Beca was abuzz with wedding plans. She had us going here and there, finalizing every last detail. Jesse was pretty much my hero through this time. He was always offering to take Caellum, or at least bring him to the sitter if he also worked.
One night as I was feeding Caellum Jesse came and sat down beside me.
"Would it be okay with you if Jessica came by while I had the little munchkin tonight?" Jesse had convinced Beca and me to go on a much needed date night.
"Yeah Jess, she is always welcome here you know that. Caellum loves her and she's amazing with him." I replied. I gave up forcing baby food into my son's mouth. "You win Munchkin. Spinach and peas is apparently not your favorite kind."
I washed him up, and changed him into PJs for Jesse. When I carried him out, Jesse was sitting on the couch.
"Unca!" Caellum screamed, clapping his hands. Jesse chuckled and extended his arms to take the laughing baby.
I cleaned up the kitchen and got changed. It was Beca's night to put Caellum to bed. She took it very seriously. Even if she had to go back to work after, she always came home for seven sharp to put him to bed on her night. The clock in the living room read six fifty five. By the time six fifty eight rolled around, Beca tore through the front door.
"I'm home. Sorry I'm late." she kissed me chastely on the lips and scooped her boy out of Jesse's arms. "Bed time for you little man." she headed off with him. Jesse flashed me a joint, and led the way to the terrace.
Jesse watched Jessica's car pull into the parking lot. She didn't smoke weed with us very often, but she always waited downstairs for him while he did. His eyes lit up as she waved to him from the ground.
"You really love her don't you Jess?" I asked him as he lit up.
"Yeah Chloe, I really think so. How'd you know Beca was the one?" he passed me the joint.
"Honestly?" he nodded. "The fact that we can just be with each other and there's no expectations. We can sit together and be comfortable in silence. We can sleep together and not have sex. We talk openly about things that are bothering us. No secrets, no holdbacks. That's important. It's been almost three years now Jesse and every time I look into those ocean blue eyes, my heart skips. When we kiss, all the air still leaves my lungs. We can laugh together about the small things. When you have something special... Hold onto it." I exhaled smoke and passed the joint back to him.
"Don't tell Beca, but I'm going to ask Jessica to marry me. At the rehearsal dinner for your wedding. She's the one Chloe, I know it." he smiled goofily and for once I knew it wasn't the dope.
We went back downstairs and Jesse practically pushed me out of the way to get to Jessica. He wrapped his arms around her, kissed her gently and whispered softly, "I love you. I missed you." in her ear. She smiled and blushed.
Jesse and Jessica were probably the cutest couple I had ever seen. On his way home, shortly after we'd moved here, Jesse saw her on the side of the road. He'd stopped, and helped her change her flat tire. She then offered to buy him a drink for the trouble. They hit it off that first night, and Jesse came home looking like a child on Christmas morning. He was so excited. He called her up a few days later and they'd gone out for dinner. They had been together ever since. Seven months later and it was apparent that Jesse had found his soulmate. She loved his geeky movie references and the way he called her princess. He adored her sense of humor and the way she smelled like grapefruit all the time. They were happy together, you only had to look at them to see it.
Jessica was great with our little rock star too. She ran a very successful group of dayhomes. She knew her stuff and was always willing to let us pick her brain about him. It was important to Jesse too. In his mind if you didn't like Caellum, you weren't worth his time.
"Jesse, I need to tell you something." she seemed nervous. "I-I'm... Pregnant. I'm already two months along. I'm sorry. I know this is all really fast and we didn't have any time to prepare, but it's happening." she started to tear up.
Jesse led her to the couch. "Jessica, baby, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. This is a good thing. A little family. You, me and the baby." he rested his hand on her stomach and smiled at her. It wasn't Jesse's usual carefree grin though, this smile was so loving and tender. It communicated enough to Jessica that he was there to stay.
