thank y'all for 1k votes!! I love y'all so much.

also, I've started my Roger Taylor fic back up again! it's very hallmark movie-esque (in my head)

but if y'all wanna read it, mosey on over when you're done with this chapter.

alrighty, onward!

THE HIGHLANDER MOVIE was scheduled to be released at the beginning of March, and Freddie was elated.

     However, they still had the rest of the album to finish up, which meant the band was in the studio, leaving Valerie with far too much free time
on her hands.

    But that was a good thing, partially, because she could work on decorating Michael's new bedroom and Thomas's birthday present, as well as get some of the endless chores done around the house.

     Today, though, Valerie was taking Michael to walk at a park with Payton and Louisa. He was barely starting to walk, but he easily got bored in the house, so Valerie figured it would be better to get him out and about.

And since the other kids were at school, and couldn't come along, she figured she'd also stop at the store and get the ingredients to make their favourite pizza.

"Michael, are you ready, baby?" Valerie asked, and Michael babbled in response from where he was playing with his blocks on the bed. He couldn't exactly talk just yet, but he would respond to his siblings or parents if they asked him something or if he got in trouble with one of his sisters.

"Alrighty then. You want an avocado for the road?" She asked, smiling to herself as she picked the blocks off the bed.

John always teased her about the kids being healthier than him with all of the vegetables and fruits they ate. Valerie teased right back saying that was his own fault.

     Michael shouted an exclamation that Valerie took to mean 'yes' as she clasped the locket that John had gotten her for Valentine's Day behind her neck. She picked up her son after slinging his bag over her shoulder and grinned at him, kissing his chubby cheeks. 

       "Alrighty then. Let's go see Auntie Payton," Valerie said, and Michael clapped his hands excitedly.

Heading down the stairs, turning off the lights as she went, Valerie let Michael down once they reached the bottom, letting him clutch onto her skirt as he followed her into the kitchen while she packed some snacks.

Once she had gotten everything together, she made sure Bowie was inside (yes, he was over ten, but he was still very much alive) and that he had plenty of food.

      John wanted a dog, but Valerie told him to wait until Michael was a bit older. She also didn't want to have a train a new puppy when she had the kids. He said he was going to get a new kitten one day, but he had yet to make good on his word.

     And so once Valerie knew Bowie was safely inside,  curled up on the old chair in John's 'office', Valerie and Michael headed outside.

"Are you ready for an adventure?" Valerie asked, taking a page from John's book because that's what he always asked the kids when they were going out on trips into town or mini road trips to visit his mother.

"Ah!" Michael shrieked in agreement to confirm that yes, he was indeed ready for an adventure.

And so Valerie, smiling brightly, locked the door behind her and headed to the car, turning the radio on loudly the moment the drove off.
*****

"Oh, it's so great to get away from work. I've been working nonstop for months. I'm lucky I can work from home sometimes." Payton said while letting Louisa run ahead to go play on the playground.

Michael, while eager to try to go and play with Louisa, was far too hungry and he decided to stay behind in his stroller and eat his avocado.

"Yeah, you are. I mean, you run the business yourself so you get to decide your own hours, right?"

"Technically, yes. Ah, you're so lucky you're not working. I wish I could spend more time with my kids like you do." Payton said ruefully as she watched Louisa running towards the slide with a friend she had just made.

"Payton, it's okay. You're a great mother. You don't need to spend every minute with your kids. You see them plenty, and they love you dearly." Valerie assured Payton, glancing at Michael and his messy endeavour of eating his snack.

      Payton didn't respond for a moment, staying silent before she sighed. "I'm just worried." She admitted after a moment, fiddling with one of the many key chains on her purse, a habit she'd developed after she'd quit smoking.

       "What about?" Valerie asked, leaning forward to clean Michael's face even though he was still eating. He tried to wriggle away, so Valerie left him alone.

"Have you ever thought about divorce?" Payton asked, and Valerie was astounded into silence for a moment.

In the early eighties, just after she and John had gotten married and she'd gotten pregnant again, the two of them had gone through a particularly rough patch in their relationship in which they might go for days without talking to one another because of untrue rumours that were flying about John cheating. But they had gotten through it after the rumours proved to be false (with a little help from Thomas), and all was fantastic.

She and John still had their fights, a handful of big ones here and there, but she had never even considered a separation. Much less, divorce.

"No, I've never considered it," Valerie said hesitantly, noticing how tense Payton seemed to get. "Why? Has something happened?" Valerie asked quietly.

"Not exactly. It just feels like something has, y'know? Brian seems so distant, and he doesn't talk as much to me anymore. He's still very loving with the kids, but it feels like there's something.... wrong." Payton admitted, dropping her hands to her lap.

