Chloe sighed as she pulled up in the parking lot of the grocery store just after finishing her shift at the emergency veterinary clinic. She scolded herself for waiting until there was practically no food at home to shop for groceries. "Well," she said to nobody in particular as she exited the car. "At least I won't be waiting in a long line at this hour." She checked her watch. It was almost three in the morning. She worked the late evening shift, reporting at 6 pm and leaving at 2 am. She'd arrived home and walked the dog before discovering there wasn't anything she could throw together to make a meal. The thought of yet another meal acquired from a drive-through window was far worse than just going to the 24-hour grocery store near her home and at least getting some of the basics. She hadn't even bothered to change out of her scrubs before walking her dog just long enough for her to do her business before heading to the store. She grabbed a cart and got some milk, juice, a loaf of bread, some peanut butter and jelly, and then headed to the cereal aisle.

She stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted a petite woman standing in the middle of the aisle with her arms full of cereal boxes. She looked at her face and shrieked in surprise when she discovered it was none other than Beca Mitchell, her favorite pop singer.

"What?!"

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," said Chloe. "I'm a big fan of yours, and...I'm just shocked to see you." She took in the woman's appearance. Her hair was disheveled, she must have had at least five or six boxes of Lucky Charms in her arms, and she was wearing hot pink Hello Kitty pajamas. While the look was both adorable and hilarious, it was extremely out of character for the woman, at least as far as Chloe had ever seen. She tentatively asked, "Are you okay?"

"Do I look okay?" Beca snapped.

"I'm sorry," said Chloe. "I'll leave you alone. This obviously isn't a good time."

"Wait!" called Beca as Chloe turned to leave.

"Yes?"

"So, you're not here to snap a picture of me?"

"No," said Chloe. "I was just shocked to see you. I can now see you're having a rough time, so I'll leave you alone." She grabbed a box of Froot Loops and put it in her cart. She turned back around when she heard the woman begin to sob.

She turned back around and said, "Look, I'm not trying to pry or anything, but, do you need some help? Is there somebody I can call?"

Beca said, "I...I...I don't know." She looked down and appeared to realize she had an absurd amount of cereal in her arms. "Maybe you could help me put back some of this cereal?"

Chloe chuckled. "Sure. That's probably a good start." Chloe took a couple of boxes out of Beca's arms and placed them back on the shelf. Beca handed her all but the last one, which she held to her chest.

"I'm keeping this one," said Beca.

"Can't blame you there," said Chloe.

She took a few seconds to look at Chloe and asked, "Are you a doctor?"

"Yes," said Chloe. "But not for humans. I'm a veterinarian."

"Oh," said Beca.

"Why? Are you sick?" asked Chloe.

"No," said Beca. "I don't even know why I asked that. Thanks for your help. I should get the cereal and go."

"Do you need somebody to talk to?" asked Chloe. "I'm a good listener."

"Okay, yeah, probably," said Beca. She patted her pajama pants. "Shit. I don't have my wallet. Or my phone. God, this is embarrassing."

"I got it," said Chloe, taking the cereal box from Beca. "I think what I have in the cart should have me set for a day or two. I'll pay for the groceries. Do you want to go somewhere and talk?"

"Thanks," said Beca. "I could use someone to talk to if you don't mind. I'll pay you back for the cereal."

"It's a box of cereal. Don't worry about it," said Chloe. "We could go to...well, I don't know. What's open right now besides this place?"

"Nowhere I'd want to be seen," said Beca.

"Right," said Chloe. "How did you get to the store?"

"I got someone from the hotel to drop me off. I promised them a signed 8x10 glossy if they didn't tell anyone they'd seen me."

"A hotel? Wait, don't you live here in LA?"

"It's complicated."

Chloe thought for a minute. "If you want, you can get in my car and we can go to my place. I promise I'm not an ax murderer and my only roommate is my dog, Billie."

Beca's eyes lit up. "You have a dog?" Chloe nodded. "Duh, of course, you do. You're a vet."

"So...is that a yes?"

"Possibly against my better judgment, yes."

"Come on," said Chloe. "Let's get the groceries and you can come back to my place to talk. You look like you could use a friend right now."

"Are you for real?" asked Beca.

Chloe shrugged. "I guess," said Chloe. "My mom taught me to respect others, no matter who they are. I don't think it would be very respectful of me to make fun of you or take advantage of you when you're obviously having a very rough night."

"Tell your mom she did a good job," said Beca.

"Will do," said Chloe.

Chloe and Beca walked to the checkout line. Beca mostly stayed behind Chloe with her head down. Chloe felt pretty sorry for Beca. She probably got noticed a lot, and this wasn't a good time.

She led Beca to her car. Before she got in, Beca asked, "Before I get in the car, what's your name?"

"I can't believe I didn't tell you that. I'm Chloe."

"I'm Beca, but I guess you already knew that."

