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It’s the middle of the night. Alex is sleeping like a rock, as usual, but Henry’s woken up by someone banging on the door. He slips out of bed, fully thankful for his family of heavy sleepers, slowly making his way to the door. The knocking is loud, almost frantic. Henry can hear crying. He glances through the peephole, and-
“Jessica?”
Jessica practically falls into Henry’s arms, sobbing against his chest, trying to get inside the house. “Please, Henry, you have to help me-”
“Sweetheart, breathe, what’s- oh.” Henry takes a step back and gets a good look at Jessica’s face. Her lip is busted. There’s a dark bruise blooming across her cheekbone. “Love, what happened?” He quickly shuts and locks the door behind him.
“M-my parents, they found out,” she whimpers, following Henry to the kitchen to sit down. “They went through my phone and found a picture of me and Dani. I have an app I put them in normally, to hide them, but I forgot-”
“Oh, love, I’m so sorry.” Henry sits down next to Jessica. “Is this the first time they’ve hit you?”
Jessica shakes her head slowly. “I kept all the bruises hidden,” she admits.
“Dani hasn’t seen any of them?”
“No, I- we.” Jessica exhales slowly. “We haven’t done anything like that requires my shirt coming off.”
Henry has to admit, he’s a little relieved. “Oh. I just- I thought-”
“I’m sorry. I should’ve said something-”
“Don’t you dare apologize, Jessica, you’ve done nothing wrong,” Henry promises her. “You can stay here tonight, okay?”
She grips Henry’s hands. “Please don’t make me go back! I can’t, they’re going to keep hurting me-”
“I’m not going to make you go back, I just- I don’t know what to do from a legal standpoint,” Henry says quietly. “Let me go wake Alex up, okay? He’ll know what to do.”
Henry contemplates waking Dani up, but he knows that would only make things more chaotic. He gently shakes Alex awake and makes him come to the kitchen.
“What- oh,” Alex breathes, rubbing his eyes. “Oh, Jessica, what happened?”
“Her parents found out about her and Dani,” Henry murmurs. “I told her she can stay tonight, but I need to know what we can do legally to get her out of that house.”
Alex thinks for a couple minutes. “You need to take photos of her lip and her cheek- and any other bruises there might be.” He pauses. “Jess, you can take those yourself in the bathroom, if you need to. I have an idea of how to do this, but it’ll have to wait until the morning. I’ll take care of it.”
After the pictures are taken, Henry helps Jessica clean up before getting her settled in the guest room.
“You could’ve called, darling, I would’ve come to get you instead of you having to run across town,” he tells her gently.
“My parents broke my phone,” she shrugs, wincing slightly when the rag touches her split lip. “I didn’t have a choice.”
They decide to keep this from Dani for now. Alex doesn’t sleep for the rest of the night. Henry has Bea come over first thing in the morning to watch the kids and promises to explain later. They make sure they’re at the courthouse at exactly eight am, a sleepy Jessica trailing in behind them, June and Nora meeting them inside.
“My favorite judge doesn’t have anything on her schedule until nine, so we have time to talk to her,” Alex explains, leading them down the hall. He has a fairly thick file in his hand.
“What exactly is the plan?” Henry frowns slightly. “I know you said you had one, but you haven’t explained-”
“Because there hasn’t been time. Just trust me, baby.” Alex kisses Henry’s cheek before they’re led into the judge’s chambers. “Judge Hannah!”
“Mr. Fox-Claremont-Diaz,” she smiles, raising her eyebrow slightly. “I have to admit I was intrigued to get your message so early. Seems you’ve brought the whole clan.”
“It’s kind of an emergency. Here-” Alex lays the file down in front of the judge, “-everything is in there. Official statement from the victim, statement from the initial outcry witness, evidence of the abuse.”
“And this is your daughter’s girlfriend?” she asks. She takes her time looking through the files. “Aren’t you worried this might be seen as a conflict of interest if you take on her case?”
“I won’t personally take the case, it’ll be worked by someone else in my firm,” Alex assures her. “We just need a warrant for emergency removal to get her out of her parents’ custody.”
The judge raises her eyebrows. “Do her parents know she’s here?”
