Work Text:
The sound of the doorbell snaps them out of their own reveries. Robby doesn't need more than a glance to notice the evident nervousness in his husband, he has to bite his own lip to hold back the imminent laughter. He can recall the only time he saw this kind of anxiety hit Jack: at their wedding, almost three years ago. Now it's sweetly funny to watch the nervousness consume the man who, most of the time, wears a grumpy face.
He pushes aside his own thoughts and does his best to contain his own anxiety before gently squeezing his husband's hand for comfort and going to answer the door, with him right behind.
The first thing he spots is Maya's already familiar smile, and then his eyes catch the little girl at her side: a blue backpack on her back and a gray hoodie that seems too big, swallowing almost her entire body. Her dark brown hair falls nearly a hand's breadth below her shoulders. But it's the green, dull eyes that capture all of Robby's attention. No analysis is needed to see the weight they carry. He has to hold himself back enough not to smother the girl in a reassuring hug and tell her she's safe there now.
"Hey, Maya, everything okay? Come on in," the question slips out automatically as he steps aside to let both enter the house. He hears the woman's soft greeting, followed by a flustered "hi" from Jack. Making quick, succinct observations is Robby's specialty, it's second nature, so he catalogs small details as he closes the door and follows the girls, who are led by Jack toward the living room.
Trinity is quiet, but in an attentive way. She discreetly scans every visible corner of the house while lightly gripping the strap of her backpack. Robby notices the small embroideries on the bag: a Philippine flag, some stars, a "T" and an "S". He also spots the light blue suitcase that Maya carefully drags across the floor before leaning it against one of the living room walls, with two superhero keychains hanging from the zipper, subtle signs of use, and a large number of different stickers scattered around. There's also a black gym shoulder bag that Maya practically places on top of the suitcase, unlike the other two, the only distinctive feature is "TRINITY" embroidered in blue.
She expresses herself clearly through the small things that accompany her. Robby knows that if he could analyze all the stickers on the suitcase, he'd learn more about the little girl's personality than through subtle, awkward conversations.
His reveries are interrupted by Maya's voice, now standing with her hands on the child's shoulders. "Well, Jack, Robby, this is Trinity," she introduces them almost rehearsed. The little one makes an effort to flash a forced smile and nods before saying, "Thank you for having me." Jack's soft sigh draws his attention. "No need to thank us, kiddo. Michael and I are thrilled to have you here." The smile that spreads across his husband's face is contagious, and he can't help but return it.
"Jack's right. We're both thrilled to have you here with us." Robby notices how a faint glimpse of cautious expression crosses the little girl's eyes in front of him, vanishing just as quickly as a fleeting reflection. She nods.
"Well, I just came to drop her off. I'm sure you three will get along great. If you need any information, feel free to call me anytime." Maya speaks as she removes her hand from Trinity's shoulders. The smile on the woman's face is genuine. "Before I forget..." A folder that Robby regrets not having noticed is pulled from under the woman's arm. "These are Trinity's documents. Her vaccination card is up to date, so you two don't have to worry about that for now."
The next steps are gentle and slightly automatic for everyone present in the house. Jack takes the document folder, and Maya crouches down while saying something only Trinity can hear. The girl nods in agreement a few times, and then a small hug is exchanged between the two. Brief goodbyes happen among the three adults, and Jack escorts Maya to the exit, returning without the folder in hand, probably left on the kitchen counter. Robby makes a mental note to put it in the office later.
The silence that fills the living room with Jack's return is soft. They'd talked about this: the initial awkwardness and guardedness that would likely last a while, until there was genuine openness from the youngest, once enough security was established for the bonds of distrust to loosen.
"Alright," he finds himself saying as he watches Trinity's eyes scan the room before settling on the two of them. "What do you think about unpacking your things in your room?" Jack suggests calmly. "That's fine, I can do that," she replies. He finds himself smiling at the response, even if brief, and quickly adds, "We'll take you to your room, and once you're settled, we can give you a quick tour of the house and talk about the routine around here." The suggestion comes automatically, and he gets a small nod of agreement.
Jack grabs the suitcase leaning against one of the walls and the gym bag before nodding toward the stairs. The pace is automatic and calm. Trinity follows him up the stairs attentively, and they soon stop in front of the door. "Your room. You can do whatever you want with it, Robby and I left hangers in the closet so you can arrange your things however you like." Another nod of agreement. Jack hands her the bag, and the two watch as she enters the room and neatly places the three bags in the corner of the desk, before looking back at them. "Can we talk now, if you prefer?" The words come out hesitantly.