"Yeah," said Chloe. "My place is close by." They drove in silence to Chloe's apartment. Beca followed Chloe to her place. Chloe opened the door and was greeted by a tiny little terrier mix. "Hi, Billie!" exclaimed Chloe in a super high-pitched voice. "Mommy's home and she brought a friend. Do you want to meet Beca? Yes, you do!"

Chloe glanced over to see Beca looking at her with a raised eyebrow. Billie walked over to Beca and immediately rolled onto her back the second Beca bent down to pet her.

"I started talking to her in that silly voice when I got her, and now that's the only way she'll respond. I'll let you two get to know each other while I put the groceries away."

She glanced over, relieved to finally see a smile on the singer's face. Billie had that effect on most of the people she met.

"Hey, I'm making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, do you want one? Or would you rather have some Lucky Charms?" Chloe called from the kitchen.

"I'll have whatever you're having. Thanks."

Chloe came out to her living room with two sandwiches and two bottles of water. She placed them on the coffee table.

"Billie, go sit on your bed," she said, in the same high-pitched voice she'd used earlier.

Beca chuckled. "It's so funny that she won't listen to you any other way."

"It seemed like a fun idea at the time. I should have realized what I was doing when I started that."

"Thanks for the sandwich," said Beca after taking a bite.

"Of course," said Chloe. "So, what's going on?"

Beca sighed. "So, you're a fan of mine. I'm assuming you know I'm married to Jesse Swanson." Chloe nodded. She'd followed the couple on social media and had gushed over their wedding pictures. Beca's husband was famous for writing movie soundtracks. He'd scored a bunch of them and was a household name. Beca had sung the big hit from his first movie, and it seemed like a match made in heaven. "Well, I won't be for much longer. Jesse and I split up. And, it's not a temporary thing. It's over."

"May I ask why?"

"You'll think I'm selfish."

"I don't judge."

"I don't want kids. Like, ever. I like them just fine, but I don't want them. I don't see myself as a parent, and I sure as hell don't want them subjected to this life. The paparazzi are constantly pestering us, and I'm on tour a lot. Children just aren't for me."

"And, I take it, Jesse wants kids?"

"Yes. It's been a point of contention for our whole relationship, even before we got married. I told him, over and over again, that I didn't want kids. I never wanted kids, even before I was famous. But, like always, Jesse heard what he wanted to hear. I told him I'd gone to a doctor to discuss getting my tubes tied. He blew his stack, and I walked out. I packed a few things, called an Uber, and got a hotel room. He doesn't know where I am, but he does know I'm safe. I figured I owed him that much. Anyway, I didn't grab much before I left. And I worked myself up into such a state that I ended up...well, you saw how I ended up."

"I'm so sorry," said Chloe. "You're not selfish. Parenting is hard. My sister has three kids, and she tells me it's really difficult. She loves them and wanted kids very badly, but she respects that I don't."

"You don't want kids either?"

"Nope," said Chloe. "I like being a dog mommy and the cool gay aunt."

"Cool gay aunt, huh? I love it," said Beca with a smile. "You're obviously a great dog mommy. Billie looks pretty spoiled."

"She is," said Chloe. "So, what do you do now?"

"I don't know," said Beca. "I loved Jesse, or, at least, I thought I did. But I can't get past this. I don't want kids. Pregnancy sounds awful, and I don't want to put my body through that. I've always been diligent with birth control. I was a few days late last month and Jesse was sure I was pregnant. I wasn't, and, when I realized how utterly devastated I would have been had we actually conceived, I made an appointment to discuss having my tubes tied. When I got home and told him what I'd done, he was furious."

"He didn't...hit you, did he?"

Beca shook her head. "No. He yelled and screamed, but he never raised a hand to me."

"There are other forms of abuse, you know."

"I do. Jesse wasn't abusive. He just had this way of wanting me to be things I'm not, and he was sure he could change me and mold me to be the way he wanted me to be. As I said, I'd made it clear well before we got married - before we were engaged, actually - that I wanted no parts of parenthood. He'd tell me I'd feel differently later. I don't know if it was wishful thinking on his part or what, really. I guess my wanting my tubes tied was a reality slap. Maybe he didn't realize I was serious until I'd gone to my doctor about getting it done."

"I'm sorry he was like that. You should be with someone who accepts you the way you are."

"Yeah. Now that I think about it, that wasn't the only thing Jesse tried to change."

"Oh?"

"So, this is going to sound really weird, but I don't like movies. Okay, I like a few, but I generally don't like them."

"Why not?"

"I just get bored and never make it to the end. They're so predictable."

"And you're married to a guy who writes movie soundtracks."

"Yeah, I know. He'd gotten me to watch a few with him, but I usually end up falling asleep. I didn't even like the one where I sang the hit song."

"How did that not get out?"

"My publicist told me I was not allowed to say that in public."

"Yeah, well, that makes sense."

"Yeah." Beca yawned.

