When Tori opened her front door and saw Cat standing there, tears streaking down her cheeks; her heart dropped. She looked so small and exhausted as she hugged herself tightly against the evening chill. Seeing no taxi pull away behind her, she must've walked the whole way, Tori realised with a pang of worry—it was miles from Cat and Jade's house to hers.

"Cat…" Tori whispered, stepping forward and pulling her into a hug without a second thought. Cat sank into her arms, her shoulders shaking as she let out a quiet sob. "What happened?"

Cat's voice was muffled, barely audible as she pressed her face into Tori's shoulder. "We had a fight," she managed, her words choked with emotion. "A… really bad one. Can I—can I stay here tonight?"

"Of course you can," Tori murmured, rubbing her back gently. She didn't need any more details right now; all she knew was that Cat was hurting, and she wasn't going to let her face this alone. "Come on, let's get you inside."

As Tori led her inside, her mom, Holly, was stood in the kitchen, her eyes widening as she took in Cat's tear-streaked face and trembling form.

"Oh, sweetheart," Holly said softly, reaching out a comforting hand to Cat, her voice full of concern. "Are you okay?"

Cat tried to nod, but the motion only seemed to loosen another wave of emotion, and her face crumpled as fresh tears filled her eyes. Holly wrapped her arms around her in a warm, comforting embrace, holding her with a motherly gentleness that Cat had almost forgotten. She let herself melt into Holly's arms, her tears coming harder, her breaths coming in soft, shuddering gasps.

"It's okay, honey," Holly murmured, stroking her hair. "You can stay as long as you need. We'll set you up in Trina's old room, alright?"

Cat nodded against her shoulder, too choked up to speak. The kindness, the warmth, the safety of a mother's hug—she hadn't realised just how much she missed this until now, and it cracked open something deep inside her that she hadn't even known was there. The hug felt like a balm on her heart, easing some of the ache she'd been carrying since the fight.

Holly pulled back just enough to look at her, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "You're safe here, Cat. Whatever happened, we'll take care of you."

Cat's lips quivered as she tried to respond, but all she could manage was a nod. She didn't just feel hurt from the fight with Jade—she felt a deep, aching loneliness that only seemed to grow with each tear. She realised how much she missed her own mom, missed having someone to hold her like this, to remind her that she wasn't alone.

Holly led her gently toward the guest room, her arm around Cat's shoulders, while Tori walked beside them, a quiet, comforting presence. Once they reached Trina's room, Holly smoothed down the covers and gave Cat another gentle squeeze.

"Get comfortable, sweetie. If you need anything, just let us know, okay?"

Cat gave her a small, grateful smile, her eyes still wet with tears. "Thank you, Mrs. Vega. Really."

Holly smiled softly, before leaving the two girls alone. As Holly left the room, Tori asked Cat what had happened- holding the redhead as she broke down into tears once again.

While this was happening, Jade was still planted on the couch, trying desperately to work out what to do. She held her head in her hands, staring blankly at the phone she'd been clutching ever since Cat left. Every instinct told her to run after Cat, to get in her car and go straight to Tori's, apologise, and hold her until things felt okay again. But she knew that wouldn't really solve anything—it'd just be her trying to force an apology when Cat needed space, needed the time to process things in her own way.

With a deep breath, Jade unlocked her phone and scrolled through her contacts until she found Beck's number. She hesitated for a second, then tapped the call button. After a few rings, his familiar voice picked up on the other end.

"Hey, Jade," he greeted, sounding surprised. "What's up?"

"Where in the country are you right now?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Phoenix, Arizona," he replied, a hint of curiosity in his tone. "Why?"

Jade swallowed, glancing around the empty room as she spoke. "Do planes go direct from LAX to Phoenix?"

There was a pause. "Uh… yeah, probably. Why? What's going on?"

"I just… need to get away for a few days," Jade admitted, her voice quieter than she intended. "Clear my head."

"Did something happen with Cat?"

Jade sighed, rubbing her temples. "Yeah. A lot of things happened, actually."

"Look, if you need to talk—"

"I just… I can't stay here right now. But I'm not leaving her, I just… if I stay, I'm going to end up pushing her before she's ready. And I already screwed up enough tonight."

Beck was quiet for a moment, letting her words sink in. "I get it. If you need a break, come out here. I've got space in the RV."

A small, grateful smile flickered across Jade's face. "Thanks, Beck."

They said their goodbyes, and she hung up, her decision made. She'd go to Phoenix for a few days—just long enough to give Cat the space she needed without hovering nearby.

Jade grabbed a pen and a scrap of paper, her hands trembling slightly as she started to write. It felt weird to write when she could just text her, but Cat didn't need this information right this second.

Cat,

I'm sorry for everything that happened tonight. I know I was wrong, and I know you need space to come to terms with things in your own way. I don't want to take that from you or push you before you're ready.

I'll be in Phoenix with Beck. I'll be back soon, but for now, I think we both need a little distance. I love you. Take all the time you need.

— Jade

She set the note on the coffee table, weighing it down with a small candle, then went to her room to pack. Each item she stuffed into her bag felt like a weight pressing on her heart, of Cat's hurt expression as she walked out the door. But she knew this was the right thing to do. If she stayed, Cat would try to fix it too soon. She'd just make things worse.

Once she was ready, she picked up her bag, looked around the house one last time, and walked out the door, her heart heavy but resolute.