Happy Thursday friends! I hope you enjoy this next chapter, I had a lot of fun writing it. I just realized last night as I was finalizing it, that this is a story that could go on forever. While not really centered around a certain plot, I enjoy getting to explore the lives of Beca and Jesse and their friends. I hope you do too! Please R&R! To my faithful reviewers, your happiness is my happiness, and your words mean so very much to me :)
Bekah-What would I do without you?!
Beca Swanson was not a runner. In fact, she hated running. She hated pretty much anything, except sex, that required her to exert enough energy to break a sweat. That was until two years ago when Chloe had somehow convinced Beca to run a local 5k to help raise money for breast cancer research. Beca knew it was for a good cause, and so she sucked it up and started training. In the end, the high she felt when she crossed the finish line was unlike anything she had ever experienced. After the 5k came the color run, then the glow run, and after the fall festival 10k last October in which Chloe, Beca, Ashley, Lily and Jessica ran six miles through the sprawling streets of New Haven, amidst the beautiful fall foliage, Beca had to admit it. She was a runner.
Four times a week, Beca got up at 5am, and ran five miles. Even though it happened to be Labor Day, and she had the day off, Beca still set her alarm and got up to run.
Jesse heard the sound of the alarm go off, and felt Beca begin to stir as her hand reached for her phone to shut off the music. She had allowed herself to sleep in an extra hour, since she really didn't have anywhere to be. However, it was still dark out, and the only real sound to be heard was the chirping of the crickets outside.
Beca attempted to get out of bed, but Jesse's grip tightened on her, his arms pulling her in closer to him.
"You have the day off. Come back to bed." He mumbled, not even bothering to open his eyes.
"I need to run." She whispered. "It's gorgeous outside, and the temperature is perfect." Beca loved this time of year, when the mornings started off with temps in the 50's and she was able to witness the sunrise through the colorful trees and smell the scents of fall. She also had a half marathon coming up at the end of the month, and the clock was ticking. It was important that she kept up with her training.
"Mmm...five more minutes." Jesse insisted. Beca smiled at his half assed attempt to keep her in bed with him. She wasn't fooled by his request for 'five more minutes'. 'Five more minutes' in Jesse Swanson's dictionary meant sex and having sex meant that she couldn't get her run in before Alex woke up.
"It's not like I'm making you go with me, go back to sleep, I'll be back before you know it."
She climbed out of bed as Jesse grunted. Using the bathroom, she peed, brushed her teeth, and threw her hair up into a ponytail. She then threw on a pair of nike running shorts, a sports bra, a dry fit tee, her socks and sneakers. Grabbing her headphones and ipod, she leaned over and kissed Jesse lightly on the lips.
"Love you."
"Love you too Hilary Swank. Knock 'em dead." He said, smacking her ass.
As she always did, Beca cracked Alex's door open slightly, and found her fast asleep, curled up amidst her blankets and stuffed animals. Smiling, she shut the door gently and released a breath, feeling thankful for a beautiful, sweet, healthy child.
Running was Beca's thing. It was the one uninterrupted hour of the day that she had to herself. For one hour, she wasn't someone's wife, someone's mother, or someone's boss. It was the one chance she had to just be Beca and not have to cater to someone's needs.
Not that she didn't enjoy it, far from it. Beca had worked her ass off to get where she was, and at the end of the day, after working a job she absolutely loved, she got to come home to Jesse and Alex.
Beca couldn't help but smile as she thought about Jesse, who was her complete and total opposite. Never in a million dreams would she have imagined marrying someone like him. Jesse was so chipper, cheerful, and optimistic, but at the end of each day, when she laid in bed, wrapped up in his arms, Beca was always grateful that she let Jesse in.
Her breathing was labored as she stretched into her second mile, and her heart beat against her chest in rhythm with her footsteps. With every footstep against the pavement, Beca was that much closer to her goal. With every run, the pain became a little more bearable, and the results a little more obvious.
It was nearing seven when Beca returned home, and though she would have loved nothing more than to still be in bed, she felt incredibly accomplished, and proud of herself for not succumbing to the comfort of her warm bed and Jesse's warm body.
As she suspected, Jesse was still asleep when she walked back into the bedroom, her body covered in sweat. She pulled her sneakers off and got undressed, throwing her clothes in the hamper, before heading into the shower, ready for the steaming hot water to relax her body.
Twenty minutes later, Beca was making a cup of coffee when she felt Jesse wrap his arms around her waist. He rested his head against her shoulder, breathing her in deeply.
"Mmm..." He mused, "you smell incredible."
Beca smiled. "Well I'm glad you're getting close enough to smell me now and not right after my run."
Jesse chuckled before kissing her shoulder and looking over to the stove where homemade waffles were being made.
"Feeling guilty?"
Beca rolled her eyes. "So sue me. She was hellbent on them yesterday, I felt like it was the least I could do."
