Glee: Race to the Finish (the fifth book in the Glee series)

Chapter 78: Piece by Piece

Just a few more chapters left! The end is drawing near everybody!!! I wanted to split this up into two because it's so long but what the hell. I'll post something else pretty soon! :D (whoever is the freaking pusheen account, you made me laugh so hard I almost peed my pants, so this one's for you) 
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"I guess you won't be starring in the new Pepsi commercial anymore, huh?"

"Nope. They didn't really like the fact that I left the city so abruptly and before I could explain what happened they had already replaced me with some girl from Disney Channel."

Julie took a step back from the fence and looked out at her backward, empty and quiet. Beside her Sam was holding Gaby, who was currently drooling on his favorite shirt. 

Before he had a chance to respond, Ryder marched out the back door and said, "Hey! No one was answering inside so I just came in."

"I locked the door," Sam said.

"Oh I have a key," Ryder told him. 

"You do?" he responded, this being the first time he ever heard of that anymore. He looked at Julie for an explanation, but she was still looking down at the ground, mesmerized by the grass.

Ryder pulled her aside and said, "I'm so sorry, Julie. I didn't mean for all of this to happen."

"It's ok," she responded. "It's not your fault. Meg was sick and she was a little old. I just wish I'd known she was ill so that I could've done more for her. At least pampered her on her last days or something, I don't know."

"She was sick," Sam said from behind them. "It's not like there was anything we really could've done."

Julie nodded. He was right. "I just can't believe my poor baby is gone," she said, putting her hands into her pockets and then making her way into the house. Ryder and Sam exchanged knowing glances before following her inside.

Sam had been home for about two hours and already he was feeling the low morale. Though he understood that Julie was mourning the loss of a dog she'd had for many years, he wished they could just put it aside while he was home so that he could focus on the twins. 

"So I was thinking," he said as he joined Julie and Ryder in the living room fifteen minutes later. He still had Gaby with him, but now Izzy was there on the ground beside Ryder, sitting up all on her own and even reaching for some of the toys that were spread around her on the ground. 

"You were thinking," Julie repeated, her attention on Izzy and Ryder interacting. 

"Yes," he nodded. "I think you should do something to get your mind off of everything. Now that the band's in town, maybe you can have some studio time and work on music. Or just go out with your friends. I'll stay here with the twins."

"With both of them?" Julie asked. "By yourself? Are you sure? It's been a while..."

"I've got this," Sam said, wanting to prove that if Ryder could so it, he could do it even better. 

Julie hesitated for much longer than he wanted her to. "Yeah," she finally said. "Yeah, that sounds great. Ryder, you have to go to work anyway, so I guess I can call Alex and get him over here to write."

"In your backyard studio?" Ryder asked her. "You sure you don't want to go out into the world and avoid getting stir crazy in here?"

"No, I'm good," she shook her head. "I want to write. It'll be fine. Go do what you need to do."

"Ok," he said, standing up and handing her baby over. "I guess I'll talk to you later then. Have fun writing." He gave her a kiss and was then on his way out, leaving Julie to contemplate her next move.