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be-ready-when-i-say-go · 2 years

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Like Chocolate

Calum fell in love like chocolate melts in your pocket--in the time it takes to blink and forget the thing and turn back around. Jada fell in love like the crashing tide of a shore--steady and completely. When Calum goes home with Jada for the holidays, more than just his feelings come to the surface. Five sisters, one love, and plenty of antics, Jada and Calum find out what they’re really made of.

Shotgun Wedding (ish) x Black!OC

CW: 18+ Content (Smut and Smut adjacent mentions)

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The drive’s only four hours long to Vegas, hardly long enough for Calum to bat an eye at given the stretches of time he’s spent on a tour bus and for Jada, she does the drive several times a year for the holidays, family or friends weddings, graduations and sometimes just because. It’s not even a blip in a day but somehow the time feels like it could never end. And honestly, time could go on forever between the two of them between the off key singing from Jada and Calum’s constant giggles at the ad libs she adds in just to create more umph for the song.

There’s one pit stop, at a gas station a little over halfway through their trip. And in the aisle of the little store, Calum’s mesmerized at the way she dances to whatever is playing. He can’t tell if she actually knows the song or not, but it doesn’t seem to matter at all. The worker’s don’t care either about the giggles or Jada’s dancing but Calum loves the way that time hangs behind them, as if it could never catch up to them on this trip.

“When we get to the house, the first thing Ma’s gonna want to do is go grocery shopping. So we should be able to pick up some booze then too,” Jada states, grabbing the purple bag of Takis from the hook.

“What does your Mum like again? I know she’s into red wine. But anything else?” Calum asks, walking down the aisle to her. The dancing’s done for now as it’s serious work to figure out the snacks for the last half of the trek. He tucks the two waters into the crook of his elbow, nestling it up against his side.

“She’s a Hennessey drinker too,” Jada remarks as she pulls the bag of Skittles from the box. “Should I stick with chips or get something sweet too?”

“Chips. If you get something sweet, you’ll ruin your appetite.” Calum takes a glance around, thankful for the trucker hat he’s adorning and the sun glasses. He knows it won’t fully keep him from getting spotted but it’s just enough that he lowers just a bit to kiss Jada’s cheek. The attendant hardly glances up from their phone.

With a smile resting on her cheeks, Jada glances up to Calum. “You’re right, and I hate that.”

“Oh give me a break,” he scoffs, but stays at her side as she goes back to contemplating all the choices in front of them. They’re ahead of schedule. Jada had gotten up early and prepped a big breakfast that would hopefully keep them satiated enough. Though, the snacks now might be proving how close to the end that breakfast might be getting. Calum, awake by the smell of pancakes, got up and helped finish the cooking and cleaning process. By the time food was eaten and the kitchen cleaned, it only made sense to just get out on the road earlier than it would’ve been waiting around.

“Okay, I’m done. I just need my Gatorade.”

Calum dangles the clear bottle with red liquid between a few fingers. “I gotcha babe.”

“Thanks,” she says, turning to follow him towards the register. The person is cordial as they ring up the chips and drinks.

The afternoon sun is just starting to crest into the sky when they step back outside. Calum’s quick to open Jada’s door--passenger side-- once they get to the truck. Calum insisted on doing the drive to the house and on the way back. But Jada decided that she should drive around the town, and it was less of a decision and more like a mandate if Calum was going to drive them there and back, she didn’t want him to do all the driving. Not like it wasn’t out of the ordinary. Calum, when it was the two of them, would normally drive. Occasionally, Jada drove them back depending on if it was to and from the airport or to a place that she wanted to keep as a surprise. And they weren’t even sure how it became a thing between them that Calum did a lot of the driving. But somehow it had.

“So we’re either doing hard liquor,” Calum starts as he settles back into the driver seat. The door shuts before he gets the last part of the sentence out, “or we’re doing wine.”

“I mean any alcohol will go over well. But those are her favorites. Paul holds no allegiances.”

A hum sounds around them as Jada connects her phone back to the aux cord and presses play on the playlist again. Calum hates to walk into anyone’s home empty handed. Especially not her parent’s house where he’s going to be housed for the next week and a half. He’s met her family a handful of times, mostly for family gatherings and holidays. And they’re great people, inviting him with open arms. But he still didn’t want to get too comfortable and have them thinking he didn’t appreciate them for all that they did.

“Should we—” Calum starts as the song fades out and then pauses. If Jada and he go grocery shopping with her mother, he can still get something decent for the family.

“Should we what, babe?”

Calum shakes his head. “Nah, it’ll just be easier to grab it when your mum goes shopping. But we should tell them, we’re coming in earlier than we originally said.”

“I texted Ma already. Once we get on the road. I think Paul is still out on his shift? I don’t know; there was some vague mention of him still being out.”

Calum nods, reaching over to rest a hand on her thigh. The material of the leggings are soft and he strokes his thumb, almost absent-mindedly. But he doesn't miss the way that Jada presses her legs together just for a moment at the first contact. He glances over and takes in the sight of her dark purple stained lips and the way her hair tumbles down her shoulder in waves. Sure, she was wearing a wig--Jada would be hard pressed to dye her own black tresses platinum blonde--and he knows beneath it is the cap and beneath that are the cornrows she’d had a friend do for her a week ago. But it’s all Jada and that’s all he could ever ask for.

Time’s left behind again. Calum listens to the tap of her nails on the phone screen as she moves from one playlist to another. He knows because the silence stretches on longer than the time between songs. “Christmas music or more vibes?” Jada asks.

“Whatever you want,” he returns, squeezing at her inner thigh.

“Hmm,” she starts. “Maybe we need some villain origin story music right now.”

Calum giggles. “And why might you say that?”

“Because you’ve got your hand in places that are dangerous,” Jada states, leaning forward just a little to adjust the volume on the dial.

“You weren’t saying that last night,” Calum returns, dropping his voice a little. And there wasn’t much talking if Calum’s going to be honest. He’d gotten in later than he wanted from the studio. And it wasn’t even like a small window of time either. Jada and he agreed to meet at the house at 4 so they could get some last minute things for travel. Calum needed body wash and Jada needed to reup on makeup wipes, brush cleaner, and studier bags for all the hair and makeup things. Tasha, the third oldest, had a choir performance and asked Jada to help her get ready for it for tomorrow.

Realistically, Jada could’ve done all of that on her own. But Calum wanted to tag along mostly because he had spent too much the rest of the week deep into work so that him being on an extended vacation wouldn’t hold up any mixing. And truthfully, he’d missed being around Jada. She made him feel calm in an instant. Calum was on track to make it out of the studio at 3 and even be home early, until the studio lost power--and it was only for a couple of minutes. But it’d been in the middle of a recording. The system took forever to get back up and by the time Calum was able to lay the track he’d already lost 45 minutes. And right as he thought he could slip out and only be an hour or so late, an accident occured on his way there that set him an additional two and a half hours behind.

To say that Calum was pissed when he walked through the door of the house was an understatement. If it weren’t for Duke and Jada’s calming presence, Calum was sure he would’ve lost his head and maybe all his shit too. But there was Jada, wrapped up in a blanket at the kitchen bar, and soft music played over the Bluetooth speakers and she’d made his favorite dish of hers. Not his favorite dish of all time—only his mom seemed to be able to craft it just right, though Jada had tried and was getting closer each time she did. And he absolutely wanted nothing more than her at that moment. So much so, that he’d closed the microwave right as she’d attempted to warm up the plate fixed for him and picked Jada amup wordlessly. The kisses on her neck told her everything she needed to know.

“It was kind of hard to when you put in work like that,” Jada chuckles. “I mean you ate like you were starved and I did have a plate ready for you almost.”

Calum’s laughter is soft as it escapes his chest. But he doesn’t say anything else in response. The conversation dies down, but he keeps his hand resting on her inner thigh, enjoying the pressure when Jada crosses her legs and traps his hand. It’s not tight hardly, as much as it is just the weight of her that grounds Calum. He could easily slip his hand out if he needed it for anything. But the highways are clear for the most part. There are some cars, but nothing that worries him.

“It’s the second left,” Jada navigates, turning the volume down on the playlist. The last half an hour passed in relative silence. Jada apologized for the lack of entertainment, but with them closing in on the house, she had to make sure her mom was ready and that Tasha sent her the pictures for hair and makeup. And it was to also double check that Tasha hadn’t changed her mind and Jada didn’t need to grab anything else that she might’ve left behind.

Calum signals for the turn and once the neighborhood opens up in front of them, he reclines back into his seat. “I have no clue why I can’t remember that turn in particular,” he murmurs, cruising to a stop at the four way. “Everything else I’ve got like a piece of cake.”

“All of the houses look almost the same. It’s easy to confuse it,” Jada offers.

Passing one more block, Calum signals for the right turn. He slows down knowing the third house on the left is all he needs. Two cars are already in the driveway, so he continues down to the next available house, pulls in and then backs out to park on the street in front of the house rather than across the street. From the street, the house does sort of look like all the others. But it’s what’s on the inside. Calum can almost hear the music from one of the bedroom’s blasting even from inside the silent truck. The TV in the living room most certainly would be on too. Jada’s childhood home was always alive in ways that Calum missed from his own childhood, though he hadn’t quite gotten used to the idea of five children. But the four bedroom house seemed to still be standing.

With their bags, for personal stuff, makeup, and Christmas presents, they climb up the driveway and Jada knocks. “I’m too lazy to find my key right now,” she laughs and Calum shakes his head. And it was probably less laziness as it hinged more on the fact that not only across her body were her packed bags and in one hand she had the rolling hair and makeup case, but because he was also carrying one of the two Christmas present bags. Finding keys in this mess was a priority zero at the moment.

The door swings open soon after, Vicky, the youngest of the bunch greeting them. “Jada! Hi Calum!” she grins, stepping to the side. “Ma! Jada and Calum are here!”

“My God, girl,” Jada giggles stepping into the house. “You gon’ be taller than me if you don’t stop growing.” Jada, standing at 5’8, was not an easy one to surpass, but Vicky definitely looked like she was giving Jada a run for her money. Calum would guess she was nearby 5’6 and only at 12–which was the crazy part.

The two of them hug each other as much as possible and Jada shuffles further into the house. Vicky greets Calum with a side hug. It’s not too much longer before Tasha, Serenity, and Destini come barreling down the stairs of the house. The Christmas presents are at least slipped under the tree, freeing up enough hands for proper greetings.

Jada’s engulfed in hugs. The mass of girls sway for a little bit and from the kitchen, Jada’s mother, Roslyn, comes, arms stretched out to join in on the reunion. It’s a joyous sound that fills the house and Calum grins watching them. It’s always like this--as if they hadn’t seen each other in years rather than months. But it always warms his heart.

Calum knows better than to interrupt this moment, so he hangs back making sure the door is fully closed and locked behind him and slips out of his shoes before proceeding further into the house. “Calum!” Roslyn shuffles over to him a big hug too. “I’m glad you could come too!”

“Thanks so much for having me, Roslyn. It means a lot,” he returns, wrapping one arm around her.

“Of course, of course!” They release each other and Roslyn smiles brightly as ever. And it’s easy to see where Jada gets her smile from. “The drive wasn’t too long now was it?”

“No, traffic was good to us today.” Thankfully it was today. If truth be told, Calum’s glad he got caught with the accident yesterday rather than today. A nightmare of a situation if he ever had to conjure such a thing to life.

“Good. I swear sometimes getting anywhere in this city is almost like a nightmare. But I’m sure you know all about that with LA traffic.”

“The most nightmares of all nightmares,” Calum returns with a small laugh. By this time the huddle of girls has separated a little and the rest of Jada’s sisters greet Calum as well, side hugs mostly but with lots of grins.

“Where’s Paul?” Jada asks.

“Work still. I’m sure it’s nothing too bad,” Rosyln returns. Twenty plus years he’s served and Roslyn only had hope to cling to in the end. “Alright, we got a lot to get at the store. So whoever wants to join, get ready now and we’ll meet back in half an hour,” Roslyn tells the group. “And that way y’all two can get settled a little bit too if y’all want to join.”

“Ma, of course we’re coming with you. You go overboard if no one’s there to stop you,” Jada returns but makes sure to seal the sentiment with a kiss to her mother’s cheek. Jada leads the way up the stairs to her old room--the only thing that had changed was the paint color since she’d moved to LA.

“We still love you though, Ma,” Serenity, the second oldest, says in addition to Jada’s comment behind Jada and Calum.

The stairs creak just a little as they climb but inside the room, they drop their bags down either along the wall of the closet or on the bed itself. Some of her dance trophies are still lining the walls and Calum finds himself imagining what Jada might’ve been like back in high school, what his life could’ve looked like if she was there then. But more than anything, he’s just glad she’s here now. Resting one knee on the bed, Calum stretches his arm out across to her. Jada looks up, a small hum falling from her throat to let Calum know he’s caught her attention.

“I love you,” he whispers.

Her smile softens, eyes oozing nearly, and her whole face lights up when she speaks. “I love you.”

Jada carefully pulls the sweatshirt off and swaps it for a light cardigan before fishing out her wallet and keys. It’s strange to be home. And maybe it was really only strange in the sense that in some ways, she felt--in addition to all the love that was here--she was still playing a role. As the eldest out of the five of them, Jada always sort of felt like she was setting an example. By the time Serenity was born, Jada was already nine. Her mom, and Paul--her stepdad but all her sister’s biological father--relied on her in ways at the time she was proud to fulfill but she could see in reflection that they’d used her in ways that made her feel like a third parent. And sure, Jada could stay mad at them, but more now with the distance did Jada realize how much coming home felt like stepping back into that role.

But Jada thinks about seeing Serenity, Tasha, Destini, and Vicky and the way that it’s always been them against the world. That no matter how shitty it got, they always had each other and it reminded Jada that she was never alone in this world. That even though it took her a whole ten years to unlearn all the motherly tendencies she’d accumulated, her sisters would always be her biggest supporters.

From the cracked door, both Calum and Jada hear another booming voice. “I leave for the night shift and then I come back to see some heavy rollers,” Paul teases. “Jada and Calum made it okay, I take it?”

With a snicker to each other, Jada shakes her head. Paul’s always been a jokester, but he treated her nicely and it was all Jada could ask for really after so many years with just her and her mother sticking it out together. While he could never truly fill the wounds Jada felt about not having her biological father in her life, Paul did what he could. He was there for the dance competitions, first boyfriends and girlfriends, heartache. He knew he couldn’t do it all, but having someone like Paul was just what Jada needed.

“Only heavy roller I know is you, Paul,” Jada bellows, walking out of the room. Calum smiles watching her. He follows behind, after getting his phone plugged into the charger. They descend back down the stairs and Paul turns in the dining table chair, still in his uniform. The twenty plus years as a paramedic hadn’t creased his face just yet either, not as he grins spotting Jada.

She embraces him while he stays seated, dropping a kiss to the top of his bald head. “That’s one hell of a night shift,” Jada notes.

“Duty calls. Someone’s gotta keep an eye out. Besides, I worked this shift and I was able to get off tomorrow for Tasha.”

“So I’ll be sure to make every bit of noise I can after we get back.”

Paul laughs, “It’s a good thing I sleep like the dead.” When Calum peaks into his peripheral vision, Paul waves him in closer. “How’s it hanging, Calum?”

“Can’t complain,” is Calum’s return.

“Anything you want to add to the grocery list?” Roslyn asks, sliding it in front of Paul. “Rest of us are going in a few.”

“Hey, Calum, can you help me with something?”

Calum looks up at the sound of name and finds Destini at the foot of the stairs. He nods, stepping towards her. “What’s up? Something too high up?”

Destini is silent as she glances back to Jada, Roslyn, and Paul. She ascends the stairs and Calum follows, unsure of what is going on, but doesn’t ask for more details just yet. They get upstairs and Calum still follows. They pass Jada’s old room and continue until he sees all her sisters tucked away in the room Destini and Vicky share.

“Oh, uh, is this where you all tell me you secretly hate me?” Calum jokes.

Serenity laughs. “If we hated you, you’d know.”

“We need your help with someone for Jada though,” Tasha explains.

Calun nods as he speaks, “Count me in, whatever it is.”

“Well that was easy,” Vicky teases.

Calum tries to keep the blush from his cheeks, and wants so desperately to keep his cool. But it’s impossible when it involves Jada. “Look at him!” Serenity hollers. “You’re blushing, Calum.”

“By God, you’re hollering is going to ruin this whole surprise, Serenity,” Tasha huffs, lightly smacking her older sister on her arm. “Keep it down.”

“What are you planning?” Calum asks, knowing there’s nothing else to say to divert the attention.

“Ma wants to do this big thing for all us being in town, make a really big dinner. But she doesn’t want Jada to know she’s doing that. So we need to distract Jada during the grocery shopping a little and then on Sunday too.”

He thinks he can do that. Jada had a few places that she liked to frequent when she came home. Sunday’s weren’t an ideal day to go out bar hopping but with Christmas happening on a Saturday, he thinks he can distract her with a lunch date instead. But if all her sisters stay, he wonders if it would raise any suspicions. “How long do y’all need her out of the house on Sunday?”

“If me and Tasha can stay behind, a few hours,” Serenity answers.

He turns his attention away from Serenity just for a brief moment. “Destini and Vicky, I’m going to need you two for Sunday. Jada talks about wanting to take you two out on her visit, so I think Sunday might be the day.”

The two youngest nod eagerly. “You can count me in,” Destini tacks on. Vicky shrugs, but nods her head too, the beads on the ends of her braids clicking with the action.

“Let’s aim for as close as 10 as we can get and then we’ll try to be back around 4,” Calum looks to Serenity and Tasha.

“Think we can do it?” Tasha asks.

