As always, a massive, massive, MASSIVE thanks to Kelly. This is for you (:
i.
Connie Green
"Come on, mom! We can't keep Miss Fisher waiting!" Connie Green pulled on her mother's hand, urging her forward into the classroom. Connie's father, Nate, rolled his eyes at his daughter's impatience. Why she was so excited about this he didn't know.
Being five years old and having two incredibly famous parents was never going to be easy for Connie, though her parents had planned everything for at least a year before deciding that bringing a child into the world together was what they really wanted.
Connie was the youngest in the 'Color Clan' as it had been so fondly named by her Uncle Jason. She had recently started school and much to her parent's surprise she loved it. Mitchie had always been insecure as a child and had hated the thought of leaving her mother behind each day, but her daughter seemed to be the complete opposite and could barley wait to run into the building and learn with her friends.
"Miss Fisher says that she can't wait to meet you!" Connie said to her parents as she led them to the familiar classroom. Mitchie raised an eyebrow but it went unnoticed by her excited child. Nate had a panicked expression on his face, reminded of the thousands of girls that used to throw themselves at him back when he could rock out to them and not feel like a pervert.
"You must be Connie's parents; it's nice to meet you." A lady, in her middle twenties or so, stood up to greet them. Connie ran to hug her, her smile growing. Miss Fisher laughed, returning the hug to her little student.
"Miss Fisher! This is my mommy Mitchie and my daddy Nate. They are famous singers!" Connie pointed to each of her parents in turn, excited to introduce her teacher to her parents. Her sixth favorite person (behind Uncle Jason, who held the title of her favorite person along with her parents because he spun her around until she was dizzy, her Aunty Tess who brushed her hair and told her she was beautiful, her Aunt Caity who helped her steal the cookies when she was hungry and her Uncle Shane who sung her to sleep with their special lullaby) was finally meeting her mommy and daddy.
"We were famous singers." Nate corrected his daughter with an awkward laugh.
"Don't be silly daddy; I still listen to your music!" Nate cringed but couldn't hide the fond smile that formed on his lips. It was true, his daughter sung along to 'Play my Music' frequently.
"I'm Alison." Their daughter's teacher introduced herself so they didn't have to call her Miss Fisher. She shook hands with both Nate and Mitchie, smiling. Connie spoke about them a lot and, embarrassingly, she used to listen to their music often when she was a teenager.
"It's nice to meet you."
Once everyone was seated (Connie sat on her mother's lap), Alison started to talk.
"You daughter is a pleasure to teach, she's smart and helpful and kind." Connie beamed at the praise. "In fact there's not much I can say on the negative side really, other than talking a little too much at story time." Alison finished.
Mitchie breathed a sigh of relief, happy her daughter was behaving, unlike other members of her family.
ii.
Charlie White
At that exact moment about twenty minutes away, Tess Tyler was on her knees to be eye level with her six year old son, Charlie White.
"Honey, is it true what Mr Anderson told me?" She was saying to her son.
"Mommy I don't know what I did!" Charlie replied, crossing his arms and pouting, looking exactly like a younger, male version of his mother.
"Mr Anderson said that you ran and hid in the toilets when he asked you about your grandma, Charlie."
"I didn't!" Charlie protested, looking like he was about to burst into tears. "I didn't do it mommy, I didn't!"
"Charlie I'm not going to tell you off, I just want to know why you did it." Tess said, pulling her son into a hug.
"I miss grandma, momma." Charlie whimpered, wrapping his arms around his mother's neck.
"I know. I miss her too." Tess whispered back, hugging her son close.
Tess' mother-in-law and Charlie's grandma, Irene White, had passed away two weeks ago due to cancer. Charlie and Irene had been extremely close and her death had hit the child hard, not to mention Irene's son Jason – Charlie's father.
"When will she be back?" Charlie asked his mother, pulling away from the hug, his bright blue eyes searching his mother's face for any sign of a hint. Tess sighed.
"She's not coming back, Char. She's gone to heaven with the angels." Explaining the concept of heaven to a six year old wasn't easy and Tess wished her husband was here to help her.
