Chapter Text
Most days, Jade thought that her Mama was probably the third smartest grown up she knew. Uncle Shane was a little smarter than Mama, but Auntie Yuna was the smartest. Maybe the smartest grown up in the world.
But Mama was really, really smart.
Except right now she sounded really, really dumb.
And, yeah, sure, she wasn't supposed to eavesdrop, but it wasn't like Mama was being quiet. She wasn't being loud, necessarily, but she wasn't being quiet on the phone. Ruby was outside, Amber was napping, Arthur was in his room, and Jade was bored. So she listened. To her Mama being ridiculous.
“I just don't want to make them uncomfortable, Ilya.”
A pause, a deep rumble through the phone.
“Well, no, but we haven't explained anything to the kids…”
Another laughing rumble.
“Yes, I am aware they have basically lived here for like two months. And I know Hayden and I have tried to offer, but…”
The rumble got sharp. Not mean, never mean. Uncle Ilya was never mean. Only joking mean to Daddy. And sometimes Uncle Shane.
“Joey deserves to make their own choices, and we want them here, but we can't force the situation. I think paying rent on an apartment they never use is insane, but we can't just…They're mostly worried about the kids.”
The Kids. Jade was one of The Kids. She was maybe the smartest of the kids. Ruby was braver, louder, more intense. And one day, Arthur would probably be way smarter than Jade. But for now, Jade was the smartest, and she knew exactly what the problem was.
Mama and Daddy and Joey loved each other. This made sense, perfectly, to Jade. To Ruby, probably even to Arthur and Amber. Joey was here more than they weren't, and most times when they left it was to play hockey with Daddy and Uncle Shane. They braided hair and promised to teach Jade how to do a backflip and made lunch sometimes. They gave very good cuddles and always said goodnight and colored in all the wrong colors. Mama had explained that Uncle Shane and Uncle Ilya loved each other, and some people may not like that, but it wasn't anybody's business and they were happy and they loved each other and one day they'd get married. Like Mama and Daddy were married. And Uncle Bood and Aunt Cassie. Jade was hoping to be a flower girl.
She wasn't sure how you did a wedding with three people, especially if two of the people already got married, but she figured that was grown up stuff. Maybe she'd get to be a flower girl twice. That would be fun.
“You'll be home tomorrow. Maybe we can figure out how to explain the relationship to the kids tomorrow. Hopefully they don't think it's weird or something. I know they like Joey, it just feels like a hard thing to explain. Mama and Daddy also like this other beautiful person and would like them to come live in our house.”
The rumble was laughing again, and Mama laughed. Jade liked when Mama laughed.
“That is a terrible idea, Rozanov. My oldest kids are 6. We try to keep even kissing in front of them to a bare minimum.”
Grown ups were really, really stupid sometimes, Jade decided. She has SEEN Mama and Daddy kiss. She had seen Mama and Joey kiss, she had seen Daddy and Joey kiss. They cuddled on the couch together. They packed lunches and did school drop off and read stories and kissed booboos. Did they think nobody noticed? What even was the big deal? Just because nobody else she knew had three parents didn't mean she couldn't have three parents. Way cooler than just two.
Suddenly, it became clear to her. Jade knew what she needed to do. If the grown ups hadn’t figured it out, maybe the kids could tell them. And for that, she needed her sister.
&&
Joey had considered going back to their apartment after the roadie. They had really, genuinely, with their whole chest, considered it. For approximately 6.5 seconds, as everyone was getting their bags from the plane and self-consciousness gripped them in a feverish panic while they hauled their electric blue duffle bag over their shoulder. Players started to disperse like fish dumped into a pond, and for a moment, panic froze Joey’s feet.
Then, Luca shoved their shoulder and nodded largely unsubtly towards Hayden. Hayden was standing next to Shane by the doors. Shane was looking at his phone. Hayden, however, was looking back at Joey, eyebrows a question mark. Then, suddenly, Coach Rozanov had one arm around Joey’s shoulder and was propelling them forward, towards Shane and Hayden.
“Sleep, Haas. Rest. No run, no gym. Chill.” Rozanov said, over his shoulder.
Joey turned in time to see his best friend give a halfhearted salute. He then turned his gaze to his coach.
“Did you need something from me, Roz?”
Rozanov looked down at them. “Hm? Oh, yes, you were looking like statue in the middle of airport. Like maybe you forget that this very annoying man wants to take you home to be with very beautiful woman and adorable children?”
“Hayden is not annoying…” Joey defended, ignoring the other parts of their coach’s statement.
