Chapter Text
“Mom! Mama!” She scampered through the living room to the kitchen, where she knew there’d be chocolate chip cookies and both of her mothers.
“That type of screeching, while clearly indicating obvious levels of excitement, is inappropriate for inside the house, darling.” Mama wasn’t really stern with her, but she took the guidance for what it was and stopped, stood straight and spoke slowly.
“Next week is career day in school, and I’d really like one of you to come. I know that you’d have to talk about the IRS instead of all the cool stuff you do with Uncle Pete and Uncle Steve and Aunt Claudia, but I’d really like you to meet some of my friends. And I’d like you to see the poster I’ve been working on at school for what I’d like to be when I grow up.”
“And what’s going to go on the poster, honey? Archaeologist?” Her mom was standing up behind her mama, but they had that way of sharing the same, secret smile even though they couldn’t see each other.
“It’s a surprise.” She bounced up on her toes a bit, certain her mama wouldn’t really mind that kind of display of excitement.
And she had just as much of the energy — tempered by all of the restraint she’d learned from her moms — as she presented her poster on “When I Grow Up I Want To Be A Police Detective.”
This time her moms weren’t sharing a secret smile, but they both had that same slightly wide-eyed look. After she’d read through her notecards and explained why finding the answers to things mattered, her moms led the standing ovation and shone beaming smiles.
But she asked them at the end anyway, “don’t you like what I want to be?”
“Oh, darling. You’ll make a wonderful detective. And I know that you will never stop until you have the answers.” Her mama looked at her mom and continued, “and you will always believe the best outcome is going to be possible, because you’re your mom’s daughter.”
Her mama folded her into a hug, and her mom wrapped long arms around both of them.
“I’m so proud of you, sweetheart.”
She pulled away quickly, eyes flashing again. “Mama, mama! Did you see I wore the locket! I wanted to wear something from you two while I was up there.”
“I did, darling. I did see the locket.”