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It’s a nice and sunny Saturday in mid-September. The weather stayed pleasant during the day and got chillier at night. With the sun high in the sky and the backyard being the perfect size for hosting a party, the Beale-Mitchell family decided to invite their Bella family for a bbq/pool day at their house.
“Babe, do you know who all is coming?” Beca asked as she tried to mentally count the burgers and hotdogs she had to make for their lunch.
“Uhmmmm…Bree and Stacie said they’ll be here for sure with Bella and Lucas. I think Bree is making some potato salad to share. Then I know Amy said she was coming with Bumper and their son, said something about bring a boozy drink for the grown ups.” Chloe listed off.
“Jessica is coming with Ashley and her niece. And I believe CR said she was coming later after she finished up at the studio.” She finished.
“And Flo?” Beca asked. “Oh, yeah she’s coming along with Jess.”
Beca gave up trying to count after a few moments and she just took everything out to the grill to start thawing outside. Chloe just rolled her eyes and chuckled after watching Beca mentally give up, she knew she would have to grab about half of everything to bring them back into the fridge so they don’t spoil.
“Kids get down here and help your Mama set up outside!” Chloe called out to her kids who were in their rooms trying to avoid any work before the party.
They loved having their friends over and parties with the Bellas were always fun, they just didn’t like having to help set up and clean up for it.
“I don’t get why we have to set up. It’s your friends that are coming over.” Oliver grumbled.
“Hey mister, last I checked you were friends with Lucas and he’s coming over too.” Beca mocked. “And don’t make me out you about your little crush on Bella…” Beca whispered as she grabbed him by the shoulders and they walked from the back sliding door to the grill.
“Mama!” The high school freshman whispered in shock, looking around to make sure that no one else was around, especially his sister, who was Bella’s best friend.
“I’m just teasing kid. I wouldn’t do that…You’re Mom on the other hand…Let’s just say, you’re lucky she doesn’t know. As far as I know.” Beca defended.
“Oh my god!” Ollie just put his head in his hands.
“But for real, get that table cloth on the table and start bringing out the snacks that Mom and Liv have started opening.”
Oliver did as he was told and turned to go back into the house to grab some of the snacks.
As he opened the door, their new puppy, Chance, ran out the door with a bag of chips in his mouth.
They had adopted Chance about 6 months ago when Chloe came home with him in her arms. She had been on her way home from the clinic and had spotted him on a median in the middle of a busy intersection. It had been lightly raining and Chloe being the vet she is, and well just being Chloe , she couldn’t leave him alone.
She brought him home wrapped in her lab coat from work and cradled him in her arms as she walked in from the garage. The rest of the family was in the kitchen doing homework, Beca preparing dinner, when they spotted her with the pup.
Beca took one look and knew what was going to be asked, “No.” she deadpanned as Chloe carefully set him on the floor. He shook out some of the water from his coat and slowly followed Chloe as she went up to Beca.
“Come on, Becs. It was too far from the clinic and I was on my way home. Just for tonight.” Chloe pleaded.
“Fine, but he is going with you to work tomorrow for a full check up.” Beca relented.
“Of course. Thank you, baby.” Chloe thanked her as she gave a kiss to Beca’s cheek. Beca, of course, rolled her eyes and feigned annoyance as she continued to stir the pot with dinner in it.
The kids had slowly started to sit on the floor and called the pup over to play, homework long forgotten.
After dinner that night, the family played with the little guy until bedtime and of course Olivia had to say something to get the puppy to stay with them.
“Please Mama? Can we keep him?” She pleaded with Beca, using her own puppy dog eyes she inherited from Chloe.
Beca looked away and held her ground, “I don’t know sweetheart, what if he has his own family that’s looking for him.” She tried to reason.
“Come on, Mama. He’s just a pup and he was alone in a place people aren’t even around.” Oliver countered.
“Please Mama? Just give him a chance.”
…. Boom, the name Chance was born and Beca was still proven a softy for her family.
About 6 month later and that pup is still as active as ever and currently running around the backyard with a bag of Doritos in his mouth.
Chloe chased after him out to the backyard while Oliver just stepped aside to let her through the door. He laughed as he watched her try to corner him at the side of the fence.
Beca heard the commotion and looked up from putting the burgers and hotdogs on the grill to see her wife with her arms and legs spread out like she was playing defense for the LA Lakers.
She looked beyond Chloe and saw the reason for it. Chance was just staring at her with a bag of Doritos hanging from his mouth.