     "Maybe he's just stressed out. Has this been happening for a while, Payton?"

     "Maybe a year. Everything just feels so tense. I mean, it started with a small loss of communication but now it feels like he's just off. He's not himself." Payton said.

"I mean, you and John talk all the time, right? Even on tour he calls you? And you're so close to him. I mean, the way you look at each other. Even after your fights, it seems like you're still close." Payton continued sadly.

     "Oh, no, you don't see everything. Our marriage isn't all sunshine and rainbows, Payton, no one's marriage is. You just don't see it. Me and John have gotten into huge fights before. We're subject to getting into arguments about the stupidest of things and then going the rest of the day not talking because neither of us wants to apologize. But no one ever sees that. You never have,"

Payton sighed heavily. "But you didn't answer me. You still talk, don't you? You're still very close?"

"Well, yes-"

"Then it's not a loss of communication. Of course, couples fight. I know that. But me and Brian don't really talk anymore. He doesn't share things like he used to."

       "Have you tried counseling?" Valerie asked, and Payton laughed indignantly.

"That's all my mother has suggested." She said bitterly, taking one of the pieces of avocado that Michael was offering her and eating it absentmindedly.

       "Have you tried it?"

       "No," Payton mumbled, sighing. "I just.... I don't think it would help. What would be any different if someone else was helping us talk?"

       "I don't know. But I think it's worth trying to try to reestablish communication. Maybe even talking to Brian about counseling will make him more aware of how you feel." Valerie said, and Payton opened her mouth to speak before she let out a quiet sob.

      "Oh, Payton! Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Valerie asked,  wrapping an arm around her friend and leaning her head against her shoulder.

     "Please, you'd just had a baby! I didn't need to worry you. And besides, I know how close you and Brian are, and how you can reprimand him when you're angry. I didn't want to burden you or anger him." She said shakily, trying desperately to control her emotions.

      There was a beat before Payton spoke again. "And besides, it's not your business. Oh, that sounded mean. I mean.... it's not your fight to fight. You've got your own things to worry about, and one of them is not me and Brian's marriage." Payton said, and Valerie nodded understandingly.

       "Yes, I understand completely."

      "I will talk to him about counseling, though. God, it's so embarrassing." Payton said, taking Valerie's hand and giving it a squeeze.

       "No, it's not. It's not embarrassing at all. In fact, I think it's quite notable that you're talking to him about it and are thinking about doing it. It's courageous." Valerie replied, and Payton gave a dry laugh that came out as more of a cough.

       "You're a really great friend, you know that?"

     "Yes, I do. If I wasn't, we probably wouldn't be sitting here right now talking about this." Valerie said and Payton smiled.

     "Oh, I'm a mess. Look at me. Crying at the park while my daughter plays tag and your son eats an avocado. Pathetic." Payton said, an joking air in her tone.

      "You can just pass it off as hormones if people give you looks. We're women, they'll believe us." Valerie said, and Payton laughed, sniffling again as she dug through her purse for a tissue.

      "Really, Valerie. Thank you so much for listening to me. And giving me advice."

      "I really only repeated what your mother had told you, but you're welcome, lovely. I'm here for you, anytime." Valerie said, giving her friend's hand a comforting squeeze and smiling at her.

      "But your really are a mess," she said, the two of them laughing. "How about some ice cream to cheer you up?" Valerie suggested, and Payton nodded.

      "Yes, that would be nice." Payton said, as she wiped at her eyes, checking in her compact to see if her makeup had smeared at all. It had, just slightly, but it was fixable.

       "They kids'll like that, too. But Louisa is having fun, so we'll stay a bit longer," Payton said, then turning towards Michael who was still in the stroller, now done with his snack, but messy as could be.

     "How about we go for a little walk, huh, Michael? You wanna walk?" Payton asked, a smile in her voice as she spoke to the child. Valerie smiled as Michael face a cry of delight, and Payton lifted him out of the stroller.

      "He probably won't be make it very far, but have fun,  you too." Valerie said, smiling as she tried to clean Michael's mouth before he wriggled away.

      She had to stay and watch Louisa, but that just gave her time to be alone with her thoughts, and she contemplated telling John about today. About what Payton had said.

      But Payton had arrived back soon enough, and the four of them left to get ice cream at Louisa's favourite shop in town.

     And for the time being, both Valerie and Payton were distracted and entirely happy.

a short chapter this time around, but the next one will be longer because there'll be a tiMe SKip in the middle of it jfsjsjak

god I'm so bad at ending chapters

n e ways, I hope y'all enjoyed it!!

have a wonderful day, and thank you for 1k votes!! I appreciate y'all's support so much!!