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The playground in Schitt’s Creek was not large - like most of the town it was just the right size to accommodate the residents. Which was why it wasn’t hard to notice the little redheaded girl in the pink floral dress quietly swinging on the swings with not a single adult in sight of her.
Jocelyn had not been intending on stopping at the park, after all Mutt was with Roland and she had been taking a much needed walk by herself, but the sight of the girl all by herself had her feet moving before she had even consciously made the decision to do so.
As she moved closer she noticed that the little girl wasn’t a stranger, but was Twyla Sands, a classmate of Mutt’s, who now that Jocelyn thought about it, she wasn’t certain she had ever met the girl’s mother.
“Hey sweetie,” Jocelyn greeted her, garnering a bright smile from Twyla.
“Hi!” One little hand let go of the chain on the swing as Twyla waved at her.
“Is your mom here with you?” The question seemed pointless since there wasn’t another adult in sight, but Jocelyn asked anyway.
“Nope,” Twyla answered with a vigorous shake of her head. “Mom lets me come here by myself,” she explained in the simple way a five year old does.
Every fiber in Jocelyn wanted to march right over to the Sands house and ask Twyla’s mom what possessed her to allow her young daughter to venture to the park on her own. But instead she focused her attention on Twyla and asked, “Would you like some company until you’re ready to go home?”
“Sure! I’d like that.” Was the chipper reply Jocelyn received.
Jocelyn would explain to Roland later why her short walk took longer than expected, she knew he would understand why she had felt compelled to stay with Twyla.
“Can you push me?” Twyla asked hopefully. “I never have anyone to push me,” she added and Jocelyn tried not to let that little bit of information break her heart.
“Of course,” Jocelyn replied as she stepped around the swing set to stand behind Twyla. “How high do you want to go?”
Twyla considered her question for a moment before enthusiastically declaring, “Really high!”
With a nod and a gentle laugh at the young girl’s enthusiasm Jocelyn began to push Twyla, watching as the girl pumped her legs and squealed in joy as she went higher and higher.
While Twyla squealed and giggled —every once in a while happily shouting ‘higher, higher’— Jocelyn decided that Twyla’s mother’s loss in not going to the park with her daughter was Jocelyn’s gain.
While Jocelyn knew her attention should have been focused on the small skater playing right wing on the ice rink, her attention was actually focused on the tiny body engulfed in gear standing in the goal crease. She wondered for a long moment how it might have been that little Twyla Sands had been chosen as the goaltender. After all, they had children on the team far larger and more imposing than she was.
Jocelyn only had a minute to ponder that before the other team was charging down the ice towards Twyla, and she mentally prepared herself for the young girl to be overtaken by the larger players.
That collision never came though, because far quicker than Jocelyn thought even possible Twyla had deftly blocked the other team’s attempt at a goal, and much to Jocelyn’s own embarrassment she had to admit she hadn’t even seen the little girl move.
She now understood why Twyla had been chosen, she was quick.
The game continued on, Mutt and Twyla’s team won, and Jocelyn scanned the stands to see if she could spot Twyla’s mother so she could tell her how impressed she had been by Twyla’s skills.
As much as it should have surprised her, it didn’t once she realized that nobody in the stands was there for Twyla, Jocelyn had long since come to expect that of the elder Sands.
Jocelyn wouldn’t call her negligent —because she didn’t feel it was her place to judge another mother when she didn’t know much about the Sands household— but she did think it was a shame that Twyla’s mother missed out on so much of her daughter’s life.
Shaking off that sadness, Jocelyn exited the stands and made her way towards the locker room. She knew Roland would already be in there helping Mutt remove all his gear, so when she slipped into the room her gaze didn’t search out her husband and son, instead she looked for a familiar small redhead and when she spotted her walked over.
“Twyla, sweetie, you were amazing!” she exclaimed with a bright encouraging smile.
“You think so?” Twyla asked as she peered up at Jocelyn. “The boys on the team didn’t think I’d be any good.” the eleven year old glared in her teammates direction. Admittedly, it wasn’t much of a glare, and Jocelyn held back a smile. “They said I was too small to play goalie,” she huffed as she started to remove her gear.
“Obviously they were wrong,” Jocelyn replied as she reached to help Twyla remove the heavy pads she was engulfed in. “They shouldn’t have underestimated you,” she continued and then because she was curious she asked, “Is your mom coming to pick you up?”
Twyla shook her head. “No, Mom had to work today so my uncle is coming to get me.”
