Time starts to pass; days turn to weeks.
Beck starts working again, for the same company and doing the same job, just at their Los Angeles location instead. He works the typical 'first shift' hours of nine-to-five, occasionally picking up an extra second or third shift here and there when he can to bring in a little extra money. He appreciates that he's able to still spend time with his family in the evenings and on the weekends, but is still able to provide for them. He's becoming more accustomed to fatherhood as well.
Jade continues to adjust to motherhood. There are still rough days, especially when she and the baby are both short on sleep, but there seem to be fewer rough days the more she becomes accustomed to the routine that is being established. She's grateful for the time that she gets with Liam, aware of the fact that not many other women in her situation are afforded the same luxury. She's also grateful for the extra time that she and Liam both get to spend with her family, and with her friends. While she misses New York, having the people that she loves around to help her definitely makes being in LA again worth it.
And in the meantime, Liam continues to grow and reach new milestones. He smiles when he hears a familiar voice, especially when that familiar voice is Jade singing, and is learning to hold his head up on his own. By the time he's nine weeks old, he weighs close to eleven pounds...close to two times his birth weight. Beck and Jade's only true complaint is that he still wakes up three to four times a night to feed, leaving them both with less sleep than desired.
Beck's alarm wakes him on the last Friday of July just like it does on any other week day. He's quick to roll over and silence his phone, not wanting the alarm to wake the baby any earlier than normal. Liam will be awake soon, but Beck knows that with his son...every extra minute of sleep counts. Unfortunately, he isn't able to stop it from waking Jade, who stirs in bed beside him.
"Morning..." She mumbles
"Good morning." He smiles, pressing a kiss to her cheek before wrapping his arms around her waist and snuggling up beside her "Happy birthday."
"Shit, is that today?" She smirks, eyes still closed "I forgot."
"No you didn't." He laughs "We've been talking about it all week."
Today is not just any birthday for Jade, it's her twenty-first. When she was younger, she was always annoyed that she had to wait so much longer than her peers did to celebrate her birthday, but after all of the chaos that early-summer had brought...a late-summer birthday gives her the chance to actually enjoy the day now.
"We're still on for later, right?" Jade asks him
"Of course we are." Beck assures her, propping himself up on his elbow "As long as you're still okay with it?"
As of right now they're planning to have dinner with Kaitlyn, Chris, and Tyler, then meet their friends out at a piano bar...where the night goes from there will be a mystery. Beck has agreed to be Jade's designated driver for the evening, offering to take care of her the same way that she took care of him back in November when he turned twenty-one. Kaitlyn and Chris have offered to take Liam for the evening, so that the young parents can enjoy themselves without having to worry about the baby.
"The plan is to be too drunk to care." Jade tells him
While she more than trusts her mother to take care of Liam, it will be the first night that Jade has spent away from the baby since he was born. She isn't exactly looking forward to it, but as she said...hopefully she'll be too drunk to realize that she misses her son as much as she expects herself to.
As if on cue, Liam begins to stir in his bassinet. Jade moves quickly to tend to him, trying to avoid his morning whimpers from turning into screams.
"Hi, baby boy..." She sighs as she sits down on the bed "Good morning. Are you hungry?"
"Say 'happy birthday' to Mommy, Liam." Beck smiles as he watches Jade feed the baby from over her shoulder "She's twenty-one today!"
"Legally allowed to do all of the things I was already doing..." Jade chuckles "It doesn't really feel all that different."
Her responsibilities changed the day that Liam was born and she and Beck decided they were keeping him. Turing twenty-one pales in comparison to that.
"It's still important." Beck insists, kissing her cheek again "I'm going to start getting ready. Love you."
"Love you too."
When Beck finishes getting ready for work, Jade and Liam accompany him upstairs for breakfast. Chris and Kaitlyn are already awake and eating as well, getting ready to go off to work themselves. All four adults sit together at the kitchen table while Liam rests in Jade's arms, content to watch the rattle that she shakes in front of him. While he doesn't quite have the grip to hold it himself yet, his eyes are able to focus on it and watch it intently.
"Tyler might ask you to drive him to a friend's house later." Kaitlyn informs Jade "If he ends up going, I can pick him up on my way home from work."
"S'fine." Jade nods "As long as the baby isn't napping."
"You're more than welcome to make him wait until the baby wakes up if that's the case." Chris informs her "He's lucky to have anyone home this summer to take him anywhere."
With Tyler being twelve years old and going into seventh grade, Chris and Kaitlyn found it appropriate to allow him to start staying home by himself during the day when they were both at work...at least that had been the plan until Beck and Jade moved back in. Kaitlyn will admit that she feels better that Jade is there if Tyler needs her, although she does feel a bit guilty that she's looking out for him and her own son at the same time. Then again...she and her boyfriend are living rent free in her house with their baby, and she is driving her old Subaru that they had intended to save for Tyler when he started driving...so maybe it evens out.