"That's because you're an amazing mother." He said as he grabbed a plate and began to make himself breakfast.
"So listen," Beca began as she leaned up against the counter. "I really hope you enjoyed having sex yesterday morning, 'cause that was the last of it for quite a while." She casually mentioned before placing the spoon she used to mix her coffee in her mouth and licking it dry.
Jesse was caught so off guard he whipped his body around and slammed his knee against the island. Grasping it in pain, he muttered obscenities under his breath, as Beca tried her hardest not to laugh.
"I thought you were done being pissed at me?" He hissed in confusion, still holding his knee.
"I am." She explained.
Jesse stared at her. "Then what's the problem?"
"I'm not having sex with you while your parents are here." She answered, before taking a sip of her coffee.
Jesse's parents were driving down from Boston to spend the week with them and help with the transition of Alex starting Preschool three days a week. They were set to arrive that evening.
Jesse's eyes went wide as he stared at Beca. She had to be joking. While he could mostly appreciate her humor, it was way too damn early in the morning for it.
"That's not funny, my parents aren't leaving until Sunday afternoon. It's Monday." Jesse reminded her, on the off chance that she might have forgotten.
"I'm not joking. I am not having sex with you until they're gone. I don't need them hearing us." Beca explained.
Jesse cocked his head at her in confusion. "We're married! I hate to break it to you sunshine but they know that we have sex. And they're down the hall, you'd have to be screaming pretty loud for them to hear us. You can be quiet, I know you can." He assured her. But Beca shook her head, holding her ground.
"Alex has heard us before. She may not know exactly what were doing, but she's heard us "yelling" she just admitted that to us yesterday. You and I don't get into all out yelling fights Jesse, it's the next logical explanation. About the only thing that child hasn't witnessed is the sight of us in the middle of sex. Which actually amazes me considering the amount of times we've forgotten to lock the door." She explained. Putting her coffee down, she walked over to where he was standing and wrapped her arms around his his waist.
"I just don't feel comfortable. I'll never be able to get out of my head long enough to finish." She added, looking up at him.
"Okay." Jesse said, nodding his head. He bent down and kissed her softly. Beca had essentially ended the discussion when she told him she was uncomfortable with the idea. They had an unspoken rule between the two of them that they would never pressure the other into doing anything that made them uncomfortable.
Suddenly remembering, Jesse groaned. "Ugh, you're due to get your period next Monday though! It's going to be like...ten days before I get to have you again. This feels like when you eat the last french fry, except that you didn't know it was the last french fry, and you didn't prepare yourself. If I had known that was going to be it for over a week, I totally would have gone for two more rounds yesterday morning."
Beca's head immediately looked up to his. "We didn't even have time for the first two rounds! Wait! How do you know when my period is due?!"
Jesse paused. Shit, he shouldn't have mentioned that. If he wanted to keep his junk, he really should not mention that three months after they started dating, he downloaded an app onto his phone that kept track of Beca's periods. It wasn't to keep track of when sex was off limits, but rather to know when he needed to run to the store for ice cream and brownie mix.
"Umm...uhhh..." He tried to think of anything he could to stall. "You're so beautiful, have I told you that today?"
"And you sound like Amy right now!" Beca smirked as she shook her head. "You have an app on your phone to track my period, don't you?!"
"Purely for knowing when to stock up on the junk food, I promise!" He quickly defended, putting his hands up and leaning against the island.
"Uh-huh...You are so lucky I went for a run this morning. Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands. They just don't."
Jesse groaned. "You're so sexy when you quote movies, so sexy."
"You're lucky I love you, nerd." She whispered before leaning up to give him a quick kiss.
"Hey, you know what we should do?" Jesse asked.
"What?" Beca countered as she turned to walk back to her coffee. Jesse picked her tiny body up in one quick move and hoisted her up over his shoulder causing Beca to release a shrill scream.
"Go swimming." He said as he playfully smacked her butt, a huge grin across his face.
"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! NO!" Beca protested. Jesse couldn't help but laugh as she continued to scream and beg for him to put her down.
"Jesse! If you don't put me down right now, you'll regret it, I swear!" She yelled.
"Oh? Will I? I'm already not having sex for over a week, what else have I got to lose?"
Beca, still hanging upside down, her head facing Jesse's ass, smiled.
"I'll rearrange your DVD collection."
Jesse's smile immediately faded at the sound of her words.
"You wouldn't dare."
"Oh I would, I would totally dare. Just imagine going to grab The Breakfast Club only to find Titanic. And, thinking I would logically place The Breakfast Club DVD in Titanic's case, you'd again be surprised when you opened it up to find The Blind Side." Beca threatened, knowing she had him right where she wanted him.
"What are you two doing?"