“Make it 5 and you’ve got a deal,” Serenity bargains. She’s mostly thinking about the amount of baking they have to do.

“You drive a hard bargain, but deal,” Calum concedes. He’s not quite sure how he can keep Jada out that long without making it look suspicious, but he’s hoping Destini and Vicky can help with that. He knows getting brunch or lunch for the group will take a decent amount of time. But not even Jada has the stamina for a lot of shopping. However, he’s praying because Destini and Vicky tag along that they can help lengthen out of the time. Possibly even taking them out for manicures or pedicures.

Tasha turns to Destini and Vicky, “Y’all can’t say anything when you’re out with them Sunday. I mean, not a word.”

Destini rolls her eyes. “Do you know which sister you’re talking to? I was told I didn’t talk unless someone spoke to me until kindergarten. I think I can keep a secret.”

Serenity giggles and looks up to Calum. “Keep close to Vicky, she can go a mile a minute.”

“I-I am right here, aren’t I?” Vicky asks, glancing around the room as if someone outside the five of them will answer. “Or am I just invisible?”

“You are right here and that’s exactly why we’re saying this,” Tasha answers. “But seriously Vicky you cannot spill the beans on this. Pinky promise me.” Tasha holds out her pinky. Her nails in some ways mirror Jada’s---red for the holidays, but aren’t as long.

Vicky sighs and wraps her pinky around. “I promise.”

“Alright now. Finish getting ready so we can go. Ma’s going to come bellowing in a minute.”

“Thanks for helping us, Calum. We appreciate it,” Serenity states as he, Serenity, and Tasha step out of the room.

“Of course. Happy to help,” he returns.

Serenity and Tasha head off towards their room. Serenity’s attending a local college, but stays home and Tasha’s gearing up to finish her college applications here soon--or that’s what Jada reported to Calum. She’s looking for things in state, but a little bit out of the area. From what Calum’s gathered, there might be one or two out of state options, but he’s not entirely sure. He’ll have to ask. The stairs creak again and he’s quick to duck back into Jada’s room, trying to settle onto the edge of the bed like he’d been there the entire time.

He listens to the footsteps but they go to the opposite end of the hallway and he exhales, knowing for at least the moment, he’s spared. He checks his text messages and nothing’s terribly pressing. Another set of footsteps can be heard and this time, they do lead right into the room. Jada sits on the edge of the bed, right next to Calum, resting her temple on his shoulder. “Where you disappear to?”

“Destini just needed help getting something from a shelf. Then I got distracted,” Calum chuckles, holding up his phone to show him just browsing Instagram. Jada stretches up to kiss his jaw. “Oh, and do you sister-nap Destini and Vicky on Sunday for the day? Brunch maybe and depending on what they get for Christmas, I’m going to assume shopping is also on the agenda. We can take them out and give Roslyn and Paul some quiet.”

“Oh, a man after my own heart via my sisters. Yeah, we can take them out. Destini’s a picky eater so we’re going to need to make sure wherever we go is good with her.”

“Food allergies?”

“No, she’s just picky. And she’s big on textures. If it’s slimy, she won’t do it. Imagine us trying to have a fish fry. She won’t do fried okra or fish. She’s kinda okay with crab legs. And Lord have mercy if you try to fix her a burger as a substitute with a tomato on it.”

“So we won’t go to a seafood place and no tomatoes. Got it.”

When they get rounded up, Roslyn takes Destini and Vicky in her car. Tasha tags along with Serenity and Calum and Jada bring up the rear. Jada pauses at the driver side door, holding her hand out. Calum sighs, but drops the keys into her palm. “I’m still getting the door for you,” he states.

“I’d expect nothing from my Prince Charming.”

The drive’s easy, though there’s a bit of a congestion when they go to turn up into the parking lot of the grocery store. As Calum steps out of the passenger side door, Serenity and Tasha both pass him a look from outside their car. He nods--game time for phase one. “Ma, can we get lemon cake and icing?” Destini asks.

“Oh, yes!” Jada tacks on. It’s her favorite and though she definitely wasn’t expecting any cakes at Christmas, she won’t pass up on the opportunity to aid Destini’s agenda.

Roslyn, grabbing a basket, hums. “We’ll see.”

“Ma’s favorite phrase,” Jada chuckles. Calum slides up next to her, threading his fingers through hers. Like they normally do, because Calum knows if he gets too far from her, be it either him lingering to read something or getting distracted in any other right, Jada will come searching or wiggle her fingers to catch his attention. It’s a silent signal, the wiggle of her fingers. One that Calum when he first saw it, had no clue what it meant. But when he didn’t respond, either by catching up or by reaching out, Jada paused, took a step back and grabbed his hand. She said nothing else, but paused with him in his attempt to decide between the original or chocolate flavor of graham crackers.

But now, Calum’s trying to figure out how he can distract her just enough in this store. What possibly could he get them into now that wouldn’t seem too much like he was trying too hard? The first and most obvious course of distraction is the alcohol. But he can’t come across as too eager. “Should we get a second basket?” Calum asks.

“Sure, just in case we want anything extra too,” Jada agrees and then grabs one just before they fully pass the entrance.

Calum wiggles his fingers and she looks at him, a bit of a smile gracing her lips but her eyes say it all, I can push a cart. But she steers it in his direction. “Dying to drive something, huh?”

“It means you go at my pace and I don’t get the silent wiggle.”

“Grocery trips are precise missions,” Jada giggles. “We get in, we get out.”

“And you’re about to learn why we’ve all adopted that mindset,” Serenity teases, turning to them. Destini and Vicky have settled in at either side of Roslyn, and are already tapping on her hips to get her attention at the bright displays.

“You and Tasha were just as bad,” Jada returns, “so I don’t know why you actin’ like you a saint now.”

“I’ll have you know I’ve given my life over to Christ,” Serenity states though she laughs as she says it. With Roslyn leading the way and Serenity and Tasha behind, Calum for a moment misses the trips to the grocery store with his own family. He hated them at the time. It felt like it always took ages with his mother carefully inspecting everything she put into the cart. But now, he gets it. It becomes a bit of a ritual, and even though most of the trips annoyed him, there was always a piece of his heart that enjoyed when he and his mother would have silly debates in the produce section or when she’d entrust him to pick out the pasta for the house.

As the entire group dives deeper into the store, Calum notices the glances from Tasha and he knows it’s time to go in for his first move. With the wine aisle in front of them, Calum pushes the cart forwards, making sure to dodge Vicky as she hops to the song playing overhead. “We’re going to need a definitive answer on alcohol,” Calum states.

Jada gazes just at the length of the aisle and knows for certain it’s going to be a tough call. Calum lets her take the lead and isn’t surprised when champagne is the first added to the cart.

“For your mum, not you,” he teases.

“Hey, hey, look. It’s for everyone,” she grins in return. “I don’t know if I should do red wine or rosé. But Ma does love a good red. Why couldn’t I have been a wine lover? Ya know, something classy. But nah, instead I’m out here sipping whiskey straight.”

“You say that like you didn’t just put champagne in the cart.”

Jada waves him off, but spies a bottle of Pinot Noir that looks promising. As she reads over the label, Calum spies some beer. “Is Paul a beer guy?”

Jada hums. “Well, yes and no. It’s not his favorite, but he’ll have one every now and then. He’d appreciate it if you bought some though. You’ve got good taste in beer so I feel like you couldn’t miss.”

“But you hate every beer I’ve given you. And it’s a good thing Ash isn’t here. He riots at my beer selection.”

“Will you hate me if I do both?” Jada returns.

Calum, having been facing the beer selections, turns to look to Jada. “A rosé and a red?”

“Yeah.”

Serenity is twenty-one, so Calum’s sure someone will definitely polish the bottles off over the course of the week. “Nah, might as well.”

Once Jada places the two bottles into the cart, Calum softly wraps his hand around her waist. Jada leans into the touch. They stand side to side, Jada facing one section of the aisle, Calum facing the other, but still connected. And it’s nice, like this, just in the moment to lean into Calum and catch the familiar musk of his faded cologne and days old nicotine still clinging to the fabric of the green flannel. It’s these moments that mean a lot to Jada, when the world can exist around them, but they are safe inside a bubble. Jada knows it’s not a real bubble, anyone turning the corner could spot them. Calum left the hat behind, though he had tied up his hair into a little bun in the back. But he’s Calum; visible in ways that Jada couldn’t quite comprehend, but also understood so deeply in her bones.

For either one of them was no escaping who they were—her Black and Calum Indigenous. And because of that they constantly felt exposed. While Jada knew and understood just how they were hypervisible, she couldn’t understand the fame. Not in a way that she couldn’t understand how it worked, but more like she couldn’t understand what hypervisibility meant because of fame. The way that Calum, whenever she mentioned going out and doing things, always took a bit of a deep breath and reached for a hat. It was a shield. Not that it ever hid him completely, but it hid him enough.

She wonders if how she felt about not wearing rings and necklaces is how Calum felt without his hat. Knowing that she wasn’t actually naked without it, but with it feeling complete. And maybe that was inaccurate as well.She wore jewelry like a blanket, a thing to provide comfort and Calum wore his hats like armor, like a shield. But right now, that shield has become each other. Her face pressing into his chest and him squeezing at her waist has given them the illusion of being hidden away.

“I need your help with beer, love.”

“And you trust me why?”

“Because I trust you with everything,” Calum returns. And he means it. It’s not even just being there, or reminding him of the little things. But he trusts her to fucking care, even if it’s just him trying to decide if he should splurge on the chocolate flavor of graham crackers or the extra donut from their favorite bakery. She cares with everything in her about him and even though it should worry him, like how could someone care that much about him? He’s so glad someone does. And he’s happy it’s her.

“Do not go sappy on me in this grocery store. Do not,” Jada warns but pushes up and turns a little. She keeps one hand on the basket and Calum snugly wraps his arm around her waist.

“Okay, no sap. Beer instead.”

By the time Calum and Jada settle on a case of beer, her family’s long gone. He heard them for the first few minutes of their departure, lingering on a neighboring aisle. But now he can’t hear them. So they wind up a few aisles with no luck before walking along the main straights. Every so often, Jada stops, tugging on Calum’s hand to show him something. Most of the time it’s something intriguing like a new flavor of chips or looking down at the candy aisle. He gives in and adds a couple things of sweets into the cart but gives her a very pointed warning, that she wouldn’t be risking cavities on this trip. Jada’s sweet tooth is unmatched and if left unchecked will cause more problems than it already had.

Calum’s distraction seems to work well enough because when they reconvene with the rest of her family, it looks like most of the shopping is nearly done, if not done. “We got the lemon cake!” Vicky cheers, holding onto the box mix.

______________________________________________

“Tasha, if you don’t--” Jada huffs, pulling the eyeliner away from her face.

“It’s just weird, I’m sorry!”

Calum hands over the small stack of folded up printer paper to Jada just as she starts to reach for it. She’d prepped it, along with the rest of the array, eyeshadow, blush, foundations, primers, brow pencils, concealer--damn near everything covers every inch of the dining room table. “Thanks, babe.” She fans at Tasha’s face to keep the tears from running and ruining anything.

“You’re welcome,” he returns and then glances back down at his phone after it buzzes. It’s a text in the groupchat, but it’s not pressing. So he brings his gaze back up to Jada, still fanning over Tasha’s face. The choir’s performance isn’t for another couple hours, but they started the hair and makeup adventure early in the day to make sure that Tasha had plenty of time to still get dressed and get to the school early.

“It’s always my waterline,” Tasha mutters.

Jada’s careful as she goes back in to finish. And Calum watches the way she buffs brushes and taps excess powder. It’s a dance or at least that’s the way he sees it, as she blends out colors or gently flicks her wrist to get the stroke of the eyebrow shape just right. He doesn’t hear the music or the timing, but Jada does.

“Can I see?” Tasha asks once the last bit of the setting spray settles into her skin.

“Not until your hair is done,” is Jada’s quick reply as she starts pulling the duck clips holding the curls in place. Hair tumbles down and Jada’s quick to separate and fluff as necessary.

Tasha’s bangs fall just over one eye, but the curls hang loosely on her pressed hair. Destini, who ventures pass the dining room table on her way to get a snack, stops for a second. “Well, well, well,” she teases, a wide grin on her face, hands settling onto her waist.

“Destini, keep on,” Tasha returns with a laugh.

“You look good, sis!”

Satisfied with the lay of the last curl and pinning the last star shaped hair accessory into place, Jada digs up the mirror buried under pins and brushes. “What do you think?” she asks.

There’s a beat and Calum watches as Tasha’s stunned expression turns into a grin, and she squeals. “Oh my god!” She spins around, wrapping Jada up in a hug. “Thank you!”

“Of course. Anytime,” Jada replies softly.

“Ma! Look!” Tasha shouts up the steps.

Calum stands from his seat at the table. “She looks amazing.”

“I can do a little something something,” Jada returns. The two of them are silent as they clean. Calum moves the dirty makeup brushes off the side while Jada wraps up the cords to the straightener and curling iron. And it’s somehow harmonious as they slide past each other around the dining room table.

“I’m holding three palettes and I can’t seem to find where your bag went,” Calum chuckles. And when he turns to the right, he spots Vicky with the bag in her lap. “I would ask what you’re doing, Vicky, but I have a feeling I already know.” She grins. But allows him to place the palettes into the bag. The rest of the clean-up is quick and relatively painless.

“Ma! Dad! I’m dropping Tasha off to the school early. I’ll be back soon.” It’s Serenity and just beneath it he can hear Jada, Destini, and Vicky talking too. Calum hadn’t even heard Paul today, though he can’t be faulted there was plenty of noise from the girls. And though at moments, Calum’s not sure how anyone can survive living with this many siblings, part of him wants it. A big family--at least in theory. In practice, he’s sure he’ll really only want two and maybe three kids.

“Let’s get those outfits on, ladies,” Jada states cutting above the internal hum. Destini and Vicky walk in front of her, headed to the stairs and Calum watches her go. Knowing she’ll undoubtedly get sucked into helping them finalize their outfits. Destini won’t have much to change. But Vicky will have a thousand options to consider.

Is this what he could potentially be looking forward to? A house, maybe not as full as this one, with kids of his own, in line with Jada as they get ready for something or another and Calum has helped press and pin hair or taken twists down to redo them without the frizz. And he knows that one of them should get ready first to help entertain the lot while the other is the last one to get ready.

“You look starstruck there, Calum. And I know I’m a cool man, myself, but you’re the rockstar,” Paul teases, stopping just a couple feet in front of Calum.

“Oh, um, just thinking,” Calum returns. But there's a knowing smile as Paul finishes his venture to the kitchen.

Right as Calum heads up the steps to get ready for the performance himself--requested from Jada that he could not show up in a t-shirt and flannel, though it’s everything he wants to show up in--, Destini and Vicky stand right outside their door. Vicky in a dress, green and silver for the festivities and Destini in dress pants and a glittery blue blouse. “Lookin’ good, ladies,” he smiles at them.

“Keep him around. I like him,” Vicky states to Jada.

“The current plan is to do just that. Alright, I’ll be down in 30. Please keep all shirts, skirts, or your bottoms of choice clean,” Jada states, watching the duo bounce downstairs. When she glances up to Calum, she notices the half smirk on his face. And it’s not butterflies that light her stomach--not a nervousness by the look. It’s something more like a warmth--feeling of being wrapped up in a blanket on a cold night. She’s happy. As plain and as simple as that. She’s happy with Calum. She can imagine a whole life with him--three kids, two dogs, baking snickerdoodles for the school’s bake sale and fighting with another mother over who’s recipe is better.

And sure it all sounds silly in some ways. She’s 28, settling into her career in SEO marketing--something she had mostly fallen into after graduating with her Bachelor’s degree and following the start-up companies littering the LA area. She was late to the college game after working 6 years in retail in the surrounding area to help with finances at home and saving up for college in the first part. There was nothing glamorous about that life. She would be the first to admit that, but that didn’t stop her from desiring it. And there was nothing right now that was stopping her from desiring it with Calum either.

“Are you sure I can’t wear a t-shirt?” Calum asks. It’s mostly in jest. He knows her family takes these events seriously and he would never be the one to disgrace such a tradition. But he also likes to see Jada sweat.

“Calum, I swear. I ain’t asking you to put on a suit. But if you ruin Tasha’s pictures in her senior year performance, she will curse you. And I won’t have much of a mind to stop her.”

He wraps Jada into a hug, encasing her waist with his arms. “I won’t dare ruin her photos. I just like to see your feathers ruffled.”

It’s a huff and an eye roll that returns his comments, but when Calum goes in for a kiss, Jada doesn’t reject him. “Besides,” Calum adds in a whisper, lips brushing over hers. “I specifically brought those plaid pants you love.”

“You’re killing me,” she laughs in an exhale, flashing back to their first meeting.

Jada’s college career wasn’t particularly glamorous as she spent a lot of time in class, studying, or working. And over the four year stretch, she worked as a bartender at a few clubs. One in particular was high end, but owned by the same management as the two other ones she’d worked at previously. The owners did crawls of their own bars to make sure it was all proper but on one such visit, the owners came on a night that Jada was working. They’d ask the manager about her and wanted her to work a few private events at the higher end bar. It was double pay and Jada didn’t have enough time to blink before she was saying yes.

It just so happened that one of the private events she agreed to work was a release party for Calum and the rest of the band. Given the crowd, Jada wasn’t trying to intercept who’s album was releasing, she only needed to serve drinks and keep any rowdy participants in line. But it had seemed that even with her head down attitude to work, she’d still managed to catch the attention of someone. She noticed something was happening, when Calum--who was nameless at the time besides the affectionate Plaid Pants that she and a couple other bartenders had labeled him as--continued to come by the bar. He’d order something occasionally, but other times he’d just pass by, as if trying to signal something. But it clearly wasn’t landing until he leaned into the bar and introduced himself to Jada.