Gently, Robby remembers Maya saying that sometimes kids don't like to unpack their bags for a while, thinking they won't stay or assuming something will be taken from them. He catches himself automatically glancing at his husband, who seems to have reached the same conclusion. The two of them need to take gentle steps, they know that. In time, the three of them will find their own rhythm.
So it's he who takes the lead. "Alright. What do you prefer first: the tour or talking about the routine?" He notices the slight surprise in her eyes at the chance to choose the next step, which fades quickly. "Routine," the answer seems almost automatic. "Let's sit at the table, then. Honey, can you grab the calendar for us and take Trinity to the table?" He says as he starts walking ahead. "I'll put the documents in the office and grab some juice and cookies," he adds.
He doesn't look back as he walks, and automatically and quickly picks up the folder from the kitchen counter where he knew Jack had left it. From the corner of his eye, as he heads to the office, he sees that the two of them are already seated at the table: Trinity at the end chair, which has easy access to the hallway, and Jack in the chair facing the kitchen. Everything happens fast, and he mentally thanks the open layout of the main floor.
The folder goes into the first drawer of the office desk, and he heads to the kitchen quickly. Three glasses arranged on a tray, with ice and juice, two plates with cookies baked the day before. Soon he's heading to the table, one glass for each, a plate of cookies in front of Trinity and another between him and Jack.
"Alright," it's Jack who takes the lead this time, his own fingers fiddling with the edges of the calendar that's usually pinned to the corkboard near the entrance, cluttered with red and gray Post-its. "We don't have a strict routine around here," he sighs. "Did Maya tell you we're doctors?" The question is gentle and met with a nod of agreement. "Robby takes day shifts, and I do nights, so mornings will usually be with me, and evenings Robby will be here with you." Jack pauses, watching her reaction. "We use the calendar because it's easier to share the schedule and note down commitments. Red is my color, and gray is Robby's."
"The marked days are the ones we'll do double shifts. We've already talked to the hospital, so we made sure not to schedule any doubles together. That way, you won't be alone, and we won't disrupt your own routine."
Robby finds himself adding automatically: "Maya told us you have gymnastics practice on Thursdays and Fridays after school." He watches Trinity nod in surprise. "I'll take you to school most of the time, and Jack will pick you up and then drop you at gymnastics." He pauses, remembering their earlier conversation about making sure she eats lunch on practice days. "Do you eat lunch before practices?" The question is subtle, met with a slight, embarrassed head shake. "Is it that you don't usually eat before training, or is it the rush to get to the gym?" Now it's Jack asking gently. "Time," the answer comes shyly.
"Alright, going without eating for too long isn't a healthy habit. We'll prepare more substantial snacks for you on practice days, and a full meal after," Robby adds automatically. He notices Trinity seems more surprised with each moment at how much importance they give to her routine, and he holds back a pitying smile.
Jack stands calmly, and Robby watches him grab an unopened pack of blue Post-its from the entryway cabinet, along with some pens and the small notepad they usually use as a shopping list. When Jack settles back in his chair, Robby watches with inevitable affection as Trinity takes a sip of her juice before carefully setting the glass back on the table.
"Maya also mentioned you have some competitions," Jack says as he slides the calendar toward the girl, along with a blue pen. "Circle the competition dates you have marked so far," he says gently, while his own hands already move to the blue Post-its. Robby watches the two: Trinity marks a date at the end of the month and another in the middle of the next page, and Jack automatically starts writing on the paper.
TRINITY – COMPETITION
28/03
11/04
"Do you already have the place and time?" It's Robby who asks. He needs to make sure he and Jack can get a joint day off so that, for one of the two dates, she can see both of them cheering for her. "They're qualifying competitions. They're all in the morning, at the main gym in Pittsburgh." Robby notices how her previously soft voice starts to gain a more evident tone, the smile is inevitable.
Jack takes the calendar and Post-it, and he and Trinity watch him stand to pin them both on the corkboard: a blue one amid reds and grays, fitting perfectly into the cluster of Post-its. Robby observes.
"Hey, Trinity, do you have a lunchbox?" Jack asks, turning to look at her. "I don't... I don't have one." Jack nods, and a second blue Post-it is stuck on the board. He returns to the table, already popping a cookie in his mouth as he sits.
