"I don't want to go," Allison said as Owen drove her to school.
"We're going," Owen said, "give this school until Christmas. We will decide in December if you want to go back to Meadow Crest. Allison, we chose this school because of the arts program and you were really lucky to get in. Give it a try."
"What if they think I'm weird," Allison asked.
"You'll be okay Allison," Owen said, "it's the first day you're only here for an hour. We go in, you meet your teacher and classmates and then we go for lunch."
"Can we have fish and chips," Allison asked.
"Don't tell your brother," Owen said.
"I wont," Allison said.
"Now lets go," Owen said, "you've got this."
"I'm scared," Allison said, "can mom and auntie Nikki come?"
"Mom is taking Amber to school," Owen said, "and it's the first day of school for Auntie Nikki two."
"She doesn't think I'm weird," Allison whined.
"You can call her after school," Owen said, "why Auntie Nikki?"
"Her brain works like mine," Allison said.
"Mom and I met with your teacher last week," Owen said, "she went to teacher school with Auntie Nikki and Uncle Brett. She knows about your ADHD and wants to get to know you and help you find ways to use your super skill."
"Super power," Allison said, rolling her eyes.
"Then go use it," Owen said as he parked the truck.
They walked to the door of Allison's classroom and Owen stood with the other parents.
"Owen," Beth said.
"Beth," Owen said, "what are you doing here?"
"My oldest is in second," Beth said.
"Allison is in fourth, she just transferred here," Owen said, "we wanted her to have the fine arts program."
"You hated that Nikki went to ballet school," Beth snapped.
"We've learned a lot since my little sister," Owen said.
"What are you doing here though where's Allison's mom," Beth asked.
"Teddy is taking Amber to Meadow Crest," Owen said, "they didn't have openings here in the first only fourth. So Amber is on the waitlist for a first grade spot."
"You're still with Teddy," Beth said.
"Nine years," Owen said.
"Married seven now," Beth said, "he teaches at Blue Pine."
"Blue Pine," Owen asked, "what does he teach?"
"Eighth math he's just starting there and I'm going back part time," Beth said, "our youngest is starting kinder."
"Nikki and her fiance Brett are sixth math at Blue Pine," Owen said.
"I've heard the math team is pretty energetic," Beth said.
"Nikki is the ring leader for energy," Owen said, "she is a phenomenal mathematician and likes to make it fun for the kids. Brett is the math department head though."
"He's taught longer," Beth guessed.
"A couple months," Owen said, "she has a two and a half year old son, so she lost a couple months for maternity leave."
"Nikki has a child," Beth asked, "she is a child."
"27 now," Owen said, "she was 24 when Tyler was born."
"And you didn't murder her fiance," Beth asked.
"She needed me to support her," Owen said, "and I swung at the ex-boyfriend who we haven't heard from since. Your teaching again?"
"The kids are in school. I'm going back three days a week to Westvale elementary," Beth replied.
Another parent called Beth over and Owen texted Teddy to let her know what had happened.
Teddy, "How was Allison?"
Owen, "anxious."
Teddy, "did she go in on her own?"
Owen, "she did. She was fine once she was out of the truck. Hows Amber?"
Teddy, "told me to leave. She's our independent one."
Owen, "always has been."
Teddy, "lunch?"
Owen, "I promised Allison fish and chips. Meet us at the pier?"
Teddy, "just the girls or should I pick up Daniel?"
Owen, "get him make it a family day."
Teddy, "meet at home first then we just need the van."
Owen, "not the parent mobile we all fit in the truck."
Teddy, "kids have more room in the van."
Allison came out of class the first day beaming.
"How was it," Owen asked.
"Great," Allison said, "we have dance tomorrow, music Thursday, drama friday, choir Monday and art on tuesday."
"Does your teacher seem nice," Owen asked.
"She bounces like Auntie Nikki," Allison said, "you should see all the books in the classroom there's hundreds of novels and picture books. She read to us today and we played SPUD I was the last person standing."
"You play SPUD with Nikki," Owen pointed out.
"This was easy spud by 10s and potatoes on the hundreds," Allison said, "Faroke and I play all sorts of other numbers with Auntie Nikki and Uncle Brett."
"What else did you do," Owen asked.
"It was only an hour," Allison said, "she has tables not desks and we can work on the floor or in bean bags if we want to."