Jada opens her eyes, to find Calum still embracing her, nose gently bumping over hers. “But thank you, I think I’d be happy to be murdered by such an item of clothing on your ass.” They share another kiss, mostly gentle if the hands squeezing at waists aren’t counted. The touches give away everything that the kiss doesn’t--a deeper desire to feel flesh of each other, but knowing right now might not be the best time to give in to such longing.

Jada places her hands on Calum’s chest, feeling his hands sliding to her ass. “You are dangerous, but we can’t be late.”

With a heavy exhale, Calum rests his forehead against hers. “Right, right. But I wish we could be.”

“I am well aware of how much you wish that,” Jada teases, but pushes her hips into his crotch with a wink. The erection is beyond evident and Calum can only laugh as she walks backwards into the bedroom. “And you’re going to hate the dress I brought with me for tonight.”

Calum groans as he steps through the threshold, closing the door softly behind him. He doesn’t even want to attempt to conjure up any idea of what she’s brought because he knows his imagination won’t do her any justice. “At least tell me there’s some imagination to be spared by the dress.”

“There’s a little bit. There’s a little bit, love.”

“You’re the one asking for trouble,” Calum returns as he finds his black t-shirt. Technically, it violates the rule Jada made but he knows it’ll work well enough especially when he adds the chain.

“I’m always asking for trouble.” The sentence is punctuated by a slap to his ass. Still bent over to grab something from his bag, he watches Jada shuffle to her side of the room.

“You better be glad I like it, darlin’.”

But what he loves even more is when he turns to the sound of his name and Jada’s holding her hair out of the way for him to zip up the dress. It’s navy blue with dots of silver in it--almost like stars or a galaxy splattered all over the dress. He finishes getting his bracelet hooked around his wrist and drags the pads of his fingers over her spine. She forfeited a bra so the entire area is exposed to him and it’s all too enticing to press into her skin.

“That is not my zipper,” she laughs, but a bit of a shudder stutters her words.

Calum obeys the original command, and drags the zipper up, encasing her fully into the garment. Her expressed gratitude is soft, and maybe it’s just the fact that Calum’s so enwrapped watching her walk over to the jewelry she laid out early and the way her hips stretch out the material of the dress. It’s just short enough that her walk hikes it up, but long enough that even it still keeps just enough hidden away. They can’t be late, but he really, really would love to push the boundaries on how late they actually can be. He knows he promised Tasha he wouldn’t miss a second and that’s the only thread keeping him back.

“I can feel you staring,” Jada laughs, both earrings hooked into the pierced hole.

“Then you also can feel what else I wish I could do right now.”

“I know, I know.” As she says it, she feels his presence closing in. There’s no mirror, but she knows the gaze. The way his eyes are casted downwards, the lick of his lips, the hitch in his breath. And when hands slide across her waist and kisses decorate her neck, Jada knows. She knows just how much she wants to give into him and how much he wants to give into her. So she lets him, resting backward into his chest and bringing an arm up to hold onto his neck, Jada sighs into the kisses he paints into her skin.

Calum inhales deeply as the perfume invades his nostrils. “Can we spare five minutes?”

“If I spare you five, we’re going to need twenty.”

His hum is interrupted by a small tuft of laughter. “True.” Five minutes isn’t nearly enough time for what he wants to do to her. But he trails a hand up, over the contour of her breast and lightly holds onto her throat. There’s no real pressure, just a resting spot for him and then he continues up after a beat to her jaw to tilt her head back even more.

Her lashes look too long to be real in the moment before she blinks open her eyes and dark brown irises are staring back up at him. “Love you,” she whispers.

“I love you,” Calum exhales. He loves her with more than exists in the tips of his fingers as a summation of the great surface area of every ounce of his being. He loves her like chocolate melts in a pocket. It’s slow at first. You think you’re going to keep an eye on it, that you know just how fast it can melt and you’ll catch it. But the truth of the matter is that it sneaks up. You’ll wander off to do something else and then by the time you come back to it, it’s everywhere. Soaked into every fiber of whatever clothing it was left in.

And that’s how he fell in love with her--putting her just in one corner of his life, believing that he could contain her to that, that he wouldn’t let his defense down and she’d get in, but when he turned away and turned back, she was everywhere. Jada was every fucking where, in the fabric of his lyrics and book recommendations. She was in his cabinets separating glasses from mungs from cups and in the sticky notes she left on his fridge or on the bathroom mirror. Jada was in his fucking socks because sometimes, when Calum found a hole wearing in a beloved pair that he refused to throw away until they became unsalvagable, she’d stitch different shapes to fix the holes. The action rendered everything keepable--he told himself he’d stash them all into a box and show their kids one day. Tell them not to throw out anything their mother patched for them because they’d miss it when it was gone.

“Everything okay, love?” Jada’s quick to spin in the embrace. Her hands tenderly cup his cheeks.

And it’s only then that Calum can register the tears that have started to form. He nods, a bit of smile forming on his face. “I’m okay. Sorry.”

“Want to talk about it?”

“It’s nothing to worry about.”

Her eyebrow arches. A silent question that asks him not to bullshit her. Because it’s everything like Calum to be swimming in emotion and never articulate it in the midst of the wave--only after. And while she couldn’t always fault the action, it still worried her. Still made her feel shut out sometimes. Calum holds her cheeks in return, careful just in case she’s put on any makeup.

“I am not hiding anything, Jada. I swear it.” And he pauses. “Well, not anything detrimental.”

That’s all she’s going to get. For right now at least. So she nods, stretching just a little to kiss him. Her thumbs are quick to rub over his lips though. “So I don’t leave gloss behind.”

“If it’s the one with vitamin E, you might as well leave it. I love that stuff.”

“I’ll bring it with me just in case,” she teases.

As Calum and Jada descend the stairs, dressed, Paul’s already at the foot of the stairs. “I was just about to call for y’all.”

“My zipper was being finicky,” Jada lies and kisses his cheek once she’s on level ground. “As the eldest, I have to be snatched for the gods and for Tasha’s sake.”

Paul chuckles. “She’d make sure of it.” Roslyn, Paul, Destini, and Vicky ride in one car. Serenity takes hers and Jada drives Calum’s vehicle. Though he again opens the door for her.

The school looks less like a school than Calum could ever conjure the image of one to look like. But the parking lot appears to be packed and growing. It’s his first time seeing Tasha perform. 2018’s Christmas was still too early to claim as a Christmas as a couple. But 2019 was more solid, even with the challenges. Jada had plans to see her family and Calum had made plans well in advance to as well, so they agreed they’d go to the respective homes. But he heard about the way the choir was the crowd drawer. From what he can see right now, as they walk up to the doors, Jada had not lied about it being a large crowd.

Outside the auditorium, Calum spots tables selling bouquets. “At intermission, remind me to get Tasha a bouquet,” he whispers to Jada.

She pauses in her stride, forcing Calum to stop too as he’s holding onto her hand. “They sell fast. C’mon.” He nods and Jada calls for Destini to hold two seats for them.

The line’s long. It’s clear the entire town adores this performance and makes sure that they are certain to witness it. In the line, he can hear an elderly couple talking about how they refuse to miss a year of the Christmas performance. Calum’s worried they’re going to miss Tasha’s opening solo--his promise. And now he’s glad Jada kept firm about if she granted him the five, it would be the world’s largest fuck up.

They manage to secure a big and bright bouquet and have to scurry back inside. A tad more difficult thanks to the skinny heel of Jada’s pumps, but not impossible due the nights she spent walking the strip. The lights dim just as Paul’s hand is waving for them. Thankfully, their seats are right near the end and they only have to scoot by a couple. Calum takes the end seat next to the couple. After the director of the program introduces the schedule and provides a little bit of background, the curtain lifts and in front of the risers is Tasha. Jada squeezes his knee and he kisses the top of her head.

Tasha’s solo nearly brings the house down. Her ending note rings out around them and for a few seconds, Calum can do nothing but sit stunned. The cheer erupts, people standing around him and he’s careful of the bouquet to stand as well and cheer along with them. “You did not tell me your sister could sing like that,” Calum says to Jada close to her ear.

“The girls’ got lungs enough to come for your money, Hood.”

“And she can have it,” Calum laughs.

The younger singers perform immediately after. Different reindeer antler styles decorate their heads, shy as they go, but endearing all the same. Calum clutches his chest after they leave the stage and Jada laughs, leaning into his arm. “They were so cute!” he whispers.

“Very cute. My baby fever just spiked.”

The songs continue on, ones about Rudoloph and Sleigh Rides, all the way to ones about wishing for snow. As the closing performance comes to an end, the auditorium roars with their applause. The walls echo and bounce back every whistle and yawp sent its way. The sound is infectious, finding its way deep into their chest and shaking their bones. But once the curtains close, Jada spins to Calum. “Mission: get a great spot for photos. You’re the front man.”

“I am not ready for such responsibility,” Calum returns, but shuffles out behind the couple at the end.

“Give me the bouquet. Hold my empty hand. Grab Vicky’s hand, and stay agile. It’s going to get rough.” Calum steps behind once in the aisle and hands over the bouquet. Though he’s yet to see this side of their family outings, he’s not shocked at the system. When someone reaches for his left hand, he glances back to see Vicky and she’s already reaching back for Destini’s. Oh, this is a tried and true system, he gathers. Jada grasps his right hand and all he can do is keep up. There’s no time for questions.

They weave through the huddled mass of other families and visitors. A few quiet ‘excuse me’s get thrown out. But for the most part, the second Jada spies a pocket, she goes for it and the rest of them slip through with shy smiles as they go. Jada’s surveying as she walks, head glancing left and right. But soon they break free of the auditorium and into the hallway. “Right,” Jada calls back and Calum starts to the right unsure of what he’s supposed to do with that information.

They veer to the side and once Jada’s satisfied with the pocket, she stops. “Who’s got their phone?” Jada asks. Her’s is in her purse, but she’s got hands full.

Roslyn pulls up the rear and waves her phone. “Where are we?”

“Next to the bouquet stand. Close to the…” Jada pauses, looking over Calum’s shoulder, easy to do with her heels. “Men’s bathroom.”

“Got it.”

“That was the most tactical exit, I’ve ever seen,” Calum jokes. “And I’ve been escorted through festivals.”

“Nothing like a Miller exit,” Vicky teases. “We got it down to a science.”

“You speak like you have experience.’

“I’ve led a Miller exit once or twice in my short life,” she boasts.

“Literally twice,” Destini tacks on.

“You’ve only done three,” is Vicky’s rebuttal.

“And soon both of you will have so many you won’t be able to count,” Paul cuts in. “Now, let’s take a 5.” Both girls nod and Calum would ask what it means to take five, but it’s interrupted by the gushing of Roslyn. Calum spins to find Tasha walking up to them. Her grin is wide and she gives the one friend she’s walking with one last hug before scurrying up to the group. Her heels click with the movement.

Roslyn gets to her first, a giant hug encasing her daughter. “You did so good, baby!”

The rest of the family gets hugs in first and when she looks up to ask Calum a question about her performance, a giant bouquet of red roses stares up at her. “OH. Are-are these for me?”

Calum nods, holding them out for her. “Yeah, they are. You were fucking incredible.”

“Thanks, Calum. I-I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“The bar is now so high,” she teases, looking to Jada. “You’ve made it impossible for, like any other guy now with Calum.”

“Good--the bar should be high. Now, who’s getting pictures with you first?” Jada grins, whipping out her phone from her purse.

The rotation goes smoothly. The first ones are just of Tasha and her bouquet, then her, Roslyn, and Paul, then individuals with each of her sisters. It seems to be a silent language as one person steps up next Tasha and then once they’re picture is snapped, they step off to the side. But he assumes this kind of efficiency comes with time.

Tasha grins, taking the phone from Jada. “One with you and Calum.”

“We didn’t just absolutely deliver an Aretha Franklin-esque performance. You did,” Jada returns.

“For memories,” comes Tasha’s rebuttal.

Calum steps into the frame. “C’mon, love. It is what she wants.” He holds out his hand for Jada and she obliges, taking it.

“Prom pose,” Tasha directs and Jada turns in front of Calum. His hands settle on her waist. There’s no flash to let them know, but Tasha’s face says it all once the picture’s been snapped. “Calum, you look like you’re in pain.”

“I’m not exactly fond of photos,” he answers honestly.

“But you do like my sister, right?”

“More than like,” he returns and mostly means for it to be quiet and for Jada, but he knows Destini caught it when there’s fake gagging behind him.

Jada faces him at the confession and smooths her hand over the chest of his t-shirt. “Wanna say that to my face, stud muffin?”

At the nickname, Calum laughs, pulling her into his chest, not quite thinking about the setting they’re in. “Oh do not call me that. Please spare me.”

“There we go!” Tasha calls out. “Now we just need a family photo.”

Calum kisses the end of Jada’s nose, but reaches out for the phone. “I can take it.”

“Uh, and how do you think you’re going to take it when you’re in it?” Tasha returns, spinning to face him again. She’d turned previously to find someone who might be free to snap a photo of them.

“I thought--you said family.”

“Yeah, and by the way you’re looking at my sister, you are family.” Tasha taps on the shoulder of an older woman. “I’m sorry. But do you mind just snapping a quick photo of me and my family?”

“‘Course not, sweetheart.” The woman takes the phone and waves for everyone to bunch in. But Calum’s still reeling from Tasha’s statement. By the way you’re looking at my sister, you are family. Was it that obvious to everyone else? Was he just playing a game that was unnecessary? And not that this was a game, but he didn’t think everyone else saw it. The way he could feel himself falling more and more in love with Jada--the chocolate now soaking into the structure of his bones. He manages a smile just as the woman counts down in front of them. Tasha thanks her and looks over the photos. She sends the ones she likes to the family group chat for everyone to save if they should choose to.

“Can we go out for dinner?” Tasha asks. She knows there’s lots of leftovers, but she wants something more than just the family dinner after such a performance. .

“I’ll take you out after we eat at home,” Serenity jumps in. “Paint the town red.”

“She’s only eighteen,” Roslyn returns. But it’s too late, Serenity and Tasha are already giggling into each other and pushing forward to the entrance of the school.

“Do you want to go out with Serenity and Tasha?” Jada asks. Calum, reflexively wrapping his fingers around Jada’s, doesn’t say much. He doesn’t say anything at all. No, it couldn’t be that obvious. Tasha just liked to tease like that, he thought. She was like Jada--she’d use humor to say what she really wanted to say.

“Baby?” Jada tries again and then pauses when she gets no response. Calum gets one extra step ahead of her and stops when there’s no motion behind him. “Calum?”

“Yeah? Yes?” he returns, catching onto his name.

“Are you okay? Back at the house and now--I’m worried.”

He takes the step back up onto the curb of the school. Jada’s not necessarily a nagger. She doesn’t keep asking, but she doesn’t forget. It was something like a catalog--she kept it all with her even when it was no good to her. And she’d hold and hold until the thing would pop, when she could no longer hold onto the thing anymore. There’s only so much time he’d have before she pops.

“Does everyone see it?”

“See what, Calum? You’re scaring me.” Jada didn’t want to admit that she was scared. The relationship had been going well. They met every challenge as best they could and then what they had didn’t seem to perfectly work, they continued to tackle it head on. But only two years of officially dating and the eight months or so where they were still trying to understand what exactly was going on, felt too fast--how could Jada be imagining marrying Calum? How could she be picturing children? She hardly had a career in the grand scheme of things. She had just moved in six months ago. There was no way. No way could she have imagined all those things in such a short period of time. But it felt so right and if Calum wasn’t picturing that--why would he be doing anything of this after this point and time?

“No, no,” he steps in closer. “It’s nothing bad, love. I promise. God, I promise it’s not bad.”

Jada’s heart thunders in her chest. “Then-then what is it? Does everyone see what?”

“You’re like--” he can’t say chocolate. It’ll sound crazy. “Does everyone see how crazy in love I am with you? Because I really thought I was great at hiding it, but I mean, even your sister is calling me family and I just can’t help--is that--” Is he really going to ask it like this? He’d planned for something more, better. A cute proposal in their backyard with Duke holding the ring on his collar.

“Is that, what?”

“Is that something you want? To be a family? Married? With me?” Married--what a funny word. He couldn’t believe he was uttering it to her like this on the steps of a fucking high school, but here he was.

Jada’s whole face lights up. And it should be more of a shock to Calum’s system. But only relief floods him--he can see the ‘yes’ forming on her lips before she speaks. The way she nods her head even though he’s cupping her cheeks. “Yes, it’s something I want. With you.”

“With me?” Calum questions again.

“Yes, with you, silly.”

And he’s kissing her. Because there’s no one else he can picture growing old with. Sure there were fears--would he fuck it all up and somehow end up repeating the fate of his parents? But the thrill of getting it right fueled him. It’s Jada saying yes to him. The one person who he knew down to his bones wouldn’t give up on him. And quite possibly, it’s just his own hope and faith, but something in his gut tells him, she wouldn’t. Not without good reason at the very least and it isn’t his intention to ever give her a reason-good or otherwise- either.

Calum’s the first to pull back from the kiss. “Please know that this isn’t--like, I want to propose properly,” he sighs, breathing heavily from the excitement. “A ring. Duke, the whole shebang.”

“Or this could be you proposing properly,” Jada laughs. “Besides, we’re in Vegas. Do you think anything is ever proper here?”

“Your family would literally kill me,” he laughs in return. “I’d much prefer to live.”

“What my family never knows won’t hurt them. But,” Jada starts and then pauses to give Calum another kiss, “all I’m saying is there’s no faster place to get married than Vegas.”

Calum can’t help but chuckle. Jada’s not impatient, but she’s not traditional on a lot of things and Calum does prefer to keep things more secretive. “Just no Elvis impersonators and I think I could be sold.”

