Hello! If you are still reading this series, thank you! I hope you enjoy this installation. I didn't think I had another multi-chapter story in me, but apparently I did. This should be three chapters. Please share your thoughts in a review - it always means so much!

Chapter 1 – Boundaries Drawn

Although Bella's panic attacks had officially started when she was nine, she had not been truly without anxiety since she'd been a toddler. And her mothers had been attentive to all of their daughters – but especially Bella – when they were in stressful situations. For most of their family and friends, it was barely noticeable. It drove Lydia Beale bat-shit crazy. She was very old-school when it came to mental health – she felt they were better off not talking about it, not paying it any mind – and just forcing Bella to smile and be cheerful around company no matter how she felt about the situation. That was never going to happen. Beca and Chloe were not teaching any of their girls to put themselves in harms way – even mentally - for the sake of others. Being kind, being polite, being generous – yes. Being self-sacrificial and people pleasing – absolutely not.

Lydia did not feel this was a good way to raise little girls. They should smile and be cheerful, always. Kiss and hug relatives, no matter how distant or unknown. Luckily for most of the year, she lived 2,000 miles away. Even luckier, Poppy and Vera spent most of their lives smiling from ear to ear. Which technically should have given room and grace for Bella to fly under the radar at family events when they made her skittish or nervous. She was almost never outwardly miserable and never rude – just occasionally awkward and very easily overwhelmed and distressed when things weren't planned out perfectly or didn't go according to that plan.

They had tools in place that worked. Bella knew who to go to, how to get herself out of the room, how to let her mothers or another close relative know that she needed space. It worked for them, as long as no one tried to intervene. Telling a child who was on the verge of a panic attack to calm down was asinine. Asking an overwhelmed child to smile and hug a stranger – all the while she was trying to find her parents or escape the room - was insane. But it was the type of thing Lydia Beale did as often as possible.

Over the past few years, since about the age of six, Beca had watched carefully as Bella had gone from simply one of three adorable granddaughters to the target of her grandmother's unwanted attention. Lydia had it in her mind that if Chloe and Beca were simply stricter with her, made her behave the way little girls were "meant to", she would adhere to social expectations, no matter how soul crushing that might be. Her mothers intervened at all times, keeping Bella comfortable and away from her grandmother, enraging Lydia a bit more every time they were together. Chloe ignored her because she was used to her mother – Beca ignored her for the sake of her marriage.

When things became particularly serious with Bella's anxiety, they'd had a video call with all four of the grandparents, explaining their trips to doctors – and why it was important to leave Bella alone – or direct her to one of her mothers – if she seemed distressed. Chloe was hopeful it would help. Beca was not holding her breath.

It was a little less than a year since Bella's first panic attack - a time full of work to help her find control and peace - when the twin's tenth birthday arrived. It was a colossal undertaking. Family and friends had flown in from all over – grandparents and aunt and uncles and cousins from Georgia, Amy and Bumper and their family from Australia, Flo from New York, and Lily from who knows where. People had begun arriving on Thursday for the Saturday party. For the most part, things had stayed calm. Most guests were staying in hotels or with other LA friends. Beca and Chloe were only hosting the four grandparents and Amy and Bumper and their two children.

On the day before the party, Chloe and Aubrey were seeing to last-minute details while Beca entertained the children. So Beca and Stacy were sitting on a bench at the playground in their neighborhood, watching all three little girls – and both Swanson boys – and Amy and Bumper's two kids - run around like it wasn't 96 degrees outside.

Beca fanned herself desperately as she watched them play in utter confusion. "Do they have magical internal air conditioners?" She asked Stacy. She had been watching all of the children, but the one who was scaring her the most was 4-year-old Kayla, who seemed to think that she was invincible. She was, after all, Amy's daughter. She was fearless.

Her friend laughed. "They're just made from mostly sturdier stuff until they're a little older. But they're probably getting dehydrated at this point." That was all Beca needed to hear. "Bella! Poppy! Vera! Andy! Ben! Kayla! Bumper Jr!" She was not one to repeat herself and none of them made her – they came tumbling over, Ben grabbing the hand of four-year-old Kayla, who was not necessarily the best listener yet. Bella and Poppy crowded them on the bench.

"Oh God," Beca said, leaning away from Bella. "You're like a little furnace."