"Will I be able to see her again when I go with the angel's, momma?" Tess' eyes watered but it didn't stop her from nodding.
"Yes Charlie, when you go with the angel's you'll see Grandma Irene again."
"What's going on, Tess?" The new voice carried into the room and Charlie's face brightened considerably.
"DADDY!" He launched himself at Jason, giggling when his father threw his into the air and caught him.
"I was upset about Grandma Irene but mommy said that when I go with the Angel's I'll see her again, so it doesn't matter anymore." Charlie explained. His father set him down and opened his arms so both Tess and Charlie could hug him. The group hug lasted for a few seconds before Tess started tickling Charlie and his delighted laughs filled the air.
iii.
Abigail Gray
Yet another house down sat fifteen year old Abigail Gray. She had a stony expression on her face as she glared at her parents from under her eyes.
"I didn't hit him!" Abigail Gray's words seemed to fall on deaf ears. Her mother shook her head, disappointment evident on her face. Her father mimicked the actions but Abigail could see a slight smirk on his face.
"Shane it isn't funny!" Caitlyn scolded her husband, not missing his smirk.
"Well it kinda is-" He paused at Caitlyn's expression "no, no it isn't funny."
"You must have hit him! Why would your teacher lie?" Caitlyn asked, crossing her arms.
"He called me a slut!" Abigail caved, knowing she'd have to soon or later.
"You could have walked away! You should have walked away!" Caitlyn responded, throwing her arms in the air.
"It's not easy to walk away when people are calling you names, mom."
Caitlyn sighed, looking at Shane. It was apparent that he wasn't going to help because he was staring blankly ahead. He hated telling his daughter off and sometimes Caitlyn wondered how it was that he always seemed to get the upper hand over her on the parent stuff.
Abigail always listened to her father even though he never yelled at her, scolded her or told her something was wrong. Caitlyn tried to make her see her mistakes and she totally ignored her.
"Look, Abi, I'm sorry but you really need to stop doing this."
"Doing what? Retaliating? Not showing weakness? Mom you know what guy's are like, you said it yourself – you married a jerk!"
"Hey!" Shane interrupted; feigning hurt "you said I was a jerk Caity?"
Caitlyn rolled her eyes, ignoring him and going back to Abigail. "Just promise next time you won't break his nose?"
"No promises." Abigail grumbled, but the small smile on her face showed Caitlyn that for the first time in a long time she was listening. From the way Abigail acted her daughter reminded her so much of the old Shane – the jerk Shane.
"God you're so much like your father and I." Caitlyn said, collapsing onto the sofa.
"You broke someone's nose?" Abigail asked, perking up at the mention of her mother's 'spunk' as they called it.
"YEAH! Tell her the story, Caity!" Shane said, excited at the mention of his wife and violence.
"I'm trying to be a good influence, Shane. Besides, I don't go around punching anymore."
"Didn't stop you back then." Shane retaliated.
"Oh can someone just tell me the story?" Abigail interrupted her parents bickering with an eye roll.
"There was this guy." Caitlyn started, glaring at Shane. "And he used to date your Aunt Tess."
Abigail nodded, a small smile forming on her lips. She knew how much Tess used to sleep around before Jason 'changed' her. Or at least that's how her aunt put it whenever the subject was bought up. The 'that was then, this is now' speech was common in her family, especially with her mother and aunt.
"Anyway one party he got drunk and tried to kiss me" Caitlyn shuddered before continuing "and so I punched him in the nose and the jaw." She finished, cutting the story short.
"Go mom!" Abi cheered.
"This doesn't mean violence is the answer!" Caitlyn said hurriedly, looking to Shane for help which, of course, she didn't get.
"Yeah, I know, but still, you must have been a pretty cool teen." Abigail said with a wink.
"Oh god." Caitlyn groaned, burying her head in her hands. She was never going to hear the end of this from her daughter, and she had a feeling that whenever Abigail acted violently in the future the 'but you were like me when you were my age, mom' speech was going to happen. Still, maybe not.
