"Are you surprised?"
Standing in the doorway is Chloe's parents. She rushes over and wraps her mother in a hug, before moving over to hug her dad.
"Come in. Come in, I can't believe you're here."
Lucy watches the commotion from her spot in the corner; the hugs, the giddy laughter, the long-awaited greetings. It pulls at her heart in a way that makes her squirm.
Chloe's mother, Nora, is beautiful, but Lucy can't see any resemblance between them. Their father is tall, and slim, much like Fletcher but their features don't look similar. She thinks it a little odd that Chloe and Fletcher look so much alike but they don't look like either of their parents.
"Lucy, come here," Beca calls her over, "can you say hi?"
"Hello." She offers awkwardly, leaning into her sister.
"Hi sweetheart," Nora says, leaning down just slightly.
At closer inspection, she notices that Chloe and Fletcher have her eyes. They're kind and immediately sympathetic. She smiles back at the woman but keeps quiet.
"It's nice to finally meet you. We've heard so much about you."
She turns her attention back to Chloe, her smile unfaltering. Lucy feels all of the heat in her body move to her cheeks. She looks over to Fletcher who gives her a shrug and a smile. In the very short time she's spent with him, she's decided she likes him. He's goofy and loud and a reminder that not every new guy around her is bad.
"Beca, let me get those." Chloe's dad, James, says, gesturing to their bags.
"Dad, I got it." Fletcher says, stepping in to take the small suitcases from Beca.
They don't bring it up much, but they all know he isn't as healthy as he used to be. They can see it in the subtle things; the quake timbre of his voice, the way his knees occasionally buckle, and the graying of his hair. They all dread the day that those subtleties morph into something much larger, thrown in their faces. But for now, they push them to the backs of their minds.
Fletcher carries the bag down the hall. To the guest room and moves all of his things to Lucy's room; displacing her to Beca and Chloe's floor for a few nights.
When they all sit down for dinner, the conversation is easy, like they hadn't spent any time apart at all.
"Chloe, this all looks delicious." Nora says.
"Thank you, Fletcher helped."
"If anything, I was just in the way."
"Fletch, I haven't gotten a chance to ask, how is the internship going?" James asks.
"It's good," Fletcher says, taking a minute to finish chewing before continuing, "once football season is over, I think I may be getting transferred."
"Oh really, to where?" Nora asks.
"Well, a couple of my supervisors had expressed interest in me applying for a full time position at MLB."
Fletcher smiles, James does too. All of the women are left a little confused. All except Lucy who says quietly,
"Aren't they based in New Jersey?"
"Wait really?" Chloe asks, her voice raising almost a full octave.
"It's not a done deal yet or anything but, yeah maybe."
The rest of dinner goes by with the same easy, comfortable conversation. Nora and James tell Chloe about what her other brothers are up to, they talk about work, and they ask Lucy questions about school which she answers politely, but in as few words as possible, until it's acceptable to ask to be excused.
As soon as she's up from the table she checks her phone for the millionth time, but there are still no messages from Poppy. She thinks about sending one of her own, but she's made it abundantly clear that she doesn't want to talk to her.
"Scout, can you help clear the table, please?"
"Yeah."
Beca collects the placemats and leans against the chair for a second to listen to Chloe and Lucy laugh in the kitchen.
"I haven't thanked you yet." James says, keeping his voice down.
"Me? For what?"
"For getting us here. We've raised a very strong young lady."
"Yes, I know." Beca says with a smirk.
"But sometimes that means she doesn't think she can ask for help."
"I know that too."
"So, thank you. For asking us to be here. And for taking such good care of her when we can't be."
Beca nods. James puts his hand on her shoulder and squeezes before walking over to Fletcher.
Lucy feels her phone vibrate in her pocket and she slips out of the room to Beca and Chloe's bedroom. She closes the door behind her and answers it.
"Hello?"
"Hey Mitchell." Lucy is both relieved and incredibly disappointed when it's Matteo's voice on the other end.
"Hey, what do you want, Matteo?"
"So what, now I can't call to wish my friend a Happy Thanksgiving?"