"It sounds like a good first day," Owen said, "what do the other kids seem like?"
"Lots of girls," Allison said.
At the end of their first day of school Nikki and Brett walked down the hall to check in with the new math guy.
"Will how did your first day go," Brett asked.
"Good," Will replied, "they're asking about mathamagical adventures? What are those?
"Whole block interactive math tasks," Nikki explained.
"Where do you get them," Will asked.
"We made the sixth and seventh grade ones," Brett said.
"Have you been teaching long," Will asked.
"Four years," Nikki said, "Ty was born our second year and he's two."
"Who's Ty," Will asked.
"My son," Nikki said.
"Our son," Brett said at the same time.
"You two are together," Will said looking confused.
"Engaged," Nikki said, "we get married in April. What about you married? Kids?"
"Married," Will said, "and three kids. You have the one."
"Just Tyler," Nikki said, "how old are yours?"
"Seven, five and three," Will said, "how did you meet?"
"GTEP," Brett replied, "we both went to Kenya for our semester teaching."
"Been together since then,' Will guessed.
"No we were friends for a long time," Nikki said, "we worked together and were starting our masters. Ty was about six months before we dated."
"Do you have pictures," Will asked.
"We do," Nikki said, "your kids?"
Will pulled out his phone and showed them a picture of his wife and kids.
"I knew Beth years ago," Nikki said, "she taught me high school english and dated my older brother."
"Owen," Will questioned.
"My much older brother," Nikki said, "you know about my family?
"It's a set of names," Will said.
"The math department was going to do lunch in my room before the staff meeting if you want to join us," Brett offered.
"What time," Will asked.
"20 minutes," Nikki suggested, "I need to run across the street to day care and make sure Ty is okay."
"I'll go to the washroom and meet you," Will agreed.
Nikki and Brett walked out of the classroom.
"Nikki, you don't need to go check on him every day," Brett said, "I thought we broke this habit last year."
"It's his first day back," Nikki said, "he cried at drop off."
"Why don't you call," Brett suggested, "if he's still upset, go say hi and calm him down."
"I miss him," Nikki said.
"I know you do," Brett said, "let's make it an early day and then we can go home and fill up his pool to let him splash."
"I don't like being away from him," Nikki said.
"The first day back is always the hardest," Brett said, "you did this when you came back after he was born and last fall. Nikki, he's two, he likes daycare and the staff."
"I just feel like a bad mom," Nikki said.
"No," Brett said, "he knows we love him and we have to work."
"By the end of this school year we'll be married," Nikki said.
"We will," Brett agreed.
"My last school year as Ms. McRae," Nikki said.
"Have you decided," Brett asked.
"McRae - Wilson," Nikki said, "I want to just use Wilson because you're the first person to choose me. I also need Ty to have the same last name or part of it."
"I want to adopt him," Brett said.
"I know you do," Nikki said, "I want you to. I'll call the lawyer again. There may be a loophole."
"How," Brett asked.
"We'll talk at home," Nikki said, "we may be able to force Jeff to give up parental rights. We can work this out at home. He's our son, you're his dad."
"Lets eat, get through our math meeting then go get Ty," Brett said.
"I'm worried about Will," Nikki said, "Owen and Beth was always awkward and she hated me like full on called me a brat and stupid. She would call me his stupid baby sister."
"Owen let her," Brett said.
"Owen was different then," Nikki said, " he changed when Meghan disappeared, he broke up with Beth, then came home didn't tell mom and I he was home until I got hurt in pas de deux class and ended up in the emergency room and he was the doctor sent to treat me."
"You and Owen are really close," Brett said.
"Not until he left the army," Nikki said, "he was different before and I was a little kid. I didn't see him from the time I was 13 until I was 16. He was 17 when I was born and he didn't want a baby sister. We had a lot to work out. Teddy had to teach us how to talk to each other and how to get along. He had always relied on Meg to be the buffer between him and I. She was around more when I was a kid. Owen went to college when I was one. He was only home a few weeks a year until I was 16. We didn't spend time together until then. My senior year at Pac Rim was the turning point, my history teacher pushed all of my buttons and I lost it and ran out of class. I knew mom would send me back to class and in a panic I called Owen. he came and got me. He didn't ask, he just came."
"I debated if I needed to talk to him or your mom before I proposed," Brett said.