"It's hot," her daughter said, almost breathless from playing.

"I'm aware. That's why I called you over. Are you ready to go home yet?"

"Not yet."

"Please, mama."

"Can we stay a little bit longer?"

"Please, Aunt Beca?"

"We're not too hot."

She looked at Andy. "Well, that last one is a whopper of a lie. But we can stay a little bit longer. If," she said, calmy, "you sit down for ten minutes and drink a bottle of water."

"Ten minutes?" Vera moaned, leaning on her from over the back of the bench. Beca was sure sitting still for ten minutes seemed an impossible task for her youngest daughter at that moment.

"Yes. You are all sweating to a disturbing agree. There will be no hospital trips for dehydration on our very special birthday extravaganza weekend." She winked at Bella, who was already starting to see the wisdom of this idea. Beca and Stacy motioned to the blankets they'd laid out under the trees that surrounded them.

"Hands first, " Stacie ordered, whipping out a bottle of hand sanitizer. They all knew better than to argue with her. Beca opened the little cooler that had been packed for her and pulled out a bottle of water, cracking the seal open for Vera.

"Mama, can you make it blueberry?" The very polite and very quiet request for the natural water additive they had found during Beca's first pregnancy was granted. Beca pulled the little bottle from the side of the cooler and put in a few drops – putting the cap back so vera could do the fun part in shaking it. Then all the children wanted it, of course, so she continued handing out blueberry flavored water. Stacie went around and handed around apple and orange slices and before long, they had very happy, very quiet, and slightly more hydrated children.

Stacie elbowed her and saw a little girl watching curiously. Beca smiled at her. "Is your grown-up with you?" She nodded. "You are welcome to have a bottle of water if they say it's okay." The woman appeared then.

"Oh, thank you. We're fine. We have our bottles here on another table."

"But are they cold?" Beca asked "These are cold and seriously – we have plenty." The woman looked tempted. "Please – I beg of you – it will be less to carry home."

"Well, when you put it that way – it would be rude to refuse. Thank you."

"Thank you," the little girl said, bouncing on her toes.

"Have fun," Stacie said. "Try not to melt." The woman and her daughter smiled and waved as they made their way back across the playground. Beca and Stacie were enjoying their own orange slices when a familiar presence came over them. Beca turned to see her dad and Sheila walking down the path, hand-in-hand. The grandparents smiled and waved at the kids but encouraged them to stay where they were.

"Hey, ladies," Warren said with a grin. "We just got into town and Chloe won't let us help with anything, so we thought we'd come down to see you."

Beca stood and gave them each a quick, low-contact hug. "It is too hot for hugs," she said simply. Warren laughed.

Sheila studied Beca. "How did you get seven children to sit still on a playground?"

"It's 96 degrees. It wasn't hard. Shade, water, and fruit did the trick."

"Don't let her fool you," Stacie argued. "She could have the whole playground over here if she wanted to. She's like the pied piper. It's kind of ridiculous." She turned to her friend. "They should write a fairy tale about you."

"Do you even know the story of the pied piper? It is dark stuff, dude. Dark stuff."

"Papa," Bella asked, moving closer on her blanket and plopping down on her front, kicking her legs out behind her, "can you tell us a story?"

Warren looked at Sheila, then Beca. They both shrugged. "Go for it. Just try to keep it rated G. These are not college students." Beca and Stacie moved to the blankets, sitting against trees to give Warren and Sheila the bench.

"No Grimm tales. Literal or figurative. Got it." He thought about it for a moment, then launched into a story about dancing princesses, worn out dance slippers, swan boats, fighting dragons, and how the princesses finally freed themselves from the endless nights of dancing. Beca knew that was not how the story ended, but she adored her father for changing the story away from the damsel in distress narrative. After a few minutes, she realized that her children were not alone – other children on the playground had started to come over to listen to this impromptu Storytime. Stacie continued handing out water to parents who didn't seem to have any for their kids – or a few older children who seemed to be alone.

After the reworked version of Twelve Dancing Princesses, Warren was surprised to receive a round of applause. He was even more surprised to realize how many people had gathered. After story time had commenced, Beca told them they had 15 more minutes – and set her watch to prove it.

She talked to her dad for a bit until he told her to head back with Sheila – that he would help Stacie gather up the children and get them back to the house.

