"And that's…where babies come from," Jesse St. James said slowly. "Any other questions?"
Jesse's 11-year-old daughter Olive just stared back at her parents blankly.
"Oli…are you okay? Do you need a break?" Rachel St. James, Olive's mother, asked her.
"A break? Is there…is there more to talk about?" Olive asked cautiously.
"There is one other thing I want to tell you - I knew I was going to tell you about it when we had this conversation one day but if you need to take some time to process everything that's okay. Daddy and I just gave you a lot of information," Rachel said.
"I'm…I'm okay. You can tell me," Olive said. Surely it wouldn't be as…intense as what they had just told her, right?
"Okay," Rachel smiled. "Olive…you know Maya?"
Olive furrowed her brow. Was this a trick question? Of course she knew Maya! Maya Hummel-Anderson was the daughter of Mom and Dad's friends Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson. She was almost 12 - just about 11 months older than Olive.
Olive and Maya were friends now, but had only been so for about a year. For a good portion of their lives, they couldn't stand each other - sometimes it had even gotten physical. But last year, Maya spent some time with Olive and her parents and the two had actually bonded. Now, they were asking to have sleepovers just about every weekend and loved hanging out together.
"I know…stupid question," Rachel laughed awkwardly. "I just didn't know how to transition into what I'm about to say. Remember what we talked about - about sperm and egg donors and surrogates?" Rachel asked.
"Yes," Olive replied.
"I was…I was Kurt and Blaine's egg donor - their surrogate, too. But I think I did tell you I had Maya for them…just not how," Rachel said.
Olive paused.
"So does that mean…" Olive started.
"Maya is your half-sister," Rachel finished.
"Oh," Olive said.
"Oh?" Jesse asked. "What do you…how do you feel about that?"
Olive shrugged. "I guess it…makes sense. I remember last year when I was fighting with Maya and you said she was my sister and I got mad. But now I understand."
Rachel sighed. "Yes, I don't think it was fair of me to suddenly spring that on you," I was just frustrated at that moment and so were you. But you were too young to understand, and my main priority was to help you and Maya work through your problems."
"I have a sister," Olive repeated.
"Yes," Rachel said. "But like I told you last year - your relationship with Maya is different from the relationship your friends have with their siblings."
Olive nodded.
"Wait," Olive said suddenly.
"Yes, honey?" Rachel asked. Olive always had questions regardless of the topic at hand, so it was no surprise to either of her parents that she had questions now.
"You told me a while ago that Shelby helped Grandpa Hiram and Grandpa Leroy have you," Olive said.
"Yes, she did. She was their egg donor and surrogate," Rachel clarified.
"So Shelby is my grandma?" Olive asked.
"Yes she is," Rachel replied.
"Oh! Cool!" Olive said. "I remember she surprised me and came to Grandma's Day at school. I was so happy since I didn't have anyone else to take me - and I don't remember ever meeting Grandma St. James."
Jesse nodded. "Yes, Mommy and I are very glad you have Shelby in your life." His mother (and father) was…a piece of work, to say the least. Between Shelby, Leroy, and Hiram, Olive had the most loving and nurturing grandparents a girl could ask for, and Jesse was forever grateful they were making up for his parents' low effort.
"And she's Maya's grandma too," Olive added.
"That's right," Rachel said. "She loves being a grandma - and Beth loves being an aunt."
"Whatcha thinking, OSJ?" Jesse asked.
"I'm thinking…I'm thinking I'm glad I know all about my family now," Olive replied. The awkwardness of learning about where babies come from had vanished - although she did feel grown up knowing this information, too.
Jesse and Rachel looked at each other. That was easy.
Olive went off to watch some TV before dinner.
Maya's birthday was approaching, and Olive was very excited. Maya was having a party with Olive and some of her other friends at an indoor swimming pool, and then Maya, Olive, Kurt, Blaine, Rachel, and Jesse were going to go out to eat at her favorite restaurant. Shelby and Beth, who normally would've been there - had both come down with a stomach bug so they'd be giving Maya a gift at a later date.
Currently, she and Rachel were browsing a store trying to find a gift for Maya.
"What do you think we should get Maya this year?" Rachel asked Olive. Every year up until that point, Rachel would get one gift for Maya and put hers, Jesse's, and Olive's name on the card.
But this time, Olive came armed with tooth fairy money and an old gift card. She felt like she was old enough to buy her sister a gift herself.
"Um…Mom? I'd like to buy Maya a present myself this year," Olive said. "I brought money. But you can still get a gift from you and Dad."
"You brought money?" Rachel asked. Olive was very meticulous about saving every dollar and loose coin in her personalized ballerina coin bank. When it filled up, Rachel or Jesse would take her to the bank where she'd deposit it in her savings account that had been opened when Rachel found out she was pregnant.
"Yep," Olive nodded in confirmation. "Not all of it - but it should be enough to get her something good. I have some leftover gift card money, too."
Rachel's eyes filled with tears.
"Oh, Oli - I'm so proud of you!" Rachel kissed Olive's forehead and Olive winced but smiled. She wasn't a fan of PDA (parental displays of affection) - especially in public but she knew how much she and Maya having a good relationship meant to Rachel so she just smiled at her mother.
Olive had her watch, so she and Rachel made a plan to meet back at the front of the store by the Starbucks in a half hour. Olive found the birthday card she wanted, then continued browsing the aisles.
Maya was an athlete, and Olive had remembered her saying recently that she needed a new water bottle for soccer and basketball. She was looking to get a metal insulated one. It was possible Kurt and Blaine were already going to get her one, but even if that was the case, at least she'd have a backup.