Jada takes a small step back. “Are--as much as I’m okay with getting married in a day, I know things are different for you. So please know that I’m okay with waiting. I just--”

“Hey, hey, now. No going into a tizzy. We’re going to be okay.”

“No going into a tizzy,” Jada repeats with a nod.

“We don’t have to decide right now. We should sleep on it, don’t you think? Have a proper conversation.”

“You’re right, you’re right. I just--I’m excited.” And as she says it, she wraps her arms around Calum’s waist. “I’m relieved too. That we’re at least on the same page.”

“It is a good thing. But tomorrow, let’s talk.”

“Tomorrow,” Jada agrees and the two of them share one more kiss before stepping down off the curb and towards the car. “Did you want to go out tonight? Tasha’s itching and Serenity’s going with her.”

“Tasha’s only eighteen, so I have a feeling her options are limited.”

“She’s most likely going to wind up at a hookah lounge. She’s not quite ready for Little Darlings,” Jada says with a small bit of laughter and Calum knows. He’s maybe shocked that Jada’s aware. Though, he really ought not to be.

“We could go--” he starts but Jada’s laughter quickly cuts him off. “What? Why are you laughing?”

“Just the thought of us two minutes go basically agreeing that we want to marry each other and immediately following that conversation with one about going to one of the most famous nude clubs in Vegas.”

“Okay, but nowhere near or in that sentence am I hearing the phrase, ‘I don’t want to go to a nude club.’ So I think it’s safe to say that our agreement to marriage isn’t about to fall apart.” He opens the door for Jada and helps her into the truck.

“But it’s only us that could have that conversation.”

“So, is it a yes or a no?”

“Bubs, I love you. But I can assure you with every ounce of my being there are better clubs for us to visit.”

“And how can you be so sure of that?”

“Because I’ve been to better ones. But we can’t go tonight if we’re going with Tasha and Serenity.”

“I think I’m more intrigued by these better clubs you’ve been to if I’m honest.”

“Well, hop in, good lookin’. There’s the night of your life that awaits you.” The drive back to the house is quick and mostly quiet. The radio plays softly and when they enter the house, the laughter wraps them up.

Calum starts to regrets his second plate when he notices Jada come back down the stairs with her platform thigh high boots on. He didn’t really intend to go in for that many seconds. But Roslyn was huffing about how she was so close to clearing one dish of deviled eggs that he felt obliged to help such a predicament. And maybe he helped himself to more than just the eggs when he got up because there were corn muffins still staring up at him. And he couldn’t resist those either.

“Uh oh, he looks down for the count,” Jada teases as she blots over Tasha’s face in preparation for their departure. “I think it might just be you and Serenity tonight.”

“Oh, but I really wanted to hang with you tonight,” Tasha states.

“Go. Save yourself. Have fun,” Calum mutters reclining into the cushion of the couch. He is absolutely not moving anytime soon, not when he shuts his eyes. “I--I overdid it on plate two.”

“You’re sure you’re going to be okay? I was supposed to show you around.”

“I wouldn’t even make it to the first club,” Calum returns. “Next time, love.”

A kiss is pressed into his cheek before one lands on his lips. “I’ll text you when we get there and when we’re leaving.”

“Thank you. Sorry about this.”

“Oh, no need to apologize. The itis catches everyone at some point. Just like you said, next time I can show you some clubs.” He hums, a bit of a nod rocking his head and then the door opens and closes from his left.

Calum anticipates staying on the couch for a little bit. He still wants to help clean up the kitchen, but the longer he stays seated the closer and closer sleep feels. A losing game to play, Calum’s sure. But he plays it anyway. And it’s only a particularly harsh clink that forces him upright.

“He lives,” Vicky giggles.

“Barely,” Calum returns before pushing off the sofa. Almost all of the dishes have been collected and washed and he mentally curses himself for staying on that sofa after feeling the first tug of sleep. “Need anymore help?”

“Oh, no, baby. We’re good. Thank you,” Roslyn returns. “The second you sat down after your second plate, it was all over.”

“You’d think I’d learn my lesson after the last time.”

“We never do,” Roslyn laughs, placing the new clean pot onto the rack.

“Calum! Your phone’s buzzing! It’s Jada!” He looks to the living room, to spot Vicky holding up his phone.

“I’ll be right back,” he tells Roslyn and half jogs to get it. “Thank you, Vicky.”

“Uh huh, you’re welcome.”

“You are so nosey!” Destini returns, curling up into the corner of the couch with her book in front of her.

“Jada said she’d text him when they got there! And her name was just on the screen.”

As Calum reads the text, sure enough Jada confirms their safe arrival, he smiles a bit. He’s glad that Jada can spend time with her sisters, like she wanted. “Thanks for the heads up, Vicky.”

The house sits a bit more quietly with the kitchen clean and the dishes put away, TV playing and slowly people get ready for bed. Calum steps out of the bedroom to rejoin the current movie marathon that Vicky spontaneously decides to host. But just as he checks the time on his phone and for any texts from Jada, he can hear something rattling down the hallway. Destini comes out of her shared room with a blue bag in her hands.

She pauses when she notices Calum watching her. “Well, this was going to be an ambush. But I’ve heard that you paint your nails sometimes or at least get them done sometimes.”

It’s the serious tone that she has that causes Calum to crack, giggling as he looks back to the bag. “And if I do?”

“I’m your gal,” Destini states proudly. “I’ve got black, red, green, blue, purple, orange, yellow, green and I have different shades inside those colors too. I have holo toppers. Ma doesn’t like it when I use the chrome powders too much because they can get a little messy. But for you, I think she can make an exception to the rule. I can’t have gel yet. But next year after I turn sixteen, I’m supposed to be able to buy them and the lamp so I can do gel manicures.”

“Lead the way into your salon,” Calum states but does reach out for the bag to carry it for her.

“A perfect gentleman. Right this way.” They head down the stairs, through the living room and back to the kitchen table. Destini grabs the roll of paper towel from the counter and he turns on the light.

“Can I look through your colors?”

“Yep!” Destini returns, dragging over a smaller trash can.

It’s almost unending as he pulls out the bottles. Some icy blues, bright reds, and burgundy greets him. He keeps going and finds dark greens too alongside some shades of sage as well. Glitter polish peek out and he pulls out small containers of powders--the chrome he figures. By the time he gets all the bottles pulled out, Destini is fully set up opposite of him with stickers and other nail accessories too, bowls, cuticle pusher, and oils. “How long have you been collecting all this?”

“Oh I want to get my license and work at my auntie’s shop,” Destini returns. “I practice on my sisters and there’s some stuff like extensions that I still need to learn. I’ve done one gel tip extension set. But I still need a lot of practice.”

Calum nods, torn between a blue and the black. “Well,” he says, putting his hands onto the towel in front of her. “I am more than happy to be live practice.”

“Any color in particular?”

Calum shakes his head. “Nah. I trust you.”

“Can you do me next?” Vicky asks, pulling up to the table as well. Whatever movie she’s picked is clearly now forgotten for now at least. He’s sure they’ll return to those after this detour.

Destini nods. “Sure. Let me just get his colors and then you can choose.” Destini pulls out a black and a purple polish alongside a purple chrome powder. Calum watches her assemble all her necessities and settles in. He makes sure to turn his phone face up, so he can see anything that comes in and not interrupt her work.

The night doesn’t even feel that long, and maybe it’s because the music has rattled their bodies in ways that makes the silence feel like time is slowing down again. Jada checks her phone to see it’s nearing midnight. Serenity and Tasha walk ahead of her back to Serenity’s car. Calum had responded to her initial text about making it to the strip, but the thread sat silent between them. We’re on our way back.

“Jada Renee! Come move your slow ass,” Serenity shouts.

“Serenity Taylor!” Jada hollers back, but starts back up to catch up. It’s early in the night if any of them are honest. But they know with Christmas on the horizon and only being a couple days out, they need not push the boundaries of their mother’s patience. So they call it an early night.

The living room lights are still visible from the windows as Jada walks up to the house and she’s shocked that anyone would even still be downstairs. But as the door creaks open and the house opens up to the three of them, it’s quite clear that the bodies are downstairs but everyone’s asleep. Calum sits on the far end of the couch, head dropped into the couch cushions. Next to him are Destini and Vicky, both sprawled out of the cushions. Vicky’s tucked into his side and Destini rests her head on the arm of the couch nearest to the door. Jada tiptoes into the house and Serenity and Tasha are as quiet as they can be behind her in their heels.

“We’ll take them,” Tasha whispers, pointing over Destini and Vicky. Jada nods and walks over to Calum. The two youngest barely wake enough to stand but with Serenity and Tasha supporting their weight, all four of them make it up the stairs.

Calum wakes, right as Jada goes to reach out and stroke his cheek. There’s a moment where they both freeze, hoping not to startle the other. Then Calum smiles, taking her outstretched hand and tugging her forward. “Hey, baby.”

“Hi, love. I see you hung tough with the party animals.” Something black catches her eyes so she looks down at his hands. Every finger, minus the ring finger, is painted black. His ring finger sports something that looks a little blue, a little green, and purple--almost shifting through the spectrum. She wonders if it has chrome on it.

“Destini,” Calum answers, watching her gaze. “She did really well.”

“Yeah, last I heard it was her latest career path of choice. Ma’s not too happy about it, but if it’s what Destini wants, she ain’t gonna have much choice in the matter. C’mon, let’s go to bed.”

Calum hooks his hand onto one of Jada’s thighs, right on the cusps of the top of the boot and her actual flesh, and pulls her into his lap. “Tell me about your night first.”

“I smell like smoke, I’m sorry.”

“You say that to the smoker in this relationship.”

“That is true. We just went to the hookah lounge like I told you and we walked the strip a little. Not too many places will let Tasha in, but she had fun, I think. Once she turns 21, there’s plenty of damage we can do together.”

Calum chuckles, thumb stroking at Jada’s inner thigh. A bit of her lace is lifting and he runs a finger over it. “You brought your glue right?”

“I’m probably going to take this down tomorrow. See if I can sucker my mom into washing my hair for me.”

He nods. “When Tasha turns 21 and the three of you can legally terrorize Vegas, I’ll make sure I give the city a call as a heads up.”

“We’re not that bad.”

“Bad enough,” Calum states, kissing her cheek.

“What about you? How was your night?”

“Mellow. It was nice. Vicky headed movie night and Destini painted nails. Roslyn and Paul called it a night pretty early on; I think at some point between the first and second movie. And as you can see, the three party animals didn’t make it past 11 or so. I think I was the last one to fall asleep.”

“Sounds lovely,” Jada returns, running the pads of her fingers over his forearms. “The entire time we were out Tasha gushed her heart out about the flowers you bought her.”

Calum’s not sure how to respond. Because part of it is simple courtesy. But the other part is a bit of pride. He always wanted to treat not just Jada right, but her sisters right too. There was no way to Jada that didn’t involve her sisters. “I’m glad she likes them.”

“I can’t wait to marry you. And not like I can’t. But I think that’s a day that I’ll cherish deeply.”

“And to think, you wanted it to be tonight.”

“It can be tomorrow for all I care.”

“We’ll just have to see come tomorrow. But I do want to run it by Roslyn and Paul first. It’s important to me that they’re on board too.”

Jada nods, turning her head to look at Calum. His gaze is casted down, brows pulled together. She knows that look. “What are you thinking about?”

“That I want to call my mum tonight and figure out what size ring you wear.”

“I can’t break Joy’s heart.” It’s mostly an internal thought meant to be no louder than a whisper.

But in the silence and closeness that they sit, Calum hears it. “You’re not going to break her heart. She adores you. So does Dad and Mali.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to take anything away from them.”

“Which is why we’ll talk to her. It’s early in Australia. We’ll get it all straightened out.” It’s a nod that he gets in return. “No going into a tizzy, remember?”

With an exhaled tuft of laughter, Jada nods again. “I know, no going into a tizzy.”

Calum plants a kiss to her cheek and taps her thigh. “C’mon. Let’s get you a shower and I’ll call Mum.”

They clean up the downstairs and turn off the lights as they go. Jada settles onto the edge of the bed to peel out of the boots and Calum gathers her towel and washcloth. He pauses at her pajamas. “Christmas PJ’s or your blue ones?”

“Blue ones--we save Christmas ones for Christmas Eve. Also, I am stone cold sober. You don’t have to do all this.”

“I know,” Calum states and then kisses her temple. “Wanted to.”

Jada spies the lacy pink underwear neatly settled onto the top of her pile. “And I can see why.”

“They look good on you,” Calum defends.

“And off me too, I’m assuming,” Jada returns, recalling all the times he’s peeled her out of them. Calum laughs as she leaves to go to the bathroom.

The FaceTime call rings, a blurry screen greeting Calum as he reclines into the pillows and bedframe. He’s hoping it’s not too early for a call. But he needs to let her know. It rings for a moment longer and then finally connects. His mother smiles. “Hey. Let me look at you,” she greets.

“Hi, Mum. How are you?”

“I’m good. How are you? Is that Jada’s room?”

Calum nods, flipping the screen and showing off the walls. “Yeah, it is. Today was Tasha’s choir performance. So we did that. Then Tasha, Jada and Serenity went to the strip. I stayed back and Destini did my nails,” he flips the camera back around to show her Destini’s work.

“Oh, those look great.”

“Yeah, she did really well.”

“What’s the rest of the week looking like?”

“Jada and I are taking Destini and Vicky out on Sunday after Christmas.” He pauses. Because truth be told, depending on how the conversation tomorrow goes, who the hell knows what’s going to happen. “I-I called to talk to you about something, Mum.”

“Uh huh, now here we go. Okay, let me get my coffee first and then I’m all ears.” There’s a shuffle and Calum hears the glug of coffee into her mug of choice. She settles down into a chair, phone resting against something as she holds the mug in both hands. “Alright, what is that you want to talk about?”

He feels like a child again as his mother’s gaze pierces his through the screen. “So,” and there’s no other way to say it. He can’t preface with a first, or second, or third. “I--I wanna marry her, Mum. And I mean like, I’m not just saying it. I really want to marry her.”

Joy smiles, watching Calum. She can see it, in the way he can’t help but smile when he talks about her. “That’s wonderful. Does Jada know?”

“Yeah, we talked briefly today and have plans to talk more tomorrow. And I don’t know. It might not be well received if we get married now and have the spectacle later, ya know? I don’t want to alienate you or Dad.”

“Son, you have fallen faster and harder for Jada than I’ve ever seen you with anyone else. The only thing that would disappoint me is you not doing the things that make you happy. We can celebrate and do the spectacle at any time for you two. But do what’s right for you? You’ve always made choices that worked out. Doesn’t mean the lessons won’t be hard. But if you love her, they’ll be worth it.”

“I don’t want to fuck it up, ya know.”

“We’re always human, sweetheart. I know you’re afraid because of your father and I.” A silence settles--one that lets Joy know that she’s got the nail on the head. “What does your gut say?”

“That I do want to be with her. I want the whole run of it--kids, dogs. With her. And I know it won’t be easy. But I don’t want to imagine it with anyone.”

Joy catches the use of ‘want’. Calum could imagine something else--he had choices. And everyone did--every single person had choices to make. But he was choosing Jada. “Then you don’t imagine it with anyone else. Don’t choose anyone else.”

“You make it sound so simple, Mum. And we both know it’s harder than that.”

“Oh, I never said it would be easier. But this can be. This can be the easiest thing you do in your life right now.”

The question lingers and as the door creaks open, Jada gives a quick wave. He smiles and looks down to his phone. “What’s the hardest?”

“Keeping it--making the choice over and over and over again. But with the two of you, I believe.”

___________

It’s hard not to wake up early the next morning early. Between the hiss of something cooking downstairs and the muffled voices of the rooms surrounding, sleeping in seems like something impossible. But it’s not something Calum ever really intended to do. His phone buzzes in his hands--a message from his father. News is you’re looking at rings.

Yeah, pops. You talked to Mum?

She called earlier. I figured you’d be sleep. But call me when you get a moment.

Calum watches Jada, face pressed into the satin material of pillowcase. The noise must be normal for her--something that even her subconscious blocks out. And he figures she can be spared a few extra minutes in slumber. He slips out of the bed and slowly opens the door. In the hallway, he can hear Destini and Vicky’s voice from downstairs. Serenity and Tasha are still in the room next to them.

“Hey!” His dad greets.

“Hi Pops. How’s it going?”

“You sound like you just woke up. You doing alright?”

“Yeah, it’s,” Calum wipes across his screen. “It’s about 7:45 here. Still early.”

“And what in Christ's heavens are you doing up?”

“Ring shopping,” Calum answers sheepishly. “And I still need to ask her mom and stepdad.”

“Aye! My boy! I’m proud of ya son. Jada’s lovely.”

“Thanks, pops.”

“Well, I ain’t lookin’ to blether not without some pints at least. But I just want to pass along my congrats. We’ll have a party soon too, I hope.”

“Yeah, I’ll have more details soon. But I won’t forget you or Mum or Mali. I promise.”

“Aye, aye. I know you won’t. It’s the fame, I reckon. Trying to keep the noise level down?”

“Well, this really came up just yesterday. So we still gotta consider all our options.”

“And you ain’t got a ring? Boy!”

“I know, I know. But it’s all gonna work out.”

“For you I hope so.”

“A ring?” The shout comes from down the hall a little ways and when Calum looks to his left, he spots Serenity and Tasha right outside their door. Both with bonnets still on, but dressed clearly for the day. “Did we just hear what we heard?” Tasha asks.

His father laughs. “Oh, have I ruined the news?”

“It’s her sisters, Pops. Can I call you back?”

