Anonymous: "That scene with April and Chloe was so cute! Can you do another scene of them together (maybe where the go see alex, or right when the get to the hospital)"

I chose something else, hope you don't mind! It's still Chlo and April with maaaaaayyyybe a little Jackson

100 Encore, Day 86: "Check Up" (MIMB)

"Mama I can't look like dis acause my belly. We get jammas on now?" Chloe asked, following behind her mother down the hall of the Genevieve mansion on the Avery estate in her big girl underwear.

April humphed and rolled her eyes though her daughter couldn't see her. "How many times do we have to tell you, Chlo. Your scar is beautiful. It makes you Chloe April and we love it. Daddy has one. I know he showed you."

"I always Chloe April, didn't always have dat."

"Well I am happy that you have it. It means Uncle Alex made you better and that is the end of that story."

"I can't walk around here in my underwears. Pop pop will be mad at me and he is a-ready so mad at me fer bein' here."

April cursed Harper's tactlessness in her head. She turned to face her little girl."Chloe listen to me. Pop pop isn't mad at you. All you have to remember from that dinner is how yummy your macaroni and cheese was. And wasn't that pudding with the cookies and fruit delicious?"

"Yeah mommy, 'licious."

"I think maybe we'll do more than say thank you to Magdalena in the morning. What do you say we help her make breakfast? I think we'll get daddy up too."

"Good idea mama. Where we goin'? I gettin' tired, dis place is so too big!"

"I know, so too much right Chloe?" Averys definitely had grand taste. It was why she and Jackson were still very far from finding a place to live.

"We're here!" She stepped aside in the doorway so Chloe would see the surprise. Sometimes she liked grand, when it was responsible for a smile that big.

"Dress-up room fer me?"

"Yes baby, all for you. Just for dress-up." Eventually they would have to say thank you to Catherine. She'd set up not a play room, not a walk-in closet, but a whole room dedicated to play dress-up in Harper's home when she learned how much her grand-daughter loved the game.

But right now April needed space from her mother-in-law. She was going to wait until the morning to show Chlo this room, but after that dinner scene her baby deserved this right now.

"Nana did this for you. But just one hour before bed, OK? Look, I brought your jammas in here, the Chloe cat."

"Dare's one for you?"

"Yeah, there's a rack here that mom or dad can choose tomorrow, OK? Right now you just pick one." Chlo deserved a little bit of fun before bed. April kissed her daughters cheek.

"Thanks mom. I be a princess?"

"I think maybe we save that for tomorrow. You like to be a princess a long time right? Tomorrow we're just playing together so maybe mama will sneak you some real lip gloss," April whispered.

Her heart broke for her husband more than anyone tonight. She was in control of what Chloe heard tonight. She moved her out of the situation and into the kitchen for dessert. But Jackson grew up in the middle of that. He didn't have a choice, and they didn't seem to be letting him express himself at all. No wonder he didn't tell them he took the MCATs.

She wanted to stand up for him but she didn't know how to. No matter the subject, it was definitely between the three of them. Besides, her number one concern was Chloe and she knew he appreciated that.

"Gotta put on that lip gloss to go do surgery, huh?" April sat down in front of Choe's second fake vanity and smiled at her through the mirror. She'd chosen the scrubs, to April's delight. They were easy and only required a scrub cap and mask as accessories. And lip gloss, apparently.

"You know mommy and daddy love you so much, honey." She kissed Chloe's cheek.

"Yeah! An' you loves daddy and daddy loves you an we all again happy."

"Yeah sweetie. I'm sorry you noticed that. So sorry," she whispered mostly to herself. "But we were always so happy with Chloworm right?" April brushed the hair from her daughters eyes.

"Yeah. Asept pop pop an' nana right now."

"Nana loves you so much baby. She's just stressed. Remember we were singing so we didn't hear."

"I didn't heared a lot."

"They're just stressed, everybody loves Chloe."

"And mommy?"

"And mommy. Come on let's play. Who are you going to save today, Dr. Avery? Enough with the fake lip gloss."

"Bear need his 'pendix out. I put my mask on."

"OK, I'll be your assist."

"What's that?"

"Your helper. Tell me what you need."

Chloe put the bear on the floor. She had a whole play surgery set at home but April loved that she had a great imagination wherever she was. "Daddy do that fer you?"

She shrugged. "Sometimes, not really. We are the same level, so we have other helpers."

"He not you boss," Chloe nodded.

"That's right. What do you need, doctor?"

"Uhhhh a knife please…"

"A ten-blade?"

"Yeah. A ten bade."

"And you're gonna make a small diagonal incision right there at the edge of the abdomen?"

"Yeah, edge of da abeman," Chloe nodded and followed her mom's did a short version of an appendectomy with the imaginary surgical tools until April said it was time for bed.

"We say nite-nite to daddy?"

She sighed. If the dinner had gone differently she would've said no. But she kind of wanted to see him too. And he said he wanted them there to do things differently this year. "OK, but fast baby."

"We show him da bear scar."

"OK, how big is it?" she asked, as she helped her change into cat pajamas.

"Big like mine."

"Yours isn't big, sweetie it's medium."

"Bigger den daddy's."

"Yeah well, daddy's is older. And remember, we talked about it. Your appendix went 'pop.'"

Chloe nodded. "That was a fun dress-up mom!" she said, as they went downstairs to the dining room to interrupt the meeting.

"I'm glad you had fun, worm! Remember, let mommy talk first."

He was in the middle of a presentation. Perfect timing. "Excuse me…Jackson…" He turned immediately. "We're going to bed and…"

"And daddy! We tooked dis bear's 'pendix out like me when we played dress up!" She waved the bear at him.

"You did?"

"Yeah, mommy was just my helper."

"Sorry I missed it, Chlo." He got up and April felt the whole entire room including her in-laws stare her down.

"Chloe go say nite to nana and everyone. Only give nana a kiss and say goodnight to everyone else because you don't know them, right?" she whispered and let Chloe down.

"Sorry," she whispered when their girl was out of earshot. "She wanted to say goodnight and I was really worried about you and so…I wanted to check on you. But we'll go."

"Hey, hey shh! Don't apologize, OK? I'm glad you came. I wanted you to." He kissed her.

"It's just, you're in the middle of…but that dinner was wow and I just…I should've stuck up for you but I love you…"

"I love you too. And that stuff can wait 20 minutes so…Chloe April…or Chloe Cat, whoever you are…let's go. Time for bed. We're gonna read a story." She ran to him, and so in the middle of the Harper Avery Foundation Annual review, which no one left even for an urgent phone call, Jackson Avery led his family upstairs to read a bedtime story.

I know something happened at this dinner but I don't know what. It often happens that way.

Also, I think I'm gonna relax a little this year with the everyday and the "catching up" and stuff. I hope I get to 100 and if I do I do, if I don't…I don't. I just…my muse lacking and I don't do this for likes but I feel like everyone's energy is low. And last year having this to look forward to helped me through stress. This year, it's not causing me stress but it's not helping me through any new stress and so…I guess lightening can't strike twice or whatever.

Please keep sending prompts. I'm going to do my best. But I'm gonna just try to let go a little and maybe work on a TGO chapter ;)