"You already texted me this morning. What's going on?"
He sighs and she can practically picture the look on his face.
"Okay, Poppy told me what she said to you."
"More like what she didn't say."
"Yeah, listen, if it's any consolation she's really upset about it. And it's probably not really my place to say this but I thought you should know; It's not her fault, it's her dad. He said that he doesn't think you two should hang out because it might not be good for Poppy."
"So it's my fault?"
"No, that's not what I said."
"You didn't have to. And you're right, it isn't your place. Goodbye, Matteo."
"Lucy, wait."
"What?"
"We're your friends. We are."
Lucy shrugs, despite the fact that he can't see her.
"Doesn't really feel like it right now."
Lucy hangs up the call, without saying goodbye again. She changes into her pajamas and walks back out to the kitchen.
"Going to bed?" Chloe asks, extending her arm to give her a hug.
"Yeah, just saying good night."
"Good night, sweet girl." Chloe kisses her head.
The rest of the group joins in with a chorus of 'good nights' and 'sleep tights'. She disappears down the hallway and they hear the door click closed.
"Chloe you weren't kidding, she's stunning." Nora says.
"And smart as a whip." James adds.
"Yeah, you're telling me. I'm the one that has to help her with her homework. I barely understand it."
Chloe can tell there are a million questions her parents want to ask her. But to their credit, they don't. Not tonight and she's thankful because she's tired and emotional and her heart is so full that she doesn't think she can take much more.
She finishes cleaning the last of the dishes and takes her glass of wine to the couch to join in the conversation. Beca, not for the first time, is explaining her job to Chloe's father. Nora and Fletcher are talking about Fletcher's potential move; which she can tell will be a topic of conversation for them for the next several weeks, whether he likes it or not. Chloe lets the moment wash over her. She truly is thankful for this day and for the people in her life. Beca looks over and winks at her. She smiles and mouths, 'thank you'.
—
The next morning, Beca rolls over and blinks her eyes open. Chloe is on her phone with a mug of coffee in her hand. Beca, before saying anything, reaches out to take it from her. Once the first sip is past her lips she sits up fully and kisses Chloe's cheek.
"Your parents can stay as long as they want if it means I wake up to brewed coffee and the smell of bacon every day."
"Yeah, I'll let them know. I never thanked you for getting them here. Well, not really."
"I can think of a few ways you can thank me." Beca says, with a smirk.
"Not with my parents and my brother in the house."
Beca mocks offense, "Then they have to go."
"Not to mention your sister is asleep on our floor right now."
"Eh, yeah, I guess we've gotta keep her, huh?"
Chloe giggles and hits her. She stands from the bed and Beca notes that she's already dressed, she hadn't noticed before.
"What time is it?"
"Almost ten."
Beca nods slowly and stands to stretch. She peeks around the bed to see Lucy still sound asleep on the air mattress at the foot of their bed.
"I can't believe she's still sleeping. She went to bed pretty early. I should probably wake her."
Beca lays down on the floor beside her and watches her for a second. She's laying on her side, facing the bed. Beca is a little surprised that she didn't end up in their bed. She nudges her and whispers,
"Scout. It's breakfast time."
"Not hungry."
"Come on." Beca says, "Nora made it and we don't want to be rude."
Lucy rolls over and she looks tired; more tired than Beca's seen her in a while. She puts her hand to her forehead and it feels a little warm.
"You feeling okay?"
"Mhm. I'll get up."
"Okay."
Beca leaves the room. She doesn't fully believe her but she doesn't have much choice.
"Good morning." Beca says.
She has to admit it's a little strange walking out into the kitchen and having a group of people there. She doesn't hate it. She gratefully takes the mug of coffee from Nora and takes a seat at the kitchen island next to James. He's reading a newspaper; Beca has no clue where he got it and wonders how long they've all been awake.
"The stock market, huh?" She gestures to the paper making James look up.
"What?"
"Never mind."
"So, Beca, you don't have to work today?"
"Nope, I've got the day off." She picks at the food on her plate.
