"Hello?" Andrew's voice is groggy on the other end of the phone when he answers
"Uh, hey..." Jade hesitates "It's me."
"What's up?" Andrew asks "Is everything okay?"
They don't bother to make small talk, they never do. Maybe one day, after some time has passed, they'll find a way to make friendly conversation with one another whenever they communicate, but not today.
"Oh yeah, everything is fine." Jade assures him "I was just wondering if you wanted some extra time with the kids this week."
"When?"
"Friday night." She tells him "I have a work thing and I thought that maybe you could-"
"I thought I wasn't taking them overnight right now." Andrew cuts her off
"Well, you wouldn't have to." Jade informs him, trying her best to keep her demeanor cool "You could come here and then go home when I get back."
"Like a babysitter?"
"Well, I wouldn't necessarily phrase it that way, but if that's how you want to think about it..." Jade sighs "It wouldn't be that much. Drew will probably be asleep already, honestly. Harper would just need dinner and a bath-"
"So, it's just extra time with Harper then?" Andrew cuts her off again "Not both of them?"
"There's a chance Drew will wake up." Jade admits "The teething thing has been a real bit-"
"I'm busy, I can't."
"You're sure?"
"Don't try to force me, Jade."
She knew that once he found out most of his time would be spent with Harper, he would decline. Since they broke up it seems like his interest in his daughter has only declined, if that was even possible. Andrew only seems to be interested in his son and not much else.
"I'm not trying to f...never mind." Jade shakes her head "It's okay that you're busy, I just wanted to ask you first. You're their dad."
"Yeah, how could I forget." Andrew scoffs
"Alright...well..." Jade lets her voice trail off a bit "We'll see you on Wednesday?"
"Yup." Andrew agrees "Wednesday. Bye."
He hangs up before she even has the chance to say 'goodbye' back to him. Frustrated, she tosses her phone down onto her bed and flops down on her back beside it.
She's not going to have an issue finding a babysitter, she knows that. Either of her parents would be willing if she asks, and on the off chance they both happen to be busy, she would feel more than comfortable leaving them with Robbie. It's just frustrating that her children's father is so...flakey, for lack of a better term. Jade knows she's already messed up the 'single-family unit' thing she had wanted for them so desperately, but now she's worried they won't even have the 'parents who are separated but co-parent well' thing she was willing to accept instead.
There isn't much she can do at this point either, Andrew is honoring the terms of their custody agreement. He sees his children every Wednesday afternoon, like he's supposed to. He pays his child support on time, like he's supposed to. There's nothing that says he has to go above and beyond, not that she would expect him to.
"MAMA?" Harper's voice carries from down the hallway
"Hang on, Harper!" Jade calls back as she sits up, grabbing her phone and pulling her hair out of her face "I'm coming!"
"Maybe we can find you a cute guy here!" Cat suggests as she follows Jade into the restaurant
"Absolutely not."
"But you look hot!"
"Thanks." Jade smirks "But I'm not ready for a new guy yet. Besides, I work with all of these people. This is the wrong place to be looking for a hookup."
Although she said she was comfortable flying solo her show's first season wrap party, Jade is happy that Cat volunteered to be her date for the evening. She knows that while not everyone at the party will be with a partner of some sort, most of them will be. If she can't have a partner, her best friend is the next best thing.
The studio had rented out a restaurant downtown Los Angeles for the entire cast and crew to celebrate wrapping up production on the first season of the show. Jade has never loved events like this, but she does recognize that they have something to celebrate. Something like this is no small feat, and they should be proud. She and Cat spend most of the evening at a table chatting with one of the production supervisors. At one point, Jade excuses herself to go to the bar for a drink.
"Jade!" A voice exclaims while she's waiting "There you are!"
She turns towards the voice and sees that it's Beck, which is fine. They're still working on 'being friends' but their relationship is less awkward now that it was when they first reconnected.
"Hi." She smiles as he approaches her "Having fun?"