Beca's eyes darted in the direction of Alex's voice. In the archway of the kitchen, Alex stood in her pajamas and slippers watching Jesse and Beca's interaction.
"Hey peanut!" Jesse said as he placed Beca back down into an upright position. Beca, feeling dizzy as all the blood rushed out of her head, grabbed onto the counter for support.
"Good morning!" Beca said sweetly as she regained equilibrium. Alex's eyes darted back and forth between her parents.
"You guys are so weird." She finally spoke, her voice still heavy from sleep. Glancing over at the stove, she smiled, and her eyes went wide as she quickly became distracted.
"Mmm...waffles!"
"MIMI! POP!" Alex yelled ecstatically as she ran into her grandparent's arms. Bending down, they both showered their only grandchild with hugs, kisses, and attention.
Bill picked Alex up as they left their luggage in the foyer and made their way into the living room where Beca and Jesse were putting away Candy Land. Alex had been playing with them, but the second she heard the car pull up, she was racing off ready to pounce like a tiger the very second the door opened. Jesse wasn't complaining however, after the fourth time Alex accused him of cheating, he was ready to quit all together. But he wasn't a quitter and he didn't want Alex to be either, even if she did accuse him of cheating.
"Where's my favorite daughter in law?" Julie called out as she came around the corner. Beca smiled and got up to hug her tightly.
"Hey mom." She greeted, feeling so much happiness as the words left her mouth. The day Beca had agreed to marry their son, Bill and Julie insisted upon Beca calling them Mom and Dad, and Beca didn't fight it. In fact, she was thrilled to have another woman she could call 'mom' and she adored the relationship she and Julie shared.
"Hi beautiful!" Bill greeted warmly as he hugged Beca next and kissed her on the cheek. Beca smiled as she hugged him back tightly. "Hi Dad, it's good to see you."
Jesse stood back and watched as his parents showered his wife and daughter with love.
"It's cool, just ignore your only son, I'm totally fine with it." He spoke, his voice laced with sarcasm. Julie smirked as she walked over and enveloped Jesse in a hug.
"Hi sweetheart, how are you?" Julie asked as she hugged her son so tightly she briefly cut off his air supply.
"I'm good mom, really good." Jesse answered honestly. At just twenty four years old, he found himself having everything he could have ever dreamed of.
Julie smiled, knowing how happy her son was. She was beaming with pride as she pulled back from him.
"I know. Your father and I are so proud of you." She whispered.
"Listen, Alex, Mimi and I are so excited to see your dance class this week!" Bill exclaimed as he bent down to her level. Alex's face immediately drooped as she looked toward the ground sadly.
"Oh...right." Alex sighed. Jesse and Beca exchanged a look.
"Did I say something wrong?" Bill asked, unsure of what just happened.
"I'm not allowed to go to dance class this week. Mommy and Daddy grounded me." Alex meekly explained.
Julie looked up at Jesse and Beca. "Grounded? Why?"
Beca looked down toward Alex. "Alex, why don't you tell Mimi and Pop why you can't go to dance class."
"Umm...uhhh...well..." Alex stammered as she stared up at the ceiling.
"Alex..." Jesse pushed, causing her to sigh.
"I was not very nice yesterday. I cried a lot." She said, not going any further.
"And..." Jesse continued.
"And I yelled at Mommy and told her she was a meanie head 'cause she wouldn't hold me. And then, when Aunt CeeCee told me to apologize, I yelled at her and told her to leave me alone. Oh, and I may have called Mommy 'Beca' and stuck my tongue out at her. The end."
Julie and Bill's eyes were wide as they took in the information. It was not like Alex to behave poorly and to act out. Staring down at her, they were at a loss for words. Alex looked back up at them with her big blue eyes.
"I'm feeling very 'prehensive."
Beca placed the rolls on the table, completing the meal, which consisted of a Caeser salad, Italian glazed chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, and a chocolate cake with buttercream frosting that Sheila had picked up from the local bakery in town.
It had been quite sometime since both of their families had gotten together, and Beca was quite happy to have everyone under the same roof after so long. Even though her Dad and Sheila were just thirty minutes away, hectic work and life schedules kept them from seeing each other as often as they would have liked. When Jesse's parents inquired about visiting for the week, Beca knew it was the perfect excuse to get everyone together for a meal. She was cutting up Alex's meat when she noticed her father raise his glass.
"To family." He simply said.
"To family." Everyone toasted as they raised their glasses.
They chatted happily about work, Beca's upcoming half marathon, and their family trip to Disney World the following month for Stacie's wedding.
"So how's everyone doing?" Bob asked, referring to Beca and Jesse's friends.
Beca nodded her head as she chewed her food. After swallowing, she wiped her mouth with her napkin and finally had the chance to speak.
