Don't Tell My Heart
Chapter 9:

Okay, so I have like, a job interview tomorrow! Yikes. I'm not nervous, really, but I'm *something* about it, because I know I'm not gonna be able to get to sleep, and I keep thinking about it. And my mom is wrapping something I can't see in her room, so basically, I'm stuck in my room and trying to take my mind off of tomorrow at 2:30, so I'm gonna write this! At least it doesn't freak me out as much as my driver's test did. GOD, that was BAD. I was seriously about to cry from being scared, lol. Please don't let that happen to me tomorrow. Yeah, okay, is this a diary? No. Email? No. IM? NO! So I'll shut up and write already! ;) Oh yeah, and FF.net is annoying me, bc my first and last line of fics aren't spaced like they are when I write them. It's like lol. OH YEAH! And I'm getting an A in my winter class. My teacher said such nice things about me when I had a conference with her today. So yay for that, just wanted to share in my non diary/IM/email thing.

Oh. One more thing. Yay for Phoebe's wedding! (That was tonight.) I cried. LOL.

I think we made the right choice with the joint party thing, Monica said to Allison with a smile as they started setting tables for cake.

Allison said. I think the girls are loving it. You think they'll be friends for, like, ever? I mean, does that ever really happen? From age four and up?

Rachel and I met when we were six, Monica said, nodding towards Rachel who was at the party. Emma was playing with the girls. And we're still friends.

Wow. That's so cool. And I hope it's like that for the girls.

Me too. I really do. And I can't believe it's been another year since their last birthday. First grade, here they come.

Allison smiled. And their teacher assured me, like, fifteen times, that they'll be in the same class again.

I hope so, Monica said with a smile. I think Autumn might just have a breakdown if they weren't. She's already set on it.

Schuyler too, Allison said as she placed napkins next to each plate. They were holding the girls' sixth birthday party at the same park as the year before. The girls had insisted for some reason. And they were super excited about having a joint party. They couldn't wait to open their presents together, and blow out the candles on their cake at the same time. Allison looked behind her at Chandler and Grace. He was helping her get settled in a seat at one of the tables so she could eat her graham crackers. Allison said with a smile. When are you gonna try for that boy?

Monica smiled as she took a fork and a spoon out of the package and placed them on the napkin Allison had just laid. Soon, I think, she said.

Oooh, fun, Allison said with a smile.

I wonder how Grace will feel about that, Monica mused. She's a lot younger than Autumn was when we had Grace.

She's almost two, Allison noted. So by the time you actually decide to try, get pregnant, have the baby, all that fun stuff, she'll be close to three if not three. Just a year younger than Autumn.

Huh, true, Monica said.

Mommy, when is cake time? Schuyler asked Allison as she and Autumn ran up to them.

Soon, Honey, Allison assured her. We've almost got the table all set up. The girls smiled and ran off.

This girl is more stubborn than you, I swear, Chandler said to Monica as he approached them with Grace in his arms. No, can't sit at the table and eat. The only place to do that is in Daddy's arms.

Monica smiled. You know she's a Daddy's girl, she said. Get used to it.

Autumn asked as she and Schuyler appeared back at the table after informing their friends the cake would be out shortly. Daddy, where's the cake?

It's coming, he assured her.

Grace said with a smile.

Oh yeah, Chandler told her. You'd just love to get that cake all over me, wouldn't you? Grace smiled and looked away.

Allison looked at them and smiled. You know, you guys, she said. I just... well, I wanted to say that... since this whole switching thing had to happen... I'm glad it was with you two. I couldn't have found anyone better to raise Autumn, and well, I've made two great friends now.

Chandler told her, we were just talking about this a few days ago, and we feel the exact same way.

Really? You really think that I'm the best person for Schuyler? I'm not even married anymore.

But you love her so much and you're such a great mom for her, Monica said. That's all that matters. I'm glad she's with you.

Allison smiled. I'm glad she's with me, too.

***

The girls sat on the grass of the park playing with some of their new gifts while Monica, Chandler, and Allison cleaned up from the party.

Chandler said. These kids sure can make a mess.

You're telling me, Allison said with a smile. But they sure can't clean it up, can they?

Guess not, Monica mumbled as she picked up paper plates from the ground.

Hey, you guys? Allison asked. I was thinking last night, and I thought maybe we should, you know, talk about what we're gonna tell the girls one day. And when.

You mean about... Monica started to ask.

