April 20th 2021

Chapter 110
Our Opening Into Guests

For all the anxiety they were left to feel as they anticipated Family Day, Maya woke up on that day feeling optimistic. Yes, there was the question turning over and over in their heads, leaving them to wonder what would happen with the Munroe kids and their mother, but they couldn't allow that to get in the way of all those other presentations, right? There would be all these other kids, several of them in her class, who would be bringing their family members along, which would transform the day into something so unlike what it usually would be.

"All my classes are booked up," Maya told her grandmother that morning, as she sat across from Marianne in her seat, seeing her through breakfast. She had learned early on that it would be wiser to wait after her daughter had finished eating before she went and thought of getting dressed for the day. Today was no exception, as she had already accumulated three stains of various size and nature. "I was told that it's more or less that way with art at every family day, which makes sense, I guess. It's a lot easier to make something and then talk about it, especially if you're not trying to boost up any grades in particular."

"Well, I appreciate you including me today," Elizabeth told her. "And I know you're not doing it just so I can watch her," she went on, nodding to her great granddaughter, before Maya could pronounce this point. It made her smile, and her grandmother as well.

It hadn't always been the plan for her to bring Marianne and Elizabeth with her to school today. But then the closer they were getting to it, the thought started to come to her like, 'well, if everyone else is bringing family, why can't I?' Was it a thinly veiled excuse to keep her daughter with her throughout the day instead of leaving her until the evening? In part, absolutely, and she did not feel she had to hide it. But beyond that, the original idea stood. They got to bring theirs, so it was fair for her to do it, too. All the same, while it couldn't be denied that having her grandmother along for the ride would mean that there'd be someone to look after Marianne if she needed it, it wasn't her sole motivation. She liked the idea of her grandmother getting to see her at work, even if her day's classes would mostly consist of playing MC to her students' presentations. And well… she really just felt content at the idea of including her, too.

So, once all three of them were ready to head out, Maya got the diary boxes into the minivan and they drove off toward the school. Even as they arrived in the parking lot, there was an impression like Granny Lizzie was looking forward to this day as an exercise in discovery. Not only was this her granddaughter's school, where she was a teacher, it was also her old school, where she had been a student. She had not been part of that period in her life, and in many ways, she was being afforded a trip into the past. Maya did not miss that realization, and as she wheeled Grandpa into the building, she led her grandmother on a small detour away from her own class.

"Look, right there," she smiled, pointing into the trophy case. She indicated those trophies and photos as they related to her, or to Lucas… Elizabeth Hart's face was taken with great serenity and interest. "See? There's Daddy," she whispered to Marianne, in the old woman's arms. Trying to point at the picture of those boys across the glass and expecting her to figure out one of them would turn into the man who was her father might have been asking a lot, but they chose to assume that she'd seen him, and this was what had her smiling.

By the time first period approached, the halls were alive with many voices, of students and their parents conversing as they went along on their way to their given class. Not all the family members would even show up right away, especially those who were only presenting in the afternoon. To prevent the place from being too crowded, it was generally the rule that the visitors would not spend the entire day here, unless they happened to be sitting in on more than one child's class, spread out in morning and afternoon. Even then, they usually left and returned when needed.

There was no surprise as to who would be coming into class that day, not as far as the presentations went, and still while Maya knew who Kai was bringing along, it didn't stop her from being very excited upon seeing the pair that followed him. As casual as she was on the whole as a teacher, she did feel like she stepped out from under that title as she moved to greet Keilani and Kamani Avelino. As they would explain, they were due for a trip back home anyway, so when their little brother asked if they might pop in for Family Day, they instantly accepted.

"I know you, hello," Keilani beamed as she spotted Marianne and approached her. She had never met her in person as of yet, but she had seen a whole slew of pictures and videos in the last ten and a half months.

Maya barely got to talk to anyone very long, as she was constantly compelled to meet and greet her other visitors. Missy came with her grandfather, which led to some amusing bit of 'hello stranger' joking before he went along to chat with Granny Lizzie. She was often visiting the farm up the lane, spending time with the family there, swapping stories…

"Mrs. Friar, this is my sister, Claire," Stella appeared with a woman who looked to be somewhere in her late twenties to early thirties. The first day she'd met her, Stella had told Maya how she had five sisters, all in their twenties, and how she was a 'surprise baby.' Just by the way this one handled herself around her little sister, Maya would bet she was the very first born of the Buckley girls, here today with the youngest. And by the way Stella comported herself, she also picked up on how happy she was to have her eldest sister around. It brightened her up immensely.