"Two of them belong to Amy. God speed," Beca said, patting him on the shoulder. He laughed. Then she began walking with her stepmother. They were quiet for a long time during the ten minute walk, which was a nice change of pace after the morning at the playground.

"Are you okay?" Shelia asked, as they walked quietly through the neighborhood. "I hope you don't mind me saying – but you seem unusually – agitated – today."

Beca laughed. "That is such a nice way of saying that I'm jumping out of my skin." She sighed. "I'm okay. I'm just a little nervous about the party. We haven't had anything this big since Bella started having panic attacks – and she's just settling into things that work for her. And Lydia has problems with our parenting," she added sarcastically.

Sheila looped her arm through Beca's. "Well, you ignore her." Sheila got along fine with Lydia, but they did not see eye-to-eye on boundaries concerning their daughters and granddaughters.

"I can ignore her just fine – but she makes Chloe second guess herself – and she's been watching Bella like a hawk – it's like she thinks you can stiff-upper-lip your way out of anxiety. And she's really obsessed with it. I haven't left her alone with Bella since they got here yesterday – but it's getting ridiculous. I've been making sure another adult is with Bella so that her grandmother can't get to her. I don't know why she won't just leave well enough alone."

Sheila sighed. "Lydia doesn't like things that leave her feeling out of control. And she can't control this. Try your best to ignore her. Hopefully she'll see that Bella just needs space and time." She squeezed Beca lightly. "Try not to focus on it. There are plenty of people here to keep Lydia busy."

"You would think so," Beca said with a sarcastic tone.

That evening, with so many people in town to see them, they hosted a barbecue in the backyard, along with having the pool open for anyone who wanted. The entire backyard was decorated with lights and there was music playing - it was quite festive. Beca spent most of the afternoon and evening watching everyone enjoy themselves, but as they day wore down, she found a place to hide.

Beca sat on one of the loungers on their lower deck, listening to the hubbub in the yard and upper deck. That was where most of the party was – in and around the pool and on the upper deck where the grille was located. But she was finding a bit of peace in this location. Her eyes were closed when she heard someone sit next to her and she almost screamed. But after a deep breath and calming herself, she realized who it was and opened her eyes tentatively.

"You are oozing some major negative vibes, my friend," Jesse told her, handing her an ice-cold bottle of beer. She looked at the bottle and then back at him. They had rules about kids and pools and alcohol. "Stacie, Aubrey, Jessica, Benji, and Emily are not imbibing this evening and are watching the pool," he assured her. She took a long drink and set it on the table between them. His voice was very calm, not at all judgmental, but she could hear that he was worried.

Beca nodded. "Yeah. I just can't shake the feeling that this was a terrible idea."

"The party?"

"Inviting Lydia." Jesse barked a laugh.

"You can't let her get to you this much, Bec. Honestly, you're a great mom. That's probably why you bug her so much. You're doing great – both of you – and you're not doing it her way."

"I seriously don't know how Chloe turned out as normal as she did."

"She didn't," Jesse laughed again. "Your wife is one of the most intense people I know. I mean, in between the miss-Suzy sunshine stretches, which are always. Don't get me wrong, I love Chloe. But she is far from normal. Lydia has permanent residence in that brain. You're just used to dealing with her." Beca rolled her neck and tried to relieve some of the tension built up there before taking another drink.

They talked for a bit longer and Jesse assured her that she could last two more days without killing her mother-in-law. She was finished with her beer by the time anyone else found them. This time, it was Bella. She crawled into the chair with her mother and curled into her arms, despite the still-oppressive heat.

Beca kissed her head. "Are you having a nice time, my love?" Bella nodded.

"I played on the swings with Poppy and Ben and Vera – but they want to go swimming, and I don't."

"What would you like to do?"

"Can we sit here for a few minutes?"

"Of course we can," she agreed, watching Jesse be amused. Like mother, like daughter. "And I bet that Uncle Jesse will even go and get us something to drink."

"Sure, he will," he answered. "What are we thinking? Water? Strawberry Lemonade? Something I didn't see yet?" Bella didn't answer, so Beca requested a water for them both.

"Bells, what did you eat?"

"Some fruit. And a cookie."

"Well, you've got sugar covered. How about something a little closer to a dinner item?"

"Mama," Bella whined.

