A/N: Sorry it took so long.

Something Just Like This

She said, where'd you wanna go?
How much you wanna risk?
I'm not looking for somebody,
With some superhuman gifts,
Some superhero,
Some fairytale bliss.
Just something I can turn to,
Somebody I can kiss.

- Coldplay, The Chainsmokers

"Change your clothes," Aubrey demands when they get inside. She shuts the door behind them and looks at Twix as he strolls lazily into the room. It isn't until he recognizes them that his entire pudgy body started to jiggle with excitement and his rear end shakes back and forth. Worthless excuse for a guard dog. "Now."

"Why?" Charlotte whines, clinging to Aubrey's arm.

"Because I gave you instructions," Aubrey answers, "And the instructions were to change your clothes."

"But why?" Charlotte asks again.

Aubrey swallows thickly, her stomach starting to feel queasy under the stress. "Because," she answers slowly, carefully choosing her words, "You're in your school clothes, and you're not at school anymore."

"You're in your work clothes, and you're not at work," Charlotte points out.

The corners of Aubrey's lips twitch. "Go change your clothes," she whispers in a tone so threatening that she actually concerns herself, "Now."

Charlotte releases her arm and takes a few steps back then stops and just stares at her from a safe distance away.

"I said right now." There are times when Aubrey wonders if her 'no spanking' policy is actually the best way to go in terms of discipline, and right now becomes one of those times. Not because she's angry, but because it feels like it might be the only way to convince Charlotte to stop being so bull-headed and actually listen to her. "Go, or you're going to bed."

Charlotte turns on her heels and stomps away, growling at Twix as he tries to follow her. She slams her bedroom door shut.

Aubrey presses the heels of her hands against her eyes and resists the urge to scream. She takes a deep breath and counts backwards from ten as she slowly exhales. Everything is fine. She pulls out her phone and texts Conrad to ask when he's coming home, even though she knows the answer is 3, then walks to her room. To change. Because she's in her work clothes, and she isn't at work. She doesn't mean to slam the door, but in her rush to be inside her room, she closes it too quickly and it rattles the entire apartment. This resets off Charlotte, who reopens her door and closes it even louder.

"Do not slam your door!" Aubrey yells.

"You did!" Charlotte yells back through the closed the doors.

"Stop yelling!" Aubrey lets the words slip, knowing full well they're pointless when she's also yelling.

Charlotte is silent for a moment then releases a blood-curling shriek.

Aubrey covers her face with her hands and says a prayer that none of their neighbors call CPS. That's the last thing that she needs right now. She tears off her jacket and shirt and throws them in her hamper then flings open her closet door. It's tempting to just put her pajamas back on, but she can't spend an entire day in pajamas. She grabs a long t-shirt and leggings and throws them at the bottom of her bed, then strips off her pants. It's pointless to wear a bra if she isn't going out, so that goes in the hamper too, and it's momentarily easier to breathe. Only momentarily. She has to put all of her focus into just taking one breath after another as she gets redressed.

She would rather be at work than here all day.

There is a small knock on her bedroom door.

"Come in if you're dressed," Aubrey tells her.

Charlotte pushes open the door and walks inside, wearing a shirt with Elsa on it and blue leggings. She doesn't say anything as she just climbs up onto the bed then pulls the blankets around herself.

A nap doesn't sound like such a terrible idea. Aubrey walks around the side of the bed, subtly wiping underneath her eyes once her back is to Charlotte. She pulls down the blankets then lies down on her side, staring at the wall.

"Mommy?" Charlotte asks.

"Mhm?" It's little more than a hum.

"Are you mad at me?" Charlotte sits up and leans over Aubrey.

Aubrey presses her lips together and pauses for a moment to try to choose her words. "I'm mad in general, Charlotte," she answers, "Okay?" She rolls over onto her back.

"Wh-"

"Do not say 'why' again," Aubrey warns her.

Charlotte is quiet only for a moment. "How come? Is Daddy mad at me?"

Aubrey would rather answer 'why?' than entertain the second question. She shakes her head.

"Is Daddy mad in general?" Charlotte asks.

"I don't know," Aubrey answers, "Maybe."

Charlotte hums and leans back against a pillow. "Can I go to school at home?" she asks, "Some kids do that."

"Definitely no," Aubrey answers immediately.

Charlotte opens her mouth and moves her lips to form a 'w' sound then stops herself.

Aubrey already knows exactly what she's about to ask. She pulls Charlotte a little closer and closes her eyes, imagining all the things she could be getting done at work right now. "Because I would lose my mind," she answers, "Because I would lose my mind."

xxxxx

"I'm losing my god damned mind here, Aubrey," Sam Posen said as he held up the shoe he was attempting to slide on his granddaughter's foot, "How about buying the kid some shoes that fit?"