“I’d rather not speak to that,” Alex winces. “Look, Hannah, you know me. You know my work. She showed up crying in the middle of the night. Please, just… help us out. We need emergency foster placement.”
“And that would be with?”
“My sister and her girlfriend- June Claremont-Diaz and Nora Holleran. They were approved as foster parents already, and they are willing to take Jessica in immediately.”
“You never told me you were applying for foster care,” Henry murmurs, glancing at June.
“We wanted to start with fostering before we looked into adoption,” June smiles softly. “Alex called Nora at like five am and asked for our help, so of course we’re here.”
Judge Hannah looks through all of the paperwork, glancing between all the people in her office. Her eyes land on June and Nora. “And you two are prepared to take temporary custody of Jessica?”
“Yes, your honor, absolutely,” June nods. “We have two extra bedrooms that are fully furnished.”
“We’ve also known Jessica for a while now, and she’s an amazing kid,” Nora adds on. “We’d be honored to have her come into our home.”
“Alright.” That’s all Hannah needs before she’s signing all of the documents. “The custody will be temporary until someone from the agency can get to your residence for an inspection to make sure it’s acceptable for a teenager. A sheriff will serve the parents with everything- do not make any contact with them,” she warns, looking directly at Alex. “Once that is taken care of and the home inspection is done, then you two will become her official foster parents. There will be an investigation, although with this evidence, I don’t think it’ll take long to make a decision, and once that’s finished- adoption will become an option if you so choose.”
“Thank you,” Alex smiles softly.
“So… that’s it?” Jessica asks once they step outside. “I don’t have to go back home?”
“You don’t have to go home,” Henry murmurs, rubbing her back gently. “You’re going to live with June and Nora for a while, okay? You’re still welcome at our house whenever. You’re safe now.”
Jessica throws herself at Henry, hugging him tightly. “Thank you, Henry, thank you so much!”
They stop by Target on the way home, letting Jessica pick out her own bedding and some decorations for her new room. Henry buys her a new phone and adds it to their family plan without a second thought. Dani is waiting for them as soon as they walk in the door.
“What the hell is going on?” she frowns. “Jessica? What happened to you?”
“Dani, language,” Henry sighs softly. “We didn’t want to get you involved until things were settled.”
Cat and Artie are playing on their own while the rest of them get settled in the living room.
“Jessica showed up in the middle of the night,” Henry says quietly. “Thankfully this family has at least one light sleeper. When I woke Alex up, he came up with a brilliant plan. Jessica will not be going back to her parents, hopefully ever. She’ll be living with June and Nora.”
“There will still be rules, like no closed doors when Dani comes to visit,” Nora says with a stern look at Dani. “You’ll still have a curfew, but you will never have to hide yourself. We’re not going to care if you and Dani hug, or kiss, or hold hands. We’re going to make sure you’re taken care of, Jess.”
“You were already basically part of the family, now it’s just official,” Alex smiles softly. “My mom is going to love having you around more.”
“I’ve never had a supportive family before,” Jessica smiles softly.
“Now you do. Forever,” Dani murmurs, leaning up to kiss Jessica’s cheek gently.
Jessica blends into their family with ease. She joins them when June and Nora come over for dinner and movie nights. She helps out at the daycare when needed. It only takes a month for her parents to be charged and stripped of their parental rights. The day it’s announced, the relief is visible on Jessica’s face and the way she carries herself.
They’re all at Henry and Alex’s place for dinner when she brings it up.
“Can I talk to you guys about something?” she asks quietly, chewing on her bottom lip.
“Of course, love, is everything okay?” Henry murmurs, rubbing her back.
Jessica nods slowly. “Yeah, yeah. I’ve just been thinking. A lot. About myself, my identity. It wasn’t something I was allowed to really think about with my parents.”
June moves to sit down next to Jessica on the couch. Out of all of them, she’s grown the most protective. “You can tell us anything,” she promises. “You’re safe here.”
“I don’t like the name Jessica,” she finally admits. “It just feels too… girly. I’m still figuring some stuff out about myself- I don’t think I’m trans, but I don’t always feel like a girl, either.”
