"Best birthday ever, best birthday ever..." Chelsea singsongs as she carries one of Jade's bags from her car up to the house "Best birthday ever..."
"Your birthday was last week, you goofball." Jade smirks as she walks behind the now eight year-old, carrying a box
"I know that." Chelsea insists "But this is happening close enough to my birthday that I'm considering it a present."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Jade's lease had been up at the end of July, a year after she signed it. Although she had been slowly moving some of her belongings out and into Beck's house already, most of the big items had been saved until the last minute. Her winter clothes, her kitchen items, the furniture...just to name a few. Beck and Andre are helping her, Chelsea is helping where she can, and Tori is looking after Aspen so she doesn't get in the way.
"Now you can read with me and Dad every night!" Chelsea exclaims "And you can have breakfast with us every morning!"
"I know." Jade grins "Isn't it exciting?"
"So exciting!" Chelsea admits "I..."
"You what, kiddo?" Jade asks as she sets the box down in the kitchen "Everything okay?"
"Yeah..." Chelsea nods "I'm just...really happy that you're going to live with us."
"I'm happy too." Jade tells her "Now we can be together all the time."
Without warning or without saying anything, Chelsea drops the bag she had been carrying and moves to hug Jade's waist tightly. It takes Jade a bit off guard at first, but she hugs her back tightly as quickly as she can. It's not that Chelsea hasn't hugged her before, she's hugged her plenty of times, but for some reason this hug feels...different.
"I'm not going anywhere, Chels..." Jade tells her quietly, gently running her fingers through the little girl's hair "I promise."
"I know."
Jade feels for the little girl immediately, she can relate to her just a little. They had both lost their mothers, although in different ways. Alyssa had made the choice to walk away from Aspen and Chelsea, and Jade thinks that might hurt more than her own mother dying. While she would never want to erase the fact that Alyssa existed, because without her neither one of the girls would exist, she hopes that she can be all Aspen and Chelsea need in her place...whatever that may look like for now.
"Everything okay in here?" Beck asks as he enters, carrying another box "Group hug?"
He sets the box down on the table and walks over to them, wrapping one arm around Chelsea and the other around Jade.
"Daaaaad!" Chelsea groans "You're squeezing too tight!"
"Sorry." Beck laughs as they break their hug apart "I'm just so excited that Jade gets to live with us now!"
"We were just talking about how excited we are too." Jade tells him "Right, Chels?"
"Yup!"
"There's some more boxes in my truck, can you go help Uncle Andre with them?" Beck says, turning to Chelsea
"Sure!" Chelsea nods, running out of the room
"She okay?" Beck asks his girlfriend once his daughter is gone
"I think so." Jade admits "Sometimes we just need a hug, you know?"
"I do, yeah." Beck agrees "How are things going in here?"
"Good." Jade tells him, looking around "I think there's only a few more boxes left at my apartment."
"How did you even get all of this stuff here from LA?" Beck laughs "It's taken us my truck and two trips in your car."
"U-haul trailer." Jade winks "They're pretty handy."
"Fair enough."
"Speaking of cars though..."
"Uh oh." Beck smirks "What?"
"I'm thinking of trading mine in." Jade admits "Not today obviously, there's a lot going on. But before school starts."
"You love your car though."
It's true. Jade has had her Hyundai Elantra since she was in college, but she had purchased it used. It was part of her attempt to gain financial independence from her father, even though he was still paying for her tuition. The little grey car had gotten her through four years of school, her first two years of teaching, and a cross-country move...but Jade knows it's time will most likely be up soon.
"I know, I know." She agrees "But I got it used so it's close to ten years old, and it's getting really close to a hundred thousand miles. They say you're supposed to trade it in before you hit that mark otherwise you won't be able to get as good of a trade-in value. And now that I'm not paying rent..."
Although she won't be paying rent directly, she won't be living for free. She and Beck had agreed to start sharing financial responsibilities...mortgage, utilities, groceries...it only seemed fair. They won't be combining their finances, not yet, but having two incomes will definitely help both of them out in more ways than one.
"I gotcha." Beck nods "It makes sense. Are you sure you're going to be able to part with that car though?"
"It'll be a tough goodbye." Jade admits "But I think I'll manage. This is a start of a new chapter in my life anyway."
"That's true." Beck smirks "I'm happy that I get to be a part of it."
"I'm happy that you're a part of it too." Jade says, pecking him quickly on the lips before turning to go back outside "I'll take Chelsea with me to get those last few boxes, keep her out of your way."
"Thanks." Beck laughs "Drive safe, I love you."
"Love you too."
"Wake up! Wake up! Wake upppppppp!"
Loud squeals fill Beck...and now Jade's too...bedroom as Chelsea jumps up and down between them on the mattress.
"Chelsea..." Jade groans "It's not even 5:30 yet..."
