Anonymous: "could make a shot in which Jackson must still go on a trip to Boston and this brings certain fantsmas on april (World MIMB)"

Take 2. This is combining (sorta) a prompt from themoonorchid! This is just a draft of a scene and of course there's always probably more.

100 Encore, Day 85 "Same Pretty"

"How's this one?" April asked, tentative smile on her face as she came out of the dressing room.

"Same pretty mama!"

"She's right." April rolled her eyes, knowing what was coming next. "You're getting it too, but…"

"Not for grandpa's dinner, blah blah blah blah." She moved her fingers together like a mouth toward Jackson's face and he pulled her in for a kiss.

"Why do you keep saying that I'm buying this stuff?"

"Because you never buy any clothes for yourself."

"I'm at work, I come home, play with the worm…." Chloe giggled at being mentioned. "I just want to be comfortable. There's no need to spend that much on clothes," she shrugged.

"Yeah there is. To feel good about yourself…and because, you're gonna come to these foundation things…"

April rolled her eyes. "I know, I know. If I want to come, I need to dress Avery. And I help you pick your stuff, so…I know how to do it…there's two other dresses to chose from. Are you sure family dinner is this formal?"

"The one one before the meeting? Yes."

"Are you sure you want us there? I wanted to come to Boston but…I didn't come to babysit you."

Chloe laughed from her dad's lap. "You nodda baby, daddy."

"I know silly." He was looking at Chloe, but talking to April, she knew it.

"OK, let me go put on the fancy dresses. It might take awhile."

"We'll be here."

Chloe nodded. "We be here, mommy."

"I come in, mama?" she asked, ten minutes later.

"Where's daddy, go keep him company."

"He talkin' to a lady."

"What? Hold on. I need him to lace this up, anyway. I'm coming baby." Confused, she stepped out of the dressing room.

"Honey, I need you to…" She blinked, knowing exactly who the lady laughing with her husband was. He'd shown her pictures. They'd constantly been making positive progress since he came home.

"April. this is…"

"Chlo, let's go find you a dress. That sound fun, worm? Let's go…come on."

The little girl jumped into her mother's arms, confused. "Mommy, that's a pretty dress."

"Thank you, baby. Let's find you a prettier one, OK?" She maintained a steady pace toward the children's department.

"Same pretty." Chloe rested her head on April's shoulder.

"Excuse me, excuse me miss? You can't wear that around the store unless you pay for it."

She stopped, not able to handle being seen as an annoying customer. "My husband will pay for it. He's about to walk out with his…"

She gestured toward the dressing room door, unwilling to finish the sentence in front of her daughter. As soon as she did, they walked out of the dressing room, Monica shrinking behind him. She went toward the exit.

"April, I didn't want to pretend like…"

"Not now," she whispered.

"Yes now. Right now. I'm sorry. We never talked about if…."

"I have to go take this off…" she pulled him back toward the dressing area, away from the clerk.

"You wait here, worm….run and tell us if a lady comes in. Daddy's gonna help me get dressed, but he's not supposed to be in there…" April forced a laugh and tickled Chlo's tummy. "Take my phone. Three minutes, OK? You can play any game."

She knew Jackson, how he liked to fight. No one left. He only left her after that first month because she begged him. "Go! Please. Go! It's the only way you might get me back!" she'd screamed. But they tried their best not to argue in front of Chloe.

"Right now," she whispered, in the small dressing room. "Go. And help me get this off, I'm not buying this one…"

"Sweetheart…"

"April."

"April…we never talked about…"

"What you would do if you saw her? I'm glad your instinct is talk with her, make her laugh."

"What I would do if…"

"You were with your daughter?"

He finished unlacing her dress and spun her around. "What I would do if I was with you! In a place like a dressing room? Where you're likely to see each other?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah. We never talked about it. So I just….didn't want to make you feel…"

"Stupid? You did."

"I'm sorry. What should I have done differently?"

"Ignore her while you were watching Chloe. Tell me she was in there and ask me if I wanted to meet her or not."

"Yeah," he whispered looking down as he pulled the front of her dress down. "That makes sense. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I love you."

"Chlo, Chlo was on your lap. If you were paying attention, if you weren't flirting…."

"She was telling me about what you said to her. How it helped her change her life."

"Great."

"Here, you want this one?" He handed her the dress he'd grabbed when she stormed out.

"Not really."

"Please?"

She let him kiss her. "That was stupid. Really stupid."

"I was watching her. I saw her go to you. I would've seen her go anywhere else."

"That's not the point, Jackson."

"I know. I just…It was something we should've talked about before this trip."

"Yeah, alright go to her. We're both being bad parents right now."

"I can hear the noise of her game. Sorry…are we good?"

"Yeah, and I'm sure…"

"OK."