“You don’t have to label yourself, darling,” Pez steps in, kneeling in front of her. “It’s okay to be everything, or nothing at all. Is there a name you’d like us to start calling you?”
“I-I like the name Jesse. It can be feminine, or masculine, and it’s still close enough to my birth name that it’s not a huge change. I’m still okay with being called Jess, too. Just not Jessica.”
“Jesse it is,” Pez smiles softly. “And as far as your pronouns go, how would you like to proceed there?”
Jesse blinks slowly. “Honestly, I’m still okay with she and her, but I wouldn’t mind they and them, too. I’m not sure about he, that just feels too far in the opposite direction for me. I still feel like a girl sometimes, just not… all the time.”
“Play around with the term gender-fluid, see if you like the way that fits you,” Pez murmurs. “We’ll make sure to sprinkle in some gender-neutral terms, too, and see how that goes. If at any point you need to change again, you just let us know and we’ll adjust. You have my number and I am always available for questions.”
“Thank you,” Jesse murmurs, turning to look at Dani. “I’m sorry I kept this from you. I-I hope it’s okay. Also, I don’t really like the term girlfriend, it just feels like too much for me.”
“Oh, Jess,” Dani says softly. She reaches up and cups Jesse’s cheek. “I don’t care if you’re a boy, a girl, both, or neither. I’m still here, I’m still yours. We’re partners. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Partners,” Jesse smiles. “I like the sound of that.”
Henry discreetly wipes a tear away and covers his sniffle with a cough. He’s so proud of his daughter, and his whole family for how they’ve all adjusted to this so easily.
It’s quiet for a few minutes until Dani speaks up again. “Man, if Isabel could see us now, she’d lose her shit.”
“Dani!” Henry groans, covering his face as Alex and Nora start cackling. “Language!”
“What? Papi said I could swear if it was just us, and the timing was right!” Dani huffs. “I feel like that timing was right.”
“ Christ , I have no idea what I’m going to do with either of you.”
Pez takes Jesse shopping after that. He helps her find new clothes to fit her style, shopping in the women’s and the men’s sections. He takes her to his favorite queer salon to help her find a hairstyle that works for her. The stylist shows her examples, and they settle on a longer shag cut. She tears up as her waist-length hair is chopped off to her shoulders.
“Good tears,” she promises. “This finally feels like me.”
Pez answers any questions she comes up with. They laugh, and have a good time. Pez explains what binders are and the benefits of them, promising to get her one if she ever feels the need for one. The stylist shows her how to style her hair in different ways- all androgynous, which is a new word Jesse makes a mental note to research -and recommends products for her to take home. Pez buys it all for her without hesitation. When he brings her home that night, they both have arms full of bags.
“Fuck, Pez, did you buy the entire mall?” Nora laughs softly. She helps Jesse organize her closet and dresser. They set up all of the hair care products in the bathroom. June comes home with pizza for dinner half an hour later.
“Thank you guys for being so cool with all of this,” Jesse says quietly. “I know it’s a little confusing, especially because I don’t really know what I’m doing here.”
“You’re in a family full of queer people, babes, we’re all gonna be here for you,” Nora promises. “And you really won with having Pez in your life.”
“Auntie Pezza always saves the day,” Pez nods. “I will be your one stop shop for all things gender, fashion, and relationships.”
“Except if you have questions about sex, please come to one of us,” June sighs softly. “Pez may be a bit too… forward with that topic.”
Jesse blushes brightly. “Dani and I definitely aren’t there yet, especially with all of this crap going on.”
“Oh, darling, you’re better than me,” Pez laughs. “When I was fifteen, I-”
Nora shoves a slice of pizza into Pez’s mouth. “That’s enough out of you.”
-
Dani’s fifteenth birthday comes and goes. She doesn’t want a big party, so they just order her favorite food and June brings over a cake. When Thanksgiving break comes around, Henry and Alex take the whole week off and they all spend the break at the lake house in Texas. It’s Jesse’s first time there. Once they arrive, Dani leads them on a tour of the property. Alex gives his parents the run down on what’s going on with Jesse.
“So, still okay with she and her pronouns?” Ellen murmurs, glancing over at Dani and Jesse. “I don’t want to mess this up.”
