Chloe had graduated college and married Tom. Beca had graduated and married Jesse. They both felt like there was something missing. Jesse and Beca were about to get divorced, putting their son through exactly what Beca had gone through and dreaded torturing her child that way. She had to though. She didn't love Jesse, she never did. Chloe had just had her third child with Tom, and knew there was something not right. They had two daughters and a son. Chloe loved them to death and didn't want to have to do this, but nothing was right.
Three days after they returned home with their baby, Chloe decided to talk to Tom.
"Do you love me?" She asked him.
"Yes, I love you." He said, not looking away from the football game on television.
"I don't know if I love you." Chloe said.
He quickly turned off the game and looked at his wife, baffled.
"I'm sorry. I don't feel connected with you anymore." She said, beginning to cry. She cuddled the baby in her arms closer.
"It's okay, Baby." He said, but he was worried. Chloe didn't kid around when it came to love.
"I love our babies." She said, in tears. "I love them so much."
"I know Sweetie, I do too." He replied.
Jillian, the baby in Chloe's arms looked up. She was only a few days old and had no idea what was going on and why her head was being wet by her mother's tears.
"Mom?" Lucas, the middle child, said from the staircase. "Why is Mommy crying?" He asked.
Lucas was four. He looked mostly like Tom, but had Chloe's eyes. Behind Lukas was Paige, who was ten and a mini Chloe. Chloe was pregnant with Paige before graduating. "Mom!" Paige yelled when she saw her distraught mother sitting in the couch crying.
"It's okay." Chloe insisted.
"Please, what's wrong?" Paige asked.
"I'm okay." Chloe said in a soft voice.
Paige knew her mother didn't want to talk about it, so she let it go.
At Beca's house, she and Jesse were fighting, again. Alex was curled up in his bed. He was only eight. He wished his father would just leave his mother alone. It wasn't her fault she didn't love him anymore.
"Jesse! I'm bi! I can go out and date whoever I want!" Alex heard his mother yell. He had no idea what bi meant, but it didn't matter, what mattered was that his mother was done with his father.
"Beca, you're just confused! Give it some time!" His father yelled.
"Jesse, you spent a year chasing me in college. You got me, but I don't want you." His mother said. She was so clever with her comebacks. Even though Alex didn't understand what they were talking about, he was kind of in his mother's side of the argument.
"Where are you going to go? You have no money, nothing!" Jesse yelled.
"Chloe. I'm going to Chloe." Beca said.
Chloe was a delicate topic in that household. Jesse knew Beca loved Chloe more than him, but refused to face the fact.
"Chloe is married!" Jesse yelled. That shut Beca up. "You're such an idiot sometimes." He said under his breath.
"I am an idiot." Beca said in a small voice, on the verge of tears. "An idiot for marrying you."
"Ooo burn." Alex whispered to himself.
"I doubt you even care about this family. You don't care about Alex!" Jesse yelled. Alex heard the mention of his name and began to tear up. She didn't respond. His mother didn't care about him. He cried and cried. He wasn't listening to what was happening anymore.
About an hour later, he saw a shadow apear in the doorway of his bedroom.
"Hey Buddy." She said, in the most gentle and loving voice. Alex had never seen this woman in his life, but now she was picking him up. "It's all going to be okay."
"Who are you?" He asked.
"Ssshhh, just rest." The woman said. She held him and rocked him in her arms. Even though he was eight, he was very small. He got that from his mother. Eventually he fell asleep in the arms of the woman. He awoke to the woman in the light of the morning. He could see her clearer. She had red hair and bright blue eyes. "Good morning!"
"Who are you?" He asked. He wanted to know.
"I'm Chloe. I'm your Mommy's friend." She said.
Chloe. He's heard that name a lot. His mother really liked her.
"You're Chloe?" He asked.
"You've heard of me?" She asked.
He stared at her blankly. "Where's my mom?"
"The hospital." She said plainly.
"Why is she in the hospital?" He asked, concerned.
"So, you know that your mommy and your daddy aren't getting along, right?" She asked.
"Yes. Dad says it's because Mom is bi, but I don't know what that means." He said.
Chloe smiled and blushed. "It means she loves boys and girls." She said. "I'm bi, too."
He looked at her confused. "That's why Mommy doesn't love Daddy. She wants to love you." Alex said.
Chloe was shocked. Why would she want me? She thought. She decided to change the subject back to Beca's injuries.
"Last night, Daddy got really mad at Mommy and he hit her. Mommy is okay though, Bud." Chloe said.
Alex looked at her. "I like you Chloe. Can I call you Chlo Chlo?" He asked.
"Sure. Do you want to go see Mommy?" She asked.
"Where's Daddy." He asked. Chloe was hoping that wouldn't come up. Jesse had left, Beca had called Chloe in tears the previous night, not just because of her injuries.
"Daddy doesn't want to talk to Mommy anymore, so he decided to leave." Chloe said.
"He's gone?!" Alex asked, excited.
"Yes." Chloe said, confused by the boy's excitement.
"I want to go see Mommy!" He squealed.
"Okay, let's go." Chloe said.
Chloe ended up leaving Tom for Beca. Her family treated Alex like their real brother and Lucas was more than happy about the boy in the house. Beca and Chloe were very happy together, but had just struggled to find that happiness.
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