"No, seriously. It's kind of my job to make sure you don't die of malnutrition. So, we need something a little more substantial for dinner. There are lots of options up there." Jesse returned then with their water and kissed them both on the tops of their heads before leaving again.

"My boys might be causing structural damage to your property – going to check it out. 100% blaming Bumper Jr. until I'm proven wrong."

"Totally agree," Beca told him with a wry smile and shake of her head. "Go save the day. Or the house. Or whatever it is they're attempting to destroy." Beca opened both waters and finished half of hers before making sure her daughter had some of the other. It was still hot, despite the setting sun. They sat quietly and listened to the party playlist – and the party going on around them. Beca rubbed her daughter's back through the fabric of her sundress.

Chloe was the next to find them, almost half an hour later. She had a plate full of food and another water bottle. She set everything on the little side table and sat on the edge of the chair, leaning forward to kiss Beca, then drop another on top of Bella's crown of dark curls. "Bells," Chloe said softly, rubbing her back. "Did you have a good day?"

"Yes," she chirped lightly.

"Little tired?" A nod. Chloe looked at her watch and then at Beca. "Why don't you take her inside and see if you can get her to eat in the air? Then start bed-time? I'm going to pull the other two out in half-an-hour."

"Sounds good," Beca agreed. "Bells, are you ready to go inside?" The child didn't answer. Beca moved to sit on the edge of the lounger.

"You can't carry her," Chloe warned her. The twins had both barely hit fifty pounds and although Chloe could still manage them when necessary, Beca had a more difficult time. She also found the suggestion to exercise laughable while Chloe had a regular routine.

"I should be fine, if someone cooperates," she said, lifting Bella into her arms as she stood. The little girl immediately latched on to her, holding on and relieving some of the weight. "There we go," Beca responded. Luckily, they were close to the door to the kitchen. Several people offered to take Bella for her, but Beca carried her straight up to the kitchen and then again up to their bedroom before setting her on the sofa. Chloe set the food on the coffee table and kissed her daughter and then her wife before going back to the party.

Beca found sweaters for them both – compared to outside, it was freezing in the house. "I know you're tired, Bella, but you need to eat. The more you help me, the sooner you can be in bed. The little girl's eyes opened, and she picked up the fork on the plate Beca held for her. They talked softly about the day while they both ate from the plate that Chloe had purposeful overfilled. Bella was very happy to see everyone – with extra sparkle in her eyes when she mentioned Emily and Sheila and Warren. She had enjoyed the park and the picnic. She had also been delighted to be able to play with Jessica's two-year-old daughter, Katie.

"Mama, why are there so many people at one time?" If she hadn't caught on to her daughter's serious tone, she might have laughed.

"We have a pretty big family, my love. And we're lucky for that. Not everyone has a big family."

"They can have Bumper Jr. and Andy," Bella suggested. This did cause her to laugh.

"No, we do not trade away family member just because they annoy us."

"Bumper Jr. is so loud," she whined. "And he teases me."

"Well, we can talk about that later – he shouldn't tease you. But honestly, him being loud isn't totally his fault. Aunt Amy and Uncle Bumper aren't exactly quiet." Bella giggled. Once she finished eating, Beca walked with her back to her bedroom. They ran into Lydia, who was – for some reason – stalking the hallways."

"Where have you two been all evening?"

"Hi, Lydia," Beca said, her tone polite but with a twinge of warning. "Bella and I are getting ready for bed. Just as Chloe will be with Vera and Poppy in a few minutes. Big day tomorrow," she said, twirling Bella beside her, causing the little girl to giggle and fall against her, hugging her.

"Well, you disappeared from the party for quite some time."

"We took breaks when we needed them," Beca told her simply. "It was a long day. We'll see you tomorrow. Good night."

"Good night, Nana," Bella said, as her mother took her into her bedroom. Soon, she was in her bathroom with a fresh nightgown.

"Bath or shower?" Beca asked her.

"Can I get a bubble bath?"

Beca smiled. "I think that can be arranged." Beca drew the bath with strawberry scented bubbles. "Music, book, or just quiet?" She asked, indicating the speakers built in beside the tub.

"Quiet music."

"You got it." She made sure Bella was safely in the tub and went into the bedroom to turn down the covers and relocate her menagerie of stuffed animals for the night. She did the same in Poppy and Vera's rooms and made sure their clothing was laid out for the next day. When she got back to Bella's room, she poked her head in. "Would you like help rinsing your hair?" All the girls were pretty good at washing their own hair in the shower – but it was difficult to rinse out in a bath.

