"I'm sorry." The security guard said again with a sad smile and a gesture that told one or both of them to move.
Gail looked to Holly, noting the fury and sadness in her usually bright, happy eyes. "I'll go. You stay in line with the kids, Dax should stay asleep and Piper is Piper."
Holly opened her mouth to protest but Gail shut her down with a raised hand. "If I stay I'm going to lose it and if that happens I'd really rather our children," she made sure to raise her voice at that, making a point of calling them their children. "not be around. It's fine, I'll meet you guys on the plane."
Holly nodded in defeat. There really wasn't anything she could do, and Gail was furious and more likely to blow a gasket. It was better if she stayed in the family line with the kids while her wife go to the other much longer line.
Gail kissed each member of her family and picked up her bag and rolled Holly's suitcase with her as she was escorted to the other line. Holly watched her walk away with an ache in her stomach. She was mad of course, her family wasn't recognized in this state and so they had to split to fit the criteria. This was one thing she'd always been happy for, when her parents decided to break from all family and raise her in Canada. They used to visit all the time, -like they were doing now- it was only a few hour flight and they were big family people, but Holly's parents felt Canada was a better place to raise her. And for that, for the rights she sometimes takes for granted, she'd forever be grateful for.
"Where's mommy going? Is she coming back?" Her daughter questioned, pointing in the direction Gail disappeared.
Holly looked down at the girl. "We're going to get on the plane and then mommy will meet us there."
"Why isn't she getting on with us?"
She debated how much to tell the five year old, and then just how to word it so the girl would understand. Piper waited patiently for her mother's reply, watching as her features changed.
"Mommy and I are married, but not everywhere in the world thinks so. And here they don't consider us married, so all four of us aren't a family to them and not all of us can stay in this line. This line is for families only so mommy has to go through a different line." It took all of her strength to not quiver in her explanation. The fact that she had to tell her five year old child about these sort of things would never fail to bring furious tears to her eyes, but she couldn't do that here, not in front of them.
Piper thought it over, her face scrunching up in the same manner Gail's did when in contemplating thought. "Can't you just show them your rings?"
The confused innocence in her daughter's question was making it extremely hard to not break down. Holly pushed the stroller forward as the line moved ahead. Turning back she picked up the kids bags and placed them beside the stroller that held her children. Piper stared at Holly from her spot on the top of the stroller, feet swinging in the air as she waited for answers. "I wish it was that simple Piper, I really do, but it's not. The law in this state says that because mommy and I are both women that we aren't married while here. Do you remember our talk at pride?"
Piper nodded, "yes."
"It has a lot to do with that." Holly hoped that was the last of the questions, she didn't know how many more she could take.
"Oh" her voice small.
Looking at her daughter her heart sunk, Piper had her head bowed down, sadness written all over her. The lump in her throat grew till it felt like it would burst and the tears in her eyes dared to spill. Holly quickly pulled Piper out of her perch atop the stroller and brought her close to her chest, the girl wrapped her legs around Holly and her arms around her neck. The hot tears that streamed down her collar bone and quiet sniffles from her daughter was what broke her. Holly silently cried with the little girl held tight in her arms.
After a few minutes Piper pulled away and rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hands, then looking at Holly she noticed her mother's tears.
"That's not nice or fair, it's-it's sad and hurtful." Her brows furrowed, she wiped Holly's tears off her cheeks and placed a kiss to each, causing Holly to sputter out a laugh.
"You're right, it is very sad and hurtful, and not nice or fair at all." Holly agreed.
"One day it will be better. Right?" Piper asked hopeful and expectant.
"If we keep fighting." Holly smiled at her incredibly caring and intelligent daughter. At the wee age of five and Piper's ended up comforting her about the homophobia she's been dealing with for over ten years. Holly ran her knuckles gently over the girl's rosie cheek.
"Then I guess we should get home and grab the boxing gloves" Piper smiled brightly, her blue eyes still darkened from crying and eyelashes damp.
Holly laughed again, this time a real, full, laugh. That was such a Gail was to comfort her, Holly couldn't help but crumble. Piper giggled along and smiled proudly, happy to have her mom smiling again.
"You are you're mommy's child." Holly chuckled and wiped her nose.
"It was inevitable." Piper casually answered. "Inevitable is a big word Pipes, I'm impressed." She moved them forward as the line moved, the girl now resting on her hip.
"I try." Piper smirked and shrugged.
Daxton was the one to spot Gail and made it known by way of loud squeal and grabby hands. Piper leaned over her brother to see the blonde making her way down the aisle toward them, a big smile plastered on her face. The scene made Holly's heart swell with love and she gave a lopsided smile to her wife.
"Hey weirdos, how's it going?" Gail greeted the trio.
"Mom was telling me what a illusion is." Piper bounced in her seat, excited to have the blonde back.
Gail raised her brow at her wife, receiving a shrug.
"Well don't let me get in the way of your nerding. Dax and I," she picked the baby up off of Holly's lap and put him in her own. "will play until you finish."
Holly was still fixated on the fact that Gail was once again with them, overjoyed with her presents and a little baffled by her lack of complaining about the airport. She met the piercing blues and made a kissy face. Holly knew she didn't care for PDA very much but she needed it right now. Gail rolled her eyes playfully but leaned over their oblivious daughter and kissed the brunette.
"Always so needy." Gail teased with a wink and small smirk.
Holly hummed contently then turned to Piper. "So an illusion is. ."