“Mhmm.”
“I can’t just…” they started, unsure of what they were about to say they couldn’t do.
Roz cut them off. “Yes you can. You want to be there. They want you to be there. Why can you not? Is simple.”
And then they were within earshot of Shane and Hayden.
“What’s simple?” Shane asked, not looking up.
“My afternoon plans. Take you home, give you shower, and then eat you for lunch.”
Finally, Shane looked up. His expression was utterly unimpressed.
Hayden tilted his head, amused. “That was honestly pretty tame for you, Roz.”
“Would you like me to…” He was cut off by a hand over his mouth.
“No, Ilya. He would not like you to go into further detail. We’re leaving now.” Shane grabbed his boyfriend by the arm and started walking. Rozanov tossed a salacious wink behind him as he let himself be dragged along.
“You comin’?” Hayden asked, stepping closer to Joey, eyes wide and hair slightly disheveled from the plane ride.
And how could they say no?
&&
Daddy and Joey coming home from games was the best ever. Jade liked the simple routine of it. For certain definitions of simple. Uncle Ilya called it organized chaos in a way that made Uncle Shane roll his eyes.
She and all her siblings would do their level best to pull Daddy and Joey down to the ground, and they would drop their bags, walk five feet, and go willingly. They would all, simultaneously, do their best to share everything that had happened while hockey was happening in other places, they would get and give kisses and hugs, and Mama would give both Daddy and Joey a kiss on the top of their heads before going off to finish making food. Then, everyone would eat together, in their usual seats at the big table, voices overlapping, and Daddy would hang out with them in the living room. Jade wasn’t exactly sure what Mama and Joey did for the time they were alone, but Daddy had said they were doing taxes in a voice that made Jade pretty sure he was fibbing. Or telling a joke she didn’t understand. Whatever.
Today, they were watching Sesame Street, and Arthur was hiding against Daddy’s chest, and Daddy’s head was laying back against the back of the couch, and Jade looked over at Ruby. Ruby’s eyes got wide and she smiled. An episode and a half in, Joey and Mama came back. Mama grabbed Amber up from the floor and pulled her onto the couch, leaning against Daddy and pulling Ruby in with her other arm.
Joey flopped down gracelessly next to Jade, wrapping their arm around her and pressing a kiss to her head. Jade felt happiness tingle in her fingers and toes. She leaned harder against Joey and pressed her toes under Daddy’s leg and felt a hundred times more sure about her plans.
&&
The episode ended, and Hayden was pretty sure his wife was half asleep laying against him. They were supposed to have a talk later, try to figure out how to explain to Joey that they shouldn’t renew their lease, they should just move in with them and they should explain their relationship to the kids and the team and Hayden should release the words he felt fluttering behind his ribcage like a hundred weird moths.
He also kind of never wanted to move again, in this massive cuddle pile with all his kids and his wife and his partner (“I think I’m okay with partner, now,” Joey had whispered, after the last stretch of away games had ended and they piled into bed energized and exhausted, and Hayden had kissed them absolutely breathless) and the warm afternoon sun pouring through the windows.
He also had a strange amount of buzzing energy in his knees and feet. Arthur was tucked up under his chin, Jackie was leaning on his shoulder, and Jade had her tiny feet tucked under his leg on the other side.
“Should we watch another episode?” He asked, drowsy but weirdly wired.
“I want ice cream.” Ruby insisted from Jackie’s other side.
Arthur raised his head from Hayden’s chest. He could feel Jade become alert.
Joey groaned. “It was so peaceful…”
Jade sat up. “It can be peaceful after ice cream, Joey, come on.”
She tugged on their hand like it was natural, expected, normal. Hayden’s heart fluttered.
“We’re out of ice cream.” Jackie mumbled into Hayden’s shoulder.
“We’re what?” He blinked several times.
“We’re out of ice cream.” She sat up, Amber mumbling protests and Ruby next to her, aghast. “I didn’t get a chance to grab anymore while you were gone.”
“Out…out of ice cream?” Ruby stood up.
“Ruby Tuesday, we can get more ice cream.” Hayden tried to soothe.
Jade narrowed her eyes.
Hayden sighed internally. He did not want to deal with the incoming four-person tantrum that was surely building.
“No ice cream?” Arthur asked, eyes wide and sad.
“We can get more ice cream, guys.”
Jade’s hands were on her hips. “What, exactly, is the point of having three parents if we don’t have anyone who makes sure we don’t run out of ice cream?”