"Really good. Like we mentioned, Stacie and Scott are getting married next month, Amy is...well, Amy, but she's about halfway through her pregnancy at this point, so that's getting interesting. We just found out yesterday that Ashley and Mike are pregnant, and due in March. Who else...Oh, Cynthia Rose and Callie got married in July. Benji and Jessica are getting married in December pending any horrific snow storms." Beca couldn't for the life of her understand why Jessica or Benji would want to get married in December in Connecticut, but to each their own. She and Jesse would be there regardless.
"Aubrey and Matt just had their twins Connor and Caroline in July, and Lily and Donald are getting married in June." Jesse added.
Bob chuckled. "Aren't you forgetting someone important?" He asked.
"Sorry?" Beca questioned.
"What about Chloe? What's she up to these days? You didn't mention her at all." He pointed out.
"Oh, right, Chloe...um..." As Beca thought about how she wanted to explain things to everyone, Alex piped in.
"Aunt Chloe's sad." Alex stated as casually as ever, before taking a bite of mashed potatoes.
"She's sad? Why is she sad?" Julie asked.
"Oh...well, her belly is broken, so she can't have any babies. She got really sad about that. Also, she missed my dance recital, and so I cried. Then, mommy got really angry at her. She got so angry, she was slamming doors, and yelling, and saying bad words that I'm not allowed to say. Oh, and then, Aunt Chloe got into a car accident."
Everyone was completely shocked and speechless. It was dead silent in the room as Alex continued right on eating, like nothing had just happened. Beca put her head in her hands as the feeling of total embarrassment washed over her.
"Well, I think now is the perfect time for dessert, does anybody want dessert? I'll go get the coffee started, just...excuse me."
When everyone was finished with dessert, Sheila brought the dessert plates to the kitchen to be loaded into the dishwasher. Beca took them and began to rinse them in the sink before placing them into the dishwasher. In the living room, Jesse, Bob, and Bill were chatting over beers while Alex sat on the carpet with her coloring book.
"Well, we can at least say our family get togethers are nothing short of eventful." Sheila laughed as she busied herself in the kitchen and helped Beca with the clean up.
"This, is a very true statement." Beca said, smiling.
Beca's relationship with Sheila had evolved quite a bit since Alex's birth. Sheila had been in Beca's life since she was thirteen. Her father had married Sheila two years later, much to Beca's disappointment. The thing of it was, that Beca never really had a reason to hate Sheila. She hadn't busted into their lives and broken up her parents marriage, Beca's mom had left years earlier. Sheila wasn't a bitch, she treated Beca with respect and had tried her hardest to be apart of her life, but just like she had done with everyone else, Beca just shut her out without reason. For so many years, Beca only cared about her music, and absolutely nothing else.
When Alex was born, Sheila timidly entered into Beca's hospital room the day after, hoping to talk. It was the first time the two women had had more than a five minute conversation. Beca handed her newborn daughter over to her stepmother, and immediately began to apologize for her past behavior. Beca had been given the opportunity to have a mother figure in her life, but she had selfishly thrown it away.
Beca was ready to get to know and appreciate Sheila and everything she had to offer, but more importantly, she was ready to allow Sheila a place in her life. She wanted Alexandra to know all of her grandparents, and expressed as such after her repeated apologies. After Beca allowed herself to open up, she found out that she actually enjoyed Sheila's company. And both of Beca's parents adored their new roles as grandparents, doting on their granddaughter every chance they got. As Alex grew up, she grew to love them just as much as they loved her. Beca and Jesse had agreed early on that they wouldn't tell Alex that Sheila wasn't Beca's mother until she was much older. Beca was terrified to explain to Alex that her mother had left her voluntarily, for fear that Alex would think Beca would one day just up and leave her too. So, until Alex was old enough to understand that Beca would never dream of doing something like that to her, they both agreed, she didn't need to know.
"How's Chloe holding up? Was it a bad car accident?" Sheila asked.
"To be honest? She's lucky to be alive. She was hit by a drunk driver at sixty five miles per hour. Her car flipped over several times, and she ended up having to have surgery to remove her spleen."
Sheila's mouth opened wide. "Oh my God!"
She had been concerned when she heard about the car accident, but she had no idea it had been so horrific. "I'm so sorry, is she still in the hospital? At home?"
"She was released Friday morning, and she's resting at home now. It's going to be a pretty lengthy recovery, about four to five weeks, but she's going to be okay, she'll make a full recovery." Beca explained as she placed a dish detergent pod into the dishwasher and locked it up, starting a cycle.
"Can you get us her address before we leave? We'd love to send flowers and some meals. The last thing Luke needs to worry about right now is cooking."
"Of course. I know they would appreciate that. Thank you." Beca stated as she hugged her.
Jesse walked in and headed to the fridge to grab another beer as Beca and Sheila were talking.
"Oh hey, I almost forgot. Um, I really hate to do this to you guys, but I have to bail on dinner tomorrow night. You can order a pizza, or go out or something, but I'm gonna be working really late tomorrow night." Beca explained to Jesse.