When they'd all been declaring who they'd be bringing for Family Day and Stella had told her art teacher that she'd be bringing one of her sisters, Maya had been unable to keep from wondering why she didn't choose to bring her mother. It wasn't that she had to, but if there was ever a time for her to let out the secret that her mother was a big shot in Los Angeles, this could have been it. Now, seeing how she handled herself with her sister around, Maya understood that, in no way shading her mother, Stella had wanted Claire here more than anyone.

"Mrs. Friar!" Phoebe came along, almost dragging her cousin by the hand. She was only a few years older, and she bore great resemblance to Phoebe's father, the Munroe side. Even knowing that she would be here today, after the big question about Jo/Jocelyn, Maya couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit relieved.

At the same time, she was left to ponder on how Phoebe and Taylor might never have met anyone from their mother's side of the family. Did they think this was weird or had their mother given them a story to explain it? Or have they been in touch with any of those relatives, even when they were also seeing Dylan and Kyle and their father? Were they just lying to their faces, or were they being lied to as well?

"Mrs. Friar?" Phoebe asked, and Maya blinked.

"Sorry, yes, hi," she focused again, tried to excuse this brief distraction by indicating their surroundings, the quickly filling room. There weren't enough seats to accommodate everyone, naturally, but she'd had extra stools and a few chairs brought in for the day. It didn't leave much in the way of open floor space.

The senior presentations rolled out about as she'd expected them to go, and the whole thing went very well. By the time everyone left, Maya was sort of glad for the emptiness, like she could breathe again. She celebrated this by moving to pick up Marianne.

"You were a very good girl back there, weren't you? Yeah, such a good little pumpkin," she kissed her cheek. "Now we have a little time before it gets busy again in here." Much as she focused herself on the baby, she knew deep down that she was also playing a round of 'don't let Granny Lizzie focus too hard.' She was bound to pick up on some trace of those Munroe distractions. She still couldn't let it go, could she? If her grandmother did pick up on anything, she didn't bring it up, so Maya chose to be grateful.

The next group wasn't so puzzling at least. She was receiving her sophomores and their family members. The first to come was Bodhi, who escorted an old woman in a wheelchair and presented her as his grandmother. The woman had featured in some way or another a few times in the boy's diaries, and the impression he had left there was well-represented in the actual person he now introduced. He loved her very dearly, and the reasons, many as they were, couldn't help but gravitate around one big one.

As he would explain it later, as long as he'd known that he was in fact a boy and felt able to share this with his loved ones, his grandmother had been the very first one to back him up. She'd looked at her grandchild, born with a girl's body, and she'd seen who he really was on the inside. While the rest of the family would eventually become Bodhi's fierce supporters, there had been struggles in the beginning, and he was so proud of the part his grandmother had played in helping set them on the right path. There was no fiercer supporter and protector than her.

"Hi, Marianne! Hello!" Ruby and Abby Shelby were an echo of one another when they came along and discovered the baby girl in their teacher's arms. She'd gone and gotten fussy just before they'd come along, and Maya was calming her again. Seeing the two girls there, the ten-month-old seemed to forget a bit of whatever had gotten her started.

They'd each brought a different family member for their respective presentations, of course, and Maya was happy to see both Mr. and Mrs. Shelby with their youngest children. They'd been great figures in her time in high school, with how many times she saw them at basketball games, or at their house… They were so happy to see her, too, and to meet Marianne. Mr. Shelby said he looked forward to what the basketball season would have to offer in about fourteen or fifteen years, which got a chuckle out of Maya. So do I.

"Who do we have here?" she asked when Talia came into the room with a boy of about ten. She knew, of course, as she'd seen his picture along with Talia's, in the vice-principal's office.

"My little brother, Angel," Talia smiled, peering down at the boy who looked sort of shy, but not so much as to not want to be here. Possibly, getting to be here instead of at his own school was captivating to him. Maya might have assumed that Talia would bring her mother, as it would have been so easy, but this choice had intrigued her, and she'd encouraged it, if her parents would allow it.

"It's very nice to meet you, Angel," Maya told him, offering her hand. The boy saw this and reached out to shake her hand at once, a reflex of manners. It would be a few more years, but she had a feeling she'd be seeing him again in this classroom, and she kind of couldn't wait.

TO BE CONTINUED

See you tomorrow! - mooners