Jocelyn hoped that her disappointment for Twyla not having a family member in the stands to cheer her on didn’t flash across her face at Twyla’s answer. “Do you think he would mind if we took you to get ice cream with Mutt instead?” Jocelyn asked. “We can drop you off at home afterwards.”
“Um, I don’t think so,” Twyla replied with a little shrug. “You can ask him when he gets here,” she said, and then asked, “Will Mutt mind?”
“Oh no, he won’t mind at all!” Jocelyn assured her. “Plus, you deserve celebratory ice cream more than he does,” she said in a conspiratorial whisper. “But don’t tell him that I said that,” she added with a glint in her eye. “Let’s make that part our little secret.”
While Jocelyn didn’t know it at the time, that would become the first of many ‘little secrets’ the two of them would share.
Much to Mutt’s absolute dismay Jocelyn had happily agreed to chaperone the middle school dance when she had been asked. Of course, she agreed to it to keep an eye on her son, but also she liked doing it, which was more than she could say for most of her fellow chaperones. Half of them looked more sullen than the middle schoolers they were meant to keep an eye on.
It was hours into the dance and Jocelyn had made more than one round around, each time actively avoiding her teenage son, who looked like he might die if seen with his mom. It was on her fourth go around that she spotted a familiar redhead seated up in the bleachers by herself.
Her son might not want to be seen with her, but Jocelyn’s mom instincts told her that Twyla might just need company at the moment. Silently —or as silently as she could— Jocelyn climbed the stairs of the bleachers. When she reached Twyla she quietly asked, “Mind if I join you?”
Twyla’s head shot up from where she had had it ducked and she hastily swiped at her tears and blurted out, “I’m okay!” Before Jocelyn’s question had even registered with her.
“Twyla, sweetie,” Jocelyn started, speaking softly as she took a seat next to the teenager, “I just need a minute to sit.”
“Oh, Mrs. Schitt, you don’t have to sit with me, I’ll be fine!” Twyla assured and tried to flash a smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“I know I don’t have to, but I want to,” Jocelyn said. It was clear to Jocelyn that Twyla was used to trying not to be a burden to others. But as a mother and a decent human being, Jocelyn knew she couldn’t leave her alone knowing she was upset. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”
“Umm…” Twyla chewed on her lower lip as she considered Jocelyn’s question. “Maybe? I mean, I don’t want to get anyone in trouble.” Her voice wavered with uncertainty.
“You don’t have to tell me, that’s okay. But I’m here if you need to talk.” Jocelyn didn’t want to press her to talk if she didn’t want to. She had, after all, simply climbed up into the bleachers to keep Twyla company, so that was what she would do.
A few minutes went by in silence, and Jocelyn was almost certain that Twyla wouldn’t speak, when to her surprise, the younger woman spoke up.
“My friends wanted to spike the punch bowl,” she began, “but I took the flask and dumped it down the sink in the girls bathroom. They got angry and said some really hurtful things.” Twyla sniffled a little.
Jocelyn thought Twyla was being too kind not to mention her friends by name. The teenager was too kind hearted, and obviously wanted to protect them, even though they had brought her to tears.
“Oh sweetie. I know it won’t mean much, but you did the right thing,” Jocelyn told her as she slipped an arm around Twyla’s shoulders. “Unfortunately sometimes doing the right thing will hurt.” She paused, collecting her thoughts for a second. “I can’t tell you that it will get easier. But you’re better for having done the right thing. I’m proud of you.”
Twyla didn’t say anything in response to Jocelyn’s words, she simply moved closer to her and laid her head on Jocelyn’s shoulder.
Once again silence fell between the two of them, until in a very quiet voice —so quiet that Jocelyn wasn’t even sure she hadn’t imagined it—, Twyla murmured softly, “Thank you.”
The graduating class was not large and Jocelyn had known nearly all of them since before they could even speak —some of them, uncharitably, she wished had never learned how—but her focus was squarely zeroed in on two teenagers seated together. One looked anxious in her cap and gown, while the other looked partly like he thought all the pomp and circumstance was overkill.
Jocelyn couldn’t be prouder of both of them. But, if she were being honest, a small part of her was slightly prouder of Twyla. Mutt had always had a solid support system in his life. She and Roland had always been there for him. But Twyla? She had raised herself for the most part, her mildly dysfunctional family absent at best and downright chaotic at worst. So, the fact she had made it this far was due to her own grit and perseverance; the adults in her life could take zero credit for it.
