Jesse Swanson had never imagined Beca Mitchell to be one who was friendly with kids. She wasn't the kind who didn't like them; she just didn't seem the type to go out of her way with them.
So Jesse's surprise levels went through the roof when he saw the little girl as the screensaver for Beca's phone. She was dark haired and curly with the biggest eyes that everyone knew she used to get her own way.
Essentially, she was a mini Beca.
"That's my sister", she explained to him. "Half-sister. Kelsea".
"I didn't know you had a sister!"
"Half-sister", she corrected. "She's Dad and the stepmonster's kid. She's alright. I mean, she shares genes with the stepmonster, so…"
"You love her".
"She's kinda awesome". Beca grinned sheepishly.
"Come with me tonight", Beca said suddenly, putting down her stack of CDs.
"Huh?"
"I've got to babysit. I don't want to do it on my own".
"What?" Jesse was confused. But he did want to meet Kelsea (the single time that they had gone to her father and Sheila's house for dinner was the night that Kelsea was spending with her grandparents). "Okay". He shrugged.
"Beca!"
For the girl who had complained that she had to babysit, Beca greeted her little sister with such enthusiasm that she lifted the three year old off the ground.
"Kelsea!"
"Hi Beca sweetie, thanks for doing this", Sheila said with a smile, and Beca shrugged, shifting the little girl onto her hip.
"It's fine".
"We shouldn't be back too late", William Mitchell said. "Dinner's on the stove, Sheila made spaghetti bolognese- have you and Jesse eaten?"
"No".
"There's plenty there, anyway. There's Popsicles in the freezer, and plenty of snacks for you".
"Thanks Dad".
"Have a good night, sir", Jesse added, and William smiled at him.
"Beca, let's play!" Kelsea said brightly, and Beca beamed.
"Let's play!"
It wasn't that she didn't like kids. She did. But there was such a large age gap between her and her sister- sixteen years- that she didn't know how to act around her. But the three year old didn't care. All she cared about was that her big sister had come over to play and she loved her big sister.
"Jesse, wanna play too?" Kelsea checked (her big sister had told her a lot about Jesse), as the front door closed. "We're gonna have a tea party!"
(Jesse had never in a million years imagined that badass Beca Mitchell would sit herself down with a pink cup and have a tea party with a three year old. His mind captured that image forever.)
There was nothing more attractive than a man who interacted with kids. And seeing Jesse spin Kelsea around, as the two of them danced through the lounge room, made Beca's heart soar.
"Look at this, Jesse", Kelsea said brightly, as he swung her into the air. "Look! It's Beca!"
"Don't laugh!" Beca's face burned, as she rushed into the room to see the photo Kelsea was showing him cheerfully. "Don't laugh! My hair didn't know what was going on".
(It was insane how much Beca and Kelsea looked alike. It was also insane how frizzy Beca's hair was, but he'd never say that to her.)
"You were cute", Jesse chuckled, and Kelsea grinned, reaching out for her sister.
"Were?" Beca frowned (although she was a badass, she still wanted her boyfriend to think she was cute- although he wasn't allowed to say it). "You wouldn't laugh at me, would you Kel?"
"Nope".
"Good girl".
"Not today".
Beca frowned. "You're a mean little girl".
And Kelsea just laughed, wrapping her arms around Beca's neck.
The girl who claimed to be such a badass had skills when it came to hair. That night, while Kelsea leaned against her and Jesse, eyes focused on Tangled on the television (because, much to Beca's horror, Jesse had influenced the little girl and her taste in movies), Beca twirled and twisted her brunette curls, weaving them into an intricate braid that Sheila could not possibly replicate.
"Alright kiddo, time for bed", Beca said, once the credits rolled.
"Aren't you gonna read me a story?" Kelsea said cheerfully, hugging Beca.
"One story".
"How 'bout Charlotte's Web? Daddy's reading Charlotte's Web".
(That's what they got for having an English literature professor for a father.)
"One chapter".
"Oh. Jesse, wanna read me a chapter?"
(She totally had him wrapped around her finger.)
"Aren't you gonna sing to me, Beca?" Kelsea said sleepily, as the older girl set the storybook aside.
"It's late, Kelsea", Beca protested.
"You always sing! Jesse loves your singing".
Jesse grinned, from where he was leaning against the doorway and Beca sighed heavily, knowing that she was beaten.
"Just one song, alright?"
Beca Mitchell, badass Beca Mitchell, was the one singing Taylor Swift to put a three year old to sleep.
(Jesse wanted to record the scene and send the video to Aubrey Posen, but he knew that Beca would castrate him.)
"Oh, darling don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up, just stay this little. Oh, darling don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up, it can stay this simple. And no one's ever burned you, nothing's ever left you scarred. And even though you want to, just try to never grow up".
By the time her song was over, Kelsea's breathing was deep and her eyelids were struggling to stay open.
"Good night Kel".
"Night Bec", she murmured. "Love you".
"Love you too", Beca whispered, tucking her in a little tighter.
"You hate babysitting, huh?" Jesse's eyes sparkled, as Beca closed the door of her sister's room. "Somehow, Beca the Bella, I think that's a little hard to believe".
"Shut up, nerd". But she wrapped her arms around him, grinning.