Beca slowly came up behind Chloe, “If he tries to book it, I’ll go left and you go right.” Chloe nodded her response slowly, afraid sudden movements would make him run.
As they slowly started to creep up to the dog on both sides, Eli pulled out one of the chairs from the table and both the couple and the dog looked up at him.
When Beca and Chloe turned back to Chance, he ran straight through both of them going full force towards the table. Oliver was able to block him from crashing into the table and the dog swerved to go back out further into the yard around the pool.
Beca and Chloe chased after him, trying to corner him against the fence again but he kept getting away.
The kids just stood back and watched. Olivia even came out with a bowl of chips and gestured to the bowl to her brothers as they all watched in amusement.
Beca tried to jump and wrap her hands around the dog, but he ran quicker than she could jump to get to him and she just ended up in the grass.
Chloe tried to go for his collar when he ran past her but she ended up tripping when leaning in to grab him.
They just continued running around the yard, one failed attempt to catch him after the other.
“Little shit thinks this is a game.” Beca said as she approached Chloe with her hands on her hips, breathing heavily.
“Beca! He is not a little shit as you so elegantly called him. He just doesn’t understand what we need him to do.” Chloe tried to defend.
“Well, last I checked, you were the dog whisperer between us, Doctor Beale, vet extraordinaire.” Beca mocked, the party hadn’t even started and she was already tired.
Chloe just rolled her eyes, “Let’s just pretend that we’re going back inside and maybe he’ll follow.”
They started to walk toward the back sliding door, “Thanks for helping us out guys. Thanks a lot.” Beca said as she approached her kids that were just eating and watching them run around the yard.
Chloe looked in her peripheral and saw Chance slowly start to make his way behind them. She stopped and grabbed Beca hoping Chance would walk between them when they stopped and they could at least grab the bag of food.
When the couple stopped, the dog slowed down as well and booked it in the other direction.
Beca and Chloe turned and ran after him again. That was the closest they had gotten during this whole time. They weren’t going to give up that opportunity.
As they made one more round around the yard, they heard the doorbell ring and decided to give up the chase in order to answer the door.
Beca went inside and tried to tidy up her hair and clothes before answering the door. Chloe following closely behind her.
What they didn’t see was Eli call Chance over and the dog easily obeyed. Eli grabbed the snacks from his mouth as they walked into the kitchen and emptied the contents into an empty snack bowl.
As Beca and Chloe opened the front door, they saw all the Bellas waiting patiently for them.
“Why do you both look like you just ran a mile?” Aubrey was the first to ask. Beca looked to Stacie and just saw her wiggle her eyebrows.
“Nice one DJ. Tryna get a quickie before the party. I see how it is.” Amy said as she walked into the house pass the couple.
“Wha-…No…that’s not…the stupid dog…” Beca stuttered out.
“Sure, blame the dog.” Flo said as she winked.
“It’s true!” Beca tried to defend. Chloe just stood aside and let them think what they want. It was just funny watching Beca squirm at her friends’ teasing.
Eli walked by them with the bowl of Doritos while everyone made their way to the backyard.
Beca just looked at him, shocked, and pointed at him as he walked by and set the bowl down on the table outside, Chance following obediently behind him.
Chloe saw her standing dumbfounded at the door, “Come babe. It’s fine. We need you to mind the grill.” She said as she gave Beca a kiss on the lips to try to get her out of her shocked state.
Beca was out of her trance and kissed her back quickly. Wolf whistles echoed from the table behind them. Chloe just turned and blushed while Beca grumbled back behind the grill.
“Nice job Mama, you really showed your dominance with Chance.” Oliver teased as he walked up with an empty pan for her to place the cooked food.
“Shut it you! I’m not afraid to tell Bella about your little secret, right here right now, in front of all the Bellas, and not to mention her parents.” Beca threatened.
Oliver just chuckled knowing there was no real heat behind his mother’s threats, “Oookay, Mama. Calm down. I’m just joking.” He said as he patted her on the shoulder.
“Just…go play in the pool or something.” She tried to lean away from his touch, her pride a little hurt but it was really nothing more than teasing.
“You alright, baby?” Chloe said as she came up and hugged her from behind, hooking her head around Beca’s shoulder.
Beca looked around the backyard with her family all around. Some in the pool, others playing with Chance in the yard, and others chatting around the table.
She smiled, “Yea, I’m just fine. Everything is perfect.” She turned around in Chloe’s arms and gave her sweet kiss.
More wolf whistles and cat calls, and some groans from her kids, came from around them but she could care less and just deepened the kiss a bit more before ending it.