Jesse grabbed the bottle opener and popped the cap off. "I thought you said you were going to try and make it home before six?"
" I know, I know." Beca said as she ran her fingers through her hair. "I feel horrible, but Mark called earlier. Rachel Platten is ready to put together her next album and she specifically requested me as her producer. I'm completely open right now, I couldn't say no."
Jesse nodded, understanding last minute needs. "Rachel Platten? That's awesome! What time do you think you'll be home? We could always wait for you." He suggested. Beca shook her head.
"Babe if I make it home before midnight, it'll be nothing short of a miracle. We're gonna try and knock this out in about a week. Mark offered to pay for a hotel for me, but with Alex starting Preschool on Wednesday, I declined. He did give me Wednesday off, but, it's gonna be a long week."
She felt guilty, especially with Jesse's parents in town, but one of the things Beca learned very quickly was that when an opportunity like this knocks, you don't turn it down.
"It's okay. We'll make it work, we always do." He assured her, kissing her on the cheek.
Bob walked into the kitchen and smiled, as he placed his hands on his daughter's shoulders.
"Do you guys mind if I steal her for just a second?" He questioned. Beca began to grow nervous. Even at twenty four years old, and as a wife and mother, she still had the feeling she was about to get a speech from her father.
"By all means!" Jesse answered. Beca glared at him before grabbing her glass of wine.
"I have a feeling I'm going to need this."
"We'll make it work, we always do."
The word's Jesse had spoken just minutes earlier resonated through Bob's head. He knew it wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation, but it was a conversation that they needed to have. As he chatted with Alex about her trip to the zoo tomorrow, he explained that he knew she would have a lot of fun with Mommy and Daddy. Alex had looked up at him like he had two heads.
"Mommy's not coming to the zoo, silly." Alex answered. "Mommy is only home on Saturday's and Sunday's."
Bob didn't understand.
"Where is she the rest of the days?" He asked.
"At work. She just comes home to sleep." She explained, not even looking up from her coloring book. To Alex, the fact that she didn't see much of her mother during the week was no big deal, it was part of her routine. But it didn't sit well with Bob, and when he overheard Beca and Jesse's conversation in the kitchen, he knew he had to talk to his daughter.
"So, how are you?" Bob asked as he and Beca stepped out onto the deck and sat down on the wicker furniture. Beca sighed.
"I'm good, but...why do I feel like I'm in trouble?" She asked, causing her father to laugh.
"Trouble? You're a grown, married woman, a mother, what makes you think you're in trouble?" He asked.
"Because I know you. You and I usually don't have cutesie little chats about what's going on in each other's lives. Something's up." Beca pressed. Her eyebrows furrowed together as she tried to figure out what he was thinking. He sighed.
"Okay, so I'm a little concerned." He admitted. Beca rolled her eyes and huffed. Yeah, she had seen this coming she thought to herself as she took a sip of her wine.
"Just hear me out, will you?"
Beca folded her arms across her chest. "Go 'head."
"Alex mentioned that she doesn't see you much during the week." Bob began. Before he could get any further, Beca, clearly already on the defense, cut him off.
"She sees me plenty!" She yelled.
Bob raised his eyebrows, not saying a word. He knew she was going to be on the defense, and that she was going to raise her voice. Beca was a passionate person in every aspect of her life. Arguing was no different. Beca didn't back down from a fight, and she always made sure she was heard. After so many arguments with her, Bob knew to remain calm and level headed, no matter how angry she became.
"Okay, so maybe not a ton or anything, but I am home every night to put her to bed and I spend every weekend with her." Beca continued, trying in vain to make the situation sound better than it really was. In reality, she knew she was grasping at straws. Jesse was the one with the cushy 8-5 job, and home every night for dinner. If Beca was lucky, there were two days a week where she made it home before six.
"Beca, your daughter is desperate for your attention." Bob simply stated. "The little stunt she pulled yesterday is evidence of that.
"And I am doing the best I fu-" She cut herself off this time, as she took a breath and calmed herself down. There was no need to fly off the handle, they were just having a conversation. Closing her eyes, she took one more deep breath.
"I'm doing the best I can, okay? I'm not trying to brag, or inflate my ego or anything, but I am in high demand. I'm at the peak of my career, Dad. Do you have any idea what I had to do to get to where I am? There were nights I slept in my office, there were times I didn't see Jesse and Alex for days at a time! But I had a goal, I had a dream, and I was going to do whatever it took to achieve it. Jesus, Dad, I am the youngest producer to ever be brought on at Columbia Records...ever! I literally made music industry history when I was hired. It's a demanding job! I can't just tell John Mayer we have to cut his album short because I need to go read bedtime stories!"