Although Jocelyn selfishly liked to think her presence in the young woman’s life had helped a little bit. But she wasn’t egotistical enough to take away credit where it was due, Twyla did this on her own. Jocelyn had simply been there to support and listen when she needed it.
When Twyla walked across the stage to accept her diploma Jocelyn was certain nobody cheered louder than her, and while minutes later when she would do the same for Mutt he would look embarrassed by his mother’s cheering, Twyla had only found Jocelyn in the crowd and smiled brighter.
After the ceremony Jocelyn was the first to reach Mutt and Twyla. Mutt had looked pained at his mother’s enthusiasm, while Twyla happily accepted the hug Jocelyn gave.
“Congratulations!” Jocelyn exclaimed. “You did it! I’m so proud of you!”
“Thank you Mrs. Schitt,” Twyla replied. “It means a lot to me!”
“Are you still planning on working at the cafe this summer?” Jocelyn asked out of curiosity. “Or has my son finally convinced you to do that harebrain cross-country road trip with him?”
Twyla laughed and shook her head. “No, he hasn’t convinced me to join him, and yes, I’ll be working at the cafe,” she confirmed, then paused. “I think I might get them to let me add smoothies to the menu this year!” Her eyes lit up with excitement at the potential of adding a new menu item.
“Oh, do you know what kind of smoothies you’d like to add?” Jocelyn questioned, genuinely curious.
“No,” Twyla answered. “I’ll probably just use whatever is around!” she finished with a shrug.
“Well, I’m sure they’ll be fantastic,” Jocelyn replied encouragingly.
“Thank you!” Twyla reached in to give Jocelyn another hug. “For everything. Really Mrs. Schitt, I appreciate it.”
“Of course,” Jocelyn said “I’ll always be here for you Twyla, please remember that.”
With that, the younger woman gave her another hug and then went rushing off to find her mother. Jocelyn felt that same feeling she’d felt so many years ago at the playground, that she was lucky to play some kind of role in Twyla’s life and watch her grow up.
“You really should have let me bring something,” Twyla remarked as Jocelyn ushered her into the house.
“You brought yourself and that’s enough!” Jocelyn replied in her typical chipper tone. “Now, what was it you needed to talk about?”
Twyla worried at her lower lip as she pulled out a dining room chair and sat down. “I bought the cafe!” she blurted out. “And I know it was the right decision. But it feels a little overwhelming to go from employee to boss.” The words all kind of tumbled out of her mouth before her brain fully processed what exactly she had said.
Jocelyn studied her from across the table for a long moment, no doubt parsing out what Twyla had just said. There weren’t a lot of pauses in that string of words.
“You bought the cafe?” Jocelyn asked gently and Twyla nodded in confirmation. “Well, I can’t say I know what that feels like,” Jocelyn began, her tone very clearly ‘encouraging mom’. “But I do know that you’ve been running that cafe for years. The only thing that has changed is your name is now on the title.” As she spoke Jocelyn poured herself and Twyla a cup of coffee.
“So it might feel overwhelming, but I know you can do it, because you’ve been doing it.” She handed Twyla’s coffee cup to her. “And you’re going to continue doing it and you’ll be amazing, sweetie.”
What Jocelyn had just said Twyla knew was true. The only thing that had changed was her name on the title, but her brain couldn’t get past the ‘owner’ part of her new role at the cafe. She took a sip of her coffee as she let Jocelyn’s words sink in.
“So you think I’m stressing about this for nothing?”
“I know you’re stressing about it for nothing,” Jocelyn replied with a tone of certainty that told Twyla not to question how she knew, that she was a mother and she just knew.
Jocelyn’s confidence in her was enough to calm the overwhelmed feeling that had been nagging at her since the day after she had signed on the dotted line. Even though Jocelyn hadn’t said much, Twyla knew that every word she had spoken was true. Hearing them come from Jocelyn —instead of her own inner voice— made them sink in in a way that they just hadn’t before.
“I know you’re right,” Twyla replied, earning a smile from Jocelyn and Twyla thinks the smile has an air of ‘of course I’m right, dear’. “But you might need to remind me a couple more times before it completely sinks in.” While she felt calmer, she was sure it wouldn’t be the last time she felt overwhelmed.
“I can do that,” Jocelyn assured her. “Now, what I want to know is how you bought the cafe?”
A small laugh escaped Twyla before she launched into the story of winning the lottery and how Alexis venturing out on her own had been just the push she needed to make the cafe hers. Something warm bubbles up in her chest at the look of pride so obviously written on Jocelyn’s face. She never asked for it, but she’s so happy that Jocelyn has always been there for her.