Sydney sat at a lunch table by herself as she sat in front of a laptop. As Sydney was eating, she was having a video call with her grandmother Judy who was holding Sydney's daughter Alisha in her lap. A smiling Sydney waved to the camera as she said, "Hi Alisha. Hi." Judy then lifted Alisha's hand and waved it while she said, "Say hi to mommy." Then Sydney said, "So grandma, has Alisha been fed and changed yet? You know how important it is to get her into a schedule." Then Judy said, "She has, and yes I know how important schedules are. I only wish your father stuck to them when he was young." Then Sydney said, "Okay. Well anyway, bye Alisha. Mommy misses you and loves you much!" Alisha then reached her hand and smiled as several teen girls started to walk towards Sydney from behind her. Then just as the video call ended, one of the teen girls said, "Wait. Is that your daughter?" Sydney suddenly looked nervous as she said, "Oh... um..." Then one of the teen girls said, "Wait. That's why you missed the last half of 8th grade, isn't it? Because you were pregnant." Sydney began to look humiliated as she tilted her head down low and said, "Well... yeah." Then another teen girl excitedly said, "Your daughter looks so cute. Do you have any pictures of her?" Sydney then with a look of a surprise said, "Oh... well... yeah. You wanna see them?" The teen girls then crowded around Sydney, as Sydney opened up some pictures. As Sydney began to scroll through her photos she said, "Where here's my daughter Alisha's first time being taken on a walk in the park in the stroller with me." All of the girls then smiled as they said, "Awww." Sydney with a smile said, "Yeah. She is really cute. Here, I'll show you all more."

In the school hallway, Emmy and Olive were walking together as Olive noticed some posters hung up on the wall. As Olive noticed the posters she said, "Ooo. A new math decathlon team is being started up. I should join!" Then Emmy looked closely at the poster as she said, "But look at the details here. They only meet after school. And you know what your mom said about after school activities." Olive sighed as she said, "Yeah. That I have to watch over Serenity as soon as I am done after school. Man, it didn't dawn on me until now how much we really are missing out on as mothers." Then Emmy said, "Actually, I miss Esperanza more than anything. I can't wait till school gets off and I can hold her again." Then as Olive looked at a poster advertising a homecoming dance she said, "Yeah, and I miss Serenity too. But still... it is rough that we have to miss out some things like the homecoming dance now."

Sophia sat down in the classroom of a new school amongst other students her age. A female teacher stood at the front of the class as she said, "Welcome everyone to Child Development 101. My name is Miss Adams. Now to be clear, this isn't a class where we're gonna talk about how to sing the ABC's and count to ten; so if you're looking for an easy A, transfer out of here now. This is a class where we'll be discussing the development of young children, and the different kinds of families young children are born into, such as traditional families, blended families, and families that adopt children." Then one student raised their hand and said, "Are we gonna talk about how crazy and messed up adopted children are, because my little cousin was adopted from China and she is just an emotional mess." Then suddenly Sophia had a look of shock and sadness on her face. Then the teacher Miss Adams said, "Well we're going to look at the many fine details of what can affect a young child's development, so maybe this class with educate you and help give you a better understanding your cousin's behavior." Then the student said, "What's there to understand? When a mom dumps a kid out of their house, they get screwed up. Seems simple to me. Now give me my A+." Then more tears appeared from Sophia's eyes, as she tried to turn her head away from the rest of the class.

Sydney sat at a lunch table with her laptop out as many teen girls were crowded around her. As Sydney was scrolling through pictures she said, "And here's me and Alisha going on her first carousel ride in these matching outfits my grandma bought for us." All of the girls smiled as they said, "Aww." Sydney smiled as she said, "And here's another of when Alisha fell asleep on me while I was doing my homework. I literally had to finish my assignment while laying down because I was afraid to wake her." All of the teen girls again smiled and said, "Awww." Then a bell rung as Sydney said, "Well, time for class. See you all later." The girls all began to walk away while from nearby Harry walked up to Sydney As Sydney got her belongings together she said, "Hey Harry." Harry nodded as he said, "Hey Sydney. So I hear you've been showing off pictures of Alisha to everyone." Sydney then said, "Yeah. I mean I was totally worried people at school were gonna call me a slut or something when they found out I was a mom. But instead, they're all really cool with it." Then Harry said, "Well I'm glad you're feeling open about telling our friends about Alisha. But do you think it's appropriate to show so many pictures of her to everyone? I mean you didn't even ask me if I was okay with it." Then Sydney said, "Just chill Harry. I'm just showing them what being a hard working parent is like. I mean I've become an inspiration to our peers." Then Harry put a hand on Sydney's shoulder and said, "Syd, you are inspiring, especially to any teen mothers out there. But... have you really thought about how you're coming across and what you may be inspiring our friends to do?" Sydney then began to look a bit uncertain.