"Definitely." He grins "I wanted to introduce you to someone."
Jade hadn't even noticed the woman standing beside him, and she knows immediately that her presence makes everything a little less fine. He doesn't need to tell her that she's his wife, she knows. She recognizes her from social media and the gossip sites.
"Oh?" Jade decides to play dumb
"Jade, I'd like you to meet Bianca...my wife." Beck is grinning like an idiot as he presses a kiss to his wife's cheek
There used to be a time when he looked at her like that...not that she cares.
"S'nice to meet you." Jade extends a hand to shake Bianca's "We've all heard a lot about you."
That isn't a lie, either. Beck loves to talk about his wife, maybe more than he loves talking about anything else. It seems like they're a very good match for one another, at least from where Jade stands.
"Same to you." Bianca laughs
"Really?"
She wouldn't figure Beck would use his ex-girlfriend as a frequent topic of conversation with his wife.
"Of course!" Bianca assures her "I love meeting Beck's co-workers!"
Oh...
"We've got a pretty good bunch here..." Jade agrees, looking around the room in an attempt to make her last comment less awkward
"Is your boyfriend here?" Beck asks her "It's AJ, right?"
Ouch.
Somehow they had saved their breakup from going public in the media, which Jade was thankful for. She didn't need paparazzi invading her privacy or her children's, and she didn't need Harper and Drew growing up to read about it in an internet archive somewhere. She hadn't made it public at work either, she didn't see the need.
"Uh, no...he's not." Jade tells him "We broke up."
"Oh shit, I'm sorry."
"It's for the best.." She assures him as the bartender hands her drink to her "You guys enjoy the party. It was nice meeting you, Bianca."
"You too!" Bianca calls after her as she retreats back to her table, then turns to her husband "Wow, way to put your foot in your mouth."
"I was trying to be polite!" Beck assures her "I didn't know, honest."
"See?" Jade hears her step-mother, Angie, say as she enters the house later that night "I told you she'd be home soon."
"Uh oh..." Jade frowns when she sees Drew awake and in her father's arms "What are you doing awake, mister?"
"You were right, the teething thing is not going well for him." Her father, John, sighs as he stands up to hand the baby to her "Little dude has been awake and fussing for almost an hour."
"Andrew John..." Jade sighs as she cradles the baby in her arms "I told you not to give your grandparents any trouble."
"S'not his fault, his mouth hurts..." Angie coos, playing with Drew's hand
"Thank you for watching them." She thanks her father and step-mother "I hope Harper wasn't too much trouble."
"She was an angel, as usual." Her father assures her "And like Angie said, this little guy can't help it."
Jade walks them both to the door, bouncing Drew in her arms as she does so. After they say goodnight, she makes sure the house is locked up and then retreats upstairs to her bedroom to change and get ready for bed. She takes her makeup off one-handed, and only sets the baby down long enough for her to change clothes.
"Mama?" The door to her bedroom creaks open
"Hey baby..." She sighs as her eyes land on Harper "What are you doing awake?"
It's after midnight now, she should be sound asleep in her own bedroom down the hall.
"I miss you." The little girl shrugs
"You should be asleep."
"I sleep with you?"
"Harper..."
"Pwease?"
"Alright..." Jade knows her daughter is much too cute and much too persistent to drop the argument "Come on..."
"Yay!" Harper cheers "Do too?"
"Drew too." Jade nods
She helps Harper into bed and then crawls in beside her, still holding Drew close to her as they all settle in. Jade wraps one arm around each of her children, one rubbing Drew's back and the other stroking Harper's hair, as all of their eyes begin to grow heavy.
Part of her is jealous of Harper's innocence, how unaware she is of everything going on between her parents. The other part of her wants to make sure that her daughter keeps that innocence, that by the time she's old enough to understand it all...she and Andrew have worked everything out.
"I wuv you, Mama..." Harper mumbles as she starts to drift off
"Yeah..." Jade smiles down at her "I love you too."