Bella nodded and Beca went into help her, placing a towel to kneel on before she did. A few minutes later, Bella was out of the tub, towel dried, and dressed in her pajamas. "This is new," she said, softly petting the dark blue nightgown made of chiffon and embroidered with a riot of colorful flowers. It was lined with edged with matching blue lace.

"Do you like it?" Bella nodded, still playing with the flowers, trying to find ones that matched. "Mommy bought those for you for your birthday. There's a robe that goes with it," she said, pointing at the robe laying over Bella's reading chair. "Poppy has pink ones. And I think Vera got them in teal."

"So pretty."

"I'm glad you like them," Beca smiled at her. "I'm going to see if anyone else is ready for a bedtime story yet, okay? I'll be back to do your hair." Bella nodded and Beca went into the hallway. She found Stacie walking up the stairs.

"I was hoping to say goodnight. Am I too late?"

"Nope. Everyone is still awake. Just left Bella in her room – I think she would be delighted to show you her new nightgown." Stacie smiled and headed that way while Beca peaked into Poppy's room. Vera was on the bed, still very damp and clearly waiting for Chloe to do her hair. Chloe was in the bathroom, rinsing Poppy's hair. Vera turned to see Beca and broke into a smile.

"Mama, look how pretty!" She twirled in her new nightgown and robe.

"So beautiful!" Beca agreed. She knelt and hugged Vera. "Chloe, I'm taking Vera. I'm going to dry her and Bella's hair."

"Okay! We'll be there in a few minutes!" Grabbing the hairdryer from her room, Beca sat on Bella's bed and dried both girls' hair. Soon, they each had silky smooth hair with their natural curls bouncing along their backs. They snuggled at the end of the bed with Chloe while Beca moved on to do Poppy's hair.

Once everyone was ready, they sat between Chloe and Beca while Chloe read – in all the voices – from their current book – The Lightning Thief. After several chapters, they sent Poppy and Vera to their own rooms and tucked Bella in. Beca was able to ask her what song she wanted when the little girl spoke.

"Why doesn't Nana like me?" Beca was startled. She hadn't realized the tension was that obvious. Chloe looked absolutely crushed. Beca squeezed her hand, trying to calm her.

"Nana likes you. She loves you. Why would you think otherwise?"

Bella didn't say anything, but Beca felt her clutching her a bit tighter.

For agonizing minutes, Bella was still silent. Chloe cupped her cheek and wiped away tears that were forming. "What happened, sweetie?"

"I don't want you to get mad."

"Love, we're not going to be angry with you."

"Not me."

"Bella, it's no good keeping secrets – it doesn't help anyone. Tell us what happened," Chloe begged softly.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I wasn't trying to listen. I was sitting on the landing, waiting for Poppy. Grandma didn't see me. She told Aunt Aubrey that I was weird. And that I'm never going to be normal because you baby me and let me be a brat." Her tears were in full force now. Both Beca and Chloe hugged her close.

"Bella, everything Nana said is her issue, not yours. I know that's hard to understand," Beca told her. "But there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. You are certainly not a brat or weird. You are perfect just the way you are."

Once they had her calmed down, they tucked in the other two. Chloe looked shell-shocked the whole time, but Beca was able to keep it light enough for both. They checked in again on Bella to make sure she was sleeping before going to their own bedroom to talk.

Beca and Chloe weren't quite sure how to proceed. They knew they had to say something to Lydia – but they didn't want to escalate the situation before the party – because Lydia thrived on escalation and drama. They eventually decided to speak to her that night – in private - and went to the third floor, knocking on the door to the guest bedroom Ben and Lydia had been given. Ben opened the door, smiling and greeting them. He had a copy of an Agatha Christie novel in his hand. "Hello, ladies."

"Hi daddy."

"Hey, Ben."

"We came to talk to mom," Chloe said, as he welcomed them in. His expression clouded over and he looked towards the bathroom where his wife was preparing for bed.

"What did she do?" Beca and Chloe sat on the sofa while Ben went back to the overstuffed reading chair he'd clearly been using.

Chloe closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, daddy. I don't want to rock the boat – but she's getting out of hand with Bella."

