This is the first time I've tried to write something like this. So, forgive me if it's weird. I just can not with all the genius that Bridgerton the musical is. Listen to Balancing the Scale if you can. That's the inspiration for this piece. I don't own Bridgerton or JN. OK? Okay.

Letting Go

As Judy steps into Jimmy's room, she can't help but notice the bare walls. The closet is almost empty too. There are packed boxes everywhere. Cindy tapes one shut then puts it into Jimmy's awaiting Hypercube. Goddard is sleeping peacefully in the corner. Judy's heart tightens.

This day had been coming for months now, yet it still caught her off guard. Jimmy was leaving for college. Of course, he would be home during the holidays, but this room would never be his again.

"Hi, mom! We're almost done," Jimmy greets as he puts a notebook in his backpack.

Cindy brushes a bang from her forehead. "Why do you have so much stuff?"

"It's all vitally important, you know," Jimmy replies.

"Yes, I'm sure every copy of Science Today is vitally important." Cindy teases Jimmy, and something unspoken passes between them. Judy feels out of place and steps to the door, but then Jimmy clears his throat.

"Did you want something, mom?"

"I brought some refreshments," Judy says as she passes them two Purple Flurps.

"Thank you, Mrs. Neutron," Cindy says and takes a long drink.

"You're welcome, Cindy. But how many times do I have to tell you to call me Judy?"

The young blond girl blushes at her words. They echo a conversation a few months earlier when Cindy had confessed her love for Jimmy. Judy had known for a long time, but she had appreciated the vulnerability it required of Cindy.

"Judy," Cindy quietly amends.

Jimmy raises his eyebrows at the interaction but turns back to whatever he was doing. "That's the last of it."

Cindy looks at Judy and then Jimmy. Without a second thought, she takes a backpack from the bed. "I'll bring this downstairs."

Once Judy and Jimmy are alone in the empty bedroom, she can't help but notice that it's alien, cold. It makes tears prick at her eyes.

"Mom, don't cry. I'll call. I promise."

"I know, sweetheart. But we'll miss you so much," she admits.

"I'll miss you too."

"Can I have a hug?"

Jimmy nods and comes forward, and hugs her. He's taller than her now. The realization that a child who had always been so small has eclipsed her strikes her anew. It was a part of life, she supposed, but strange all the same.

As they pull away, Judy wipes tears from her eyes. Jimmy sniffles a little as he picks up his N-Phone and tucks it in his pocket.

"You'll do great, sweetheart."

"I know, I am a genius after all."

She laughs as they walk down into the living room where Cindy and Hugh are waiting.

After Jimmy has left, she walks back up into the empty bedroom. Her sorrow and joy mix into a feeling that has no name.

Jimmy is sitting across from his parents, fiddling with his fingers.

"I've asked Cindy to marry me, and she said yes," he declares.

"That's great, Jimbo!" Hugh answers with a smile.

"What do you think, mom?"

Jimmy was successful in ways she couldn't have imagined. He'd won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work in solar-powered energy. She notices how his eyes twinkle as he smiles hopefully. "I think that's great, honey! But what about her parents? They haven't been exactly kind. To you or poor Cindy."

"About that, I was hoping I could ask you a favor."

"Oh?"

"I want you to talk to Sasha. I tried calling a few days ago, and Cindy doesn't know-"

"Oh, honey, I don't know."

He runs a hand through his hair. "All I want is for her mom to be at the wedding. Cindy wants it too, even if she won't admit it."

"Oh, well, maybe I could say something."

Jimmy grins, leans over and kisses her on the cheek. "Thanks, mom, you're the best."

A few days later, Judy goes over to the Vortex house. She brings some of her famous Cherry Pie. Despite how Sasha watches her skeptically, somehow, Judy manages to clue her in.

"This isn't exactly unexpected," the other woman says as she sinks into a chair.

"I know that Jimmy can be reckless and selfish sometimes, but he's a lot of other things too. I am not asking you to be his number one fan, but I am asking that you respect your daughter. After all, our children aren't children anymore, Ms. Vortex."

For the first time in the conversation, Sasha smiles. "No, I suppose they aren't."

Jimmy and Cindy are waltzing on the dance floor. It's fluid and graceful, every step carefully matched. Cindy's white dress circles them like a cloud. They are like the beach and the tides, pulling and pushing in perfect harmony.

"They look nice together," Sasha's voice quietly says next to her.

"They do," Judy agrees.

"I'm glad you said what you did, Judy. I admit that I had been a bit hardheaded. I wanted her to find success. I let it blind me. I want the best for her, you know."

"Yes, I know."

Something like understanding thrums between them. Then Sasha smiles as she heads to the cake table.

This day had been a blur of pictures, food, and relatives. She hadn't had a moment to feel. But as Jimmy brushes a kiss against Cindy's forehead, the doors in her mind burst open, and it all comes in.

Pride. Sadness. Memories of holding a crying baby in her arms and his tiny fingers grasping hers. She remembers wiping away his tears when he scraped his knee on the driveway—beaming when he won awards at school. But he was a man now, walking with Cindy at his side. Judy knew that she would shoulder the responsibility with love.

"Sugar booger, are you okay?"

She leans into Hugh. "Our boy is married."

"He is."

Judy feels a sensation of the past colliding with the future. Love endless and timeless, passed from son to daughter, daughter to son. It's a circle that shines and glimmers.

But letting go, while necessary, is bittersweet. She allows herself to cry, and Hugh hugs her close.