Emmy was sitting at a desk doing math homework in a bedroom, as Olive was rocking Esperanza gently. As Olive rocked Esperanza she said, "There, there now. Everything is okay. You can go to sleep now." As Olive gently placed Esperanza in a crib, Emmy glanced at Olive as she said, "Thanks for taking care of Esperanza. This math homework is just taking so much longer for me." Olive smiled as she said, "Hey, we're both in this together." Then Olive heard her phone beep. Olive then took her phone out and said, "Darn it." A curious Emmy then said, "What is it?" Then Olive said, "Well I really wanted us to go to homecoming, so I was looking for a babysitter for Serenity and Esperanza that night. But no one is available that night. My mom stubbornly said no, Sophia's mom is busy that night along with Harry's parents, Mr. Reynolds and Grandma Judy are busy too, and obviously Sydney and Harry are busy taking care of Alisha and Ella. So looks like we'll be both stuck at home." Then Emmy said, "Well... if you want... I'll stay home and watch after Esperanza and Serenity by myself." With a surprised look Olive then said, "You would? But Emmy, you would still be missing homecoming." With a smile on her face Emmy said, "I know. But seeing you miss a smile on your face that night would be the bigger loss. So go have fun for both of us." With a look of pure happiness, Olive jumped at Emmy and hugged her as she said, "Thank you Emmy! Thank you, thank you!"

Sophia's teacher Miss Adams was sitting at a desk by herself in an empty classroom, when Sophia stepped in and said, "Miss Adams?" Miss Adams looked at Sophia as she said, "Yes. Can I help you? It's Sophia, right?" Sophia then said, "Yeah, I was in your second period class this morning. I decided I wanted to transfer out of the class and needed your signature on this form I have." Miss Adams then said, "Well Sophia I'll sign if you want, but can I ask why you want to transfer?" Sophia looking a little nervous said, "Um... this class might be... too much for me." Miss Adams looking curious said, "What? You mean it's not gonna be as easy as you thought it be?" Sophia then said, "No. Um... well... how much of the curriculum is focused on kids being adopted?" Miss Adams then said, "A few weeks worth, why? Is that a sensitive topic for you?" Sophia nervously nodded her head. Miss Adams then said, "Well I'm sorry Sophia. I didn't realize. Is this because you're adopted?" Sophia then turned her head and said, "No." Then suddenly a look of clarity when across Miss Adam's face as she said, "Oh my God. You mean... you had a..." Sophia then began to cry as she broke down and fell to the floor as she began to sob.

Sydney stepped into a school office and saw a woman in a suit sitting at a desk. Sydney looking nervous said, "Principal Daniels?" The female principal then said, "Yes Miss Reynolds, please sit down." As Sydney sat down in front of the desk she said, "Um, am I in trouble or something?" Principal Daniels then said, "No, but there is an important subject matter I want to discuss with you. The word around school is that you've been showing many pictures of your daughter to fellow students, and... we have received some complaints from some parents." Then a surprised Sydney said, "What do you mean? Do some parents have a problem with a teen mom attending this school?" Principal Daniels then said, "Not exactly, but they are concerned with how you're glamorizing being a teen mother. It hasn't happened yet in this school, but in other districts, including the first high school I worked in, there have been incidents of groups of girls making pregnancy pacts; girls that all attempt to get pregnant around the same time, since they're under the impression that becoming a teen mother is going to be nothing but a fun feel good experience that will make them more popular on social media." Then Sydney said, "So what? Am I supposed to pretend I'm not a teen mother, and we'll just act like this a teen mom free school. I'm not contagious you know?" Principal Daniels then said, "I know Sydney. And we want you and any teen mother to feel free to attend this school and be supported. But as progressive as this school district is, we need to be careful with how we approach your peers learning about your recent pregnancy." Sydney then looked down for a moment but then said, "Wait. Principal Daniels, what if I had a careful solution to how we approach this issue?"

Olive stepped out of a closet wearing a long yellow dress that went down just past her knees. As Emmy sat near the two cribs in the shared bedroom, Olive said, "How do I look?" Emmy smiled and said, "Like the most beautiful girl in the world. Come on, lets do your hair." Then as Olive sat in a chair she said, "But homecoming is on Friday." Then Emmy said, "But if we practice it getting right now, then we'll definitely get it down no problem on Friday." Then as Emmy stood behind Olive combing her hair, Olive said, "Wow, I'm feeling nervous. My first high school dance. Maybe a cute boy will ask me to dance with him." Then Emmy smirked as she said, "Or a cute girl, maybe?" Then Olive looked a bit nervous as she said, "Emmy, I... oh my gosh, how long have you known I'm bi?" Emmy smirked as she said, "Since I saw you back in the seventh grade starring at Sydney with longing eyes when you thought she wasn't looking. I'm right, aren't I?" Olive sighed and said, "I... I was waiting for the right time to tell Sydney how I felt. But then she got together with Harry and now they're living together, and... it feels like I missed my shot." Then Emmy rubbed Olive's shoulders and said, "I know. Growing up is confusing, but you'll find the right person for you Olive." Olive smiled as she said, "Thanks Emmy."