"We're still on for dinner tonight, right?" Kaitlyn asks
"Yup." Beck nods "So long as you're still on for babysitting?"
"Of course we are..." Kaitlyn coos, stopping to play with Liam's hand on her way to bring her dishes to the sink "You don't have to ask us twice to spend time with this little cutie pie."
"You've never had him overnight..." Jade laughs
"Just make sure you leave some of the milk in the freezer out to thaw and we'll be fine." Kaitlyn assures her "Oh! And don't forget you're not going to be able to save anything that you pump overnight."
"I remember, don't worry."
"Just checking." She winks "Well, I'll see you all tonight. Everyone have a great day!"
Tyler does end up asking Jade to drive him to a friend's, and the timing works out because she arrives home just in time to feed Liam and put him down before he slips into his afternoon nap. The infant is still sleeping around fourteen to fifteen hours a day, usually for two to three hours at a time.
Rather than putting Liam in his bassinet Jade opts to let him nap in her and Beck's bed, laying down next to him with the intention of napping herself. She can't help but stare at her son as he sleeps peacefully beside her, a content expression on his face as his chest rises and falls with each sweet breath that he takes. It's hard to believe that he's already two months old, he's already grown so much. While the unexpected twists and turns that he brought into her life when he arrived have seriously interrupted her life plans, Jade doesn't think she could love anyone more than she loves Liam.
At some point, she must manage to drift off, because she's startled back awake not by the baby, but by her phone vibrating on her pillow beside her. Jade is quick to grab it, not wanting the vibrations to wake Liam before he's ready...she'll be in for a terrible afternoon if it does.
"Shit..." She mutters when she realizes it's her father's contact lighting up the screen
He never misses a birthday. She thinks to herself
Jade climbs out of bed as gently as she can, careful not to wake Liam as she does so. She answers the phone on the last ring, standing in the doorway between the bedroom and the main part of the floor; far enough away that her voice hopefully won't wake her son, but still close enough that she can still keep an eye on him in the bed.
"Hey, Dad." She answers quietly "What's up?"
"What's up?" Her father, John, laughs "What's up is it's your birthday! Happy twenty-first, baby girl!"
"Thanks, Dad." She sighs "I appreciate it."
"Any big plans for the big birthday?"
"Uh, dinner with Mom, Chris, and Tyler." She tells him "Then Beck and I are going out with friends."
"Oh, dinner with Mom?" John sounds surprised "Does that mean you're in LA?"
"Yup, home for the summer." Jade nods
It's not a lie, but it's not exactly the entire truth either.
"I wish you would have told me, we could have gotten together at some point."
"It was sort of a last minute decision." Jade sighs "I'm sorry."
Even if she had told him, they probably wouldn't have gotten together at any point over the summer thus far. Her father is big on making empty promises, his work is the most important thing in his life, and the only time she can ever really guarantee seeing him is at the holidays...and only because her grandparents want to see them both.
"S'alright, we can probably work something out." John tells her "Look, I'm in London right now doing some business, but I'll be back in LA late Wednesday night. What do you say we get together next Friday or Saturday night for dinner? S'not every year that my only daughter turns twenty-one."
"Uh, sure..." Jade hesitates "That would be nice. Let's plan for Friday."
"Sounds perfect." John agrees "You can pick the place. Get to thinking."
"I will."
"Alright, well I won't keep you." He says "Just wanted to wish you happy birthday."
"Thanks, Dad."
"I love you." He tells her "I'll see you on Friday?"
"I love you too." She nods "See you Friday."
"You haven't told him?" Cat shrieks "Jadey!"
"You know how he is." Jade rolls her eyes "Birthdays and Christmas, that's all he really cares about. Trying to contact him anywhere in between is next to impossible. He's too focused on work to care."
"He might care about having a grandson!"
"The same way he cares about having a daughter?" Jade raises an eyebrow "Look, if he consistently made an effort despite how busy he always is...it would be one thing, but he doesn't do that. He pencils me into his calendar for two or three days a year, and it's radio silence the rest of the time. It's not like I'm not ever going to tell him, I just haven't told him yet."
"The longer you wait, the more upset that he's going to be about it."
"Can we not do this tonight?" Jade sighs, finishing off the last of her drink "It's my fucking birthday."
"Yeah it is." Beck grins, pressing a kiss to her cheek "Do you want another?"
"Please."
"Be right back." He smiles
After dinner with Jade's family, she and Beck had met up with the rest of their friends at a dueling piano bar downtown. None of them had ever been before, but are all really enjoying the atmosphere. The pianists had gone on a break, leaving them to talk in the meantime...which is how the subject of Jade's phone call with her father had been brought up. Beck had already heard the details previously at dinner, but the news was a shock to everyone else. They all know how Jade's father can be, they've known her long enough. Thankfully, the pianists are back from break and playing music again before anyone else has a chance to say anything else about it.
