examining the contents. "Beca, this ketchup is expired."

"Really? I didn't think that stuff ever expired."

"We need to go shopping," said her mom. "Is there a Walmart near here?"

"Mom, this is Atlanta, not the middle of nowhere. Yes, we have Walmart."

Beca drove them to the nearest Walmart. Her mother took her through the grocery section and bought her some food items that she "just couldn't believe" Beca didn't have in her apartment.

"I really should have taught you how to cook," she said.

"Seriously, Mom. I'm fine. Stop fussing over me."

"It's my job to fuss over you."

They headed to the housewares section and her mother made a point of carefully looking over the different toasters.

"Do you want a toaster or a toaster oven?" she asked.

"I don't care," said Beca.

"Well, I saw you don't have much counter space," she said. "So, I think this one is your best option." She proudly held up a toaster. It didn't look any different from any of the other toasters to Beca, but she wasn't going to argue with the woman.

"Sure, Mom," she said.

"Let's see," she said. "You don't have a roasting pan."

"Mom, I live alone. Why would I roast a chicken for just me?"

"What about when Chloe comes over?"

"I don't know, Mom. We usually get takeout."

"Okay, no roasting pan. Do you need anything else?"

"I promise I'm fine, Mom. You know I've been on my own for more than six months, don't you?"

Beca's mom smiled. "I know. I just miss fussing over you. Maybe I can show you how to cook this week?"

"Sure," she said, smiling back. "That would be great."

They went through the checkout line, her mother insisting on paying. She'd even gently smacked Beca's hand away when she went for her wallet.

They got back to the apartment, and her mother made a point of showing her how the toaster worked.

"Mom, stop," said Beca. "I know how to use a toaster. You put the bread or pop-tarts here, slide the lever down...it's not rocket science."

"Right, of course," said her mom. "Now that I've fixed your kitchen, what should we do?"

Beca suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at her mother. Her kitchen had been just fine, but she supposed she might enjoy having warm pop-tarts on occasion. The flowers Chloe had given her did look nicer in the vase her mother had chosen than they had in the cup.

"I don't know, Mom. It's up to you."

"What is there to do here in Atlanta?"

"Visit my dad and homophobic stepmonster," said Beca.

"Not funny."

"I can show you around Barden."

"I'd like that," said her mom.

They drove over to Barden. It was Sunday, and Spring Break had already officially started. Most of the campus was deserted. However, Beca's mom seemed genuinely interested in all of the buildings Beca showed her.

"I have Bellas practice in the auditorium in this building. Well, I did, but…"

"The season is over, anyway, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Then you figure it out next year. Have you decided whether or not you're going to stay in college after this year?"

Beca shook her head.

"You don't need to figure that out right now, either."

"Thanks, Mom," she said. She continued around campus, pointing out the dining hall as well as the building that housed the radio station.

"Are you sure you're safe going to campus alone at night?"

"Yes, Mom. I can park right there," she said, gesturing to the parking lot next to the building. "I have a key and I'm going to lock myself in."

"I suppose that's safe enough."

"I'm fine. I promise. Nobody's here, anyway. The shifts before and after mine are two-hour blocks of automated programming."

"Okay," she said.

They went back to Beca's apartment after the tour. Beca's mom made her some dinner while she relaxed. Beca had offered to help, but her mother told her she needed to rest before her shift at the station. She'd tried to get Beca to take a nap, but Beca had insisted that she wasn't going to be able to fall asleep.

After her mother had made her signature meatloaf and mashed potatoes, she pulled a box out of her suitcase. "Look what I brought you for dessert!"

In the box was one of Beca's favorite treats from back home. "A cranberry-apple roll! Thanks, Mom!"

Beca and her mom watched some television for a while before she had to head to the radio station. She'd assured her mom multiple times that she was fine and would text her when she'd arrived safely.

Beca sat in the booth at the station, grinning as she slipped on the headphones. Her first thought was that she could get used to this.

She put her flash drive into the radio station laptop, and, at 11 pm on the dot, she turned off the automated programming.

"Happy Spring Break, Barden University. This is Beca Mitchell, your host for the night shift. I thought we'd throw it back to the 90's tonight."

She wasn't sure what else to say, so she started her playlist. She checked to make sure she was following the guide Luke had left for her. She had to run specific ads at specific times, so she made a few adjustments for time.