Lucy walks out, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt that looks much bigger on her than it did a week ago. She takes the last empty stool next to her sister. Nora slides a plate in front of her and the amount of food on it is daunting. Beca leans over and says, as quietly as possible,
"Just eat what you can."
Lucy nods and takes a bite of the scrambled eggs. She chews and forces herself to swallow it. Chloe puts her vitamins and supplements on the counter next to her and she suddenly feels very on display. Nora pretends not to notice and James, just simply doesn't notice. Fletcher watches from his spot in one of the armchairs in the living room.
"Your father and I were thinking maybe we'd do a little sight seeing today, if you're interested in joining us."
"Of course." Chloe says.
Lucy loves how happy she is. Part of her wishes they could go back to Georgia so they could be closer to them, but she knows that's not possible; and another part of her hopes she never has to go back there.
"Lou?"
"What, sorry."
Beca repeats herself, "You up for a little adventure today?"
"Oh, uh, sure."
"Okay, finish up then."
Beca disappears to go get ready and Chloe leaves the room for one reason or another. Lucy is left alone with Nora, James, and Fletcher. She feels awkward and keeps her focus down on her plate. She knows she should get used to them; they are after all, through this new arrangement, her family now too. Nora is cleaning the counters, humming quietly to herself, the way Chloe does and it offers a little bit of comfort to her; enough for her to lift her head back up.
James closes his paper and turns on his stool, to face Lucy. She gives a little smile and he returns it. He seems to understand that she doesn't want to talk, or that she doesn't know what to say, because he gives a gentle nod and walks over to where Nora is finishing up what she's doing. He wraps an arm around her waist and kisses her cheek, making her let out a little laugh.
Lucy watches them, feeling a pull toward something she never really knew she was missing. She's never known what it was like to have grandparents. Daniel and Sheila's parents all died before she was born. The closest she ever got was Mrs. Reed. She watches their interactions, their wordless coexistence, it's almost identical to what Chloe and Beca have; she wonders if that's what true love is, or at least part of it anyway.
—
Times Square. Rockefeller Center. Central Park. Union Square; the farmer's market and The Strand Bookstore. They hit them all. Lucy doesn't think she's walked this much in her entire life. When they make it back to their apartment, Lucy plops down onto the couch, next to Nora.
"Did you get to see everything you wanted to see?" Chloe asks, handing her mother a glass of water.
"I think we checked all the boxes. It's amazing that we've been here so many times and haven't seen those places."
"I hadn't even seen some of them." Beca says.
Lucy listens to their conversation, while fighting to keep her eyes open. Her head droops to the side, slowly falling onto Nora's shoulder. Her hand goes to Lucy's knee and she rubs the denim there.
"I think we tired her out." She says, with her seemingly permanent smile.
"I think so too. I should get her to bed." Beca says, kneeling down in front of her, "Scout, let's go to bed, alright?"
"Mhm."
She barely opens her eyes, and lets Beca guide her to the bedroom. She changes her clothes and lays down in the bed. Beca covers her with her comforter and kisses her head.
"Did you have a good day?"
Lucy nods, "Mhm. I like them."
"Yeah, they're pretty great. Get some sleep, kid. I love you."
"Love you."
The words are barely out of her mouth before she's asleep. Beca turns the light off and closes the door behind her. Fletcher is walking down the hallway when she turns around.
"She's asleep already?"
"Yeah." Beca scoffs.
"She's a good kid, Beca. What you and my sister are doing," He shakes his head, slowly, like he doesn't really know where the sentence is going, "it's amazing."
"Thank you, and thanks for coming. Chloe's been, I don't know."
"My sister is the happiest person on the planet, so when she's not happy, it can feel like the end of the world. Trust me, I get it. I would do anything to make sure that happiness stays where it belongs."
"Yeah, I get what you mean. You've definitely helped by being here."
"I hope so."
—
They all decide to go to bed soon after that. All exhausted from the day. Beca showers, thinking about how different it's felt the past few days. Chloe is already in bed, hair still wet from her own shower, lying on her side. Her eyes are drooping closed when Beca slides into the bed behind her. She kisses her cheek and rests her head on the pillow behind her.