“Yeah, yeah, of course! Talk to you later, son!” The call ends and Calum waves for them to settle and steps in closer. He’s not sure if they’re going to shout, but he’s praying to whatever gods that exist, they don’t.

“I think we did,” Serenity returns. “Does Jada know?”

Calum nods. “I still need to ask Roslyn and Paul permission. It’s all happening kind of fast. But yeah, she knows.”

“Oh,” Tasha starts.

“My,” Serenity continues and in unison, they say, “God.”

“After breakfast, you and I are going out, Cal.” Serenity says it with finality, as if there’s nothing Calum can do to refute it. And two days from Christmas, Calum’s not sure he’s going to have much luck.

“I-Can we make it lunch?”

“Sure. But you will not have my sister with no basic ass ring. I absolutely refuse. Unless you want me dead and you dead too. Because if she kills me, I’m coming back to haunt somebody.”

“No, not in the slightest,” Calum states. Serenity descends first but Tasha lingers behind. “You tagging along?” he asks. He’s sure she will.

“I-Can we talk?”

“Yeah, of course.”

She waves him back into her room and he stands along the wall. A spot between the start of her floating shelves and the door to the room. She looks down to the floor before looking back up to Calum. “This is like so stupid. But I just wanted to say thanks. For being you. And for the bouquet again.”

“You’re welcome Tasha. You really were phenomenal last night.”

“Thanks. But really, it means a lot. And Jada seems happy, like really happy for the first time in a long time. And you don't have to do all that you do--letting Destini do your nails or like dealing with the madness of all of us. Or even helping us with Sunday. I don’t know. I just wanted to say thanks.”

It’s obvious. It’s so fucking obvious and no matter how much Calum wanted to hide it he’d never be able too. But that doesn’t stop him from being speechless. “You don’t--really, I’m happy too. But thanks. For noticing.”

“So, when do you plan on talking to Ma and Dad?”

“I have a feeling I need to do it today. Like, as soon as I can. But tell me one thing. What are my chances of dying today?”

“Are y’all two married yet?”

Calum shakes his head no. “If it were up to Jada solely, the answer would be different.”

“Then I think the chances are low, but not zero.”

“I never think the chances hit that low.”

Holding out her arm, Tasha nods for Calum to tag along. “C’mon. I can sweeten up Paul. I’m his favorite.”

Calum looks back to Jada’s bedroom and for a moment, wishes he could at least be there when she wakes. But he knows he needs to ask without Jada there. Hooking his arm through hers, he and Tasha trot down the steps. A conversation, which Calum has a suspicion he already knows the subject about, looks like it stops and Roslyn pauses at the stove, facing the two of them completely.

“Tasha, can you take a look at the cinnamon rolls? They’re proofing. Good morning, Calum.”

“Good morning, Roslyn.” Yep, the secret’s not really a secret anymore. And even though, he can tell Roslyn is sizing him up, he can see the edge of a smile threatening her face. “Can I talk to you about something?”

“Can you talk and cook?”

He nods. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Serenity, let him man the pancakes.”

She takes a step back and lets Calum take her spot. “I tried to warm her up. But she’s good,” she whispers as she turns to help Tasha.

Calum waits for the bubbles on the pancake in the pan and then flips it. Roslyn turns over the sausage in her pan. “Is Paul still here?”

“Who’s calling my name?” Paul asks, stepping back into the house, bags in hand. “I got the orange juice, Ros.”

“Thank you, babe. Can you come here for a second?” she calls out. And it’s the swish of a plastic bag that let’s Calum know that Paul is closing in.

“Mornin’ Calum! Oh, she got you working hard, I see.��

“Good morning, Paul.”

They give each other a nod and Paul slips through to put the juice in the fridge. “Whatcha need, babe? I ain’t forget nothing now, did I?”

“Calum, here, wants to talk to us,” Roslyn relays.

“Well, we not talking over this hot stove. Des and Vicky,” he calls. They come in from the living room, having already set out all the table settings and glasses. “Y’all take over for Calum and Ma for a minute, okay?”

“Okay.” They return in unison and Calum pours the batter for the next pancake into the pan before handing the spatula over to Destini.

“Oh, dude, it’s not chipped!”

“Nah, you did good,” he returns.

“I’m trying a new top coat and I was a little nervous. I wrapped the tips like I’m supposed to, but sometimes new products won’t layer right.”

With a hum of recognition, Calum follows Roslyn and Paul to the table. And he wasn’t nervous before--not when he had something to do. But now his hands sweat a little. He’s done things on a massive scale, performing to thousands of people before. But that’s miles different than this. Roslyn sits and Paul stands behind her chair. Oh this is so much worse. Objectively, a thousand times worse whatever crowd he’s performed in front of hands down. How is he even supposed to start here? A thank you? Just outright asking for their permission?

“You look a little nervous there,” Paul starts.

“I, well, I am a little,” Calum answers. But he exhales through his nose and figures thank you’s never hurt. Or least, it’ll buy him some time to sort out the words he wants to use. “First, thank you for letting me into your home. I know it’s a squeeze, but I appreciate you two embracing me each time so openly. I know it hasn’t been terribly long. And let’s be honest, I-I can’t exactly act like it’s surprising news either. But I want to say that the last two years I’ve spent with Jada have been nothing short of amazing.”

Calum pauses, taking another deep breath. He can already see the tears in Roslyn’s eyes. When he looks at Paul, he’s tear-eyed too. “God, it shouldn’t be this hard,” he laughs, feeling tears stinging behind his own eyes. “I know I want to marry your daughter. Like there’s no other way to say it and no way to be more tactful. I already get teased about it, but I love her. In all simple truths, I know I want to spend every last second I have on this planet with Jada, but I would never want to do that without your blessing first. I know how important family is to her and I’d be remiss not to ask you. So do I have your blessing to marry Jada?”

“Oh my god, I’m so close to driving the two of you to the fucking courts myself,” Roslyn jokes, popping up from the seat. “Yes, Calum. I already consider you family.” She wraps him in a hug, swaying back and forth. It’s a tight hug and Calum’s glad for it. His own chest feels like it’s going to cave in without the support to hold it together.

When Roslyn lets go, she keeps one arm around his waist. Paul, still standing behind the chair, seems almost frozen. The tears are running down his face and there's pride on his face, but still something like disbelief tinging it. His chin wobbles a little and it’s almost like all the air catches in his throat. “She was my first daughter. I wasn’t there for the first few years, but she was my first. I was there to help teach her how to ride a bicycle. She came to me first to come out. She called me Pappa Paul still then too. And I am incredibly blessed to see her grow up. But to find a man like you--that’s something I prayed for, for all my girls.” Paul finally takes a step out from the chair. He’s a bit slow to close the distance between them. “Calum--you’re everything I’d want for my daughter and a bit more too. And Jada’s capable, make no mistake. Girl’s got some horns on her once she’s settled onto something. But I think the true honor is knowing that she’s in great hands. Take care of my little girl, okay? Please? She won’t always make it easy, but she makes it worth it.”

Calum’s vision swims and he blinks to clear the tears. They well back up again and he nods. “Of course, Paul. I’m happy too,” it’s choked as he says it and soft. But when Paul hugs him, Calum knows it was heard.

“Where are the tissues?” Destini asks.

Tasha hands her one, clutching the box in her arms. All their attempts to pretend like they weren’t listening immediately stopped the second the triage settled at the dining room table. Serenity turned off the burners to keep anything from burning and Tasha found the spare box of tissues from the cabinet.

“Fuck, if I don’t have a love like that, I don’t want it,” Serenity teases, dabbing under her eyes.

Jada leans into the railing of the stairs, shoulders shaking with her own tears. And when Calum excuses himself to the spare bathroom on the first floor, he spots her. She’s not even attempting to hide herself. “How much?” he asks, pivoting his course and starts up the stairs. “How much did you catch of that?”

“I swear I wasn’t--” she hiccups, “I didn’t mean to. I was headed back up actually and then--” Another hiccup interrupts her. Calum settles onto the step next to her, arms wrapped around her shoulder. “And I guess I came down after your whole thing. Because I heard Ma say yes and I hadn’t-- I hadn’t even noticed I stopped calling Paul Pappa and I just broke.”

Calum nods, holding her close to him. She shakes against him and he does her best to soothe her. It takes a minute or so and when she gets still enough, Calum encourages her up. Her eyes are red and her cheeks--dark like the rest of her--are clearly stained. “He loves you no matter what.”

“I-I know, but that has to hurt though.”

“Let’s get to the bathroom, okay, love.” He leads them up the rest of the stairs. The one that creaks no matter how much weight you try not to put on it still creaks on them and when they get to the landing, Calum turns in the direction of the first bathroom.

Jada rests against the wall, exhaling as her head rests backward. “I’m okay. That just--it hit like a ton of bricks.”

“We don’t even know we’re growing up until it happens,” Calum says, finding new clean washcloths and running them under cold water. “Look at me,” he commands softly and wipes one under her eyes.

“Is there a dry eye in this house?” Jada jokes, trying to reach for the second washcloth.

“Hey, stay still. And I highly doubt it. Serenity and Tasha are kidnapping me later today.”

“May I ask why?”

“Ring shopping,” he answers, dropping the cloth for a second.

“Calum,” Jada starts, “my only request is that you don’t buy me rose gold. But I thought we needed to talk. I know your Mum was for it but still.”

“I can still go ring shopping. Our conversation isn't going to change the fact that I absolutely do want to marry you. I just want to make sure when we talk it’s about being sure, and we’re not on different pages about kids or anything else important.”

“I want to know if you want to be closer to your family or not. You mentioned it once wanting to move back to Australia. And I know my family is here, but I think that’s also important to get straight.”

Calum nods. He did want that. He’s not sure if it’s feasible at all with where the band is currently in their career and then he’d take to take her so far away from her family too. Not ideal in any shape. But if kids aren’t in the picture for a couple more years then, they can sort it all out. “Yeah, I think that’s all worth clearing up. But don’t mistake any of that as me trying to back out of this.”

“Calum Thomas Hood, I am not scared you’re going to run away. Are you?”

“Jada Renee Miller, the thing I’m scared of is not marrying you. Because then I’d be a goddamn fool. I just--I’m scared you’re going to read my need for clear air as something else and that’s not what I want at all. I just, we’re always honest and I don’t want to start hiding anything now.”

“No going into a tizzy,” Jada states and takes the washcloth from his hand.

“No going into a tizzy.”

Jada runs water over the cloth and then wipes at his cheeks. They head back down stairs and it’s clear that everyone’s been anticipating it. But Jada tries her best not to steal looks at her sisters. They’ll grin and it’ll make her crack. “Ma, can you wash my hair after breakfast?”

“Jada, you are grown.”

“Please?”

It’s Roslyn trying not to look at Jada that lets Jada know just how much everyone is trying to keep it together. “Jada.” It’s firm, but the hint of laughter is clear.

“Ma, I know.”

Roslyn whips around, tongs in hand. “What do you mean?”

“Call it my intuition or call it a conversation. But I know.”

“Oh, that’s no fun.”

“I think I’d rather spare the man any embarrassment if he were to ask at the wrong time. So will you please wash my hair today?”

“We are not just about to waltz past the fact that your boyfriend’s talking marriage!” Roslyn declares. “No, I won’t have it.”

Calum, who had previously stepped in to help grab the plates from the cabinets, looks up and smiles over Roslyn’s shoulder to Jada. Serenity reclaimed her duty with pancakes so Calum moved in to help in another way. “Yeah, we can’t waltz past that. So, first dance ideas? Waltz? Tango?”

“That requires you to actually move your hips and shoulders more in one degree, love,” Jada laughs.

“I can dance contrary to all video proof.”

“Hmm, I’ll believe that when pigs fly or you dance,” Jada teases. “So, Ma, will you?”

Roslyn sighs. “Yeah, I’ll do it. But you have got to help clean dishes. And now tell me--what kind of dress? Mermaid? Aline?”

“Purple,” Jada laughs in returns, taking a plate from the stack on the dining room table and setting it onto a place mat.

“Jada Renee!” Roslyn calls out, snapping the tongs at her.

___________

Jada leans her head back, arms resting up on her mother’s legs as she sits on the floor. The tug of her mother’s fingers is enough to almost lug her to sleep. It used to hurt, but not much anymore. Calum, jogging down the steps, keys in hand, taps over his pockets. He has his phone and his wallet. Jada peaks open an eye. “Hat and glasses,” she calls out and Calum snaps his fingers before jogging back up the steps.

“Thank you,” Calum says as he comes back down the stairs.

“You’re welcome,” Jada hums.

He watches for a moment as Roslyn parts the hair, coats her fingers in something--it’s clear or maybe it’s got a lightest hue to it and it slicks down the flyaways, before she starts twisting the hair along the scalp. “I wanna learn how to do that.”

“I’ll teach ya,” Roslyn says, glancing up and fingers still deftly twisting strands. “It’s not hard.”

“Thanks.” He glances down to Jada and sees her eyes close. “I’d ask if she’s actually asleep.”

“I’m not,” Jada answers. Serenity and Tasha come down the stairs. It’s clear by the not so quiet debate about band color. Thankfully neither one of them mentions rose gold.

“But she is not,” Calum laughs and kneels before kissing her cheek. “No rose gold,” he whispers and she grins.

“Correct.”

Jada listens for the closing of the door and over it she hears some sort of combination of Serenity mentioning a princess cut diamond and Tasha shouting about making sure to get a matching band. “Whoa. Can we slow down? I need visuals. Keep it as simple as possible,” Calum returns.

Jada can only laugh. “That’s my family.”

__________

Calum and Jada lay, dressed in their Christmas Eve pajamas, on the floor of her old bedroom. Beneath them they can hear the voices of her family. No doubt someone calling for more cookies and someone needing more milk for theirs. But they lay, listening to the noise beneath them. Calum wasn’t successful in his attempts to find a ring. Though he snapped a few pictures of some finalists, or least what Tasha told him to take pictures of. He was not one to dismiss her expertise.

Jada looks at the duffel bag she brought with her. She knows what’s buried at the bottom of it. The box housing the band that her and Paul selected together. Once her hair was finalized, Paul asked her to come with him. And in the departure they stopped at a jeweler that Paul trusts. She anticipated it being harder, taking a much longer time. But when the man pulled out this box of bands and she spied the silver one in the back row, the inside of it carved to almost look like a braid, she knew it was the one. Platinum--she found out later. Expensive, but durable. Durability is something she wanted. Calum didn’t work a lot with his hands, but she rather have that base covered then on the unfortunate end of a damaged ring.

Jada wanted the traditional gold, but all the jewellry Calum bought himself was silver. She wanted something that would stand out, but not too much so amongst what he already had. A subtle shine and simplicity but they would both know what it stood for. Maybe it was too the fact that the second Calum started sporting it, he’d be photographed. The platinum band would hopefully keep it all a bit more secretive until either one of them felt the need to say anything.

It’s silly no doubt to hide it. But she liked the idea that she’d have it at least and keep it a mystery from Calum. Well, for however long she managed to keep it a secret.

“How many kids?” Calum asks, turning his head to her. Jada’s twists are tucked up under a gold scarf and Calum wishes that he stayed, watched Roslyn part and twist. But next time maybe.

“Three? Feels like my max. You?”

“Two--maybe. Always felt like a good number. My sister and I had each other to rely on. Also, keeps us from getting outnumbered as parents.”

“Two is a pretty good number. You thought more about Australia?”

“The band’s pretty local to LA right now. But I do miss home a little. I’d want my kids to know about it, visit. If we have kids, Mum’s going to want to come out to LA though for a little bit at least.”

“I love Joy.” It’s all Jada says but her exhale is slow. Just because they’re not moving right now doesn’t mean they won’t eventually.

“What are you not telling me?”

“I’ve never lived that far from my family,” Jada exhales. “I’d be scared to move to a new country. I’d have you and your mum. But it’s a little scary.”

Calum turns to his stomach. “It’s scary for sure. But we can always revisit it. I don’t see us trying for kids immediately.”

“I’m getting older,” Jada returns softly. The confusion that crosses Calum’s face lets Jada know she has to come clean. Jada sits up fully, spinning on the carpet to face Calum. It’s not an easy thing to admit--mostly because she’d been trying to run from it as much as she could even though she’d been on two stints of birth control and was now in takes of pre-screening with her doctors. Jada picks at the underside of her nail before casting a glance back up to Calum. “Ovarian cancer runs in my family. I’ve started the screening process for it now that I’m older. But if they detect cancer, some treatments can affect fertility. And there’s options--like freezing eggs or adopting--but yeah. I’ve always kind of pictures myself carrying my own children and I don’t mind waiting. But it does worry me. I don’t know how much time I have really.”

Calum pushes up and reaches out for her hands. “I want to give you everything you want, Jada. But I think I need a couple years before kids. And I’m so sorry.”

It hurts--she knew the possibility was very real that Calum wasn’t ready. And she can’t fault him. He’s young and probably just the mere thought of kids is enough for him to wait. “There’s other options,” she whispers. And it’s to herself, to steel the tears. There are other options. There are other options.

“I’m sorry, baby,” Calum whispers. He knew she was going more frequently to the OB/GYN. She’d told him previously it was just preventative care, but he didn’t know why. She’d played that close to the cuff.

“I’m sorry. I-I should’ve said this sooner.”

“Look at me.” When Jada’s watery gaze looks up, he closes in, forehead resting on hers. “Thank you for telling me.”

“I so did not want to do this on Christmas Eve.”

“If not now, when?”

“Christmas Day,” Jada returns with a laugh, wiping at the fallen tears. “But who knows? I could be a miracle, yeah?” Her mother was a miracle. Maybe the fates and stars would all align for her too. Maybe--there was no guarantee though. Not in the slightest.