"Mom," Nikki said, "always mom."
"They knew what I was doing," Brett admitted.
"All," Nikki said.
"Meg and Nate didn't," Brett said, "I had to tell Teddy so she would babysit overnight so I could do that."
"And Teddy wouldn't hide that from Owen," Nikki said, "do you have your four groomsmen?"
"I do but did you need four bridesmaids," Brett asked.
"I'm not choosing between my sisters or my best friends," Nikki said, "Teddy is my big sister as much as Meg and I can't choose between Julie or Sydney, they're all too big of parts of my story."
"How did you become so close to Teddy," Brett asked, he had never understood why Nikki's sister and brother in law were such big parts of her life.
"Teddy started coming home with Owen and Meg when I was nine or ten," Nikki said, "she was good friends with them for years. When Teddy would come home with them, Owen had Beth, Meg and Nate so I would be Teddy's buddy. She adopted me as a baby sister years before she was with Owen. Then a couple weeks after Meg disappeared we did the soldier letters and I wrote to Teddy so she emailed me once she got it and we emailed for a while a few times a week, she would check in and make sure I was okay, school, bullies, boys. Then the day I ended up in the ER freaking out at Owen she came into the exam room and was just calm and gentle. That weekend Teddy came with Owen to pick me up at school, then I started hanging out with Teddy and calling her when I needed a sister. Teddy was there for everything. When I say my siblings helped raise me it was really Owen and Teddy."
"I know," Brett said, "they're so protective of you, more than Nate and Meg."
"They were always protective," Nikki explained, "Owen thought he had to be super protective of me because he blamed himself for Meghan getting captured. There was one night a few weeks before Ty was born, Teddy was working and I didn't want to be alone. I sat with Owen and we talked about it. He blamed himself for Meg being captured and how Jeff treated me. He thought it was his failure to protect us. Teddy is less protective in some ways but she's always been the emotional support person."
"Are you okay with having his ex's husband around," Brett asked.
"It's not Beth," Nikki said, "if she was here I would have a problem. I'm hoping he's not super judgemental."
"Every one here knows our story," Brett said, "why would they judge us."
"More me," Nikki said, "she thought I was just stupid and his annoying little sister. And Ty. I don't remember Beth ever sleeping over. Nathan did."
"Your mom didn't care," Brett asked.
"They were adults," Nikki said, "I think it was don't let your little sister see anything."
"Owen and Teddy," Brett asked.
"They were home from the army and in their own place," Nikki said, "I would visit and hang out with them or spend the night if mom worked overnight but I wasn't there much."
"Should we eat," Brett asked.
"I think we dropped our lunches in your room," Nikki said.
"Ready for the year," Brett asked.
"It looks like a good group," Nikki said, "it should be good. I need to send the research letters home this week and get permission from all parents."
"Catherine gave you the go ahead," Brett asked, "she hasn't finished reviewing mine."
"Soon," Nikki said, "she got back to me in 24 hours of handing it in."
"I only sent it to her Friday," Brett said, "and it was the long weekend."
"By the end of the week," Nikki said.
"What will parents say," Brett said.
"We're hosting the info sessions next week," Nikki said, "they'll hopefully be excited. I'd want Ty in our rooms. Someone who is actively involved in researching best practice."
"Can I join you," Will asked from the door.
"Sure," Nikki smiled, "others will start coming in soon."
The rest of the math department filed in and began to talk about their summers, catching up on the last two months and sharing stories about their kids.
That evening everyone gathered in Meghan's backyard for a back to school BBQ.
"How was everyone's first day back," Evelyn asked.
"Good," Nikki said.
"Brett," Evelyn asked.
"Looks good so far give us the first few weeks," Brett said.
"Ali how was your new school," Nikki asked.
"She has books and we played SPUD," Allison said.
"You played SPUD," Nikki asked.
"Baby spud," Allison said, "I won."
"Of course you won," Nikki said, "I taught you that game in kindergarten."
"How was the rest of the day," Brett asked, he knew Allison had been really anxious about her new school.
"We get to do a different art every day," Allison said.
"Thats exciting," Nikki said, "what else did you do on your first day."
"Miss Younger read us a story and she has pictures of africa by her desk and your in them I told her it was my auntie Nikki and Uncle Brett," Allison said.
"Carissa Younger," Nikki asked.
