Once the school year is in full swing, it doesn't take long for Beck and Jade and the girls to fall into a normal routine.

One Tuesday night in mid-September, after Aspen has already gone to bed, Beck is in the living room watching a baseball game on TV while Jade and Chelsea sit at the kitchen table working on Chelsea's book report for school. Beck had offered to help them, but Chelsea insisted that she only needed Jade's help. It's not anything close to a book report like Jade would have her high schoolers complete, that would be an essay that is pages long. Chelsea only has to create a poster detailing the plot, setting, and characters of the mystery book she had read.

"Make sure you put plenty of glue on there." Jade instructs "We don't want it to fall off."

"I know, I know." Chelsea nods as she sticks the paper onto the poster board "There! Does it look okay?"

"It looks great." Jade smiles as her phone starts to buzz, the sound of the plastic case vibrating against the wooden table echoing through the kitchen "Give me just a second, okay?"

"Okay."

Jade grabs her phone and heads into the next room for privacy, both surprised yet not at all to see her step-father's name lighting up the screen.

"Hello?" She answers

"Hey, kiddo!" Her step-father's voice greets her on the other end "How are ya?"

"I'm good, Chris. " Jade chuckles at his contagious optimism "Just helping Chelsea finish her book report really quick before she goes to bed. How are you?"

"Can't complain." He tells her "I won't keep you too long, but I wanted to let you know that your brother and I are going to be headed out your way this weekend."

"Like out east?" Jade clarifies

"Yeah." Chris confirms "He wants to visit UConn. Flying in Friday night for a Saturday morning visit and leaving on Sunday afternoon. We thought we would see if you guys wanted to meet up while we were out there. We've both been missing you."

"I've been missing you guys too." Jade admits "I'll have to double check with Beck but I'm sure we can make something work. I'd really love for you guys to get to meet each other in person."

Her step-father and her brother, Tyler, have met Beck and the girls on FaceTime, but never in person. When Jade went back to LA to visit for Easter, she went alone. It was too much travel for Chelsea to be doing over the weekend between two full weeks of school, and they weren't living together yet. Next to Beck and the girls, Chris and Tyler are the most important people in her life, she wants them to meet.

"I can't wait." Chris admits "Go ahead and talk to Beck and then we'll figure something out. Hopefully we'll see you sometime on Saturday?"

"Hopefully." Jade agrees

Of course, Beck has no issue with making plans to meet up with Chris and Tyler while they are in town. The university is in Storrs, about half an hour east of Hartford. Tyler's visit is on Saturday morning, and Beck and Jade invite them over to the house for dinner on Saturday night. Beck is nervous, because he knows getting the approval of Jade's step-father and brother is the most important approval he can get.

"Jesus, stop growing!" Jade exclaims as her 'little' brother makes his way up the front walk "People will stop believing that you're younger than me!"

Despite being eight years younger than her, Tyler is about six inches taller than his older sister.

"S'nice to see you too, Jade." Tyler grins as he wraps his sister up in a hug "I missed you too."

"What about me?" Chris asks as he walks up behind his son "Any love for dear ole' step-dad?"

"Hi Chris..." Jade laughs as she hugs him as well "Of course I missed you too!"

She calls and texts them both regularly, but nothing can replace seeing each other in person. As soon as they've greeted each other, Jade invites them into the house where Beck and the girls are waiting.

"Chris, Tyler, this is my boyfriend, Beck." Jade grins as she introduces men to each other "Beck, meet Chris and Tyler Parker."

"Hey, nice to meet you both." Beck smiles, throwing a dish towel over his shoulder before shaking each of their hands "Or, nice to meet you not on the phone, I guess."

They all laugh and Beck is relieved. So far, so good.

"And this is Chelsea and Aspen..." Jade moves over to the kitchen table where both girls are busy coloring "Girls, can you say hi?"

"Hi." Chelsea waves "It's nice to meet you."

Jade winks at the little girl, who very clearly remembered what she had told her to say.

Aspen barely looks up from her coloring book, and waves a bit more sheepishly than her sister without saying anything. The older they get it becomes clear that Chelsea is more extroverted and outgoing, while Aspen is the more reserved of the two girls.

"It's okay, Pen." Jade assures her "They don't bite."

"Mama..." Aspen reaches her arms out to Jade, who obliges and picks her up

Aspen wraps her arms around Jade's neck and her legs around her waist, hiding her face in her neck.

"She's a bit shy..." Jade says "She'll warm up to you."

"Mama?" Tyler raises an eyebrow at her

"I've told you that she calls me that."

"I know." Tyler nods "It's just...weird actually hearing her say it."