“You could be,” Calum agrees. Because the chances are never zero, he reminds himself. They are never zero, even if they are low and he needs that hope. Jada still had a chance even if the number was low. And it’s all he has to offer--just the hope--and so they sit for a moment, knees to knees as Calum folds up in front of her.

“Still want to marry a broken machine like me?”

“Jada, you’re not broken. You’re human. So no, I wouldn’t want to marry a broken machine. But I’d love to marry the human like you.”

Jada studies his face. The way his brows knit together, trying to stitch themselves into some sort of new shape near the center of his forehead. “Can I ask what you’re thinking?”

“That I don’t want to hear you call yourself broken. I don’t like hearing it. And I know it’s not really my voice that matters at the end of the day. I know that. But I still feel wrong hearing it.”

“My therapist returns to the office a week after the new year. I set up an appointment.”

Calum nods. Her doctor went on maternity leave for a few months and Jada had gone to a couple different other doctors also in the building, but nothing had clicked. It’d been rough at first, but she hit a stride where the good days kept going. He wonders if the coming back home and now their inevitable wedding was pushing at all the stress buttons again. “I’m glad to hear she’s coming back soon and that you set up an appointment.”

“I told her about you. She asked for an update when I see her next.”

“Well, you’ll have one hell of an update, then.”

“Speaking of therapists, updating insurance is going to be a bitch,” Jada hums, gently running her nails up the length of his forearms.

“And your license,” Calum jokes. “And passport.”

“Do not remind me. God, why doesn’t the man have to change anything?”

“I mean, I could still professionally go by Calum Hood and change my last name.”

“Calum Miller does not sound as good as Hood. But you’d probably get to hide easier.”

Calum strokes his chin. “Don’t threaten me with a good time.” Jada laughs just as a knock sounds from the door. It’s been mostly open this entire time, but with most of the family downstairs, they’ve had some privacy.

Roslyn pokes her head inside and spots them on the side of the room where the closed door can hide them. “What’s happening up here?”

“Boring stuff. Debating who’s changing their last name,” Jada states, pointedly looking at Calum.

“We’ve made no decision yet though.”

Roslyn nods. “We are t-minus five minutes from starting The Polar Express. So I really hate to interrupt such a riveting conversation. But the train cannot leave the station until everyone’s aboard the train with their tickets.”

She holds out two pieces of paper, and on it it’s clear someone’s colored them gold--paint maybe-- with random letters punched into them. Or that’s what Calum’s gathered as he takes the one handed to him. “Should I ask now or wait until the movie is over?” he jokes.

“Wait for the movie,” Jada responds and stands first. “We’re right behind you, Ma.”

Calum stands and though Jada goes to move on, push open the door and continue on, Calum stops her. “You okay? That’s a lot that just went down.”

“I’m as okay as I can be right now, if I’m honest. I know kids are a lot to consider. I just dumped a whole thing on you. And expecting you to have the answer I wanted is unfair. Doesn’t make it hurt less, ya know? It’s just how the cookie crumbled. You’re allowed to feel whatever you feel and have your own fears.”

“Just know I hear you, okay? I know you’re worried about waiting too long. Would it help to start looking at other possibilities? A backup plan to the backup plan.”

“Later like, after the holidays I think I can find the brain to talk about it. I don’t think I can handle too much right now.”

“After the holidays,” Calum agrees and follows her down the stairs to the living room. The couch is fully occupied by the time they descend. Roslyn, Destini, and Vicky have claimed spots. Paul unfortunately got the night shift for Christmas Eve, but it does get him home on Christmas Day, so they’ll take that win. Serenity and Tasha have built spots on the floor, along the couch for where they’ll be settled in and one more spot is open right at the end of the couch near the front door.

“I’ll get us cookies and snacks,” Jada states and veers into the kitchen. Calum takes the hint and settles down in their spot, watching from afar as she collects everything. She makes it worth it. And she does, she’s always made it worth it. But it was like his mother had said, it wouldn’t always be easy. But it was a choice and he’d choose Jada a thousand times over if he needed too.

Jada returns a bowl of popcorn and two plates of cookies. Tucked into her arm are various bottled drinks. “I almost cracked open the champagne, since we hadn’t touched it yet.”

“Save it for tomorrow. There’s cider in the fridge,” Roslyn offers.

“I wonder where the wine went,” Jada teases, looking at the last of the red wine in her mother’s glass.

With a large gulp, Roslyn grins. “I wouldn’t know. Not the slightest clue.”

“What a shame.”

Calum helps Jada down, grabbing the bottled drinks and a plate so she can settle down in front of him. Vicky does a head count, each one of them sounding off as she touches their shoulder. “Alright, we start our departure, in three….two….one.” The movie buffers for a second and then starts to play. The light dim just a little in the house, and for a beat it’s really like Christmas. The matching PJ’s that Calum and Jada have. The house smells of vanilla and sugar from cookie baking. If it were to snow, Calum wouldn’t bat an eye--he’d call it a Christmas miracle.

The speakers shaking just a little when the train finally arrives on screen. Calum, with his arms resting by his side, reaches out for Jada and she reclines into his chest. “Do the kids have tickets for the train?”

She grins up at him, feeding him a handful of popcorn. “Yep.”

“And is this guy punching the beginning letters into them for them?”

“Uh huh.”

“Let me guess who punched the letter into our tickets?”

“If you say someone with a V in their name, you’re correct,” Jada chuckles.

“It’s all coming together. Vin Diesel. Fast and Furious Christmas edition.”

It takes all of Jada’s might not to laugh out loud and she can feel herself shaking as she attempts to stifle her laughter. After a minute, she settles and Calum’s giant smile greets her. “You’re not totally off base given one point in this movie.”

They watch the skidding of the train, the kids getting hot chocolate, sliding down Santa’s giant toy bag and when the bell is heard, the entire house erupts into cheers. It starts to come to an end as the children return to their homes and the screen freezes. Calum pauses for just a moment and then he notices people reaching up. When he glances up, Vicky hands out new golden tickets, more holes in them than their first ones.

“No, no way,” he whispers to Jada. “Are those words?”

“You’ve never seen this movie?”

“I mean, I feel like I have in some respects. But clearly my memory is stating otherwise.”

“Just wait,” she smiles. “Thanks,” she directs to Vicky when she grabs her new ticket, the one with her full word for the year on it. She holds it a bit in the light to read Joyous punched into the sheet.

Calum takes his and tries to read the others, but he can’t quite make it all out. Though he thinks Roslyn’s read Courageous. When he holds his up a little over Jada’s head, he catches the B that started his letter from the first ticket and follows the humps and lines down the page. His throat jumps when he puts all the letters together, Brother. He wasn’t worthy of that, not to Vicky or any of them, but when he looks back to Vicky on the couch, she smiles. “Brother?” he asks out loud.

She nods. “Cheesy, I know. And technically breaks the rules. But,” she shrugs. “I think it’s pretty cool to have you in the family now. You’re cool. And I’ve never really had a brother before. I have some boy cousins but they annoy me. And you don’t annoy me so don’t worry about that.”

“I-I love it. Thank you, Vicky.”

She gives another nod. “You’re welcome, Calum.” The movie starts up again and Vicky shouts, “Ticket please!” in time with the movie as the rest of the girls hold up their tickets straight up in the air.

He looks back to his. Brother--sure he was a brother to Mali and he was a brother to Luke, Michael, and Ashton. But he’d spent years with them--through the thick and the thin. He’d dedicated his life to them in ways that he didn’t think he could give to anyone else. And maybe he wasn’t a brother to Jada’s sisters in the same way he was a brother to the guys or to Mali just yet. But there was something. They trusted them and Calum loved them--loved all of this no matter how much he was still new to it.

And he thinks about that damn chocolate again--how not only had he’d fallen for Jada, but her family had made space for him. He was spreading into the webs and no one seemed to bat an eye at it. Soon, he’d be so much a fixture that Calum’s not sure he’d be able to recall the moments of unease, of still trying to find his footing, because he’d be so perfectly melded into everything.

It starts now, though, with a gold painted piece of construction paper that reads Brother and Calum wouldn’t want to imagine it any other way. So he rests his elbow on his bent knees to put his ticket up into the air. They come back down a few moments later and the movie slowly fades out as the voice over comes back not too long after.

That movie ends and there’s a pause, people replenishing snacks and Calum can only start down at this newly-minted-but-also-not-new-label punched into paper. He’d tattoo it--if it weren’t Christmas Eve--the first marking of something that makes him more than just Jada’s boyfriend, or her fiance, but that makes him family in such a tangible way that he knows he wants to frame it. Carry it with him everywhere.

I think I’m literally gonna cry, he texts into the group chat and then snaps a photo of the two tickets. Vicky made ‘em.

The sisters’ have spoken. You’re officially not going anywhere, Ashton replies. That’s huge, dude! Calum did tell them about Tasha’s comment after the performance and he vaguely mentioned that he was looking at rings. But he hadn’t quite told them how permanent such action was going to be.

It’s cute, Luke returns. Frame it?

Whoa, dude. Don’t freak, but I think they like you, Michael replies.

If he said, he’s going to cry, he’s already freaking out, Luke interjects.

I am not freaking out, Calum texts back. It’s sweet as hell though.

A new text buzzes his phone and Calum taps on the banner as it appears. He notices it’s from Ashton, Do you have a ring yet?

Working on it. Serenity and Tasha and I went out a couple days ago to look.

I started browsing at these. Let me know if they’re any good. The designer’s based in Vegas. So I wonder if you might be able to meet up after Christmas before you leave?

Calum clicks on the link and it opens up in his Instagram app. He waits for it to load. When the post burst to life fully loaded, a thin gold band with a small v shaped to it greets him and matching it as a rhombus shaped gray and white diamond stares back at him. And she needs it--or maybe he needs it. But all he knows is that, it’s the ring. He checks the size and when the number 8 stares back up at him, he almost shouts, almost hollers out his enthusiasm, but swallows it back down. Tapping the arrow, he shares the link with Serenity and Tasha in their group chat. I am DMing the designer right now.

Once the text message is sent, he goes back to the designer’s Instagram page and asks if the ring is still available and if so, how could someone in town pick it up. He prays it is. And he knows he won’t get an answer until Monday at the earliest. With Jada and him leaving on Thursday, he’s hoping for a miracle in all honesty. He goes back through the posts, trying to see if the person made any statement about being closed during the holidays because he’d hate to disturb them and more than anything he’d hate to get so hung up on this ring and it not even be available anymore.

Holy fucking smokes, I hope you can snag it, Serenity returns and when Calum looks up across the way to her, she’s fanning herself. Tasha slides out of the kitchen into his view, pointing at her phone. Her eyes are wide.

His phone buzzes with a new message, If she doesn’t marry you, can I? Calum can’t hold back his laughter and covers his mouth to muffle the sound. He should be worried about the rest of the room worrying about what has him laughing and how he’s going to lie through this one. But all he can do is let his laughter consume.

Another text shakes his phone, I don’t know why you’re laughing. That’s a serious offer. All it does is make him laugh harder.

______________

You’re lucky. Calum exhales on the thought. You’re lucky, the designer said in their message to Calum. They’d messaged him on Christmas that the ring was still available, seeing as they paused their website starting on the 20th of the month. But they just had a gut feeling to check their messages and his was right on top, like every angel existing in this plane was trying to give him a shot. You’re lucky.

You’re lucky I’m a sucker when it comes to love. I’ll message you on Monday with a password to enter the website. For shipping, select pick up and DM with the order number. We’ll talk from there about meeting up! Enjoy your holidays!

If Calum had been in any position to cry, he would’ve. And even though, Jada was already awake and getting ready to head downstairs, he did fucking cry. He cried more than he had even anticipated until he could feel the emotion shaking him. He would’ve cried more openly if he had been in any position to, is more accurate. But the relief that flooded him felt like a release, like finally things were starting to look up. Not that they were ever looking down, but he had a plan and he needed it to go off without a hitch at the very least. And it would’ve worked with or without a ring, but it mattered to Calum that he had the ring.

Calum stares down at the screen of his phone. You’re lucky I’m a sucker when it comes to love. It’s burned into his retinas, every blink, every article of clothing that he looks at holds the message front and center. He was lucky to be a sucker in love. “Should I go blue or red?” Vicky asks, holding two shirts up.

Calum smiles. “That is a tough call. How much blue do you have in your closet?”

“Not a lot. It’s Jada’s color,” she returns.

“Jada’s color?”

“I don’t know--she wears it alot.”

“Doesn’t mean you can’t wear it.”

“Okay, true,” Vicky reluctantly agrees. “But that doesn’t help the issue, which is what color do I choose?”

“Which color do you like the best?” Calum asks, slipping his phone into the pocket of his jacket. Both shirts are almost exactly the same. The red has gold lettering whereas the blue has silver. But they’re the same cut and style.

“Blue.”

“Then I think you should get blue,” Calum states. He holds out his hand to add it to the pile Vicky’s been making.

“But the red one is also pretty,” she huffs.

“You said you like the blue one the best. You can have two of the same shirts, but only if you’re actually going to wear both.”

“Fine, fine, fine,” Vicky thrusts out the blue shirt to Calum and hangs the red one back onto the rack a couple feet from him.

“Vicky, if I can’t see you, you can’t see me,” Jada’s voice cuts over the speakers still playing the last trickles of Christmas music.

“With Calum!” she shouts back. Calum raises his hand to signal where he is. He ducked over in front of the dressing room to wait on Destini who wanted to try on some jeans she wanted first. Vicky was supposed to stay with Jada, but as he sees now, she’s drifted.

“You were supposed to stay with your sister, you know,” Calum says.

“I saw something I liked,” Vicky defends.

Calum nods and when a hand lands on his shoulder, the telltale sign of Jada running her nails along his neck, he lowers his hands. “But it’s important that you stay close to her.”

“I know.” Vicky looks up. “Sorry, Jada. I saw something and just went for it.”

“Just as long as you’re safe,” she returns and then glances down into the hallway that leads to the dressing rooms. “Destini still in there?”

Calum nods. “Unless she’s somehow escaped into the vents and is halfway to another store by now.”

Jada chuckles slightly, giving one last scratch with her nails and then steps forward. Jada knows it shouldn’t take 15 minutes to try on some jeans. Not even she takes that long unless she has to completely undress due to her original outfit. But Destini only had some jeans on, a t-shirt, and sneakers. “Des, you doing okay?”

“I’m fine,” comes the return. Looking at the bottom of the stalls, Jada looks for the pink socks she saw Destini wearing before they left the house. And in the second to last stall, she can see someone sitting on the floor, knees most likely hugged to their chest.

“Destini, what’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.” It sounds croaky and it’s everything Jada needs to hear to know that it’s far from nothing.

Jada sighs, one hand poised to pull back the curtain but she stops. “It doesn’t sound like nothing.”

“The pants don’t fit.” Destini’s voice cracks as the sentence leaves her throat.

“Can I come in?” Jada asks. There’s silence and Jada knows she should really wait for an answer to enter, make sure Destini is dressed, but she’s not always been a patient soul. “I’m giving you a minute to get decent and then I’m coming in.”

The curtain billows a little, a few seconds later, and Jada takes it as a sign to enter. Destini’s still curled up in the corner of the dressing room, the jeans she wanted hanger on the left. “So these jeans don’t fit?”

Destini shakes her head. Her cheeks and under eyes are swollen from the tears she shed.

“Is this a brand you’ve bought from before?”

Destini gives a nod and Jada exhales before kneeling on the carpet across from her sister. “Can you tell me why you’re crying?”

“I’ve always been that size. Always. Now they don’t fit. More and more is just barely fitting in my closet. And I don’t know what to do.”

They weren’t one to just suddenly gain weight, genetically speaking. And Jada knows being at home is stressful in any right. So she doesn’t want to start there with home though it would be smart. Vicky hadn’t seemed to gain much weight--or at least nothing extremely noticeable or out of the ordinary given her age. Serenity and Tasha could mostly take care of themselves and were controlling their diet more than Vicky or Destini could. Or at least what Jada assumed. But she’ll ask just in case. “Has anything changed at home? Or school? More stress?”

Destini shakes her head. “Nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Well, okay, is there anything that is out of the ordinary? Have you been on any new medications? Or did something happen at school, and it only has to be like once, but is there anything strange? Sometimes we just gain weight. But it’s not a bad thing, if it just happens. We can do stuff about it.”

“I st-started birth-birth control. The doctors said it would help with my periods. But I feel like I’m turning into a whale. I hate it. I thought it was just my pants at home. But God--I don’t want this!”

Jada opens her arms, switching her position so her butt in direct contact with the ground. There it is. “It can happen with birth control. It happened to me. Are you doing shots?”

Destini crawls into her sister’s arms but nods. “I-I wasn’t sure if I could do the pills.”

“Is it helping? With your periods?”

“A little. I started maybe three months ago with my first shot. Like two weeks and some change?”

Jada kisses the top of Destini’s head. “Weight gain is pretty common on the shots. But you’re not a whale, sweetheart. It’s just the shots. It’s okay. When do you go back to the doctor for your next one?”

“Next week.”

“Tell Ma about the weight gain and tell her that you want to try something else--see if you can call before the appointment in case they want to get you in earlier. The doctor’s probably going to fuss, but if you really, really don’t like this, then you can fight it. Tell them you want the pills and then you and I can put an alarm on your phone once you pick up your first pack and I’ll do my best to remind you. But you don’t have to keep doing this if you don’t like what it’s doing to your body.”

“I really hate it, sis. I hate it so fucking much.”

Jada runs her hands over Destini’s back. “Then don’t do it, love. Do not fucking do anything you hate, you hear me. Not a single thing. Did you stop track because of your periods?”

“I-I had to. I couldn’t make meets.”

“Hmm, I’m so sorry. I hope your doctor listens and you can get on the pills. I hope you can get back to track soon.”