Beca was on a roll. She wasn't going to let her dad make her feel guilty for being a working mother. She could do both, it was possible to have it all. Sure, there were sacrifices that had to made at times, but Beca loved what she did. Her job was meaningful, it was life changing, it made people's dreams come true.
The two of them sat, trying to calm their emotions. Beca turned her head to the side, not able to look her father in the face. He could clearly see that he had upset her.
"Look, I didn't mean to upset you. All I'm saying is, you have a child, and you will never get these moments back. Alex is growing up fast Bec, before you know it, she'll be a teenager that resents you and thinks you made all the wrong choices when it comes to raising her. Have you considered...not working? Jesse is more than capable of supporting all three of you." Bob suggested, treading lightly.
Beca stared at him, unable to believe the words that had just escaped her father's lips.
"Are you kidding me?! That is complete and utter bullshit!" Beca hissed.
"Rebeca Grace!" Bob scolded. His words had little effect on her.
"Not work?! Seriously, not work? And do what Dad, stay home and be Susie Homemaker? Teach ABC's and 123's and bake pies and shit?! That is not who I am, that is not who I have ever been. I choose to work. And it's not for the money, it's for passion. Music is my passion, and it has been since I was two. Having a child does not change that. Maybe you don't agree with it, but it's not up to you. I will not be made to feel guilty for being a working mother. This is who I am Dad, and I'm sorry if you're disappointed!"
"Why did you decide to have Alex?" He asked.
Beca was caught off guard. "What?!" She spewed.
As calm as ever, Bob repeated himself. "Why did you chose to have Alex? You were nineteen years old and a sophomore in college. You could have aborted her, you could have given her up for adoption, but you didn't. You gave birth to her, and you're raising her. Why?"
Beca could not, for the life of her, understand why she was having this conversation with her father.
"Because I love her. Because for nine months of my life, I carried that little girl inside of me. I felt every kick, every move, every hiccup. I went through ten hours of labor to bring her into this world. She didn't deserve to be punished because Jesse and I screwed up. I love Alex, and everything I do, it's for her. My work provides her with everything she needs in this life!" Beca yelled, barely able to contain herself.
Bob shook his head. "Beca, she doesn't want your presents, she wants your presence. You didn't have a mother growing up you-"
"That bitch left me, okay? She made a very conscious, well thought out, decision to leave me. I would never even dream of leaving Alex." Beca cut in. She was not her mother, she would never be her mother, and she needed her father to know that.
Resting his elbows against his legs, he leaned in closer to her.
"Do me a favor, picture your life ten years from now. What childhood memories is Alex going to have with Jesse? What childhood memories is she going to have with you?"
Beca was stunned into silence.
She stared at him straight on, her face in a grimace, before shaking her head and getting up off the wicker chair and heading inside without so much as another word.
Bob sighed as he sat in the chair with his hands cupping his face. At the sound of the sliding glass door, he turned, hoping to see Beca, but found Sheila instead.
"You told her she should quit her job and be a stay at home mother and wife?!" She questioned, unable to process the scene she had just witnessed that she knew she shouldn't have.
"How did you-"
"I was in the kitchen, I could hear her voice through the window. I was about to walk away from the conversation, knowing I shouldn't be eavesdropping, when I heard her begin to yell about not working. Bobby, that's an insult. To think that Beca would just drop everything to stay at home with Alex is ludicrous, and she shouldn't have to. Greta does a phenomenal job here, and Jesse is home by 5:30 every day. I can't believe you could be so closed minded." She said, as she shook her head and walked back inside again.
He hadn't had a chance to explain himself to either his wife or his daughter.
Jesse stepped out onto the front porch and found Julie sitting out on the porch swing drinking a glass of wine. It was a gorgeous night, and the cool breeze made for the perfect weather. She turned at the sound of his footsteps.
"Okay, I suppose I can see the appeal of Connecticut, maybe it's not so bad after all." She admitted, after years of unsuccessfully trying to convince Beca and Jesse to move to Boston.
Jesse sat down next to her and smiled as he looked out onto the street.
"I knew you'd come around eventually. Beca and I fell in love with Fairfield the moment we discovered it. It's small town charm within reach of city life. The schools here are incredible, there's no need for private school. We love our neighbors, and our community, and each season has something special to offer. It's a great place to raise a family." Jesse informed her. They had only lived in Fairfield for a year, but they absolutely adored the town.
"So, it sounds like Alex had quite the temper tantrum yesterday." Julie stated, bringing the earlier conversation back up again.
"Yeah." Jesse agreed, "It was quite the day."
"Did you spank her?" She asked abruptly. Jesse raised his eyebrows and sighed as he looked at her.
"No, I didn't spank her." He answered, despite feeling like it wasn't any of his mother's business how he and Beca chose to discipline.
"Well why not? It sounds like she deserved it." Julie countered.
Jesse blew out a breath before taking a sip of his drink. He really was not in the mood to be having this conversation.