"Dinner is just about ready, guys." Beck says from his place at the stove "Chels? Can you start cleaning up the coloring stuff?"

The meal goes better than anyone could have expected it too. Chris and Tyler bond with Beck over a common love of sports, despite being fans of different teams. Chris is able to share stories about Jade from when she was young and while she rolls her eyes and pretends to hate it, she really doesn't. It's great to finally be able to introduce Beck to her family after getting to spend so much time with his parents, even if it's not the typical idea of 'family'.

After dinner, Beck and Jade clean up while Chelsea takes Chris and Tyler outside to show them her swing set. Tyler instantly earns more brownie points with the little girl by pushing her on the swing, which piques Aspen's interest as well. By the time Beck and Jade make it outside themselves, both girls are playing on the swings, Chris and Tyler each pushing one of them. Jade shares a gleeful look with Beck, happy that both her brother and step-father seem to love the girls as much as they do.

Eventually it's time for both Chelsea and Aspen to go to bed, so Beck takes them inside to get ready while Jade sets up the fire table on the deck. If they would have started the fire while the girls were awake, they would have never gotten them to go to bed. Beck returns a while later to join them, and the conversation switches to movies. Beck feels in his element as he discusses different films that he's seen and loved. Chris is intrigued by the young man's interest in movies that were released much before his lifetime, and Beck is more than happy to invite him inside to show him his collection. Tyler isn't that interested, and opts to stay outside by the fire with Jade.

"So what did you think of UConn?" She asks him as an owl hoots somewhere off in the distance

"S'kinda preppy." Tyler shrugs "I never actually wanted to go there."

"Then why visit?"

"We missed you." Tyler admits "And a college visit would be a great excuse to come out here."

"You don't need an excuse though..." Jade tells him "You're both always welcome, I've told you that."

"Getting time off of work and school requires a legitimate excuse."

"Alright, that's fair."

Jade knows that fact to be all too true, mostly because school is her work.

"Dad really misses you, you know." Tyler sighs "More than he would probably ever admit."

"I miss him too...and you..." Jade nods "You know I had to get out of California though. My dad-"

"We know." Tyler nods "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, s'not your fault."

"I wish you could have stayed with us when Mom...you know..."

"Me too." Jade agrees

There's silence between the two siblings for a moment. Jade wishes there was something she could say to make the situation seem better, but there really isn't. It had been unfair, what happened with her parents' custody agreement. Her father never really had much interest in being a father, just in being in control. Chris loved her and genuinely wanted to be a parental figure to her...but that hadn't mattered when it came down to the legal paperwork of it all.

"I think it's a good thing that you moved out here." Tyler admits "I mean, I wish things between you and your dad hadn't gotten so nasty...and I wish that Dad and I could see you more...but...I think tonight might be the first time I've ever seen you genuinely happy. Not just happy in a specific moment because you were enjoying yourself. Like, actually happy and content with your life. Your dad kinda sucked that out of you, but I think Beck brought it back."

"I..." Jade hesitates "I don't really know how to respond to that."

She doesn't like that her brother remembers her mostly as a miserable person, but she does really love that he can recognize how happy Beck makes her.

"It's meant to be a compliment, I promise!" Tyler assures her "I just...I don't know. I wanted you to know that we can see how happy you are here."

"Thank you." Jade smiles "I feel a lot happier here."

"It shows." Tyler nods "Mom would be really proud of you...all grown up and out on your own and doing well."

"She'd be proud of you too." Jade tells him "You're...a full grown man now. Which is really weird."

"Why?"

"Because you'll always be my baby brother." Jade smirks "Even if you're taller than me."

"I'm not quite a man yet." Tyler reminds her "I still have to finish senior year."

Jade thinks of Beck immediately. He had only been a few months older than Tyler when he found out he was going to become a father to Chelsea. Her brother isn't nearly mature enough to be a father, not in her eyes at least. That just goes to show how responsible and mature of a person Beck is.

"You're close enough."

The sliding glass door that leads into the house opens, and Beck and Chris emerge from it. Both of them are smiling and laughing, which Jade takes to be a good sign. As Beck sits down in the chair next to Jade, Chris stops and stares at Jade for a moment.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She laughs "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Chris assures her with a smile "Just...really happy that you're so happy."

"I was just saying the same thing." Tyler adds

"Well, it looks like you've gotten their stamp of approval." Jade smirks, making eye contact with Beck

"He's a fine young man." Chris nods "And although I don't think there's anyone out there who is good enough for you, Jade...I think he comes pretty damn close."

"Thank you, sir."

"Please." Chris scoffs "We're all adults, call me Chris."

"Thank you, Chris."