When her time was up, she spoke again. "So, Barden, I hope you liked what you heard. I'm here all week. Listen again at 11 pm to see what I have for you. This is Beca Mitchell, signing off."

She ran the automated programming, grabbed her things, and headed back. She was a little surprised to find her mother up and waiting for her.

"You sounded great, Beca," she said.

"You listened?"

"As much as I could. I may have nodded off a little a few times."

"So, you really liked it?"

"I always love your music. What's tomorrow, or, well, I guess, tonight's theme?"

"Famous duets," Beca answered.

"Good choice. Are you ready to get some sleep?"

Beca yawned.

"I guess I have my answer."

Beca fell asleep pretty quickly, exhausted from the adrenaline rush of being in the booth for the first time.

Chloe

Chloe got off of the plane, thrilled to see her father waiting for her at the baggage claim.

"Daddy!" she called.

"Hey, there!" He wrapped his daughter in a hug.

He insisted on carrying his daughter's suitcase as they walked to his car.

"So, how have you been? How is your girlfriend?"

"I'm okay, besides the nodes. Beca and I are great."

"You two made up?"

"Yes," she said. "She even drove me to the airport today."

"That's nice," he said. "Are you hungry for lunch?"

"I could eat," she said.

She texted her mom, her girlfriend, and her best friend to let them know she'd arrived safely. Her dad took her to their favorite restaurant, a locally-owned Mexican place.

Chloe caught up with her dad over tacos. The last time she'd spoken to him was the day that had started with Beca slamming a door in her face. She told him all about her creative plan to get Beca back, leaving out the details about the mind-blowing makeup sex that had occurred afterward.

"I'm happy for you two," he said. "It's a real shame about semifinals, though."

"Thanks."

Chloe's dad showed her a picture of his new girlfriend. She suppressed the urge to tell him that she reminded her a lot of her mother, just as had every woman he'd dated. He definitely had a type.

"Pretty," she said. "What's her name?"

"Lisa."

"Do I get to meet her anytime soon?"

"That's up to you. I planned to just spend time with you for the next couple of days."

"I'd like to meet her," said Chloe.

"I'll call her after we get home to make plans."

"Great."

They shared some small talk for the rest of their lunch, and then they headed back.

Chloe unpacked the few things she'd need for the next few days and relaxed on her bed. She took a little time to text her girlfriend.

C: I miss you already
B: Cheeseball
B: But I miss you too
C: What are you doing?
B: Cleaning my apartment
C: LOL worried about your mom?
B: Yes

When Chloe came out of her room, her dad told her he had arranged to have his girlfriend over for dinner.

Chloe helped her father cook dinner, and the doorbell rang just as she'd put the baked ziti in the oven. Her dad answered the door and gave the woman a quick peck on the lips.

"Come on in, Lisa," he said. "Dinner should be ready soon. This is my youngest, Chloe."

"Hi," said Chloe, shaking the woman's hand.

"Hi," she said. "Your dad tells me you're back for Spring Break?"

"Yes."

"And you go to Barden University?"

"You did your homework," said Chloe.

"It's a little tricky keeping up with five adult children, four wives, and nine grandchildren. I think I have everyone figured out now."

"We can be a bit much." Chloe took the ziti out of the oven and put salad and rolls on the table.

"What is your major?"

"Literature," said Chloe.

"So, English?"

"No. It's literature of all kinds. I've had courses in American Literature, Child and Adolescent Literature, and right now I'm taking Russian Literature and Southeast Asian Literature."

"I didn't know there was a difference. It sounds interesting."

"It is. Each culture is a little different, and, of course, literature aimed at children and adolescents are very different."

"I see."

Chloe learned more about Lisa over the meal. She was a gynecologist at the hospital where Chloe and her brothers were born. She was divorced, but she'd never had children of her own.

"Your father tells me you're part of a singing group," she said.

"Yeah, I'm the co-captain of the Barden Bellas. We're the only all-female a cappella singing group at Barden. We made it all the way to Nationals last year, but we didn't qualify this year."

"That's too bad."

"I met my girlfriend through the group this year. And, the upside to the season ending early is that I'm finally having surgery on my nodes."

"Nodes?"

"Vocal nodules."

"Right," said Lisa. "Not my area of expertise. Tell me about your girlfriend."

Chloe pulled out a picture of Beca and showed Lisa. "She's a freshman and she has this amazing singing voice. She's going to do great things someday. I just know it."

"You two look very happy," she said.