Sophia sat in a classroom with just her teacher Miss Adams talking to her. As Sophia wiped some tears away from her eyes she said, "I thought it get easier the more time passed. But I just feel this sharp pain inside me every time I think about how I gave my daughter up." Then Miss Adams with a warm smile said, "Listen Sophia. What's important is you use the correct language here. You didn't give up your child. After thinking carefully about your options, you chose to put her in a place with people who could give her a better opportunity for her life." Then Sophia said, "Yeah. I know, but... why does it still hurt?" Then Miss Adams said, "Well the first question is: do you want to go back on the adoption, and raise your daughter?" Sophia looked down silently for a moment, but then said, "Well... no. I... I know I can't provide her the life she should have. I mean I still don't know what kind of life I should have. It's still so hard though. I should feel happy everything is gonna work out for the best. But why do I still feel sad?" Miss Adams then said, "Well I think you're glad your daughter is going to have a better life, and that you're free of the difficult burden of raising her. But inside you're still mourning for her as well. Not mourning the way you mourn someone who has died, but rather you're mourning that you've now lost the potential positive experiences of motherhood, such as seeing your daughter learn to walk, talk, ride a bike, and so on." Sophia then looked up and said, "Yes. Exactly. So how do I deal with this pain and get rid of it?" Miss Adams sighed and said, "Want a little secret about growing up? You never completely get over painful experiences from your past. But you can do many things to make it feel much less painful. Now it seems like the transition period between you being a mother, and then suddenly not being a mother was too abrupt. I've worked with many pregnant teens who gave their children up for adoption, and I've found that having some sort of formal ceremony helps ease the transitioning pains." Sophia then looked down as she said, "Hmm..."

In a classroom, Sydney stood near a projector as many teen girls came into the room and sat at the desks. One of the teen girls said, "So what's going on here? The teachers said we were having some kind of assembly in here." Sydney nodded and said, "Yeah. It's something me and the principal put together. Listen... I know a lot of you over the last few days have enjoyed looking at pictures of me and my daughter Alisha." Sydney then pressed a button on a remote she had, and the projector near her started a slideshow. The first image was of Sydney holding baby Alisha smiling at the camera. Sydney then looked at the girls in the room and said, "This is what a lot of people think motherhood is. Having a little buddy you can hug and play with, and take cute pictures of. And yes, this is one of the amazing highlights of motherhood... but it's not the entire story." Sydney then pressed a button, and began to show several pictures of baby Alisha crying. Sydney then looked at her audience as she said, "You see motherhood also involves this. Your infant crying at all times during the night, often never letting you get more than four hours of sleep, and that's on a lucky day." Sydney then showed some pictures of herself with messy hair looking exhausted as she held Alisha. Sydney then looked at her audience as she said, "Most of the time I'm not at school this is how I look. Motherhood is stressful, exhausting, lonely, and most of the time: neither your nor the baby will look flattering on camera. And what you're seeing in these pictures is only the tip of the iceberg. I'm not showing it, but trust me: diaper changing and breast feeding is definitely a far cry from glamorous. Now let me be clear. I love my daughter. I would do anything for her. But being a mother isn't something you should just do for fun. It's difficult, it involves a lot of responsibilities, and a lot of sacrifices. I mean how many of you want to try out for sports or special clubs after school? Well I can't, now that I'm a mother. I mean, my entire college fund is gonna run dry in a few years thanks to the expenses of raising my daughter, so I don't know if college will even be an option for me. Again, I love my daughter Alisha and I see her as a gift from God that has been placed into my life. But please, don't rush into being a mother if you have any other plans for your future. Life is full of so many wonders and options, which sadly I can't explore now. Please, take the time to explore them before you do something you may regret."

In the evening Olive was walking down the stairs in her yellow dress followed by Emmy. As Olive went towards the front door she said, "And so you know where I put my pumped breast milk for Serenity right?" Emmy smiled as she said, "In the frig in the bottle with the label on it. Relax Olive, I got this. Enjoy your night." Olive then looked at Emmy as she said, "Emmy, thank you. I mean as much as me and my mom have been supporting you since you moved in, I feel like you've been supporting me even more." Emmy then made a warm smile as she said, "How could I not support the best person in the world who gets me like no one else." Then the two heard a car honk outside. Olive then said, "Ooo. That's my ride." Then Emmy smiled as she said, "Have a good night." Then Emmy leaned forward and kissed Olive on the cheek. Olive smiled back at Emmy as she said, "Thank. Have a good night too." Then Olive leaned forward and kissed Emmy on the cheek. Then the two teenage girls paused as they looked at each other. The two remained frozen as they looked into each other's eyes. Then suddenly their faces moved forward... and the two kissed each other on the lips. Suddenly Olive backed away looking frightened as she said, "Um... I... I gotta go." Then Olive quickly left through the front door, as Emmy stood with a startled frozen look on her face.