Aubrey finished buttoning up her jacket before she looked up. "We're going to the mall tomorrow," she stated calmly, "Shoes are on the top of the list."

"Are you going to wait until all of her clothes are too small to buy her new ones?" he asked.

"Those shoes are new," Aubrey said, "She hit a growth spurt. She's growing too fast to keep up."

"Too fast to keep up," Sam muttered under his breath. He looked at the shoe and threw it across the kitchen into the trashcan.

Charlotte watched the shoe fly then reached for the other shoe.

"Give her to me." Aubrey marched over and pulled her two year old from his arms before she could fling the second shoe.

"You're just going to yank that poor kid right out of her grandpa's arms?" Sam asked.

Charlotte didn't fight it. She sleepily wrapped her arms around Aubrey's neck and rested her head on her shoulder.

"She's tired; we're ready to go home," Aubrey replied, "We'll see you later, Daddy." She looked at Charlotte. "Tell Grandpa goodbye."

"Bye, Grampa." Charlotte waved at him.

"Goodbye, Charlotte." Sam stood up and peppered kisses across the toddler's face, making her giggle. "I'll see you later, my girl."

Aubrey stepped back, satisfied that they had said goodbye.

"Don't be like your mother," Sam told Charlotte.

"Okay," Charlotte said innocently and nodded her head.

Aubrey tensed. "Are you happy?" she asked her father.

"Let me tell you one thing, Aubrey," he said.

Aubrey tilted her head.

"Your entire childhood, you had a roof over your head, food on the table, and never once did you have clothes that did not fit," Sam told her, "Do you know why?"

"Let me guess, because you married Mom before you knocked her up," Aubrey answer.

"Your damn right," Sam said, "She's a smart woman. We used protection."

Aubrey wasn't going to argue this again, wasn't going to try to explain for the millionth time that she had been on birth control at the time and it had been the only time they didn't use a condom. It wasn't like she and David hadn't agreed they wanted kids; it just happened a little sooner than they expected. "Goodbye, Daddy." She gave him a terse nod then carried Charlotte toward the door.

"She's going to get sick with you taking her out there without shoes!" Sam called after her, "The smart thing to do would be to just leave her here and let your mother go out to buy her some in the morning."

Aubrey made sure the door shut tight behind her.

"Hey." David walked away from the open car door and met her halfway. "Don't listen to him."

"He didn't say anything," Aubrey said and offered him their daughter, "Charlotte was just saying goodbye."

"Where's her shoes?" David asked.

Aubrey heaved a sigh.

"You know what, that's okay, we're getting her new ones anyway." David pecked her lips and took Charlotte from her arms to carry her to the car. "Because she's getting so big," he said in the baby voice that Aubrey's father hated, bouncing their daughter on his hip as he walked.

She took one last look at the house before following him to the car – finally able to relax again when she got in, settling back into the space with her little family.

xxxxx

Charlotte isn't actually that tired. But Mommy must have been. Because, soon, she is sleeping, and Charlotte is wiggling out of her arms, feeling stuck. She breaks free as carefully as possible and leans over to reach for the phone on the nightstand. It won't be a big deal if she plays Angry Birds for awhile. Technically, she doesn't have anymore homework she has to do first.

Angry Birds is fun sometimes, but not all the time. It's the only game she's allowed to keep on Mommy's phone though, because games take up a lot of space. So she can only have one. She situates herself with her back against Mommy, and unlocks the phone. The Angry Birds icon is right on the home page. She doesn't even have to swipe or anything. Some kids would say 'swipe or nothing', but that would be incorrect to say she doesn't have to do nothing. Nothing is exactly what she has to do. She's about to hit the icon when 'one new text' pops up on the screen and her thumb accidentally opens that instead.

Charlotte gasps and glances at Mommy to make sure she isn't awake to see. There are certain rules for what she is allowed to use the phone for. Angry Birds? Yes. Calling people? Sometimes, if she asks. Texting Mommy's friends? No, no, no. She turns the phone over so she can't see the screen and quickly places it on the bed.

But what if it's Conrad? What if it's important?

There is no reason she wouldn't be allowed to talk to Conrad. Especially if it's important!

She turns the phone just enough that she can peak at it. She can see the text came from someone whose name starts with 'C'. Conrad starts with 'C'. After one last glance at Mommy, she flips the phone over and lifts it closer to her face. Conrad is not the only name that starts with 'C'. So does – she tries to sound it out – Ch l o eh. She whispers it under her breath. It sounds weird. And then, she has to know…

Charlotte skims over the text from Chloe that asks 'Everything good?', and starts typing her own message.

Charlotte: Hi. I am Charlotte. How do you say your name?