"Because Beca and I decided a long time ago that spanking would be a last resort and only reserved for very serious offences. So far, Alex has yet to do anything so terrible it would warrant a spanking. Not to mention, it was really hard to want to spank her when she looked up at me with tears in her eyes and asked me in a tiny voice if I was going to spank her. I want my daughter to respect me, not be terrified of me." Jesse explained.
Growing up, he and Amanda had been spanked a handful of times. And, looking back, he probably deserved each spanking. But he and Beca were not their parents, and unless they were beating Alex, how they chose to discipline Alex was no one's business but their own.
"Look, I'm sure you think us taking away her tv and dance classes were no big deal, but in her world...it's been awful. Dance is her life at the moment, and since she started in May, she hasn't missed a single class. So having to sit out for a week is a big deal to her. Further more, Beca and I are both pretty lax when it comes to the TV. I'm sure some parents have rules and time limits, but we really don't. If Alex wants to watch a movie, were all for it. If she wants to watch TV while she's eating breakfast, it doesn't bother us. So going a week with no tv or movies hasn't been fun either. Alex has her moments, but for the most part, she's a very well behaved, mature, and respectful little girl. I'm confident Beca and I are doing something right."
Julie felt slightly guilty for questioning how Jesse and Beca disciplined Alex, and knew she was out of line. Her granddaughter was a very well behaved little girl, and she knew that Jesse and Beca were doing an incredible job of raising her. Despite all of the money surrounding them, they were doing their best to assure that while Alex had every opportunity she deserved, she wasn't spoiled.
"You're right, I was out of line to question it. You and Beca are doing a fabulous job of raising Alex. I know parenting isn't easy by any means, but it's obvious that Alex is very happy and well adjusted." Julie apologized.
"Well thank you, we're certainly trying."
"Speaking of trying, when do you think I'll get more grandchildren?" Julie questioned. "It has been four years after all."
"When Beca gets pregnant." Jesse replied with a smirk as he took a sip of his pumpkin ale. Julie shook her head.
"Obviously. And just when is she getting pregnant?"
"Usually it happens when my sperm fertilizes her egg, so..." Jesse added, feigning ignorance. He wasn't about to tell his mother that he was jumping Beca's bones every chance he got. Things were going to change in a big way for everyone when Beca did finally get pregnant. They were starting all over again. Alex was a completely independent child, she didn't wake up in the mornings until after eight, she was fully potty trained, slept through the night, was able to entertain herself, and had pretty much fully understood what 'privacy' meant. When they put it that way, it became understandable how they were able to have sex five-six times a week as parents of a young child.
But with a newborn, they were going to to soon find themselves in survival mode. There would be little to no sleep, feedings every two hours, constant diapers, hormones, and making sure Alex didn't feel neglected in any way. Jesse figured they might as well have all the sex they could get now, while they still could. It had been about eighteen months after Alex was born before their sex life returned to normal. Not that he was complaining, he was a big boy, and could go without, and he absolutely adored being a father, but it was a lot of work, and required much patience.
"Alright, smartass." Julie said with a smile before sipping her wine.
"Look, Bec and I, we're finally comfortable. College was insanity trying to get through classes and lead A capella groups on top of raising a baby. And while it wasn't a rough time for me finding a job, Beca started from the bottom and worked her way up. Everybody was constantly telling her she'd never make it in the music world, and that she needed to focus on her family. But she didn't listen, and now she's the youngest music producer to ever work at Columbia. We have a nice house, incredible lives, and a phenomenal daughter. Were just trying to enjoy this time in our lives before jumping back into the baby phase again."
"I can respect that. I guess your Dad and I are just really feeling the empty nest. You're off raising a family, Amanda's in her senior year at Boston, I swear I blinked and you both grew up. I'm so proud of the man you have become, there are just no words to express my happiness, I just miss this stage too." She admitted, her eyes welling with tears.
"Mom, you know you and Dad are always welcome here. We love having you guys, especially Alex. Though I think the prospect of a new gift every time you come doesn't hurt either. You can come visit any time, you can take Alex to Boston for visits too."
Julie placed her hand on Jesse's cheek and smiled.
"I love you kid." She whispered before leaning in to hug him.
"I love you too mom."
Jesse pulled back at the sound of the front door opening. He turned to see Beca stepping out.
"Sorry! I didn't realize you guys were talking." She apologized, knowing she had just walked into a sweet mother son moment.
"No need to apologize sweetie, you're fine." Julie assured her.
"What's up babe?" Jesse asked, looking up at her.
Beca pulled her hair behind her ear, something she only did when she was upset or frustrated. Jesse knew she needed to talk with him privately.
"I was just gonna see if you wanted to go for a walk, but if you guys are talking I can-"
"Not at all, it is a gorgeous night, you guys go and enjoy it, I insist." Julie assured them.