Through a sigh, she says, "It's a little weird."
"What's that?"
"That your mom met Lucy before mine did."
"Do you think she ever will?"
Beca shrugs, "I haven't even seen her in almost three years. All I've heard since I was fifteen was how Sheila ruined their relationship and how my dad ruined her life. So I don't think meeting their child is necessarily top of her list."
"Probably not."
"Not that it should be. My dad had his faults, no doubt, but he didn't ruin my mom's life; he left because he was unhappy. I blamed him because it's what my mom told me to do and I wasted years being mad at him before I realized that he was right in doing what he did. Otherwise, we would have all been stuck in an unhappy family, living a miserable life. She always says that he was a coward, but now I think maybe he was brave. Must be where Lucy gets it."
Chloe has already drifted off to sleep, allowing Beca to have this reverie alone. She gives one more gentle kiss to her cheek before turning off the bedside lamp and going to sleep.
—
Saturday is spent around the house, another family dinner, and game night. Lucy is thankful for the distraction; it's keeping her mind off Poppy and Matteo, and the fact that Lincoln must know by now, and hasn't said anything.
"So, Lucy, now that lacrosse is over do you have any idea what you'll do?" James asks, from over his newspaper on Sunday morning.
Lucy finishes chewing her last bite of scrambled eggs and shrugs.
"I'm not sure. I haven't really thought about it."
Truthfully, she had thought she was going to join the indoor track team with Poppy, Matteo and Lincoln, but now she's not so sure. She rests her chin in the palm of her hand, suddenly feeling very tired.
"Where's Beca?" She asks, realizing she hasn't seen her sister all morning.
"She got called into work. Apparently they're having some major technical issues with equipment."
"And she's going to fix it?" Lucy asks, sarcastically, with a twinge of her eyebrow; knowing, full well, her sister's strong disdain for technology.
"As much as I would love to see that, I think they just needed extra hands." Chloe says.
As soon as they are done with breakfast and dressed, they pile into the car to drive Nora and James to the airport. Lucy has never been to JFK airport and to say she finds it overwhelming would be an understatement. She keeps a tight hold on Chloe's hand while they find their way to security. As soon as the first TSA agent is in sight, she can feel Chloe tense. She knows that Chloe doesn't want them to go. And Lucy is a little surprised that she doesn't want them to either.
"Alright, guess this is it." Fletcher says, he also seems sad.
James gives him a hug and claps his hand on his back.
"It was good seeing you, bud."
"You too."
He hugs Nora and she says something in his ear that Lucy can't hear, but he nods and backs away. Chloe hugs them both but clings to her mother just a little longer.
"I love you, baby. We'll come visit again soon."
"Yes, please."
Nora places her hand on Chloe's cheek and looks into her eyes when she says,
"It's been such a pleasure to see you like this."
Chloe's heart flutters and swells at the pride in her mother's voice. She gives a saddened smile and watches them walk away. They stand and wait until they've made it through security before leaving. The drive home is a lot quieter than it was on their way there. Chloe doesn't say a word until they get back to the apartment.
"Are you guys hungry? I can make some lunch."
"I'm okay." Fletcher says.
"Lucy, what about you?"
Lucy feels like she is slowly drifting away. She feels the sadness radiating off of Chloe and it makes her feel guilty. She shakes her head and curls up into a ball on the end of the couch. She was distracted for a while, but now that she's back in the quiet of home, the same tired feeling from before has come back twice as strong.
"Hey Chlo, I'm gonna meet some friends for drinks. Is that cool?"
Chloe smirks and shakes her head, making her hair flow out over her shoulders, "You don't have to ask. Who do you know in the city?"
"Just some guys from school. But I don't have to go if-"
"Fletcher, go, really. We'll see you when you get back."
"Okay, see you later."
He leaves, letting the door close, a little too hard, behind him. Chloe and Lucy are left in the same quiet as every other day. This time, it hits them hard. Chloe takes a deep breath and lowers herself onto the couch next to Lucy.