“She’s still okay with that,” Henry smiles softly. “We kind of go back and forth between she and they. We can kind of tell what kind of day she’s having by what she’s wearing. Like today-” he gestures out towards her, “-she’s wearing leggings and a flowy top. We can tell she’s feeling a bit more feminine today. Some days, she shows up in jeans and a baggy shirt, or a hoodie. Those are days we use more gender neutral terms.”
“Pez has been helping her figure all of this out,” Alex hums. “And us, too, honestly. We don’t want to mess up, either, and if we say she when she’s not feeling it, she’ll correct us. Pez also bought her a binder, which has been so good for her. June and Nora helped her learn how to wear it safely and it’s done wonders for her body dysmorphia.”
“Oh- one thing she has never waivered on is that she doesn’t want to be referred to as Dani’s girlfriend,” Henry tells them. “She’s Dani’s partner. She gets a bit uncomfortable with being called a girl outright.”
Ellen nods slowly. Henry can see everything running through her head as she tries to process it all. “Got it. Keep an eye on how she dresses and acts, don’t call her girlfriend, trust that she’ll correct me if needed.”
“You’re already a pro,” Alex grins.
Jesse and Dani go into town with Alex and Henry the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. The teens hang out at the park while the adults go into the store across the street.
“Your family has been really open to all of the changes I’m going through,” Jesse smiles softly, lacing their fingers through Dani’s. They’re wearing their binder today, along with a baggy t-shirt and some jeans.
“They’re your family, too,” Dani reminds them, squeezing Jesse’s hand. “No matter what, you’ll always have them. You’ll always have me.”
Jesse leans forward and presses their lips together gently. “I love you, Daniela.”
“I love you, too, Jesse,” Dani grins.
They make a lap around the park before settling on a bench together while they wait on Alex and Henry.
“I’m not sure if we should be worried,” Jesse says quietly, “but there’s a lady across the park that’s been watching us almost the whole time we’ve been here. Should we be worried?”
“What- Where-” Dani looks around quickly. Across the park, Isabel sits at a table, an older lady next to her, both of them watching Dani closely. “You have got to be fucking kidding me.”
Jesse frowns slightly. “Dani, what’s wrong? Who is that? Do we need to call your dads?”
“I think I’m gonna text June,” she murmurs, pulling her phone out. “So that’s Isabel, and I’m assuming her mom.”
“Oh shit, that’s- that’s your birth mom?” Jesse gasps softly. “Wait, she’s coming over here, D, what should we do?”
“I’ll handle this.” Dani stands up, crossing her arms as Isabel walks up. “What do you want?”
“There’s no reason for attitude, Daniela,” Isabel frowns. “Your abuela is here and there’s no need to be rude in front of her.”
“I don’t have an abuela,” Dani says flatly. “I thought I made it pretty clear that I didn’t want to see you anymore, Isabel. I didn’t exactly leave room for negotiation the last time we spoke.”
“I just think you’d be better if you had a mother in your life,” Isabel explained, sighing softly.
Dani had agreed to see Isabel one last time before they left Austin on their last trip. “If I did decide to let you back in my life, it wouldn’t be as my mom,” she reminded her. “I don’t need a mom. I have two parents already. I have two grandmas, two grandpas, an uncle, and five aunties. I do not need a mom.”
Isabel sighed quietly. “I just think you should come visit your abue- my mom,” she corrected herself. “Come visit our church. We can help you.”
“Help me with what?” Dani frowned. “There’s nothing wrong with me.”
“I just- I think you’re confused.”
Dani scowled. “Say it outright. Say what you really mean, Isabel.”
“I think you’re misguided, and I don’t think it’s right that Alex and Henry are allowing you to date girls,” Isabel said honestly.
“Listen.” Dani stands up, her hands slamming down against the table. “I’m not confused. I’m not misguided. I have an amazing girlfriend, who is accepted by my amazing dads. I don’t need you, your love, or your approval. You can take your religious crap and shove it,” she snapped. “I don’t need you in my life.”
Isabel eyes them skeptically. “Whatever happened to your girlfriend? Jessica, was it?”
“This is my partner, Jesse,” Dani says sharply. “We’ve been together for two years.”