Destini clings to Jada, face pressed so deeply into the sweatshirt that Jada can feel the contours of Destini’s nose and face along the bumps of her collarbones. But Jada doesn’t move. She hums, hand sliding up and down Destini’s back.

“You’re never alone, Destini. Never,” Jada states after a few minutes of silence. “C’mon. Let’s get your shoes on. And we can go somewhere else. We can say fuck you to the jeans and to the shots and we can do literally anything else.”

“I really don’t want to shop for clothes anymore at least.”

“Okay, then we don’t have to. Hang with me and we can do whatever it is that you do want to do.”

Destini nods. Both girls stay on the floor as Destini gets her shoes back on, but when Jada does stand, she snatches the jean from the wall as Destini grabs her purse. Jada ushers her out, dropping the jeans over the rack in the fitting rooms for clothes discarded. “We’re going to sit outside while you two finish up,” Jada states and Calum merely nods.

Calum and Vicky watch as the two girls leave the store. “What happened?” Vicky asks.

“I have no clue. But let’s try to make this last walk around quick?” Calum asks, gathering the hangers Vicky’s accumulated.

Vicky nods. “I just need to do one last look through my pile.”

Calum holds each item up individually for Vicky to look at it. She makes her final judgment, yes or return, rather quickly and with the yes’ finalized, the two make it to the register. Vicky goes to reach for her gift card Paul gave her for the store, but Calum stops her. “I got you.”

“But I have--”

“I know what you got. I was there. Save it. For another time. Your birthday or something.”

He gave each of the sister’s small things, with Jada’s guidance: a purse for Vicky that she’d been wanting to save up for and an entire book series for Destini. Tasha and Serenity were harder--Jada knew what they liked, but trying to make sure it felt appropriate from Calum was the hard part. When Tasha mentioned her older Keurig breaking, Jada swooped in and sent a link to Calum. He was quick to snag it up. Serenity seemed the most impossible. She played everything close to the cuff. But Jada knew about a few tattoos she’d been planning to get, very much against their mother’s wishes. However, Jada had sort of broken the seal on that with her whopping ten. There was very little resistance from Roslyn, though she always put up the fight. Once Jada finally managed to get the name of the shop, she texted Calum. He had gone to Vegas a couple months earlier to play a festival and snagged a gift certificate.

But just because he’d done that, didn’t mean he couldn’t also do this. The three shirts and skirt total cost no more than fifty dollars. There was no way he was going to have Vicky use every dime of her giftcard on such a small collection. He takes the bag from the cashier with a smile and then reaches out for Vicky’s hand. “If you get another one for your birthday, you can come back and get a lot more stuff then,” he offers to Vicky.

She grins. “I like the way you think, Calum. Excellent.”

Jada stands facing the store and Destini’s tucked into her side. The dressing room. The lack of Destini’s jeans. Calum doesn’t dare try to push it, but when he closes in with Vicky at his side, he softly asks, “Shoe store next?”

Jada looks at Destini. “If you find those platform boots, you want, I’ll pay for them and even help sneak them into the house.”

There’s a small tuft of laughter that Destini releases. “Yeah, shoe store next. And I think now that Serenity has money for tattoos, I think I’m getting the easier end of the deal.”

“I don’t think I have any legs to stand on,” Calum laughs. “For either having tattoos or encouraging them.”

“I want one!” Vicky adds on as the four of them start in the direction of the store.

“When you get older,” Jada returns, one arm slung over Destini’s shoulder. Calum checks his watch, new thanks to Jada’s Christmas present, for the time and there’s still a little less than three hours left on the deal he made with Serenity and Tasha. But he knows he can’t go back on it, though he wonders if he can make an exception due to the ordeal with Destini.

Vicky sticks close by, but Destini makes a beeline for the boots and Calum, gently as he can, tugs on Jada’s arm. “Is Destini okay?” he asks.

“I hope she is soon. Jeans didn’t fit and she’s just having a bit of a rough time right now.”

Calum wants to say that they could’ve always gone up a size, but he doesn’t let that thought cross his lips. It’s probably not that simple of a problem. “Okay. Let me know how to divert if it comes up.”

“I will,” Jada smiles and kisses his cheek before crossing the store to Destini.

“Okay, direct the way,” Calum states to Vicky.

“Heels!” she cheers.

“Are-are you even allowed?” he asks, following behind her.

“I can look but I’d have to ask Ma before getting any of them.” She looks over the walls, pointing to the ones with the highest heel that Calum’s ever seen. He doubts it’s the highest ever, but his eyes definitely widen when he sees them.

“I just got your parents good graces, I am not immediately trying to lose them,” Calum laughs.

The shoe store sucks away an hour and a half. By the time Calum can get Vicky away from the heels, looking at shoes more her speed, he notices that half an hour as gone by. And more time slips away too when Vicky demands that he also looks at shoes for himself. And Calum doesn’t even want new shoes. But he doesn’t dare refute her request. Calum asks which ones she likes for him and watches the determination cross her face.

“You’re entrusting me with a lot,” Vicky finally speaks.

“I have no doubt you’ll steer me wrong.”

When her first pick is a pair bright orange Nike’s, Calum does have one fear and it’s not being able to get out of buying new shoes for himself as Vicky’s insistence. But her smile cracks through soon and she puts the shoe back onto the display. “I’m kidding. Well, maybe only a little bit.”

“That’s what I was waiting on,” Calum laughs, following behind. Somehow he winds up holding onto a box of Vans that he knows he has no business holding onto. But he needs Vicky to get distracted by something before he can put it back. And when Vicky notices some sparkly flats, Calum slips the box back into their spot and follows behind her.

“I love them,” she whispers.

“How have you ever worn platforms this high ever?” Calum turns to the voice, noticing Destini standing high in some ankle high boots.

Jada’s at her side and laughs before speaking, “Just think murder. You can walk and kill a man and that’s how you walk in them.”

“Yeah, I think I firmly believe in my feet staying as close to the ground as possible. Oh no.”

“Calum, we need to walk away before I’m unable to say no to myself,” Vicky states.

“Okay, we are walking away, we are walking away. Let’s see if we can convince Destini to get those boots.”

The attempts to find boots are unsuccessful, though Destini does snag a pair of cow print heels. Jada called them something more specific, but Calum only half heard as he tried to steer Vicky past the glitter flats that she saw earlier. “We’ll meet someday,” she whispers as they walk through and Calum wishes he could have captured the agony in her voice to do it justice in any future retellings.

“One day,” he adds on, attempting to validate her feelings.

The drive back to the house feels shorter than Calum remembers it being, but they still end up taking the full thirty minutes to get back. Just as Vicky steps through the door, she’s greeted with the smell of lemon. “Is that lemon cake I smell?”

“None until you eat dinner,” Roslyn hollers in return.

Jada notices the good plates are out and stops just before ascending the stairs. She hands the bag to Destini, anyways so she can take the mules and hopefully no one’s the wiser. “What’s the good plates for?” Jada asks.

“Just go get cleaned up,” is her mother’s return. But just behind her mother is a plate of pork chops, which are Jada’s favorite, and she only really knows it because of the smell permeating the house. Not that she’d ever tell anyone that was the dish she coveted more than anything. Jada steps down one step and starts for the kitchen. The closer she gets the more all her favorites fill out in front of her. She’s not sure why she didn’t anticipate this sooner. But somehow, maybe to all the wishing, she wanted to fade away. Be there, be a participant, but not be so central. Yet it was staring her in the face.

“Who all this for, Ma?”

“Go get cleaned up.”

“Ma.”

“Jada.”

The two women give each other stern looks, both with lips pursed: silently telling the other to give in first. Neither one does for a moment. But Jada knows she can hold out longer than her mother. “It’s for you, Jada, alright? Now go get cleaned up. We’re almost done,” Roslyn sighs.

“You don’t have to do this. All this effort,” Jada states.

“For you, I absolutely do. And I’m happy too.” There’s a beat. Jada goes to protest, try to tell her mother she doesn’t need anything. But Roslyn beats her to the words. “I love you. Let people do stuff because they care, sweetheart. Now go, get cleaned up. Your pork chops are waiting and getting cold.”

“I know something else is getting cold--them greens you not stirring.” Jada and Roslyn share a quick tuft of laughter before Jada kisses Roslyn’s cheek. “Thank you.”

“Of course, lovebug. Be sure to tell Calum this new cast iron is getting a proper christening.”

Jada giggles. Only her mother. “I will reword the message but pass it along.”

________________

Calum settles back into the seat of his SUV. With Jada helping Roslyn with both Destini and Vicky’s hair, he manages to slip out of the house without any problems. “Let me see!” Serenity gushes. She agreed to come with Calum--as she roughly wears the same size ring as Jada and also because he feared not having someone else with him during this transaction. The ring itself was easy to get on one end of. When his phone chimed with an Instagram DM, he immediately opened it and found the password for the website. With zero hesitation, he ordered the ring and sent the appropriate information back to the designer.

It was the actual meeting and physically holding the ring that Calum feared. So when he put in the thread with Serenity and Tasha that he’d paid for the ring, he hoped desperately one of them would volunteer to come along. He didn’t have to hope for too long because Serenity’s response was her eagerness to go with him.

“You’ve seen it thirty times now,” he teases, but hands the box back to her. He watches the rock sparkle just as catches the sunlight.

“And I can see it thirty one times if I want too.”

“You think she’s going to like it?” It’s only now that it’s real and in his possession that he worries about it not being right. What if Jada hated it? He hadn’t always had a great eye for her taste. He’d attempted to go shopping with and for her. She’s eclectic to say the least--sweatpants and a hoodie one day to flare jeans and docs the next. And it wasn’t necessarily a problem, as it was a hurdle. If he were throwing darts on a board to find a label for her style, he’d miss a thousand percent of the time.

This is not a time he could miss.

“Calum, she’s going to fucking love it. But if you’re going to do this tonight, then I need to raid her duffel bag the second we get home.”

“I feel insane. Two days from Christmas--still needing to figure out what to do with my parents and my friends. She wants kids and she has good reason for wanting them sooner but I’m fucking scared.” He shouldn’t divulge. But it’s a lot. He knows he knows he wants this but there’s a lot of variables. Maybe too many variables.

Serenity nods. “You got anyone to talk to? Or do you really want my perspective?”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t unload.”

“No, you can unload. I just want to make sure we’re both clear on the boundaries.”

Pausing on his way to turn over the key, Calum reclines into the seat. “You’re a sister. That feels like crossing a line.”

“Just--just hear me out. Whatever you need to work out, you need to work out. Do you know how easy it is to get married in Vegas?”

“It can take less than a day.”

“Exactly. Less than a fucking day. Flip this dinner around. Make it a proposal. Come back in the new year. Whenever, dude. Either way you get to marry the girl of your dreams and it’s a healthy relationship. The fucking thing neither one of you needs is to rush into this too fast with shit y’all need to work out and not having a plan on how to work it out. No sense is that.”

After the holidays, I think I can have the brain for it. Maybe both of them need the brains for it. Calum starts the SUV. “Text your mother. Change of plans. Proposal.”

“That also calls for an outfit change. I have to rethink my whole plan now.”

“Do what you must,” Calum laughs.

As they pull out onto the street, Calum feels slightly disappointed. But he needs this to be done clear-headed, all their dirty laundry on the table. That’s the thing he needs from all of this. He loves Jada--there’s no doubting that. But he doesn’t want to make any mistakes in this or as few of them as possible.

______________

Something bright reflects off the high noon sun and Calum glances just briefly to his right. Jada reclines back into the passenger side seat. Left hand adjusting the volume on the radio. The solitaire ring, with the rhombus shaped diamond, rests there, on her hand, catching the light of the day. Only three months have passed but the western coast hardly shows if any time has passed around them. It’s the same old road, same sun beaming brightly around them. The same four hour drive that they’re almost two hours into.

“I already know this is the way to take to my parents’ so I don’t know why you’re trying to be all secretive. If we’re going to see my parents, you can just say that.”

The highway’s an endless stretch in front of them. Calum smiles at the thinly veiled frustration. Reaching out for her knee, Calum turns back to the asphalt. But he offers nothing else. It’s not even out of fear--he can’t really spoil this. His dress pants already hint at too much. But he wants to try to make this as much of a surprise as possible. “Are you hungry?” he asks as the song changes. “Our favorite gas station is coming up in a few.”

“I do want some more water, if that’s okay.”

“Nah, I’m going to dehydrate you on a four hour drive,” he laughs, but squeezes at her knee. “Yeah, we can stop over and get a few things.”

“Did you coordinate with Ma? You know I can get just about any information out of her,” Jada states. Calum wasn’t budging. He told her to wear something nice, to which she obliged with her green skater dress. But he hadn’t given much else. And not that Jada didn’t think it was going to be a bad thing, but the anticipation was slowly killing her.

“You know the therapist said that it’s bad to hold secrets,” Jada tries again.

“I think that’s a low blow play to get more information.”

The ‘I’ statement deflection--a classic move. And it always worked. It let her know that her attempts were noticed but that she’d still tried to get said information in an unfair way. “It was,” Jada returns. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

Calum signals for this turn and takes it easy before pulling into a spot along the front of the store. “How about I give you a hint?”

Jada nods, turning in her seat. “I’m listening.”

“You’ll need your driver’s license.” It’s all he says before opening the door to the truck and slipping out.

Jada stares at the space he once occupied and huffs. “I can need my license for fifty thousand different things.”

“I’ll give you another hint once we hit hour three of the drive,” Calum says from her side of the vehicle now. “And then you’ll get the last hint at hour four.”

It’s something--not nearly enough as something like a full reveal, but Jada decides maybe she should take it. “Okay,” she says, taking his hand and stepping down. Over the speakers of the gas station, a hypnotic beat plays. It’s clear the song is way too bass heavy for the speakers this place has, but the rattle continues on and the attendant at the register doesn’t seem too phased by it. They nod at Calum and Jada and then glance back to their phone before continuing the restock of the counter displays.

Calum watches as Jada bounces down the aisle to the song towards the fridges lining the back of the store. Time slows again, hanging somewhere between him and the attendant because he thinks the only thing she’s missing is a bag of Takis and the debate on whether or not to get a honeybun as well. The shakes start back up in his hand. When he initially asked her to bring a few day’s worth of clothes and to dress nice, the day before their departure, he was nervous. He thought the tremors racking him would plague him forever. But this morning, he felt food. But now he’s two hours out from doing the thing that just three months ago seemed like it would take forever to get too.

“No snacks?” Jada asks, shimmying just a little in the aisle as the song continues overhead.

“Oh, I’m good.”

“You sure?”

Calum nods. “Anything else?”

She shakes her head. “Nope, I’m all set.”

The check out is fast and Calum’s wishes he’d said he wanted to look around. He wishes she’d wanted more time. But with the promise of two more hints looming, it makes sense that Jada wouldn’t take too much more time into the trip. So Calum climbs back into the driver seat. There was only so much stalling he could do. His phone shakes just as he buckles back into the seat. We’re about an hour and a half out from the address, it’s from Luke. Which meant either Ashtor or Michael was driving and given the circumstances, it was Ashton. Calum nods and drafts a quick reply before sending it.

Jada hates not knowing. And if she ranks the things she hates, not knowing would be number one or number two. It was really a toss up between not knowing and having to hunt down the socks that Calum almost seemed to lose just one in the pair because he was never careful about making sure both socks made it into the laundry bin. And it’s a silly thing to hate but it’s happened so many times now, that Jada almost wanted to attach a net to the damn basket and keep all socks from falling into any potential crevices.

Calum watches the clock, the minutes tick by faster than he’d like them too but he knows there’s a schedule that they’d need to follow as much as possible. Luke, Michael, and Ashton had a half hour start to get to Roslyn’s and Paul’s to drive with them to the court system and also help out should anyone need it. For the simplicity of this, it didn’t seem likely, but Calum wanted that half hour cushion in case anyone one did need the buffer. He had learned the wisdom in having and not needing something, especially time in pressing situations, against needing and not having it.

When hour three ticks by, Calum exhales. He can feel the piercing gaze of Jada. “This thing is sometimes associated with a celebrity.”

The huff Jada gives is enough that Calum knows it’s vague enough to mean too many things. So his secret is safe for a little bit longer. “Calum, you absolutely suck at giving hints.”

“I think it’s pretty good all things considering.”

The suck of Jada’s teeth lets him know she is not amused. “Requires my driver’s license and is something associated with a celebrity,” she whispers.

When she starts rapping her fingers over the dash in front of her, Calum fears she’s going to absentmindedly pop the glove box. She can’t do that--if she does that, everything’s ruined. And they’re so close to having anything ruined. But she draws her hand back rather quickly and shakes the fist at the ceiling of the truck. Calum exhales a little. Then she snaps her fingers. “Strip club!” And just as fast the idea hits her, she seems to rescind it. “Nah, I said I was going to show you around. You don’t know the places that I do.”

“You don’t know that I don’t know the places that you know.”

Jada laughs. “I do know that you don’t know the places that I know.”

“That’s a lot of knowing,” Calum returns, “from someone that absolutely doesn’t know if I don’t know the places that they know.”

“Well played sir, well played. But am I right?” And as the question leaves her lips, she can see the thought toying on Calum’s brain. If he should play nice or not. But he shakes his head to signal a no soon enough that Jada takes it as a real response. “Seriously? Not a strip club?”

“Not strip clubs. Though, we can add it to the list.”

“With the places that I know, I think we should.”

“Aye, we’re not doing that again,” Calum laughs. “I just barely kept up the first time.”