"Ah, alright then, well we'll be back. I've got my cell phone on me if anybody needs anything." Jesse said as he got up and took Beca's hand in his.
"We won't, enjoy!"
The second they were out of sight, Beca pulled Jesse's lips to hers. Slightly caught off guard by the exchange, it took a second for him to realize what was happening. Beca wrapped her arms around Jesse's neck, lightly scratching his scalp. He moaned softly as she opened her mouth and allowed his tongue to slip inside, tangling with hers. Jesse wasn't sure what had happened to prompt this sudden little make out session, but he certainly wasn't going to question it.
Suddenly, Beca broke their kiss and looked up at him.
"Wow, that was...Hi. Are you rethinking your no sex for the week rule? 'Cause this probably isn't the place for it. But if you can wait two minutes, we can totally christen the BMW." Jesse explained.
"No, nerd. I'm still sticking to my guns. I just really needed to get that out of my system." Beca explained as she took his hand and laced her fingers through his. "We can walk now."
"Oh, can we? Great. Well, if you want to get that out of your system again, just go for it, I will never say no." Jesse informed her, causing a smile to spread across her face.
A comfortable silence soon settled between them as they walked through the neighborhood hand in hand admiring the stars and the cool weather.
"Do you wanna talk about it? Or just walk?" Jesse asked, figuring she would not want to get into whatever was bothering her. She sighed as she gazed off to the lake in the distance.
"My dad and I had a discussion. He doesn't exactly agree with my life choices." Beca began.
"And what life choices would those be? The one's that provided you with a six figure yearly salary, a beautiful home, nice car, or incredible family?"
"The six figures. He thinks I work too much and should be spending more time focusing on Alex. He told me that I didn't even need to be working, that you make enough money to support the three of us."
"What?!" Jesse spewed. "What is this...1950? Of course I can financially support the three of us, but that is entirely beside the point. You're not in this profession for the money. Sure it's a huge perk, but you produce music because it's what you love. Beca, you made music history when you got got hired at Columbia Records. You're the youngest music producer like...ever. You have more accomplishments at twenty four years old than most people ever will in an entire lifetime. I would never want you to give that up. Yes, you work a lot, and you're rarely home during the week, but the work you do is incredible. You make people's dreams come true every day."
Jesse was slightly irritated that Bob couldn't see Beca's accomplishments and what an incredible woman she was. How many people could honestly say they grew up to have the job they always dreamed of? Beca was a musical genius, and in very high demand. She was never going to be a stay at home mother who cooked and cleaned and raised the children day in and day out. Jesse never wanted that for her. He never wanted her to waste her talent. Sure, if that was really what Beca wanted, he would have totally supported her. But he knew it wasn't, and he would never dream of holding Beca back from something she wanted. He wanted to support her in every way possible. He supported her career choice, no matter how busy it made her.
"I know, I used the same arguments. He just kept talking about family commitments and not missing out on the important things in life. I just feel like I can't give one hundred percent of myself to both home and work right now. It feels like work gets most of my time while you, Alex, and home get what's left. It just made me really reevaluate things."
Beca had to admit, her dad had a point. She was spreading herself very thin and at some point, it was all going to catch up with her. If she and Jesse really wanted to expand their family, then something had to give. She needed to make more of an effort to be home earlier. There was more to life than work, music, and money. Work could definitely wait, but Alex and Jesse shouldn't have to. Alex was literally growing by leaps and bounds in front of their eyes and if Beca were honest, she didn't want to miss a thing. She didn't want to be 'that' mom. The mom that was always a phone call away, but rarely if ever home. She didn't want Alex to think back on her childhood and say, "Dad was always there for me while mom was at work." She wanted Alex to know she was loved and wanted.
Arriving at the lake, Jesse took Beca's hand and pulled her down to the grass with him. Beca rested her body in between Jesse's legs and rested her back against his chest. Jesse kissed her on the forehead as he wrapped his arms around her tiny frame.
"I will support you no matter what you want to do. If you want to stay at home and care for our children, I'll support you. If you want to take the world by storm and produce mind blowing music, I'll support you. But no matter what choice you make, I want it to be yours and yours alone. This is your life Beca, I don't want you to have any regrets." Jesse explained, suddenly feeling fiercely protective. He had watched, over the past six years, as every single one of Beca's dreams had come true and she proved people wrong left and right. Beca was a powerful and highly respected woman and she had worked her ass off to get where she was. She had sacrificed quite a lot, and Jesse wasn't about to stand by and watch as she threw it all away just to please her father.
Beca leaned up to look at Jesse.
"And that is just one of the many reasons why I love you." She whispered.
Jesse smiled. "I love you too." He whispered as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.
Laying together in the grass, the cool breeze cascading against their skin, Jesse realized...
He had never been more happy than he was at this very moment.