“I don’t understand-”
“Of course you don’t, because you’re so closed-minded.” Dani rolls her eyes as she steps in front of Jesse. “They didn’t feel comfortable as that person anymore, they’re Jesse now. I still love them.”
Isabel’s mom clutches the cross dangling from her neck. “This is so inappropriate-”
“No, what’s inappropriate is coming up to two children who you have never fucking met, to try and make them feel bad about who they are just because it doesn’t fit your ideal lifestyle,” June scowls as she walks up. “You’re literally insane, Isabel.”
“Excuse me?” Isabel frowns, crossing her arms. “I’m just worried about my daughter and her lifestyle. Y’all are letting her live this tragic lifestyle with her girlfriend-”
“They’re my partner, and I’m not your fucking daughter!!” Dani snaps.
“Dani, breathe,” Jesse murmurs, rubbing her back gently.
Alex comes jogging up then. “What the hell is going on?”
“Isabel apparently decided it was appropriate to confront Dani and Jesse,” June frowns. “I guess this was her way of ambushing Dani so she could meet Isabel’s mom.”
“None of this would be happening if Alex had stayed with his Catholic faith,” Isabel sighs, shaking her head. “I don’t know what went wrong.”
“I was never really Catholic, Isabel, I rarely went to church,” Alex reminds her. “I don’t know what the hell your problem is. You need to leave.”
Isabel’s mom touches her elbow gently. “I think you dodged a bullet with these two, more trouble than it’s worth,” she says softly.
“Excuse me?” Dani pushes her way to the front of the small group. “You missed out on two amazing people when you left us! My papi has worked hard every single day of his life to make sure we have what we need. He didn’t leave when things got scary. He was willing to give up his dream to take care of me. Now, he has it all- an amazing job, an amazing husband, and a damn good teenager, who is doing just fine without a mother or the church,” she snaps. “I’m in the top five percent for my class, I get amazing grades, I’m on the student council. You missed out on an amazing family. So take the hint and stay the hell away from us.”
Isabel and her mom leave without another word, both of them looking scandalized. Dani doesn’t realize how badly she’s shaking until Jesse pulls her back and forces her to sit down. She sips on some water that June hands her.
“S-sorry, I know I’m not supposed to swear in front of others,” she stammers. “I just-”
“No, baby, don’t apologize,” Alex murmurs. He kneels down and cups Dani’s cheek. “I’m so proud of you for standing up to her. Are you okay?”
“I’m okay,” Dani smiles softly. She glances up at Jesse. “Sorry you had to see that. I’m not usually like that, and our trips to Texas aren’t usually like this either.”
“Babe, she came up to you out of nowhere, after watching you for god knows how long,” Jesse reminds her. “Don’t stress. Thank you for standing up for me, too.”
“Always.”
“She’s going to be served with a restraining order by the end of the day, her whole family will be,” Alex mumbles, already holding his phone up to his ear.
By the time they get home, Ellen and Nora have already been filled in. Ellen praises Dani for standing up to Isabel. Nora cackles when she hears what Dani told Isabel.
“She was just pissing me off so bad,” Dani groans, rolling her eyes. “I think she knew we were in Texas. She was watching me at the park for a while before she came up to me. Then she had the nerve to say something about Jesse!”
“Kinda hot how she stood up for me,” Jesse grins, wrapping their arms around Dani’s waist.
“Watch it,” Henry teases, ruffling Jesse’s hair. “Even here, door stays open, you two.”
“We aren’t having sex, dad.”
“Hey, hey, how about we not bring this up,” Alex groans, covering his ears. “How about we just move on from this?”
“I think this calls for toast,” Nora grins, holding up her drink. “To finally getting rid of toxic people!”
“And to virgins!” Dani holds her own drink up, laughing brightly.
Alex dumps his cup of water over Dani’s head. Jesse watches as chaos ensues. Water is being thrown, there’s some food flying, and amongst all of it, there’s laughter. There’s happiness. This, Jesse realizes suddenly, is their new life- their new family. Now and forever.
Dani finds them in the chaos, holding them close. “I love you,” she whispers.
“I love you, too.” This is what happiness feels like. What freedom looks like.
Jesse can get used to this.