“Hmm, I’m going to figure this out, Hood.” Jada tosses out a few ideas before giving up and deciding to wait for the final hint. As they enter more deeply into the city, and away from the neighborhoods, Calum’s sure it’ll become obvious before he can give the last hint. But when he hears no gasp from Jada, or snap of her fingers, Calum turns to see Jada lulled into sleep. A saving grace, he figures, is her ability to fall asleep on car rides. And he’ll take it right now, he’ll take whatever he gets.

He spies Michael’s car on the street and wonders if he was wrong about who drove. But when right behind it, he can spot Serenity and Roslyn, he knows that all his time is up. He finds a spot and undoes his belt. He’s gentle as he shakes Jada’s shoulder. She hums, “Why is the car stopped?”

“Because we made it. And you get your last hint.”

At the reminder of the hint, Jada cracks open her eyes. “Which is?”

“This is one of the final moments where we can debate on whether or not, we even care about last names.”

Jada completely sits up. Though he doesn’t think the sleep was ever too deep, she looks like an angry toddler almost due to the way the confusion scrunches up her face and the last bit of sleep still lingering about. “Last names.”

“Hint 3A, check the glovebox.”

Jada undoes her seatbelt, unsure of what in God’s name Calum’s been planning and when she turns to see a courthouse, she whips around in her seat. “Calum Thomas Hood.”

“Or potentially Calum Thomas Miller, but that’s still a debate.”

Jada cracks open the glovebox and the box with Calum’s wedding band stares back up at her. She’d eventually caved and told him about it. Something she suspected she’d do a lot sooner than she actually did, but only by a week. And they kept both boxes buried in the back of the underwear drawer. It was silly, considering they both knew they were there, and what they were for, but Jada didn’t want to hide her truth--that she knew no matter what they had to do-- be it month three of couple’s counseling of the six months they agreed to undergo, or even being open about own fears about fertility-- she was going to marry Calum.

“This is not what I think it is,” she whispers.

“If you want it today, then it absolutely can be. There’s no waiting period in Vegas--like you said. We get this license and we can be at the chapel in a couple hours. Where there may or may not be an Elvis Presely impersonator waiting with Can’t Help Falling In Love to serenade you. But the only condition is that you have to promise not to go off and marry them instead.”

Jada pulls down the passenger side mirror, fluffs out the braid out. Her light makeup stayed well enough even with her nap and she turns back to Calum. “No promises about Elvis,” she states with a wink.

Calum laughs, one hand covering his mouth because of course--of course Jada would say that. “Those are chances I’m willing to take then.”

“Oh my god, Calum!” Jada starts, falling into the seat.

He freezes, his door partially opened. The thudding of his heart echoes in his eardrums. “What? What happened?”

“I need my driver’s license for the marriage license and Elvis impersonators at the fucking chapel! Those are pretty damn clever hints, babe.”

The fear subsides just enough. “I’m glad you think so.”

Inside the building, time drags on. It’s an hour to get to an available clerk but once they do, the paper work isn’t terribly hard. Though Calum does have to make sure he has his mother’s maiden name correct before handing over the forms. It feels embarrassing to have to call her, but he knows it’s important--as few mistakes as possible. At the new name section, both Calum and Jada pause. Jada really doesn’t mind changing her last name--as much as she liked to joke that not doing it would make life easier, it would be one of the few things that always linked her to him.

Jada places her pen down. “You know, being a Hood wouldn’t be such a bad idea,” she offers.

“Why phrase it like that? Not such a bad idea? Trying to tell me something?” he teases. He sees the big note on the form that even if she does put down Hood, she’d still have to change it legally through whatever process L.A. has set. But maybe it’s just meant to be more symbolic than anything.

Jada doesn’t say anything as she writes down her full name and adds Calum’s last name to the form. Maybe she is trying to tell him something. And maybe she’s not. Maybe it’s just pure desire to be his in as many ways as possible. But whatever it is, Jada continues on, writing in the mailing address and then reviewing all sections and pages of the form to make sure no errors are in the spelling of their names.

She hands the clipboard back over to him. “Double check me.”

Calum reads over the basics--name, date of birth, social security numbers--and finds no errors. He flips another page over and stops again. “You know this doesn’t legally change your name.”

Jada nods. “I know.”

“Have I told you I loved you yet today?”

“This morning.”

“Shame on me for not saying it again since then. Because I do, I love you.”

“I love you.”

With license in hand, Calum and Jada hurry back down the steps of the building. And it’s only during the descent, when she spots what looks like Michael in the front seat of his Tesla. She lets Calum’s montemum take her down but once on the sidewalk, she follows the line of cars down and spots Serenity and then Paul in the driver's side of their cars. “Babe--why are like almost all of our families here?”

“You do need a witness,” Calum returns. “And there were a lot of plus one’s.”

“But Joy and David?”

“Let’s just say the plan for a vow renewal and reception in about a year is non-negotiable at this point. I tried to get them out, but the timing was still a little rough. Some things couldn’t be missed on Mum’s end.”

“We’ll need something in the off season then, which feels incredibly hard to have an off season in Vegas.”

Calum nods, and tugs on her hand to keep her closer. “We’ll figure it out. I’m sure Mum will be happy to get out of Australia right on the cusp of winter.”

“Or, destination renewal in Australia?”

“My dear, that’s a hell of a flight. We can keep thinking about it, yeah? But chapel, Elvis, you possibly becoming my run-away bride?”

Jada steps in, patting his cheek. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Yeah, I think I should warn Elvis about you though.”

Jada crosses the street as she laughs and stops at Michael’s door. “So which one of you is going to catch the bouquet today?”

“I’m betting on Luke,” Ashton calls from the back of the seat. “You rocking and rolling?”

“We have a license to marry, hot stuff. No worries. Thanks for being here, for Calum.”

“He’s our brother. We’d follow just about any crazy idea he had,” Michael returns. “Besides, it’s you, Jada. If he didn’t marry you, I think we all agreed collectively to kick his ass.”

Jada gives one last passing piece of gratitude before waving at her family in their cars. But she knows there’s no time like the present so she crosses the street again, finding Calum leaning up against the side of the truck. His arms are folded to his chest. “You look like you got somewhere to be,” she teases.

“I might have a hot date at a chapel,” he grins.

It’s not too long of a drive to the chapel and it’s only as Jada sees Destini and Vicky stepping out of the car that she worries if she was taking something away from them. But she knows it’s that nagging voice, the one that made her feel like she was supposed to be setting the example for her sisters. And hell, even if that voice never shut up, why couldn’t the example she set for them tell them that they do whatever it was that made them happy. Even if it wasn't traditional, it was their life to live and theirs alone. They should choose how they want to live it.

Jada could choose how she wanted to live her life and she wants Calum. She wants it like this, in a green dress, and a chapel with an Elvis impersonator. And it’s messy, if she ever had it cleaner, it wouldn’t be Jada. The vows are traditional and she makes a mental note that when they renew, she wants new ones. And maybe every so often, she’d go back and tweak them. Because if she learned anything from her four year stint in individual counseling and now couple’s counseling, it was all about tweaking. You changed a little bit here and they changed a little bit there. And it wasn’t about monumental waves. They only need to be sustainable.

Jada had to be able to sustain Calum and Calum had to be able to sustain Jada and it didn’t always happen in a massive wave. It happened like the lapping of the sea at the shoreline. It was steady and sure it changed here and there, but it eventually returned back to it’s normal. That’s what she needed and that’s what she feels like she has, a steady with Calum. Even though his job is demanding, he came back. Even though she irked his nerve, and he irked hers, they always had a certain level of steady that they could return to. Like tides on the shoreline--never gone completely, maybe a little changed at time, but always present.

“I, Calum Hood, take you, Jada Miller, to be my wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health. I will love and honor you all the days of my life.”

Like tides against the shoreline. Like the chocolate that melted into everything.

“I, Jada Miller, take you, Calum Hood, to be my husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health. I will love and honor you all the days of my life.”

Like tides against the shoreline. Like the chocolate that melted into everything.

“With the power invested in me by the state of Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

Calum takes a beat. Trying to study the glint in her eyes--not something sad, not something bad. A realization. And he knows that look. One he’s seen her give when she’s working, or reading and everything seems to click into place much like she expected it too. He knows then too--it is all clicking into place.

Their kiss is short. Calum’s almost too scared that when he opens his eyes, everything around him is going to drift away. “I--Is this all real?” he asks against her lips.

Jada laughs, hands going to cup his jaw. “Yeah, baby, it’s real.”

A clicking into place. His eyes are slow to open and she’s still standing there. The chapel’s alive with noise. He can catch the distinct whistle Ashton gives and the sobs of Roslyn. And it’s so fucking real--it almost hurts his cheeks with how hard he’s smiling.

They descend the steps and just faintly over the noise, a voice starts to sing. And he couldn’t help this. She couldn’t help any of this.

A clicking into place.

The tides lapping at the shore.

The chocolate that melts into everything.

They’d eventually be powerless to it. Fighting fate would have exhausted them. Giving in at some point becomes life saving.

__________________

The light on the door lights up green and the mechanisms click. He steps into the room first. The lights from the strip and city below cast a neon glow into the room. Calum steps aside after getting the lights on. His chest heaves just a little and given the smear of Jada’s lipstick, he knows his chin is also sporting a vaguely dark brown hue as well. The two of them are no strangers to the heavy petting in an elevator or sneaking touches. But the more Calum sees the band now resting beneath her engagement ring, the more he pictures the amount of unheavenly things he wants to do to her.

“You do know the elevator is monitored,” Calum teases, stepping away from the door and it closes with a particular rough thud.

Jada casts her gaze down to his left hand, sporting the dazzling platinum band she slipped on just a few hours ago. Her husband--and even though the phrase hadn’t actually crossed her lips verbally, the mere thought made her panties a little damp. “Do you think the front desk accepts apologies in the form of fruit baskets?”

“I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.”

For a moment, they almost circle each other. Calum steps in to get to the bed and slips out of the dress shoes and Jada watches the moment carefully from above. She moves to lean against the A/C unit, arms folded to her chest. “No,” Calum laughs, after dropping the second shoe to the floor.

“I haven’t said anything,” Jada returns.

“But I can read your mind. My knees aren’t built for how fucking thin and hard these floors are. So bring your cute ass to this bed.”

“I’m not the one that did the punk jumps for almost ten years.”

“You’re not. But I think if you want your husband to remain in good shape, you’ll spare him just this once.”

And there’s that phrase again. Jada clenches at the sound of it. “Say that again.” She pushes up off the unit and starts towards Calum. “Say it one more time for me, please,” she exhales breathlessly.

“Hmm, I’m not sure which part,” he grins. He knows. He saw the way she nearly came in her underwear just as the phrase of ‘your husband’. But he wants to know what it does to her when she says it, when her lips curl around the letters. He wants to know what it does to him too.

It’s a small uptick of her brow that Jada gives to indicate the thought before it’s spoken, “I think you know.”

“No, I don’t think I do know.”

Jada straddles Calum’s lap and his hands immediately slip up the skirt of her dress, resting just on the tops of her thighs. But she knows, by the way his fingers grip at her flesh--she knows he needs her to say just as badly as she wants him to say it. “When you called yourself my husband,” she starts whispering in his ear. “I think you should say it again.”

He loves the sound of the phrase from her lips. It sends a shiver down his spine and his body lights with a fire that he didn’t think could be lit. He squeezes down on the flesh of her thighs. “Oh, that phrase,” he exhales against her ear.

“Yeah that one.”

Calum pulls back just a little. Her eyes are blown wide--and it’s almost impossible to tell iris from a pupil normally, but it’s even harder now. “Whatever my wife wants.”

She lets out a small hum of approval, as if somehow that also scratched the same itch, head falling back on her neck. And maybe it had. Tracing the line of throat with his nose, Calum grins into her skin. Jada guides his head back up and leans in to kiss him. The kiss is eager, but they move slow to savor every drop, every second of each other. Jada could just say here, with Calum holding onto her thighs and the press of his erection into her clothed sex and the smell of him intoxicating her. It’s all she needs.

But when he nips at her lower lip and she whimpers, pressing down into his crotch, the deep growl Calum releases sends every nerve ending on fire. No, that’s what she needs, she thinks. She needs Calum just as gone as her. Jada kisses across his jaw and down his neck. She pauses to get a good grip on his shirt, fingers tucked inside and she yanks. The buttons pop, a few hitting the wall and TV with distinct plops, but most hit the floor soundlessly. Jada’s quick to kiss down his chest.

“That was an expensive shirt, love,” he says with a laugh. It wasn’t that expensive, but still a pretty penny. He’s sure buttons can easily be sewn back onto them. So right now it’s not a full loss.

“It was in my way,” Jada exhales into his skin.

Calum’s hands, once on her thighs, but had since then gravitated to her ass, smooth around the contours of her body and find the lacy front of her underwear. He gets a solid grip, pulls them from her body to make sure he doesn’t hurt her and gives a yank too. The lace gives with a crackling echo.

“Those were expensive,” Jada returns.

“They were in my way.” His fingers find her clit and he circles, firstly gathering up the stickiness of her arousal and then pressing onto the nerves in steady circles.

Jada hums at the feeling, the way her body warms, and rests her forehead on his shoulder. “Touché.” Her next thought is interrupted by a wave of pleasure. “Fuck,” she whispers.

Calum removes his hand and gets a tighter grip before standing. They both go up and then Jada’s back down, pressed into the mattress, staring up at Calum. He throws the now ruined shirt off his shoulder and yanks the torn panties down too. He drapes her core with the skirt of the dress. “Let’s get one thing straight, love.”

Jada nods, her signal that she’s listening.

“I want everything. I want every last orgasm your body can give to me. I want everything. Can you do that? Can you give your husband everything?”

“Everything?” Jada questions.

She says it so fucking innocently, batting her lashes up at him. Calum bends down, cupping her bare sex under the dress. “Everything.” He slips one finger into her and her back arches, nails digging into the skin and muscle of his bicep. He slips a second one in just as easy as the first and he inhales every exhaled whine and moan Jada gives. “Everything,” he whispers over her lips.

His pace is relentless. Jada’s not sure if she’s seeing straight or if it’s really stars darting her vision, but she knows she’s going to unravel soon. Sheets curled into her fist, she arches up and presses down into Calum’s hand. Her orgam rocks her and she lets out a guttural groan at the release, the snap of the coil in her lower gut.

“That’s one.”

Jada knows she’s in for a long night when her second and third orgasms crash over her just as Calum’s mouth. But she knows that everything really is everything when it comes to Calum. Clothes are finally fully discarded. And there’s nothing really like pressing chest to chest with Calum for Jada. Not when she’s fully seated on his length and his hands are exploring the dips and valleys of her body.

Calum digs his heels into the mattress just a little and meets her descent with his own ascension. He can’t look away at the way their bodies meet and he wants to watch her come undone, watch the drop in her jaw and they hazy look in her eyes as she comes. It’s a glorious sight. One he never bored of, no matter how often they made love to each other. He can feel the pressure building, the way his muscles jump and tense as his orgasm rocks ever closer.

He makes sure Jada orgasms first, adding his thumb to her clit and the spasms of her release tighten around him. “God,” he huffs. The release hits, the dam breaking and he blinks through the orgasm to try and keep his full attention on Jada. And she looks so fucking content atop him, smiling just a little as the back of her hands caress his cheek.

“I really hope no one can hear us,” she whispers.

Calum laughs, bringing her down for a kiss before responding, “I really hope everyone can hear us.” Using the position as leverage, he gets her onto her back and settles between her legs. A little bit of his release starts to leak out but he’s quick to use this thumb to press it up and back into her before traveling that digit up to her clit again.

Her whole body shudders, locking up for a brief moment at the overstimulation. She’s fucked--more than just the actual action--she’s fucked because she’s going to give him everything and she knows tomorrow she’s going to want more. She knows the day after is going to bring more too and all she wants in that moment is to give into every carnal desire too. How is she going to leave any of this behind? And maybe she didn’t have to, she didn’t have to leave it all behind.

There’s a moment reprieve from the thoughts, from the future, when her fifth orgasm starts to build. Calum’s sporadic work on her clit is just enough and she exhales. “Calum, shit.” Something about it tetters on pain, but right now there’s still a decent amount of pleasure. At every touch and lick, she jostles, writhing in the sheets.

Lifting her head in the brief pause, she finds Calum smiling up at her. “You’re so fucking smug,” she huffs. “Of course.”

And in response, all she gets is another swirl at her clit that has her dropping her head and grunting again. There’s the ascension and then a plateau, and she thinks she’s hit her wall. That she’s got nothing else. But then Calum spares nothing, tongue and fingers working at every part of her. She falls over the edge, something leaving her throat--though she can’t be sure if it’s a scream or her own imagination of a scream.

There are those stars again. Behind the tightly shut eyelids, she can see them bursting into bright silver and her body feels like it’s on fire and somehow filled with rocks. Calum’s voice sounds far away, but she can feel something cool and she knows he has to be close. Working to discern the rumble of the A/C from Calum’s voice, she starts to catch onto the words, “You’re okay. I’m here. You’re okay.”

“I think that’s everything,” Jada laughs and it sounds croaky. Maybe she had actually screamed.

Lips press into her forehead and then are soon chasing down her eyelights and the bridge of her nose before one last kiss is placed onto her lips. “Thank you,” Calum whispers.

Jada nods, hair bushing over the pillows and she thinks she recollects a bath. There were definitely snacks and water. Calum always makes sure of that after sex, no matter how tame or not too energy consuming it was. The thing that tops it all is his warmth. She looks for that the most. When he crawls into the bed next to her, after the clean up and hassle, she attaches herself to his side. He’s wordless as he readjusts positions and allows her to rest her head onto his chest. “Just listen to my breathing,” he encourages. “Follow my lead.”

And she does. The steady rhythm of his heart in his ribs is just the right lullaby to carry her into sleep.

Tagging: @villainorigincal @5-secondsofcolor

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