"You look like you're about to fall asleep."
"I'm just a little tired." Lucy says, letting her eyes flutter closed as soon as Chloe's fingertips touch her scalp.
Chloe lets Lucy sleep on her while she watches television, hoping Beca will be home soon to distract her from everything she's feeling. Her hopes are squashed when dinner time comes and goes and Beca still isn't home, and neither is Fletcher.
Lucy refuses to eat, and Chloe doesn't make her; not feeling much like eating either. Chloe climbs into the guest room bed and wraps her up in her arms. Lucy rests her head on Chloe's chest and wraps one limp arm around her waist.
"It's okay to be sad, you know?"
Chloe is a little startled, this is one of the only things Lucy has said all day.
"What do you mean?"
"You don't have to pretend to not be sad. I know what it's like to miss your mom. It's the worst."
Chloe's mouth falls into a frown and nods.
"Thank you."
She, not for the first time, is astounded by how much Lucy sees, and how astute her thoughts can be.
"Now, get some sleep."
—
Beca walks into the apartment a little after midnight. The whole place is dark. Chloe and Lucy have long since gone to bed and she doesn't think Fletcher is back yet. She does her best to be quiet. She drops her bag by the door and slips her shoes off. She walks into the kitchen to get a glass of water and trips over one of Lucy's shoes.
She lets out a tired sigh and continues to the refrigerator. She leans against the counter and lets her eyes close for just a second. There's a sound that catches her attention. She flips the light on in the hallway and follows it down to the guest room door. She pushes it open to peek her head in. As it opens Lucy let's out a deep cough.
"Hey Scout, you okay?"
She's met with a groan. She walks in and takes a seat on the edge of the bed. Lucy lets out another cough and when she tries to take a deep breath it's forced and shuddery.
"What's going on?"
"Nothing."
"Oh really?"
Beca lays on her side and lets her fingertips run up and down Lucy's arm. She can feel her shivering.
"You're sick."
"No I'm not."
Beca puts her palm on her forehead and it's burning up.
"How long have you felt like this?"
She looks like she is going to protest but sighs and says,
"Since we got home from the airport."
Beca thinks it's weird that Chloe didn't text her to let her know.
"What doesn't feel good?"
"Everything."
"Did Chloe give you medicine?"
Lucy shakes her head, "She doesn't know. I didn't tell her."
"You were able to hide that cough from her? That's impressive."
"The cough is new."
"Okay, I'm going to get you some medicine. Don't move."
Beca digs through the cabinet to find the NyQuil. She stands at the counter for several minutes reading the bottle, then googling if it's okay to give it to a twelve year old. Then another couple minutes reading over the directions, just one more time, before measuring it out into the little cup. She gets a glass of water and starts back toward the room, but quickly turns around and grabs a chocolate from the fridge.
"Okay kid, this will make you feel better."
"Doubtful."
"Well, hopefully it will at least help you sleep."
She helps Lucy push herself up high enough that she won't choke. She can hear Lucy count down from three quietly before throwing the medicine back. Beca has a vague memory of that being something their dad did whenever they had to take medicine.
"And here," Beca says, giving her the chocolate. Lucy gives her a questioning look, "to help with the taste."
Lucy takes it and sticks it in her mouth. She settles back into her pillows and Beca puts another blanket on top of her. She lays back down next to her, not even bothering to go change. She runs her fingers through Lucy's hair and, despite the constant shivers, she can feel sweat starting to form at her hairline. She watches her eyelids start to bounce open and closed.
"It's okay, close your eyes. Don't fight it." She does her best to keep her voice gentle.
"Don't leave." Lucy grabs Beca's free hand in both of hers. Her grasp is weak and her palms are sweaty.
"I'm not going anywhere. Go to sleep."
When Chloe wakes up, she's surprised to find the other half of the bed is empty. She lifts her head up and looks around the room but it's empty also. She climbs out of bed and walks down the hall to Lucy's room. When she pushes the door open, Beca and Lucy are curled up in the bed. Lucy is under three different blankets. Which is very unusual, she's normally too hot for one. Beca stirs and blinks her eyes open.