Oh, who was she kidding?
iiii.
Jake Loya
"How long is this song?" Sander Loya complained to his fiancée Ella.
"Shh, her parents are just over there!" Ella whispered back, indicating with a discreet hand motion to a couple sitting a few seats away.
The two were at a concert at their son, Jake's, school, though unfortunately for them Jake was performing last. They'd had to sit through ten performances including this one – a girl playing 'A Whole New World' on the flute. Sander had always hated Disney, and this was no exception, even if the girl was a brilliant flutist.
The girl finally finished and Ella clapped politely along with the rest of the audience while Sander breathed a sigh of relief.
The teacher resumed his position on stage.
"And now let me introduce to you our final act – Jake Loya!" The teacher smiled at the crowd before heading back to his seat.
"About time." Sander mumbled, but when his son walked on the stage he still managed to cheer loudly (enough to embarrass Jake, anyway).
"Sander, you'll embarrass him." Ella scowled, though she didn't take her eyes of her son. Jake smiled at her and headed towards the piano, opening his book and beginning to play.
He was thirteen yet he could play so well it left Ella wondering if really he was an expert in disguise. She sucked in a breath as she watched her son's fingers move up and down the piano keys, setting her hand on her fiancées. They shared a look then and Ella felt Sander squeeze her hand. She still couldn't believe that they had made this child – this wonderful boy who was an amazing pianist.
Watching him up there reminded her of the day Sander proposed. It was two weeks before she found out about her pregnancy, and she realized now something those two nights had in common: she'd never forget either of them.
Once her son finished and had stepped away from the piano he searched the audience for the two familiar faces: his parents.
He shook his head, embarrassed, when he realized that despite her previous scolding for the exact same thing, Ella was cheering loudly along with Sander, his father. Despite this he couldn't mask the warm glow he felt when his hopes were confirmed: he'd made them proud.
iv.
Melissa James
An hour away Lola and Barron were sitting with their daughter, Melissa. The eleven year old was laughing at something her father had said while Lola just shook her head, continuing to wash the dishes.
"Can I have a muffin?" Both her boyfriend and her daughter chorused.
"Sometimes I wonder if you two are brain connected or something, you think so alike." Lola mumbled, though she knew that both members of her family heard from the giggle she got as a response.
Barron and Lola had decided against getting married for now – they both loved each other but they didn't see marriage as a huge thing. In fact they were the only couple out of all their friends that weren't married (or engaged in Sander and Ella's case). Their daughter didn't seem to mind, as long as her family was happy she didn't see any fault with her parent's life plan.
"Does that mean we can have a muffin?" Barron asked, sneaking behind his girlfriend and wrapping his arms around her waist. She slapped him away.
"No muffins until you get ready for bed." She said to Melissa, keeping an eye on Barron who was inching towards the food.
"Aw, but mom!" Melissa whined, pouting. Lola laughed, continuing to keep Barron under surveillance as he got closer and closer to the plate of homemade muffins. Melissa rolled her eyes and obeyed the orders with a grumble, heading upstairs.
"She's so like you it's scary." Barron said while stuffing a muffin in his mouth.
"I never complained when my mom said I had to change into my pajamas before eating a muffin." Lola complained, finishing with the washing up.
"No but the other things she does, like biting her lip when she's scared, how she sticks up for herself and seems to have this sort of aura round her." Barron had never really compared Lola and Melissa like this before, but now he was he realized how similar both mother and daughter actually were.
"You're trying to soften me up for another muffin, aren't you?" Lola said, raising an eyebrow at her boyfriend.
"Maybe…" Barron trailed off, winking and grabbing a second muffin as Melissa, now in her pajamas, hurried in. She smiled broadly at Lola, showing a gap where a milk tooth had fallen out last week.
"Oh go on then, take the muffin."
As the last muffin was taken from the plate Lola realized just how right Barron was – she was exactly like her daughter.
For all you 'Letter' fans, I plan on updating tomorrow! Thanks for reading this, I hope you like it. Please review with what you thought!