Chloe excused herself to her room after dinner to give her dad and his girlfriend some space.

Beca

Beca and her mom awoke around noon on Monday. Beca took her to the Georgia Aquarium, and then her mother insisted on giving her a cooking lesson when they got home. Beca finally reminded her mother that she was aware the stove was hot after the woman had warned her for the fifth time to be careful.

Beca and her mother sat down to spaghetti, and it reminded Beca of the time Jesse had made spaghetti for her back when she'd first started at Barden.

"What's wrong?" asked Beca's mom.

"What?"

"Beca, I know that face. Something is bothering you. Are you and Chloe really okay?"

"It's not Chloe, Mom. She and I are fine. She's been texting me the whole break. She's at her dad's right now and having a good time with him. She'll go to her mom's tonight, and her surgery is tomorrow"

"Then…"

Beca told her mom about Jesse. "So, ever since then, he won't talk to me. I apologized, but he completely ignores me now. I really don't know what to do. I miss our friendship."

"You might just have to give him some time."

"I miss him. The radio station is boring when he won't talk to me. Okay, it's not boring this week, but I'm sure I'll go back to stacking discs and vinyls next week."

"I'm sure you'll come up with something."

That night, Beca introduced the night's theme and started her playlist. She found herself wandering around the booth. She looked at the stack of CD's and something caught her eye. It was the soundtrack for The Breakfast Club. She looked at the disc and then remembered she'd never returned the movie to Jesse. Maybe she'd just go ahead and watch the whole thing with her mom when she got home.

Beca signed off and headed back to her place. Her mom had already gone to bed, so she opened her laptop, loaded the DVD, and put her headphones on so she wouldn't disturb her mother.

She was so engrossed in the movie, she didn't hear her mom walk into her living room just as it was ending. It had moved her to tears, and her mother walked over to her.

"Beca? Why are you crying?"

Beca wiped the tears away. "Okay, okay. I was watching The Breakfast Club. Jesse left it here after showing me the ending. I get it."

"So that's why you hadn't come to bed yet. I woke up and I was a little worried. I wanted to stay up and listen to your show, but I got tired around 2 and had to go to bed."

"I'm okay, Mom. Let's head to bed."

Beca woke up alone at around 2 pm. She got up and headed to the kitchen for something to eat.

"Hey, sleepyhead," said her mom.

"Hi, Mom. What are you doing?"

The woman was sitting on Beca's couch with her own laptop open. "I was thinking more about the Jesse situation. It's raining out today anyway. The public library has some of the movies you told me he likes. I thought we could borrow a few and just relax and watch them for a while today. What do you say?"

"Sounds good."

"Do you have a library card for the system in Atlanta?"

"No."

"Well, then, we need to fix that."

Beca and her mother headed to the nearest branch of the library. Beca applied for a card, her mother explaining that Beca lived there during the school year, even though her driver's license was from the state of Washington.

They grabbed a few movies, thanked the librarian, and headed back to the apartment.

"What should we watch first?" asked her mother.

"E.T., maybe?" asked Beca. "Oh, wait, before that, I need to text Chloe's mom and check on her."

Beca texted Chloe's mom, and she was pleased to learn that Chloe had just come out of surgery. She was okay, but the doctor had wanted to keep her overnight. Her nodes had been much worse than originally anticipated, probably due to her refusal to stop singing.

"Beca, get an address. We should send her flowers," said her mom.

Beca thanked Chloe's mom and got the hospital address.

"Mom, do you know what kind of flowers those are?" Beca asked, pointing to the vase of flowers on her kitchen table.

"Those are lilies."

"Let's send those. They're her favorite."

Beca's mom insisted they call a florist in Portland to make sure she got the flowers right away.

Once they ordered the flowers, Beca and her mother sat down to watch the movie.

Aubrey

Aubrey was at the gym on Wednesday morning of Spring Break, not wanting to break her workout regimen, even after the a cappella season had ended. She was doing leg extensions on a yoga mat while reading a textbook when her phone rang. She tapped her Bluetooth headset.

"This is Aubrey Posen," she said.

"Ms. Posen, this is John Smith of the International Collegiate A Cappella Association. It has come to our attention that Timothy Nelson, the lead singer of the Footnotes, is not enrolled in college. They have been disqualified. We would like to invite the Barden Bellas to compete in the ICCA Finals. Do you accept our invitation?" he asked.

