The next day after school, Clementine was sitting with Maya and Olive in their favorite coffee shop. She had texted them that morning to see if they'd be willing to come over when she got done with school and talk to which they agreed. After Clementine had told them (and, like Rachel and Jesse, they were not all that surprised), Olive suggested the sisters go to the coffee shop.
"So…" Olive began.
"So…" Clementine said.
"Tell us about this girl you like," Maya said, taking a sip of her smoothie.
"Well, her name is Ava Morrow and she's on the swim team. We have math and world history together and we have the same interest in movies and music," Clementine said, stirring her hot chocolate.
Maya froze.
"Did you say Ava Morrow?" Maya asked slowly. "Does she have a twin brother?"
"Yes - his name is Tucker," Clementine replied. "Do you…know them?"
"I was almost their nanny," Maya answered. "Would've been…eight years ago now. But I saw that their parents had posted some pretty homophobic stuff online, so I backed out. Ava and Tucker were so sweet but I couldn't work for their parents knowing how they felt about people like my own dads."
"That checks out," Clementine replied. "Ava said her parents weren't happy when she finally came out to them last night, although she thinks they at least…accept it. I feel bad for her, but it sounds like Tucker has supported her from the start and even helped her tell them."
"Well…good," Maya said. "It'll be good to see her again - I'm sure she'll be surprised I'm your sister! I honestly feel like I owe her and Tucker an explanation about why I ended up not being their nanny. God knows what James and Colleen told them."
"Hopefully she won't be overwhelmed by…all of us. Namely, my children," Olive took a bite of her sandwich.
Clementine and Maya laughed.
"No, she thinks it's cool I have a niece and nephew who are twins like her and Tucker," Clementine said.
Friday at school, Clementine could barely contain her excitement. Ava had lent Tucker her car, and she was going to go home with Clementine in her car.
Clementine had mentioned each of her family members by first name, and she and Maya had ultimately decided not to tell Ava ahead of time about the nanny thing. Maya was hoping to get a minute alone with Ava to talk about things, though. Clementine had also given Ava a brief explanation about Maya being Rachel's surrogate daughter. Ava had thought the whole thing was really cool.
"It's so cool your mom was willing to do that for her friends," she had said.
Jesse and Maya would just be getting up from their nap by the time Clementine and Ava got done with school, so Olive and David would be bringing them a little later. Jeff and Maya were planning on being there by the time the girls arrived however - along with Rachel and Jesse, of course.
The girls arrived at the St. James house and Ava audibly gasped.
"It's beautiful!" Ava remarked. Clementine smiled.
"Thank you," Clementine replied, opening the garage door.
The pair made their way in the house.
"Hello?" Clementine called.
"In here, Clem!" Rachel called from the family room.
"Ava, these are my parents, Rachel and Jesse, my brother-in-law, Jeff, and my oldest sister, Maya," Clementine said slowly, she could tell Maya was also waiting to see when Ava would make the connection. It happened almost immediately.
"Maya? Is that…you?" Ava asked. She had shaken Jesse and Rachel's hands and was in the process of shaking Jeff's when she really got a good luck at Maya.
Maya nodded. "Yes…I'd like to talk to you at some point, if you're comfortable. I feel like I owe you and Tucker an explanation as to why I ended up not being your nanny."
"I think…I might know why," Ava said. "Clementine mentioned you have two dads and I can imagine you somehow found out the way that my parents…are. I can't blame you - I would've done the same thing. They just told us you ended up not being able to do it - we were sad, but we ended up doing a childcare program at our church which was pretty fun since we got to be with other kids."
"Yes…I found your Mom's Facebook. I loved spending that time with you and your brother - as short as it was…I just couldn't work for people like that and I'm sorry you have to deal with that," Maya said.
"Thanks," Ava's eyes glistened with tears. "Um…I still have the picture you drew me - the unicorn? It's up on my wall. I think Tucker might still have his racecar too."
"Really?" Maya asked. She was not expecting that, that was for sure. It had been nearly a decade since she'd given them those drawings.
"Yes. I'm so glad to see you again," Ava smiled and Maya gave her a hug.
"Clementine's other sister, Olive, should be here soon with her family," Rachel explained.
"She's the one with the twins?" Ava asked Clementine, who nodded.
"Yes," Rachel laughed. "In fact, the twins are the reason they're not here yet. One, or possibly both of them hid their dad's car keys…again," Rachel laughed with a slight sigh.
Ava laughed too. "Yeah that sounds like something Tucker and I would've done at that age."
Olive, David, Jesse, and Maya arrived about five minutes later. David was holding a squirming Maya.
"Put me down!" Maya demanded.
David set her down.
"Now I can. You can't run out into the street, Maya!"
"Oh, goodness," Rachel said.
"It's one thing after the other," Olive sighed, taking Jesse's sweatshirt off. "As soon as she was out of her car seat, she made a run for it. So, Jesse got to walk into Grandma and Grandpa's house like a big boy, and Daddy had to carry Maya."
"Ava, this is my sister Olive, brother-in-law David, niece Maya, and nephew Jesse," Clementine said. Ava exchanged greetings with Olive, David, and the twins.
"Ava, do you want anything to drink?" Jesse offered. "Does anybody?"
"I'll have a glass of wine if you have one, Dad," Olive said. Maya and Jeff also opted for wine, while David, Clementine, and Ava chose water, and the twins got apple juice.
The topics of conversation ranged from classes Clementine and Ava were taking at school, funny things the twins had said or done recently, and Rachel and Jesse's rehearsals.
"Oh - I just signed the twins up for ballet!" Olive said, intervening before Jesse jumped off the couch.
This peaked Ava's interest.
"It's a coed class," she continued. "Maya will get a little leotard and Jesse will wear a T-shirt and sweatpants but they're both excited. We just want to have them try different things."
"We'd love it if they went into theatre, of course," David added. "But we really just want to let them explore and decide for themselves."
"I'm gonna dance!" Maya said excitedly, giving a little twirl.
"Brava!" Rachel praised, picking up her granddaughter. "I remember when your mommy did ballet."
Ava wondered what it would be like to live in a family that didn't push gender norms so hard. Tucker had never been interested in ballet, but their dad had walked in on him playing with one of Ava's baby dolls once, and he hadn't been happy. He had immediately put Tucker's jacket on him and taken him outside to play with his football.
"I don't want to!" Tucker had protested.
"Yes, you do," James had said rather forcefully. "Because you are a boy and it's what boys do."
Of course, Ava and Tucker had soon realized that their parents were inconsistent. They had no issue with both children participating in karate or soccer. Ava playing with Tucker's cars didn't seem to bother them as much, although Colleen had definitely tried to push dress up clothes on Ava many times, which was one thing she hadn't been interested in.
"But you're my little princess!" Colleen had coaxed, holding up a sparkly pink princess dress and matching tiara.
"I just built a giant racetrack!" Ava had retorted.
But here was Clementine's sister and brother-in-law enrolling their son in ballet class right alongside his sister.
Ava decided to soak up this loving family environment for as long as she could.