Beck can't help but smile as he watches Jade dance around with Cat and Tori while they scream along to Crocodile Rock. After the stress of a new baby, moving across the country, and trying to figure out the logistics of going to school online, she deserves to be able to let loose and have fun...even if that means drinking five strawberry daiquiris that are going to cost well over seventy dollars. She's definitely tipsy and working on drunk, but like Beck said...she deserves it.
"If I buy shots, will you do a shot?" Andre asks Beck
"Can't." Beck chuckles "Someone has to get Jade home."
"Uber!"
"Nah, I promised her I'd take care of her tonight." He tells his friend "She did the same for me back on my birthday."
"She wasn't legal yet!"
"I'm good man, thank you."
He's allowed himself one beer since they arrived at the bar, knowing it wouldn't effect him much. Otherwise he's stuck to water, not wanting to break the promise he had made to his girlfriend.
After taking the shot of, what Beck assumes to be, tequila, Jade is stumbling a bit as she pulls Beck out onto the dance floor with her. The mood is more calm now as the pianos play Piano Man, and he wraps his arms around her waist as the two of them rock back and forth to the music.
"Are you having a good birthday?" He has to raise his voice to be heard over the speakers
"Yes!" She yells back, unaware of her volume thanks to the alcohol "I love you!"
"I love you too." He chuckles "You're drunk!"
"I know!" She grins
They laugh and dance for a few more, now more upbeat, songs, before Jade starts to grow tired. It's almost one in the morning after all, and Beck is surprised that she made it as long as she did. Thanks to Liam and their lack of sleep, neither one of them is able to stay up nearly as late as they were able to even six months ago.
After saying goodnight to their friends, Beck leads Jade to his truck that is parked down the block. He had been surprised that his parents held onto it once he moved to New York, but they had pointed out that it had been in his name and it wasn't their place to get rid of it. Thankfully it was still around for him to drive to and from work, and Jade has her mom's old car to go about her business throughout the day as well. Moving home, while not ideal, definitely has it's perks.
"OW!" Jade exclaims as she stumbles into a kitchen chair "Who put that there?"
"S'always been there." Beck smirks as he guides her around it "You need to keep your voice down. You'll wake the baby."
"Right, we have one of those now." She nods "We're fucking adults."
"We sure are." He laughs
He guides her downstairs and into their bedroom, helping her remove her shoes as she falls back onto the bed.
"Beck..."
"Yeah?"
"My boobs hurt."
"Because you haven't fed the baby in almost six hours." He reminds her
"I need the breast pump."
"Yes ma'am."
It's just outside their room in the small living area. By the time Beck retrieves it and brings it back to her, Jade is already sitting topless on their bed.
"Woah..." He grins as he passes it to her "Is it my birthday?"
"Shut up, there's nothing sexy about this."
She's able to produce quite a bit of milk after having gone without feeding the baby for so long, and it's actually disappointing because they won't be able to save anything. Due to the fact that she had been drinking, the milk likely isn't safe for Liam and she doesn't want to risk it...so all of it goes right down the sink in the bathroom.
"There's something very sobering about being milked by a machine..." Jade sighs as she puts the pump back in its bag "Every girl's dream ending to her twenty-first birthday."
"Not feeling as tipsy?" Beck laughs
"Oh, I definitely shouldn't drive right now." Jade assures him "But, I'm not nearly as drunk as I was when we got home."
"You'll have to sober up eventually."
"I know." She smirks, taking a step towards him "Hey, I took my shirt off. S'only fair that you take yours off too."
"You don't have to ask me twice."
He quickly removes his t-shirt, discarding it on the floor. The two of them share a knowing look, and are making out on top of the bed within a matter of seconds. Jade's kisses taste like alcohol, but Beck certainly isn't complaining. They're running their hands all over each other's bodies, and before long...Jade's hand finds its way to the button on Beck's jeans.
"Wait." He stops her before she can go any further "Are you sure?"
"Am I sure?" She almost scoffs "Beck, we have a baby together. It's not like this is my first time having sex."
"I know, but we haven't since he...you know."
They haven't had sex since Liam was born, mostly because they've been too busy or too tired. Tonight is actually the first night that a reasonable opportunity for them to do so has presented itself.
"It's been well over six weeks, there's no reason why we can't."
"You're sure?"
"Of course I'm sure." Jade laughs "I wouldn't still be half-naked if I wasn't."
"Alright then..." Beck grins, pressing a kiss to her neck..and then another to her collarbone "Let's do this then."
"Fuck..." Jade groans, gripping the back of his neck as Beck moves his kisses lower "I love you."
"I love you too." His breath is hot against her skin "Happy birthday."