Allison cut her off. Yeah. About that. I mean, we've pretty much decided we have to tell them, right? So, assuming they don't ask, I thought maybe we should decide on an age to tell them.

Monica sighed. That's a good idea, I guess. She looked at Chandler. What do you think?

Yeah, it's a good idea, he said. So what age?

Allison asked. Or is that still too young. Twelve?

I think eleven is good, Monica said. So they're old enough to understand, but not so old that it's become something they think we've lied to them about.

You do realize that's five years from now, right? Chandler asked them. Less birthdays than they've had already.

Umm, okay, maybe forty-seven, Monica decided.

Eleven it is, Chandler said. But you know how fast that's gonna come up on us?

What if they're not even friends then? Allison asked suddenly.

Well, then on their eleventh birthday we tell them and have them meet up later so they can talk about it together if they want, Chandler said.

Allison sighed. Okay. Eleven it is, I guess.

***
Five years later... (who couldn't see that coming? lol)

We're really going to tell them tonight? Monica wondered to Chandler. I mean, it's their birthday!

Their eleventh birthday, Chandler added. Which is the age we agreed upon when they were six. Right?

Yeah. Right. But it's just that, well, who wants to ruin their birthday?

We'll tell them tonight. After the birthday is pretty much over, he added.

she whined. I'm nervous. My stomach is, like, eating itself.

He gave her an odd look. Where do you come up with some of this stuff? he wondered.

Well, that's how I feel! I mean, you, me, and Allison have finally come to terms with all this, and now we're gonna bring the girls into it, and they're gonna go into shock, and this is never gonna END!

Mon, it's gonna be fine, you'll see, he said, pulling her to him in a hug and kissing the top of her head. Kids are like, resistant to stuff. You know, we think they're gonna go crazy, and they just shrug it off.

My stomach is still not in good shape, she told him, looking up at him with a smile.

To be honest? he asked. Neither is mine. This scares me, too. But now's the time to do it.

***

That party was awesome, Mom, Schuyler said to Allison. That was the coolest restaurant to have it at, she added.

I'm glad you liked it, Allison said. How about you, Autumn?

It was totally great, Autumn agreed. Thanks Allison. Thanks Mom and Dad, she added, smiling at them. The girls looked at each other as they noticed all the parents seem to be nervous about something.

Hey, is everything okay? Schuyler asked them. You guys look... scared... or something.

Allison said, sitting down on the coffee table across from the girls who were on the couch. Monica and Chandler followed her lead. We want to talk to you guys about something.

I didn't do it! both girls yelled at once. They looked at each other and shrugged.

Neither of you did anything, Monica said. This is about something that happened a long time ago. Like, eleven years ago.

Around when we were born? Autumn asked, suddenly worried by the look on her mom's face. Her mom never got nervous like that. Her mom wouldn't even admit it when she had a cold.

Yeah. The day you were born, actually, Monica said.

You guys know you share a birthday, Allison said. But you were also born in the same hospital.

Schuyler said. This keeps getting neater and neater.

At almost the same time, Chandler added. He looked at Monica and Allison and knew neither of them would be able to say anything more without crying or something. He sighed. Okay, girls, look, he said, giving them each a smile. No point in dragging this out, so here it is. When you two were born, well... the hospital switched you.

Switched us? Autumn asked. How? Meaning what?

Meaning that when we left the hospital, he gestured at himself and Monica. We took Allison's baby home instead.

And vice versa, Allison added.

Hold the boat, Schuyler said. Are you saying we were switched at birth? Like in the movies?

The three heads nodded, and Schuyler and Autumn looked at each other, shocked.

they both asked in one voice.

No kidding, right? Autumn asked, just to be sure. No one said anything, so she gasped. Oh my God! Seriously?

Allison smiled as best she could. Yeah. Seriously.

OH MY GOD! Autumn gasped.

Schuyler added. Wait, well, that makes soo much sense! Schuyler gasped. She looked at Autumn. Doesn't it?

Yeah! It DOES, she agreed. That's why Schuyler and Grace look alike. And, God, am I dumb, she said. They both look like Mom.

And that's why you look like my mom! Schuyler laughed. Wow, how did we not figure this out on our own?

Are you guys like, okay with this? Allison asked, surprised they weren't yelling or screaming.

Well, yeah and no, Autumn said. I mean, this is really kinda creepy and hard to believe it's true. But it makes sense! And it's not like we don't know our real parents, she added. We've like grown up knowing all of you as parents!