"Do you want to stay here tonight?" asked Chloe. "You can have my bed and I'll take the couch."

"I don't want to put you out," said Beca.

Chloe waved her hand in dismissal. "You're not. The couch folds out anyway. Besides, you're my guest."

"Something tells me you won't take no for an answer."

Chloe chuckled. "Well, if you really don't want to stay here, I certainly won't force you. I can take you back to your hotel if you like."

"Maybe in the morning," said Beca. "I'm sure you're tired."

"I am, but I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"I could probably use the company anyway. You're sure you don't mind sleeping on the couch?"

"My couch is fine," said Chloe. "My bedroom is at the end of the hall. The bathroom is on the right. Do you need anything before I turn in?"

Beca shook her head. "Goodnight, and thanks again. A lot of people would have sold my picture to TMZ and I don't even know who else. I really appreciate you treating me like I'm a normal person."

"It's just who I am. Goodnight, Beca."

"Goodnight," Beca said again.

The next morning, Chloe took a few beats to remember why she was on her foldout couch, rather than in her bed. She still couldn't believe Beca Mitchell was in her apartment. She'd even thought briefly that it may have been a dream, but she rarely woke up on her couch, much less with the bed folded out. Sometimes, she fell asleep with the television on, but it was off. She looked down the hall and saw her bedroom door was shut, but there was a light under it. She cautiously walked up to the door and knocked lightly.

"Ummm...Beca. Are you up?"

"Yeah."

"Do you want some breakfast?"

"Sure."

"Come on out when you're ready. No pressure."

Chloe walked into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. She hadn't the faintest idea whether or not Beca was a coffee drinker, but she knew she could use some. She was happy to help, but it had cost her a good amount of sleep. The excitement of the encounter combined with trying to sleep on the couch had made her sleep rather restless. She imagined Beca hadn't done much better.

Just as Chloe had hit the button to start the coffee maker, she heard Beca walk into the kitchen and murmur a greeting.

"Hi! Sleep okay?" asked Chloe.

Beca sighed. "Not especially," she said. She quickly added, "But, it's not because your bed wasn't comfortable. Just...tough circumstances." She walked over and took a seat at the little kitchen table.

"I don't think anyone sleeps well after the demise of their marriage," said Chloe. "I really am sorry about you and Jesse."

"Thanks," said Beca.

"What do you want for breakfast?" asked Chloe.

"Lucky Charms," said Beca, blushing and looking down.

Chloe couldn't help but chuckle. "Sounds good," she said. She poured two bowls of cereal and placed one in front of Beca. She grabbed milk out of the refrigerator for Beca to pour on her own.

"Thanks," said Beca as she poured the milk.

"Coffee?" asked Chloe.

"Please!"

"How do you take it?"

"Milk and sugar. If you just hand me the bowl of sugar, I'll do it myself."

Chloe nudged the sugar in Beca's direction.

"Do you want me to take you back to your hotel after breakfast?"

"Yes, thanks."

"If you want, you can borrow some of my clothes. You'd be less conspicuous in sweats than in those pajamas."

Beca looked down at her clothes. "Yeah, actually. If you don't mind, that is."

"I'll grab some from my drawers after breakfast. I'll have to take Billie for a short walk to do her business, but we can go after that. It will give you some time to change."

"Great."

They ate their cereal in silence after that. Once Chloe had finished, she went through her drawers and grabbed a tee shirt and sweatpants.

"All yours," said Chloe. "I'll be back in about ten minutes or so."

"Okay. Enjoy your walk!"

Chloe came back from her walk to find Beca sitting on the couch watching TV in her borrowed clothing.

"Chloe, do you have a plastic bag I could use to take my pajamas back to my room?"

"Sure," said Chloe. "Are you ready to go back?" She looked over at Beca to see that she wasn't looking, so she hastily wrote something on a post-it note and stuck it to the box of Lucky Charms before putting it in the grocery bag and handing it to Beca.

"Yes," said Beca.

"Let me just grab my car keys," said Chloe. She grabbed the keys from a hook by the door.

They drove back, and the only conversation was Beca giving Chloe directions to the hotel.

"Is there a back entrance where I can drop you off?"

"I wish," said Beca. "But I didn't even grab my room key. I'm going to have to go to the front desk and hope nobody notices me."

"Good luck," said Chloe.

"Thanks again, for everything," said Beca. She gave a small smile and wave as she exited the car.

Chloe was just settling down to try and get some more sleep before another late shift at the clinic when her phone buzzed with a text. She saw it was a payment from Beca.

[Unknown]: Here's some money for the cereal and whatever gas it took to transport me. Thanks, Beca.
Chloe: Hi! Thanks, but that wasn't why I gave you my number.
Beca: It's not?
Chloe: Thought you could use a friend.
Beca: Thanks. For everything.
Chloe: You already told me that.
Beca: Well, I wanted to tell you again.

To be continued...