Robby finds himself laughing. "I think it's clear we really don't have a stable routine," he says. "The fixed things around here are basically laundry day, Jack and I try to do it every Monday. The upstairs bathroom is all yours, we put a dirty laundry basket there, and you can put anything that needs washing in it." He takes a sip of his untouched juice before continuing. "We'll wash your clothes too, but if there's anything you prefer to wash separately on a certain day, the laundry room is always available. I think that's about it no big deals."
Jack interrupts calmly. "We both like to have as many meals together as possible, which is basically breakfast before Robby heads to his shift and dinner before I go to mine. It'd be nice if you joined us for breakfast on school days." A sneeze interrupts him. "In our free time, we usually watch movies or hang out in the living room, each in our corner reading medical books," he wrinkles his nose before continuing. "Whenever you have something important to share, you can add it to the calendar or put a note on the board with a Post-it." Robby nods in agreement. "I think that's it. Any questions, T?" The nickname slips out automatically, and he barely notices, but judging by the girl's lack of reaction, he assumes she doesn't hate it.
Trinity bites her lip before looking at the table and asking, "And the rules?" They really hadn't thought much about that. "We don't have any crazy rules here, just basic little things, like knocking before entering rooms, not leaving your stuff scattered around the house, and... I think that's it." Robby pauses before adding, "Jack and I take turns cooking. If you want, you can just help out when you feel like it, or set the table, but it's not something you'll be forced to do. We want you to focus on your studies and practices." Jack nods in agreement. "When you want to go out with friends, just let us know ahead of time so we can plan to drop you off and pick you up. Those are the little things—no big stuff. Over time, the three of us can create our own more detailed rules if we see the need."
He sighs. "We just want to make sure you feel comfortable." A small nod is all they get, Trinity seems lost in her own thoughts, and the two exchange gentle looks without needing words. Robby is the one who breaks the brief silence. "Why don't you finish the cookies, and then we can do the tour we promised?" He says. She nods almost automatically as she grabs a cookie from the plate.
Small things happen quickly. Jack offers to clear the glasses and plates from the table that are no longer being used, while Robby leans on one of the chairs, dividing his attention between his husband in the kitchen and Trinity's focus on finishing the cookies on her plate. She's adorably unaware of it, positioning the plate close enough so the crumbs fall onto it. Time passes lightly, and soon the three of them are gathered at the house entrance.
The house is large in a way that the arrangement of things makes it feel small and cozy. Stepping out from the entrance gives a glimpse of almost everything on the first floor: a well-lit living room with a comfortable sofa and armchairs piled with cushions, an open-plan kitchen with a wide view of the dining table, a small powder room for guests; office and laundry room. Trinity maps the house with her eyes as the three wander among the scattered decorations.
The second floor is even quicker. Balcony door with a view of the backyard, which has nothing but open space and a grill, the bathroom at the end of the hall is all hers, Robby emphasizes that everything inside can be used by her. A quick mini-tour is done of their bedroom, and soon they stop at the door of the room that now belongs to her. "That's it, this is our house," Jack says as he cracks his own knuckles. "It's a beautiful house. I... um... thank you for having me and adjusting your routine. I won't get into trouble." Robby finds himself smiling. "We're the grateful ones for being able to welcome you. What do you think about taking some time for yourself? I know it might be a lot for one day. You can get settled better and, if you want, take a shower. Jack and I will start preparing dinner, and later we can watch a movie together before bed. What do you think?" he suggests. "That's a good idea, I'll do that." Robby watches, along with Jack, as Trinity carefully enters the room again, and soon finds himself following his husband down the stairs to give the girl more space.
Jack sighs as he pushes himself up enough to sit on one of the stools at the kitchen counter. "Think it'll take long for her to trust us enough to start opening up?" His husband's voice drops an octave lower. Robby notices the slight apprehension his own body betrays. "Maybe. Only time will tell. She seems to have been through a lot. I think if we're honest with her and patient, eventually she'll let us get close to the walls she's built." Robby positions himself close enough to his husband to cup his face in his hands.
"We've already done the hardest part, dear. Now we just need to learn to live one day at a time. She needs to learn to allow herself to be loved, and we both know how hard that can be. So let's be gentle until we find our rhythm." Jack presses his face harder into his husband's hand before nodding and letting out a louder sigh. A small kiss is exchanged between them, conveying the certainty that they'll do everything in their power, and beyond, to make the little girl feel like the most loved person in the world.
They'll do it. They're capable of it. There's so much love to be shared.