She knows that neither Chelsea nor Aspen has yet developed the desire to sleep in as late as possible that most humans have, but even during the summer they both usually slept until at least 7:30...which is the time they would normally be woken up for school during the year.
"It's the first day of school!" Chelsea announces "Time to get up and moving!"
"She does this..." Beck yawns as he sits up "I tried to warn you."
And he had. He had been informing his girlfriend regularly for close to a week that Chelsea is always so excited about the first day of school that she finds it hard to sleep, and ends up waking him up much earlier than she needs to. Jade had expected an early wake-up call, but not this early. Beck's 5:30 alarm hasn't even gone off yet, she still would have had plenty of time to sleep before her 6:00 one.
"Chelsea...the teachers aren't even at school yet." Jade informs her "What-"
"I'm too excited, Jade!" Chelsea tells her "I love school!"
"Can't argue with that, can you?" Beck laughs, leaning over to kiss his girlfriend "Good morning. Happy first real day of school."
He says that because Jade has already been into school three days this week for teacher institutes, preparing for the students' arrival and the start of the school year. Today will be her first day of teaching for the year.
"Thanks..." She yawns
"Chels, you can come downstairs with me while I work out, okay?" Beck tells his daughter "Let Jade sleep for a little while longer, she has a big day today too."
"Thank you..." Jade mumbles into her pillow
When her alarm goes off at 6:00, she rushes to the shower. Beck will be finishing up his workout soon and she knows that he'll want to shower too. Although they've been living together for about a month now, they're still working out their morning routine with Jade being back at work for the school year. Hopefully they'll have it down in a few days, but in the meantime she doesn't want to make either one of them late.
Thankfully Jade is showered with her hair dried before Beck comes upstairs again, and he's able to get into the bathroom to shower while she does her makeup in front of the mirror in the bedroom. When she's finished, she heads downstairs to eat breakfast and make her lunch.
"Are you making breakfast?" Chelsea asks as she comes into the kitchen from the living room
"I can, if you want." Jade nods "What are you in the mood for?"
"Hmm..." Chelsea thinks for a moment "Apple Jacks."
"Apple Jacks?" Jade laughs, turning for the pantry "Really?"
"What's wrong with Apple Jacks?" Chelsea shrugs
"Nothing, I just figured you would ask me for pancakes or waffles or something." Jade shrugs "Y'know...since it's a special day and all."
"We always have cereal before school." Chelsea states matter-of-factly "Dad says that's all we have time for."
"I can see his logic in that." Jade laughs as she pours a bowl of cereal for the little girl "So you're excited for school?"
"Duh."
"You remind me a lot of me when i was your age." Jade admits as she continues moving around the kitchen "I loved school. Never woke my parents up two hours before the alarm to get them to take me, but I shared the same excitement."
Beck brings Aspen down a little while later, and instructs Chelsea to go upstairs to get dressed. Jade tells her she'll be up in a moment to help her with her hair, so the little girl obliges.
"Well..." Beck sighs with a smile "I was going to come down here to make sure everyone had breakfast and start on lunches but...it looks like you've already taken care of that."
Jade and Chelsea have both eaten and there are three lunch boxes packed and waiting on the counter: one for Beck, one for Jade, and one for Chelsea.
"I do what I can." Jade shrugs "You're good with a turkey sandwich, right?"
"Yeah, that's my favorite." Beck nods
"I thought so." Jade winks "Alright, I'm going to go help her with her hair but then I have to get going."
Jade only has about a twenty minute commute, but she wants to make sure she's there on time. Although her contract hours start half an hour before the first bell rings, she has a lot to get done that morning in order to be prepared for the first day.
"Sounds good." Beck nods, kissing her on the cheek quickly "You'll pick them up?"
"Yup." Jade nods "Chelsea first, then Aspen. Then home."
It didn't make sense to pay the extra money for the girls to be at their daycare and after school programs until 6:00 when Jade will be able to easily pick them up by 4:30 most days. They're all coming home to the same house anyway, so she doesn't mind doing it. Beck will drop them off in the mornings, just like he always has, so she can get to work on time, and then she'll pick them up as soon as she can after school.
"Perfect." Beck smiles "Have a great first day."
"Thanks." Jade smiles back "Oh! I signed that paperwork and put Chelsea's in her backpack but I wasn't sure what to do with Aspen's so I put it on the table."
In addition to picking them up each afternoon, Jade had also given Beck her blessing to list her as an emergency contact for both girls. Beck will still be the first person they call if anything goes wrong, but now Jade will be listed second instead of Beck's mom, who is now third on the list. Priya hadn't minded being bumped, thankful for a little less responsibility and the fact that her granddaughters finally have some stability in their lives.
"I'll make sure I grab it." Beck nods "I love you."
"I love you too." Jade tells him "Have a great day."