"Yes," Teddy said.
"She was fun," Nikki said, "I really liked working with her, you're going to have so much fun in her class."
"Will she think I'm weird like Mrs. Johnson did," Allison asked.
"No," Nikki said, "Miss Younger will be kind and you'll have fun. She likes to play."
"What about the kids," Brett asked.
"Lots of girls only about 8 boys," Allison said.
"That will be good," Nikki said, "do you start arts tomorrow?"
"Dance," Allison said.
"That is a good start," Nikki agreed.
"What if I can't dance," Allison asked.
"Ali you go to Pac Rim your doing your RAD grade 3 ballet exam you're ready," Nikki said, "your my niece and Margaret Altman's granddaughter it's in your blood."
"What if I'm not as good as you," Allison asked.
"You'll be better," Nikki said.
"How do you know," Allison asked.
"Because you're my Allison," Nikki said.
"I'm not the first Allison," Allison said.
"Your mom told me about her friend years ago after my accident," Nikki said.
"You told Nikki about Allison," Owen asked, "your Allison."
"The night you found us in her hospital room and I was holding her," Teddy said, "it had hit her that Corinna was gone. She had lost her best friend on the planet. So I told her about losing Allison and how losing my Allison led me to you. She just needed some one who understood."
"But my little sister," Owen said.
"Theres a detail she doesn't know," Teddy replied, "that only you do."
"Okay," Owen said.
"How does your school year look," Owen asked Nikki.
"Could be interesting," Nikki said, "beth's husband is the new eighth grade math person. I don't know if I can work with him because of how much she hated me."
"She knew you as a kid," Owen said, "you and Brett share the math department head and your doing your PhD."
"The judgement," Nikki said.
"Not your problem," Owen said.
"But," Nikki said.
"Beth is judgemental and if her husband is so be it," Teddy said, "it's not your problem."
"It sounds like Alison had a great day," Nikki said.
"Fine arts might be the right fit," Teddy agreed.
"I'm hopeful," Nikki said.
"The test scores worry me," Owen admitted.
"Test scores are one indicator," Brett said, "a test is a snapshot a moment in time. There are better ways to assess especially at elementary and middle. Tests don't show growth they don't show thinking or learning. Those tests are multiple choice they don't accurately reflect student understanding."
"Then why do they do it," Owen asked.
Brett got excited to talk about his work, "the standardized tests are used to compare schools, to rate teachers and in someway for funding. But they don't tell you that Josh came into grade 4 with no number sense and now he can build numbers to one thousand or that sally had no concept of addition in September and is now doing single digit multiplication. They set an artificial standard based on what the suits in the government think kids should do. It's not an accurate reflection on a students growth, learning or progress. We have systems to assess reading comprehension, decoding and fluency on a continuum. Right now there is no math continuum."
"Why," Teddy asked.
"No one has created it yet," Brett said, "that's what I'm working on creating a tool to assess where kids are on the math continuum in elementary and middle. Determining the path of the continuum and the assessments to see where a student fits. Building the assessment kit. A diagnostic numeracy assessment."
"Your PhD," Owen said.
"Yes," Brett said, "I focused more on assessment in my masters."
"Does your work connect," Nathan asked.
"Always and we talk it out at home," Brett said.
"Nikki what is yours if Brett is laying out the continuum and how to test it what's yours," Nathan asked.
"Mathematical thinking skills beyond computation," Nikki said, "enhancing student learning through building their thinking skills. There are established frameworks in language arts, the scientific method, historical and geographical thinking but no established set of mathematical thinking skills. Getting students to think mathematically, to recognize and describe patterns and relationships, form questions, to form their own strategies."
"Don't you do that," Owen said.
"We do but it's the tip of the ice berg,"Nikki said, "we use rich tasks but there's more behind it. Ideas that go back to Socrates, Decartes, building on ideas from Dewey, Boaler and Fullerton. We assess and teach on a continuum like Brett is working on. This is our life's work like Teddy and her stem cell hearts and rebuilding hearts. This is my passion like Meg and restoring function and quality of life for veterans. This teaching my students to be thinkers is my life's work."
"You found it," Owen said, "in a couple years we'll be going to see you publish your books."
"I just submitted an article for consideration in a massive journal," Brett said, "and Nikki sent a piece to the ASCD this week."
"That's a magazine," Nikki said.
