Comfort Zone
"Morning." Punk smiled, walking outside onto the porch where he saw AJ sitting at the table with some coffee, looking out at the lake and the trees which their vacation home was located in.
"Morning." AJ said, "I have been watching this squirrel try to take an acorn up the tree for probably twenty minutes now." She nodded to him as Punk walked over to the table, "See it over there." She pointed to a faraway tree as Punk noticed the bushy tail.
"Oh, yeah." Punk smiled, sitting down at the table beside her, "Not very smart, huh?"
"I'm sure she'll figure it out." AJ nodded.
"She?" Punk laughed a little.
"Oh, a man would have given up by now." AJ nodded to him as he chuckled.
"You're probably right." Punk said, "How'd you sleep?" He asked her.
"Good. The bed is comfy." She smiled, "Always a plus."
"It is." Punk nodded.
They'd arrived late last night to the vacation home they were planning to stay at for three weeks. It was secluded and remote with a beautiful view of a peaceful lake, with some amazing walkways and surroundings to walk through. She was hesitant about going away but now she was here, she loved it.
"I don't think I've ever heard so much… nothing before." AJ shook her head, "Does that make sense?"
"Yeah." Punk understood, "You know, this kind of quiet can make people feel uneasy sometimes." He nodded.
"Not me." AJ shook her head, "It's amazing." She nodded.
It had been a difficult start to the month with everything that had gone on. Finally things felt like they were calming down again. This was a good way to unwind and take it easy after all that had gone on.
"You could live somewhere like this, couldn't you?" Punk nodded.
"Of course I could." AJ smiled, "I know you couldn't. You love the city."
"I do." Punk nodded, "This isn't the worst thing, though." Punk shook his head. Even he, who wasn't particularly fussed about beautiful views and peaceful settings, was taken back by how relaxing this place was. If anything he was just happy his wife was getting this time to sign out from everything.
"I have a surprise for you, actually." AJ smiled, "Wait here."
"April, it's nine in the morning." Punk scoffed modestly as she chuckled, shoving him a little as she walked by him.
"Not that kind of surprise." AJ assured, walking back into the small cabin like home as Punk waited for her coming back.
"What's that?" Punk asked, noticing her holding a piece of paper as she walked back outside.
"Something I finally decided to do." AJ said, walking back to the table and sitting down, "Here." She smiled, passing it over to him as he took it.
He read the letter until finally figuring out what she was getting at, smiling to himself, "You changed it?" He looked at her as she nodded with a smile.
"Nothing good comes from being a Mendez." AJ shook her head, "I really… I don't know why I held onto it for so long. A lot more good comes from being a Brooks." She nodded as he smiled.
"You didn't have to do this." Punk shook his head.
"I wanted to." AJ nodded. She'd finally, after so many years, gotten her legal named changed from Mendez to Brooks. Something she'd put off for whatever reasons.
"You know we're gonna be the last Brooks." Punk nodded to her, "Dean's got my mom's name, plus it's not like he's got a son to carry it on either." He shook his head.
"Hey, Chase is a Brooks." AJ reminded him.
"I thought they changed it when they got married?" Punk asked.
"No." AJ shook her head, "Cassie said Theo didn't really mind, didn't matter to him."
"Oh." Punk nodded, "Well there you go." He said as she smiled.
"Do you think three weeks is too much to be gone?" AJ asked him.
"I don't know. You can tell me in three weeks." Punk smiled as she nodded, "I just want you to take some time for yourself. You don't do it enough. I'm just here to be your cheerleader." He nodded as she smiled.
"Cutest cheerleader I've ever seen." AJ nodded.
"Oh, yeah?" Punk stood up, walking over to her.
"Mhm." She smiled, watching as he leaned down, cupping her cheeks and kissing her sweetly as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Ok, it's time for lunch." Cassie nodded, walking into the living room where Theo was lying up on the couch, a week out of surgery, whilst Chase was playing with his many transport toys on the floor, at times driving his planes and trains up Theo's legs and arms.
"Can I have it here?" Theo asked her childishly.
"No." Cassie smiled, patting him on the head.
"I'm coming." Chase said, running out of the living room and into the kitchen.
"Your son listens better than you do." Cassie scoffed.
"Alright alright. Give me a second." Theo nodded, sitting up and getting off the couch. His arm was in a sling and his post-surgery rehab was extremely strict. He was ordered not to do anything strenuous at all for six weeks until he got a follow up appointment.
"Ok, I made some soup and sandwiches. I even cut yours into little shapes too." Cassie nodded to Theo who came into the kitchen.
"How nice." Theo smiled.