"Good morning." Chloe says with a smirk.
"Hi beautiful."
"Late night last night?" She asks, noticing her jeans and shirt, still on from yesterday.
"Yeah, and then when I came home she was in pretty rough shape."
"Nightmare?"
Beca shakes her head, "fever."
"What?"
Chloe walks over and sits on the edge of the mattress next to Lucy. At closer inspection she can see the sweat on her forehead and the rosiness on her cheeks. She leans down and kisses her forehead. It's something Beca can definitely see Chloe's mom doing to her when she was younger.
"Oh yeah, she's hot."
"I gave her some medicine around one this morning and it seemed to help."
Beca is sitting up now. Her hands are wringing in her lap. Chloe knows she's nervous.
"I'll call Stacie, maybe she can come check her out today. And I have to call the school and let them know she won't be in."
"I'm calling out of work too."
"Bec, come on, she's okay. You don't need to do that."
"This is the first time she's been sick since she's been with us. There's no way I'm leaving her all day."
"Okay," Chloe says, rubbing Beca's leg, "you're right."
"I should probably also go to the pharmacy. I want to go before she wakes up."
"I can go."
"That's okay, I have a couple other errands to run. Will you just keep an ear out, in case she wakes up?"
Chloe nods. Beca stands and wraps her in a hug. Chloe brings one hand up to tangle in her hair and kisses her.
"Breathe."
Beca takes a moment to slow down and breathe. She kisses Chloe again and rests her forehead on her shoulder. Chloe rubs her back and lets her have a minute to wake up and to think.
"This parenting thing really is no joke, huh?"
"I haven't found a punchline." Chloe says with a shrug when Beca looks back up at her.
"Okay, I'll be back in a bit."
"Take your time. She doesn't look like she's moving any time soon."
Beca changes into a sweatshirt and pulls her hair up into a messy bun on top of her head. She pokes her head back in and gives one more look to Lucy. She is on her back with one arm stretched above her head and the other over her stomach. She watches her breathing, she can hear how congested she is from across the room. She makes herself leave before she decides she needs to stay.
Chloe is sitting in Lucy's bed next to her while she sleeps. She has a coffee on the nightstand and is mindlessly scrolling through social media. Lucy let's out a sniffle and rolls onto her side. She seems to know Chloe is there because her arm wraps around her hip and her head comes to rest on her stomach. Chloe reaches down and gently scratches at her scalp.
She's spent a lot of time with Lucy while she's slept so she can tell by the way she's breathing that she will be awake any minute. She locks her phone and puts it on the nightstand and waits. No more than three minutes later, Lucy's eyes blink open, and she lets out a quiet groan. Chloe can still feel the reverberating shivers from somewhere deep in her body.
"Good morning, sweet girl."
Lucy looks up in surprise that it's Chloe with her now and not Beca.
"You're not feeling well?"
Lucy shakes her head and closes her eyes again. Letting her head fall back to its place on Chloe. She's quickly found that she makes a very good pillow.
"Where's Beca?"
Her voice is thick and nasally at the same time and it sounds like her throat is sore.
"She went to get you some more medicine. She'll be back soon. What do you need?"
"I don't know."
Chloe has seen Lucy in nearly every vulnerable state she can think of, except this one. She doesn't think she's ever seen her with so much as a cold until now. Her voice is pathetic and sad and Chloe feels for her.
"Can you sit up and try to drink some water?"
"No."
"Okay, we'll wait for Beca."
Chloe continues to massage her scalp and run her fingers over her back and arms. She can't see her face but she's almost certain she's fallen back asleep until she hears a heavy sob.
"Sh, you're okay, baby. You're okay."
"I want my mom."
Beca freezes in the doorway and Chloe's movements cease. It's a dagger to the heart and a million tiny needles to every nerve in their bodies.
"Of course you do." Chloe says, "I'm so sorry, honey."
