let the light in | jack hughes

Chapter 90

[July 31, 2024]

Beatrice

"Baby, you know what I woke up thinking?" I ask my boyfriend. He grabs the TV remote, pauses the series we're watching, and looks over at me. Not a single look of annoyance flashing over his face. Instead, he looks at me like he genuinely wants to know what thoughts are brewing in my brain. "What were you thinking?" he asks, taking a sip of his coffee as his free hand squeezes my hand. 

I tell him about our expanding universe and share all the ways it makes me sick to my stomach. Like will one day our universe go boom? I don't know much about science and I don't want to look into this because it will stay in my head for as long as it wants to. "Jack the universe should not be expanding, that's so scary," I tell him. 

He looks over at me, holding my chin in his hand. "If the universe didn't expand, how would it hold all the love I have for you?" he says with a sweet smile and a serious yet gentle tone. I don't know how to respond to that given the actual fear in my body so I shrug. "I don't know it just should without expanding." I say after a few minutes of quiet, making him laugh.

We turn our attention back to the TV show we're watching until my alarm goes off. We get out of bed, make the bed together, and start getting ready for our day together. Today Devon, Jamie, Jack, and I are taking all of the rookies to New York City for a fun day. Lindy asked Devon and me to do it since we "seem to handle young men pretty well."

I'm glad he can see the effort we put into gentle parenting his team of grown men. Originally it was just supposed to be just the two of us but until the training starts where Devon and I go our boyfriends follow. It's fun sometimes, it's like having a new puppy that just follows you everywhere, eats everything, and needs attention all the time. 

Jack follows me into the restroom and stands beside me while I get ready. Since we're going to be outside all day I put my hair up in a ponytail, pulling my front pieces out even though after a certain amount of time they start pissing me off and I end up tucking them behind my ear. Jack shaves his beard and does his hair while I put some light makeup on. 

I don't put a lot on since I'll probably sweat it off, but I put enough on to feel comfortable. I take a bottle of water big enough to share with Jack, but small enough for him to not complain about carrying it. He wouldn't make me carry it but he'd pass it to Jamie and say it's Devon's. 

"Alright Jae, hurry up we have a tour to give!" Jack calls from the front door. I grab a small camera, check the cats' bowls to make sure they have food and run through my mental checklist. Okay, I'm good to go! I hurry out the door, letting Jack lock it with the key I gave him. Ever since I gave it to him, he's insisted on locking and opening the door for us. 

Once we get there I give Jamie a big hug, squeezing him as tight as I can just to make up for lost time. "Hi to you too Bea," he squeezes my body to him, carefully matching my intensity before giving Jack a quick hug. I hop over to Devon and hug her until Jamie coughs, clearing his throat. "Do you guys want to be alone?" Jack asks with raised eyebrows. 

"Preferably," Devon scowls, before giving Jack a hug. They fight like siblings until she finally gets him to hold still long enough for a hug. She lets go, giving him a dirty look while returning to my side. "I don't know how you deal with him, he's like a feral cat sometimes." she teases. I bring my hand up to scratch Jack's head and as if a switch flipped he smiles, pulling my hand down to intertwine it with his. 

We get a quick headcount before taking a train to New York when out of the blue one of the rookies raises his hand. I call on him, finding it weird that he raised his hand but push past it. "Isn't he on the ducks?" he asks, squinting his eyes at Jamie. Without needing to say another word Devon glares at him and scares him off with a single look. His hand slowly goes back down and not another word is said about Jamie's presence.