Schuyler said with a smile. I mean, I spent at least half my life in Autumn's house with Monica and Chandler, and she spent the other half of my life in my house with Mom.

I can't believe how well you two are taking this! Monica said.

Autumn said. We love all of you already anyway. Of course we love our adopted' or whatever parents differently than our biological' parents, but we love you all. And it doesn't matter, to me, at least, which one set is raising me! I'm happy with the parents I have.

Me too, Schuyler said. I mean, maybe tomorrow we'll freak out totally, she added with a laugh. But maybe not.

Autumn smiled at Allison. You know, I always saw that picture of Schuyler's grandma at your house? And I always noticed our hair was the same color! Not red but not brown, exactly. I guess I have her hair?

Allison nodded and smiled. Yeah. You do, she said.

I always wondered where my hair came from, she laughed. Okay, maybe this is a little strange.

Yeah. A little, Schuyler said, realizing what was happening. But we just need some time with it, I think. I mean, you guys, she gestured at the three of them. Are the parents, and you became okay with it, so we will too.

I think I always knew something weird was up, Autumn realized.

everyone asked.

Well, I mean, I noticed that Schuyler looked like Grace. I always noticed that, but I just thought it was a coincidence. But really, there was something that just... told me. Somehow.

Allison wondered.

You guys would always talk about us hushed and stop talking when we came in the room, Schuyler added. And sometimes you'd just exchange this weird look. Not like we ever would have guessed this, but we knew something strange was going on.

Autumn said. Does this mean me and Schuyler are closer to sisters now than we were before?

Everyone smiled and shared a laugh.

***

You think they're really okay with it? Monica asked Chandler that night.

He looked at her and smiled. Yeah, for some reason I think they are.

They didn't even freak out, she added. I was expecting them to yell and scream and cry.

Well, they're eleven, they probably don't want to show that much emotion in front of everyone, he realized. They'll probably be up all night thinking about it.

I hope they really are okay with it, Monica said. That would be so... beyond perfect.

I think we did this right, he said. Them being friends, Autumn knowing Allison, Schuyler knowing us, I think that helped. A lot. If we had told them this and said some stranger was their birth mother, they may have freaked out a lot more.

I can't believe that we did this right, she said with a laugh. No matter what we did since their fourth birthdays seemed all wrong.

Yeah. I know, he added. But look, they seem to be okay with it. They've made life long best friends out of each other, we get to know Schuyler really well, Allison knows Autumn really well, and we still got to raise the child we took home from the hospital. AND we made a good friend in Allison.

she said with a smile. You make it sound so good or something.

That's because it is good. Well, it ended up good. It was a hard situation that shocked us at first, but we made the best of it, and it ended up being not so bad.

You're right, she said with a smile.

I thought from the beginning that if I just didn't tell my heart that Schuyler was ours and Autumn wasn't that it would all be okay. Not hard. That's why I didn't want to know Schuyler at first. I thought that ignoring it was the best idea.

And let me guess, it wasn't, she added with a smirk.

You know what, you're lucky I love you. Now, as I was saying... he continued. I found out in the end that knowing Schuyler was the best thing. I mean, it's like your heart knows things whether or not you let it in on them. So if you just let them in you'll be a lot better off.

She smiled at him and kissed his cheek. That's deep, she said with a smile.

Want another example? he asked.

she said with a laugh, wondering where this was going.

You and me. I mean, at first we thought we should keep our whole tryst to just in London. But did my heart agree? No. I tried to tell it that it was wrong, and thought that if I didn't admit to it that I really didn't want to keep you and me just to London that it would think that was what I wanted, too. Yet, he gestured around. Here we are.

You're so cute when you're philosophical, she added with a smile. I love you, she added. We made it through this together, you know.

Yeah. I know. Thanks.

You're welcome, she said with a laugh. Thank you.

They looked up and saw Autumn in their doorway.

I just wanted to say good night, she said. She came in and kissed each of them on the cheek. And that I love you.

Monica and Chandler smiled.

You really are okay with all this, aren't you? Chandler asked.

she said. You know why?

Monica asked.

Because in the end it was me who lucked out, with the best set of parents. It was destiny or something. A good destiny.

Yeeeeaaaah, okay. That was, ummm, okay? I dunno! LOL. The next part is either the last part or the epilogue. You can decide when you read it. It could be either, I think. But maybe not, I might change it as I write it! Thanks for reading and bearing with me. I hope this series was SOMEWHAT good. It ended up being a lot trickier to write. ::off to watch tonight's Friends episode again::