Beca comes over and kneels next to the bed so that Lucy can see she's there. Lucy forces herself up on shaky arms and reaches out for her. Beca climbs up onto the bed and wraps her in a hug, cradling her head.
"Wow, you're burning up." She turns her attention to Chloe and whispers, "can you get the thermometer?"
Chloe is off the bed and out of the room immediately. Lucy continues to cry but there are no tears.
"Okay, okay, you're okay."
Beca is beginning to panic. Chloe comes back with the thermometer and hands it over. She helps Lucy lay back before they put the thermometer in her mouth and wait for it to beep. It feels like it takes forever.
"A hundred and one." Chloe says.
"Damn."
—
"She's finally asleep?" Chloe asks, when Beca walks out into the kitchen.
"Yeah."
Chloe can see the tenseness in her whole body. Her forehead is scrunched together, like she's deep in thought and Chloe knows there are a thousand thoughts rushing around inside her head; she's probably trying to focus on one at a time.
"Bec, she'll be okay."
"Yeah, I know. It's just-"
Chloe waits. She knows Beca is trying to piece her sentence together. She knows she's rattled and it's important for her to let it out.
"I just feel like every time something goes wrong everyone is judging me. Like, this wouldn't happen if she were with dad and Sheila."
"Kids get sick, Bec."
"No, I know. I'm not just talking about this. It's everything that's happened. She had a completely normal life until, until..."
"Until she didn't."
Beca gives a resigned shrug.
"I feel like I'm never going to be the parent she deserves. I'm never going to be Sheila."
"That's an impossible standard to hold yourself to."
Beca shrugs, "But it's how I feel."
When Beca looks up to meet Chloe's eyes she feels like she could burst, or split into a million pieces and disappear into the crevices of the apartment.
"Thank you for telling me."
It's earnest. And soft. It's everything that Beca loves about Chloe. It's what she needed.
"But right now, all she needs is you. She just wants to feel like someone is there for her. That's all anyone wants when they're sick. And you're doing a great job of that. She's asleep isn't she?"
"Mhm."
"So please, take it easy on yourself. Or at least try."
"Okay."
Their attention is pulled when they hear the click of Lucy's bedroom door. It lets out a loud squeal and Beca curses herself for not fixing it like she had said she was going to last week. Fletcher walks into the kitchen, rubbing the heel of his hand into his left eye.
"Good morning." He says, moving directly to the coffeemaker.
"Good afternoon," Chloe says with a smirk, "did you have fun last night?"
He nods, slowly, "Yeah, I forgot just how wild those guys can get."
"Getting too old to keep up?"
"I may be getting old, but you'll always be older."
He leans against the counter and smiles back at his sister. She likes the way he looks in her apartment, she likes his company and misses his friendship. She hasn't let herself think about his possible new job; she doesn't want to get her hopes up.
"What's going on? You guys look... weird."
Beca sighs and Chloe puts a gentle hand on her lower back.
"Lucy is sick. I think it's probably the flu."
"Oh man, that sucks. Is there anything I can do?"
"No, we're good." Beca says, speaking for the first time, "I'm just sorry that it happened on your last day here."
"Don't worry about me." He says, and sounds like he genuinely means it. "You sure you don't need me to go to the store or anything?"
"No, we're really okay. Why don't you guys go get brunch or something?"
Chloe looks up at her and crinkles her nose. Beca smiles, trying to prove she's not freaking out, which of course they both know she is. But she puts on her cool, new pop star demeanor that she usually saves for work and says one more time,
"Go to brunch."
Fletcher gets dressed and they are headed out the door when Chloe turns to Beca to give her a kiss.
"You'll call if you need anything?"
"We aren't going to need anything."
"But you'll call? Promise me or I'm not leaving."
"Fine, I promise, you psycho. Now go."
Chloe gives her one more peck and leaves. Beca closes the door behind them and leans against it, letting out the deep exhale she hasn't been able to get out since last night. She rubs her hands over her face and wonders why she told Chloe to go. She's, once again, thrown into her thoughts of uselessness and feelings of being completely unqualified.
"Kids get sick, Beca. Come on, sack up, dude."