Olive was going to try to find a purple one, since that was Maya's favorite color, but Olive figured Maya would be okay with anything but pink.
Luckily - there was a purple water bottle and it was on clearance! Olive stuck it in her basket and then headed for the candy section. She was going to fill it with tootsie rolls, which were Maya's favorite candy.
Calendars were also on clearance since January was halfway over, and Olive found a soccer one which fit perfectly with the theme. She checked her watch and realized she still had fifteen minutes. After getting herself a Hello Kitty calendar, she went to the checkout, made her purchases and waited for Rachel.
"How'd shopping go?" Rachel asked.
"Great!" Olive said. "I'm going to give Maya my gift at dinner - I'll let her know ahead of time so she doesn't think I forgot her." It wasn't that she had an issue with Maya's friends seeing the gifts she had picked - it was just that the message in the card was going to be personal and Olive felt like Maya's friends (and hers for that matter) finding out about the egg donor thing was inappropriate - for now.
Someday, she was sure their close friends would know, but Olive had only just learned this information, and Mom had said Maya found out just last year. So if Maya decided to read the card aloud, Olive only wanted family to be present.
"And I have plenty of spare gift bags and tissue paper, as you know," Rachel said, as the pair loaded their shopping bags into the trunk. It was true, Rachel loved to save gift bags - from birthdays, Hanukkah, Christmas, anniversary presents from Jesse - this way, the family was never without gift bags for other people.
After stopping for a quick lunch, Olive and Rachel went home to wrap their presents. Maya's party was on Saturday, and Olive couldn't wait.
On Saturday, Olive was the first guest to arrive at the pool. Maya was in the party room finishing setting up with Kurt and Blaine.
"Hiya Maya!" Olive said.
Maya turned around. "Hi Oli!" The pair hugged.
"Happy birthday!" Olive said.
"Thanks," Maya laughed.
"I didn't bring a gift because I'm going to give it to you tonight when my parents give you the one they got," Olive explained.
"Okay - perfect!" Maya said. "I mean, you guys didn't have to get me anything but I'm certainly not complaining."
Olive laughed.
"The pizza will be here at 12 and we'll have a vegetarian option - can you have cheese today?" Maya asked, knowing in addition to being raised vegetarian, Olive's dairy and egg intake was limited.
"Yes, that should be fine," Olive replied. She could generally decide when to eat dairy, but Rachel, being a vegan herself, had made a compromise with Jesse, an omnivore, when Olive was a baby that while their children could consume dairy and eggs, it would only be a certain number of times a week. Olive had really only had one non-dairy yogurt that week, so pizza and ice cream on her sister's birthday shouldn't be a problem.
Soon, Maya's friends Cassie, Natalie, Becca, and Lydia arrived, and the girls went for a swim then had pizza, cake, and ice cream. After Maya opened the other girls' gifts, the group watched a movie on a projector Kurt and Blaine had rented and then everybody went home.
Olive had some time after a shower to play on the computer and practice for her upcoming piano lesson.
Rachel and Jesse noticed that she seemed distracted. They had asked if anything was wrong and she told them it wasn't - which was true. The party had been a lot of fun, but throughout it, Olive was so tempted to tell Maya she knew that they were sisters and how happy she was to know this. It made her want to cry and laugh excitedly all at the same time.
At 5:00, the family headed for the restaurant and arrived shortly after the Hummel-Andersons had been seated.
"Long time no see!" Blaine laughed, as the St. James family took their seats.
"Maya, Olive said your party was a lot of fun!" Jesse said, taking a sip of his water.
Maya smiled. "Yes, I've always wanted a pool party, but being born in January, I've had limited options. I'm glad we were able to rent out the pool for a few hours."
"That was the best cake I've had in my life!" Olive declared, stirring her Shirley Temple.
"It's from a new bakery," Kurt said. "They had nothing but rave reviews, so I just had to check it out for Maya's birthday. All the girls enjoyed it, and we had multiple parents ask for the name of the bakery because their daughters wouldn't stop talking about the cake!"
"It's too bad we all just had our birthdays!" Rachel said, referring to herself, Jesse, and Olive, who coincidentally were all born in December.
"Nothing wrong with a Valentine's Day cake!" Jesse replied, and the group laughed.
After dinner and dessert (Maya graciously split her giant sundae with Olive), it was time for presents. Maya had already opened the gifts from her dads, so first she opened Rachel and Jesse's gift, which was the next book in her favorite book series, as well as some color-your-own bookmarks and a necklace.
Then it was time for her to open Olive's gift. Olive sat still as a statue as Maya opened the card. She read through it, then looked up, tears in her eyes.
"You know?" She asked.
"Yes," Olive said, also tearing up.
"What'd you write in the card, Oli?" Rachel asked. "Can I see?"
Maya nodded and handed her the card.
Maya,
Happy birthday! I hope you like your gifts. I know I already had my birthday, but I recently got the best gift when I found out I've had a sister this whole time and it's you! Hope 12 is a fun year for you!
Love,
Oli
Now Rachel was crying too, and as the card was passed to Jesse, Kurt, and Blaine, they also got emotional. Their family situation was certainly unique, but it had never phased any of them - and after years of Maya and Olive not getting along, the parents had received a gift too in their daughters' friendship.
Maya loved the water bottle, candy, and calendar she unwrapped, but wholeheartedly agreed with Olive that the best gift wasn't anything that had been bought at a store.