"Yes. Thank you, sir. I look forward to seeing you again at Lincoln Center," Aubrey replied.

Aubrey couldn't contain her excitement any longer when she hung up. She screamed, "Yes!" while continuing her exercises with vigor.

She immediately texted Chloe.

AP: ICCA called. Footnotes have been disqualified. Lead singer is not enrolled in college. Bellas are in! I'll contact the others. I'm holding practice at 2 pm on Sunday. Everyone should be back by then.

She called or texted the others, save for Beca. She'd made it clear she was done with the group, and she wasn't going to have her mess up her chance for redemption. She was glad to hear everyone was just as thrilled as she was to be going to the finals.

Chloe

Chloe woke up from her surgery on Tuesday with her mother at her side. Her mother immediately shushed her when she opened her mouth to speak.

"Hi, sweetheart," she said. "Don't talk. The doctor said everything went well. They're keeping you overnight, though." She handed Chloe a pen and notepad when she tried to speak again.

Why? Chloe wrote.

"The nodes were worse than he thought."

Chloe made a sad face.

"Cheer up. Look what came in for you just now!" Her mother held up a small arrangement of lilies in a simple, clear vase.

Chloe grabbed the card and smiled when she saw they were from Beca. She pointed to the card and showed her mother.

"I saw," she said. There were flowers from her father, her grandparents, and several cards from her brothers. Her mother had arranged all of them on a small table near her bed.

"Do you want to watch something on television?" she asked. Chloe shook her head.

"Do you want your iPod?" Chloe nodded. Her mother passed it over with the earbuds attached. Chloe was glad she'd brought it. It held more music and had a far better battery life than her phone.

Chloe was allowed to try and eat some dinner after a while. Chloe managed to down the hospital food, even though it was pretty bland.

Can you sneak me a burger? She wrote on the notepad when her brother Steven was visiting.

"I'll try," said Steven, chuckling.

Chloe didn't get a lot of sleep in the hospital bed that night. Between monitors beeping, nurses coming in to check her vitals all hours of the night, and the pain in her throat, she probably managed a total of four hours that night.

Wednesday morning, she'd asked her mother to let her rest for a while. She put her earbuds in and played one of the playlists Beca had made her for relaxation. She lay her head back on the pillow, trying in vain to get just a little more sleep.

She was a little surprised to hear her phone's text message notification ringing. She gasped when she saw that Aubrey had texted to let her know that the Footnotes had been disqualified. Chloe wanted to scream, but she remembered she had to rest her voice. She instead began excitedly tapping on the tray on her hospital bed.

The heart rate and blood pressure monitor began to screech, and a team of nurses came into her room to see what was wrong. Chloe shoved their hands off of her and held up her phone, figuring they'd see Aubrey's text and understand why she was so excited. She finally grabbed her notepad and wrote. I'm fine. I got really good news! The nurses shook their heads and insisted that they check her vitals again.

They finally left her room after a few minutes when her heart rate and blood pressure returned to normal.

Chloe thought for a moment and decided to text Beca. She knew Beca hadn't quite forgiven Aubrey, but she felt like she deserved to know. She also knew it was highly unlikely that Aubrey would have reached out to her. While Aubrey may not realize it, they really needed Beca. She just hoped Beca would agree to come back and that Aubrey would let her.

Beca

It was Wednesday, and Beca and her mom were going through another one of the movies they'd borrowed when she got a text from Chloe.

C: Good news! The Bellas have made it into the finals. The lead singer of the Footnotes wasn't enrolled in college. I know you said you were done with the group, but practice is at 2:00 on Sunday. I'd love it if you reconsidered. I think you make us better.

A smile came to Beca's face.

"What is it?" her mom asked.

"Chloe texted me. The Bellas got into the finals. On a technicality, but they're in," said Beca, her smile falling. "But, I don't know what to do. I left, and I told them I quit. And Aubrey apologized, but I think she still hates me."

"When do you need to decide?"

"Not right now. Practice is on Sunday afternoon."

"You have time to think."

"Okay," said Beca. She texted Chloe.

B: That's really cool. I'll think about it. Hope you're feeling good.
C: Yeah. I might have set off my monitors and scared a few nurses, though.
B: ?
C: I guess I got a little excited when I saw Aubrey's text.
B: Only you...?

Beca went back to watching the movie with her mother. It gave her an idea for a theme for the night. She'd originally planned something more abstract, but she thought a mash-up of classic movie hits might be fun. Once the movie was over, she took her laptop over to her desk, put her headphones on, and began to work.