"But wider readership than the journal," Brett said.
"Your journal is bigger," Nikki said, "but the mathmagical adventures book we should be ready to send off in what two weeks?"
"What are you doing," Nathan asked.
"We sent a proposal to Corwin that publishes teacher texts for our mathmagical adventures, the twice a week immersive tasks we do to make kids think and use their skills. They got back to us saying to send the book," Brett said, "trying to publish."
"Point for not changing my name McRae and Wilson," Nikki said.
"Wilson and Wilson," Brett suggested.
"Ty is McRae," Nikki said, "I'll hyphenate but he needs to have the same name I do. It sucks being the only McRae in a family."
"McRae-Wilson and Wilson," Brett said.
"I'm still Altman and my kids are Hunt," Teddy said.
"Faroke and I are both Hunt," Meghan said.
"Her last name doesn't change your relationship," Teddy said, "she's choosing what is going to give Tyler the most love, support and connection."
"If I could also change tys last name I would but he can't have his name as a symbol that he wasn't chosen," Nikki said, "my last name was a reminder of the fact that my dad didn't want me. That's why ty is McRae and not Barker. I didn't like my last name until
I shared it with my son. Then it became a choice I made for him because I love him."
"Mommy up," Tyler demanded.
Nikki swung Tyler up holding him close.
"If we can figure out the possibility of adopting him," Brett began.
"Then we can consider hyphenating his last name," Nikki said, "I want to, if we can figure out the legalities."
"We'll take the time to work it out," Brett said, "right now you're going to stop stressing."
"Play," Tyler said.
"What do you want to play," Nikki asked.
"Cars," Tyler said.
"We can get some cars out," Nikki agreed.
"I like this married couple kicking ass together thing," Teddy smiled.
"So do I," Nikki said, "but not married yet."
"6 months," Teddy said.
"And you still need a dress," Evelyn said.
"We go this weekend," Nikki said, "simple mom. I want simple."
"Have the day you want Nikki," Evelyn said, "you can be a princess if you want."
"Our venue doesn't suit princess," Nikki said, "and Teddy suits princess dresses I don't."
"We will find something you feel gorgeous in," Evelyn said.
"What do you want," Teddy asked.
"White, long and not strapless," Nikki said, "I fall out of strapless."
"Fitted properly it would work, you wore strapless for our wedding," Teddy said.
"I was 18 and it was before I had a baby," Nikki said.
"Be open minded," Teddy said.
"Who's coming tomorrow," Meghan asked.
"Mom and you two," Nikki said, "I want my mom and sisters. The place isn't accessible so Syd can't come and I don't want to leave her out."
"Of course," Evelyn said.
"Bridesmaid dresses," Teddy asked, "we need to know."
"Lilac, full length and you feel good in it," Nikki said, "the four of you are all to different to force the same dress."
"Are you calling us old," Meghan asked.
"Syd in her chair needs something different, Julie is curvy and you two have different styles," Nikki said, "I want you all to feel good. It's more important I have my sisters and two best friends then they all match. I need the four of you with me. My sister, the sister I chose for my self or chose me and my best friends."
"Who chose who," Meghan asked.
"One night the night we found your letters Nikki phoned me asking if I would do a couple big sister things with her," Teddy said, "she was already my baby sister to me but it was the first time she asked me to be her big sister."
"I didn't think you would want me as a little sister," Nikki said.
"I did the day you fell asleep on me in the truck home from a hike," Teddy said.
"Waterfall day," Nikki said, "we should do that next weekend."
"We should," Teddy said, "leave the kids with mom."
"They're all out of diapers," Nikki agreed.
"You trained Tyler," Teddy gasped.
"Our summer project," Nikki said, "potty train our son and PhD study design."
"Danny won't train," Teddy said, "he's not ready."
"Don't push it," Nikki said, "he's still in pullups at night."
"Out of the crib," Meghan asked.
"In our big boy bed," Nikki agreed, "last week."
"Good for you," Meghan said.
"Until he comes into our bed at 5am," Nikki said.
"Baby cuddles," Meghan smiled.
"I know and one day he won't want it," Nikki said.
"You have a while," Teddy said, "it's only been the last year Allison hasn't crawled in with us."
They spent the rest of the night chatting and playing games making sure to leave early enough to put the kids to bed ready for the first full school day the next day.