"Are you sure Jesse? I'd understand if you didn't want this." she confirmed one last time.
"I'm right beside you Princess. The whole damn way. Tinfoil armor and all." she giggled. "I'm going to protect my family. I promise."
"You two should go do something together. Caellum is sleeping. We'll stay in and have a date night. You need to talk and figure out your plan." Beca offered.
"Thanks Beca. We appreciate it. I promise we'll watch him for you soon." Jesse said, leading Jessica out of the house.
Beca invaded the kitchen and made us supper. She put candles at the table and grabbed a bottle of wine. We sat down to eat and I couldn't wipe the smile off of my face.
"You seem happy." she commented as she poured us both a glass of wine.
"You're just so cute. If anyone from back in Seattle were to see Beca Mitchell now... I don't think they'd believe it. Loving mother, devoted fiancée, caring friend... Just all not what you would associate with the Beca Mitchell back then. What you did for Jesse, making me dinner; you're a sweetheart. The fact that you make it home by seven every night to say good night to your son is adorable. I'm really happy with us right now and you should know that a lot of it has to do with how perfect you've been to me." I entwined my fingers with hers on top of the table.
"I wouldn't be all these things if you hadn't saved me. I was heading nowhere fast. I was arrogant and I knew how the streets worked. I could get anything I wanted, because people were scared of my reputation. Except you. You turned me down. For about ten seconds until I turned your opinion around." she grinned. "And when you were through with the bullshit you left. You made me earn you back."
"I'll get it Red." My best friend Amy offered, rising up from her side of the couch.
I hadn't left my spot on her couch in two days. I just sat there, watching all the movies Beca refused to watch with me.
"I don't think she's ready to see you yet, DJ Asshole." I could hear Amy defending me in the hallway.
"I really don't give a shit. I'm here to see my girlfriend." she was already heated. That didn't mean anything good for the conversation that was bound to follow.
She burst through the door, looking about as tired and sleepless as me.
"Chloe, I know I fucked up... A lot. I know I can be a flirt, and I now see why you always hated the club when I performed. When you left before my show, and I stayed afterwards, I knew you would be gone when I got home. So I got wasted, and every girl who came up to me made me realize I was nothing without you. I went to that statue that we hung out on after you first saw me play, and I stayed there until sunrise. Remembering everything we had ever done together. Something inside me broke when you came into my life Chloe Beale, and the badass in me died. Now all I want to be is good enough for you." she was crying.
"Prove it to me. From now on we leave after you play. No more girls. I don't want to worry about it any more. Okay?" I negotiated my condition. "And I'm staying with Amy til the end of the week. I just need some space to clear my head Beca. I love you, and I will come home, but I need it." she clenched her jaw to prevent from saying anything. She was mad, but she knew better than to push me. Her wrist had just healed from our blowout a couple months prior.
"Fine. I'll be there, waiting. I love you Chloe. So much." she turned and walked out.
"Woah, Red, you're really making her sweat it out." Amy said plopping down beside me.
"Yeah, well, I sweat it out for her a fair few nights too."
"Well, you had screwed up a few times by then, breaking a couple promises along the way." I stated honestly.
"Never again, I promise. I don't even see the fans any more. I mean it when I say the only girl I see is you." she whispered resting her forehead against mine.
"I know babe. You proved it. A long time ago." I whispered back.
Beca wanted to wait up for Jesse. I knew she was worried about him. When he came home he was smiling though.
"So what's up Jess?" she asked
"Well, we're keeping the baby and I asked her to marry me. I had planned on doing it the night before your wedding but it felt right to do it now." he couldn't keep the grin off his face.
"She obviously said yes. The look on your face says it all." Beca spoke my thoughts.
"Yeah, she did. Can you believe it Beck? Me, getting married and having kids? That's almost as crazy as you settling down. No offense." he laughed.
Beca nodded and pulled me up from the couch. "Bedtime." she yawned. And we walked down the hall.