Sophia stood in a room facing Sydney and Harry who were holding baby Alisha and Ella respectively. Sitting in chairs surrounding them were Max, Judy, Sophia's mother, and Harry's parents. Sophia then said, "Thank you all for being here. I know it's weird for me to essentially have you all adopt Ella all over again, but this time I want to do it right." Harry then smiled, stood up, and handed Ella to Sophia. Harry's father then turned on a camera and began to record what Sophia was doing. Sophia then held Ella in her arms as she said, "I just want you to know Ella I'm not doing this because I hate you, or you're not wanted. I'm doing this because I'm not ready to be a mother, and my own mother didn't feel up to the task again either. Just know that I love you, and I don't want you feel like you were given up. I chose to have you be raised by your father, and Sydney, and their families because I knew they could provide a better life for you." Sophia then handed Ella back to Harry, and then Sophia took out a blanket from her bag. Sophia held the blanket up and said, "I want this to be Ella's blanket whenever she goes to sleep at night. It was my own blanket when I was a baby. I want it to keep her warm, like it did for me." Then Sophia took out of her bag some flowers, and placed them near Sydney. Sophia then looked at Sydney as she said, "This is for you Sydney. It's gift that's deserving for a mother. I choose you to be a mother to my daughter because I trust you, and know you will love her like your own." Then Sophia looked at everyone else as she said, "And I trust everyone in this room as well. Thank you for promising to stay involved in Ella's life. It'll mean so much to her, and... it means so much to me. Thank you."

Later that evening Sydney was rocking Ella to sleep in her bedroom while Harry was next to Sydney rocking Alisha to sleep. As the two moved their bodies slowly, Sydney looked at Ella as she said, "Wow. I mean I thought that ceremony we did was just gonna be a thing to make Sophia feel a little better, but honestly... it made me feel a little better too. I mean... it really feels like Ella is my daughter now." Then Harry smiled as he said, "And you're doing great so far." Sydney then looked at Harry as she said, "Harry... I'm sorry for how I acted. I should never share photos of our kids without you knowing, and it wasn't smart to kind of over glamorize what being a parent is really like." Harry smiled as he said, "Sydney, it doesn't hurt to give yourself a little pat on the back for being a mom. You should be proud of your strengths and what you've accomplished so far. And sure, maybe you could've been more careful this week, but you'll try better next time. In the end, that's all that matters." Sydney smiled and then leaned in and gave Harry a quick kiss on the lips.

Emmy put baby Esperanza in her crib, when she heard the sound of the bedroom door open. Emmy turned to see Olive come into the bedroom still wearing her yellow dress. Emmy smiled as she said, "Hey." Olive looking slightly upset said, "Hey. Um... the girls asleep?" Emmy then said, "Yeah. Lets turn the lights off and go into your bedroom where we can talk." Emmy and Olive then walked into Olive's bedroom and began to talk while still standing. Emmy then said, "So how was the dance?" Then Olive looking nervous said, "Well... the thing is... I went to the dance hoping to feel really happy and maybe have a good time with someone that might sweep me off my feet and fall in love with me. But when I got to the dance, I began to feel very sad, and I didn't realize why. But then I realized it was because... I had already found a place where I am happy, and I've already found someone who loves me and has swept me off my feet. And Emmy... it's you. Emmy, I love you!" Then Olive moved her body forward and kissed Emmy on the lips while putting her hands on Emmy's cheeks. Then after several seconds of kissing, Olive moved her face away as Emmy said, "Olive, I... I... I've been waiting so long to hear you say that." Then Emmy moved her head forward and kissed Olive on the lips while wrapping her hands around Olive's back. Then two girls continued to kiss for a long moment, but then Emmy pulled her shirt off while Olive pulled her dress off as the two teenage girls got into bed together.

NEXT TIME: EXPLORING TRUE LOVE

*Author's Note - I hope you all enjoyed this very special chapter. Sydney's plot-line in this chapter I definitely wanted to feel like something the show would do if Disney Channel was bold enough to do a story about a teen mom currently in high school. And also in another weird turn of art and life coinciding, I can officially announce I (a young adult woman) started flirting with my first fellow young adult woman this week. It may lead to nothing or it may lead to something. But was nice to be feeling the same feelings Olive and Emmy were experiencing in this story. ;)