"And there is some fruit in the middle that I want to see empty." She told them both, turning around as Theo just made a funny face at her, which Chase noticed and laughed a little, knowing his father was being cheeky.
"Shh." Theo warned Chase with a smile as he nodded.
"Mommy what soup is this?" Chase asked.
"Tomato." Cassie told him.
"Where's your lunch?" Theo asked Cassie.
"I ate it whilst I was making yours." Cassie nodded, "But I am going to have some fruit." She said, sitting down beside Chase who looked at her, "What?" Cassie said.
"I don't like this soup." Chase told her.
"Baby, you liked it last week." Cassie nodded as Chase huffed, stirring his soup around with a spoon.
"I can make my own stuff you know." Theo nodded to Cassie, "My legs work fine."
"Yeah and you're down an arm." Cassie said, "You heard the doctor. You've to do nothing at all." She nodded.
"Well not nothing." Theo scoffed as Cassie rolled her eyes, "There's no way I can do this for six months, Cass." He shook his head.
"Well you're gonna have to." Cassie said as he looked at her, "Sorry, it's harsh but it's true. If you go back sooner than you're supposed to, you could hurt yourself and make it ten times worse. You could do permanent damage to your shoulder and then you won't get to come back ever. Do you want that?" She asked as Theo didn't say anything.
"Mommy, are you giving daddy into trouble?" Chase wondered, sitting amongst the conversation. He recognised his mother's serious tone. It was a tone she'd use if he was misbehaving sometimes.
"No, I'm not giving him into trouble." Cassie assured him, smiling a little to Theo who smiled, "I just want daddy's shoulder to get all better. He needs to listen to momma. Doesn't he?" She asked Chase.
"Yeah." Chase agreed.
"I listen." Theo defended as Cassie raised a brow, "What am I supposed to do with myself? I can't sit on the couch all day."
"Well you said your legs work fine, you could go for a walk, go spend some time with your mom or your brother." Cassie suggested.
"Boring stuff." Theo nodded.
"You're terrible." Cassie laughed a little, shaking her head, "I don't see either of you eating that fruit." She hummed.
Chase huffed dramatically, kneeling up and reaching over for some banana as Cassie smiled, playing with the back of his hair.
"Ok, mom." Theo nodded sarcastically as Cassie smiled.
"Oh, you look nice." Dominic smiled, watching as Thea walked into the living room, clearly dressed to go out.
"I'm concerned by the surprise in your voice." Thea nodded to him.
"Well you were in sweats a minute ago." Dominic laughed a little, "Looking sexy as hell, by the way."
"Mhm." Thea nodded with a smile, checking her purse to make sure everything was in it.
"I'm proud of you for this." Dominic admitted as Thea looked over at him.
"For what?" Thea questioned.
"For… making a friend. Going outside your comfort zone. I know you don't like doing it. I know it scares you." Dominic said, "So I'm proud of you." He nodded.
"It does scare me but… she's easy to talk to for some reason." Thea nodded, "I'll be home for dinner. It's just a coffee and maybe… some cake." She mumbled.
"Some what?" Dominic raised his eyebrows.
"Some cake." Thea said, "Today is my treat yourself day." She nodded.
"Am I involved in your treat yourself day?" He smiled.
"Maybe." Thea nodded, "You'll remember to pick the kids up from school, yeah?"
"Remember to pick up our literal children? Yeah, I'll try remember." Dominic nodded sarcastically.
"Funny man." Thea said.
"Come give me a kiss." He nodded as she smiled, walking over and kissing him sweetly, "Have fun with your friend." He smiled.
"You're annoying." Thea nodded, shoving his face as he chuckled, "I'll see you later." She said, leaving the living room and heading out of the house, getting into the car.
She drove into town, parking close to a coffee bar she was headed to, getting out of the car and heading on into the bar. She didn't do things like this often. In fact, she didn't do things like this at all. Not unless it was to meet her mom or her sisters, who she was of course comfortable with.
She looked around and spotted Lucia sitting at a table, making her way over as Lucia looked up.
"Oh, hey." Lucia smiled.
"Hey, I'm here. I may as well have just walked, I couldn't get parked until way further down the street." Thea scoffed, sitting down at the table.
"Oh, me too. I really should have just driven since I live like ten minutes away." Lucia laughed a little.
After the results had shown that Punk was in fact no Lucia's father, she had been to visit them again where she wound up bumping into Thea again, which got them talking and exchanging numbers. Thea just felt comfortable talking to her, and she promised herself she wouldn't push that away or avoid it the way she usually did. Instead they were having a coffee date.