"What about Bella?" Lydia asked, as she exited the bathroom.

"Mom, she heard you today in the kitchen calling her a brat and weird. Really? Why would you do that? She's having a hard enough time as it is – now her grandmother is insulting her?"

"She wouldn't be either of those things if you would actually discipline her." Beca held her tongue, though Chloe could see from her expression that it was extremely difficult. She was quite flushed.

"She isn't either of those things. I don't know why you can't see it – but she's a perfectly wonderful little girl. Yes, she's a little quieter than the other two – but people come in all types. And she does get a little nervous around large groups of people – but we're working on it – "

"Her family! No child should be allowed to be disrespectful to their family."

"You clearly haven't been clued into the "no-contact" phenomenon," Beca responded dryly. "She's not being disrespectful when she removes herself from a stressful situation. It's being smart – and taking care of herself. Which we are trying to teach all our daughters to do."

"And you being judgmental and calling her names helps nothing!" Chloe said.

Ben looked over at his wife, his expression pained. He didn't have favorites, but he and Bella had a special relationship. He had always been more understanding of her need for quiet than others. "Did you really say those things about our granddaughter?"

Lydia looked flustered, than angry. "Well, I'm not wrong. She leaves the room whenever more than three people are in it, she barely speaks – she won't hug her own grandparents – she never smiles." Beca didn't point out that Bella hugged Warren and Sheila and Ben all the time – and that she smiled almost as much as her sisters – just more in private – and not when she was feeling overwhelmed.

Ben shook his head at his wife. "Well, perhaps if you were a bit more understanding. I've never not gotten a hug from Bella. She always speaks to me – and often comes over to sit with me when a room gets more crowded. Maybe it's you, not her."

"Benjamin!"

Beca was trying not to smirk. It was rare to see her father-in-law stand up to his wife – and she was grateful it was in defense of her daughter.

"Well, Lydia, read the room! You're the only one who has a problem with that child. She's a lovely little girl. And if you would get to know her for who she is instead of judging her for who you think she should be, you would have a much better relationship. Because if you keep going this way, we're not going to be invited to be part of her life at all." Beca was glad that at least he understood the score.

"Mom," Chloe said, as calmly as possible. "If you can't keep your opinions to yourself, then please just leave Bella alone. She's going through a lot right now – and she doesn't need your judgement." Her mother started to argue but Chloe put her hand up. "This is not up for discussion. If you can't be nicer and give her space, you're not going to be welcome here."

Before Lydia could respond, Chloe stood and left the room, Beca close behind.

Once they were alone in their room, Chloe sank onto the edge of the bed, her shoulders slumping with the weight of what she had just said to her mother. Beca closed the door softly and sat down beside her.

"Hey," Beca said gently, wrapping her arms around her wife, "I'm so sorry. I know that was hard. But you did the right thing. You stood up for Bella, and that's what matters most."

Chloe shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. "I feel awful. She's my mother, and I just told her she might not be welcome here anymore. What if I went too far?"

Beca squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "You didn't go too far. You were protecting our daughter. She is our first priority. And your mother isn't even trying to understand."

Chloe took a deep breath, nodding slowly. "I just want Bella to feel safe and loved. It's so hard when my own mother can't see that."

"I know," Beca said softly. "But you're a great mom, Chloe. Bella knows that, and she feels it every day. You're doing everything you can to make sure she feels safe and happy."

Chloe leaned her head on Beca's shoulder, finding comfort in her wife's words. "Thank you," she whispered. "I needed to hear that."

Beca kissed the top of her head. "We'll get through this together. And tomorrow, we'll make sure the twins have a wonderful birthday. We'll try to keep it as calm as a birthday-extravaganza can be." Chloe laughed. It was quite the extravaganza.

Chloe smiled through her tears. "I think they'll love the tea-party breakfast. It's such a sweet idea."

"Definitely," Beca agreed. "It will be a nice, quiet start to the day. And through the rest of the day, she can take a break if she needs to. We just need to let her know that's okay – like we have been doing."

Chloe nodded, her resolve strengthening. "You're right."

Beca hugged her tightly. "And no matter what happens, we'll we'll be fine. We have each other. And three beautiful little girls."

Chloe hugged her back, feeling grateful for Beca's unwavering support. "I love you," she said softly.

"I love you too," Beca replied.