She played the music for her mother when she was done. Her mom smiled and shook her head.

"What?" she asked.

"I never thought I'd see the day you'd voluntarily watch a movie, much less several in a day, and I never thought you'd choose a movie theme when you told me you were going to take the night shift at the radio station."

"I guess movies aren't so bad when you give them a chance," said Beca.

Beca tried sending Jesse another text, knowing it was likely in vain.

B: Hey, hope you're having a good break. I watched The Breakfast Club. I get it. I'll give you back your DVD when you come back.

She waited a few minutes, trying not to get too upset when she didn't receive a response.

Beca's mom could see her disappointment. "Hey, he'll come around, okay?"

"I don't know," said Beca.

"Let's get out of the apartment today," said her mom. She pulled up a page where she'd done a search on unique things to do in Atlanta. They chose a few things to try, and the distraction was enough to take Beca's mind off of the conflict with Jesse and her indecision as to whether or not to try to come back to the Bellas.

One night over "breakfast for dinner" (and another cooking lesson for Beca, who now knew how to make pancakes and french toast), Beca asked her mom a question to which she'd always wanted the answer.

"Mom, were you and Dad ever happy?"

"What?"

"I'm asking because...I don't remember you being happy. I know that's awful, but all I remember is the fighting."

Her mother looked at her for a few beats before replying. "We were, but you were too little to remember. We'd been together for years before we got married. It was the next logical step. Our marriage didn't work. Two years into the marriage, we thought that having a baby would make us happy. And, it worked for about six months. The bickering started again, and then we were back to our old habits. Your father worked too late, and I had a bad habit of staying out too late drinking with my friends."

"I don't remember any of that. I just remember you two yelling a lot, and I'd go to my room and cover my ears."

"I know you did. And I'm really sorry you had to witness that. We tried to make things work. We went to counseling, and even that didn't help us."

"I thought Dad cheated on you."

"He did, but, really, our marriage had been over long before that happened. I think your father wanted me to catch him. He actually tossed me the shirt he'd been wearing when he was with her. He'd asked me to put it in the laundry, hoping I'd see the lipstick on the collar and smell the other woman's perfume."

"Why didn't he just end things if you were that unhappy?"

"It's complicated. I could have done the same thing, you know," said her mom.

"Do you regret it?"

"Marrying your dad? Having you?" she asked.

"Both? I don't know," said Beca.

"I could never, ever regret having you. Being your mom is the best thing I've ever done and probably ever will do. And, had I married someone else, you wouldn't be the same person. You're a product of both of us."

"Why haven't you dated anyone?"

"What makes you think I haven't?" asked her mom.

"You've never introduced me to anyone."

"I haven't met anyone I was ready to introduce to the most important person in my life."

"Oh," said Beca. "So...are you…?"

"Seeing anyone?" asked her mom. Beca nodded. "No. But I'm on Tinder."

"Gross, Mom! Aren't you too old?"

"Rebecca Joan Mitchell, I am not too old!" said her mother in mock offense.

Beca laughed. "Okay, okay. Just...don't be afraid to introduce me to someone. I'm an adult. I can handle my mom having a boyfriend."

"Or girlfriend…"

"You're…? What?"

"I'm gay, sweetheart. You come by it honestly."

"Which is one of the reasons you and Dad didn't work."

"One of them," she said, laughing.

"Why didn't you tell me when I came out to you?" asked Beca.

"I only came to terms with it about a year ago," said her mom. "Now, pass me the syrup before my pancakes get cold."

"A year ago, Mom?"

"I grew up in a different time than you did. Almost nobody was openly gay, bi, or anything other than straight."

Beca gestured to her to continue.

"You remember, Miss Sally, don't you?"

"You mean our neighbor at the old house? The one who used to take us to her beach house?"

"That's the one. Let's just say we became really good friends. More than friends-"

"Stop! I don't need to know any more about you and Miss Sally!"

"Wait, no. Maybe it was that video I watched on Porn Hub!"

"Mom! Gross! You're going to make me lose my appetite!" Beca exclaimed.

Her mom just laughed. "Just messing with you... or, am I?" she said, winking.

"It's not like I tell you about…" Beca clapped her hand over her mouth. "Never mind."

"The syrup, Beca? I don't want to have to reheat these pancakes!"

Beca shook her head and passed the syrup.