hi can you pls do a headcanon where Jake and Amy find out one of their kids is gay accidentally and they go to Holt and Rosa for advice because they’re panicking about making them feel as accepted and safe as possible without confronting them head on about it
One day 16 year old Zoey accidentally leaves her phone at home when she goes over to a friends house for the night. Amy finds it while tidying up the kitchen under her Spanish binder (her children love binders *almost* as much as she does) and lets out a frustrated groan. Zoey knows she’s supposed to take her phone with her when she’s gone for more than a couple hours, especially when she’s taking the subway. She’s just about to take the phone into Zo’s room when it goes off, showing a text from…Rosa?
Just want you to know I’m proud of you, kiddo. Your parents will feel the same, whenever you’re ready to tell them. xxx Tia
Amy squeals as she drops the phone back onto the table. She clearly was not supposed to see that.
But also what could Zoey have told Rosa that she didn’t feel comfortable enough to tell her own mom and dad?! Amy and Jake pride themselves on being open, respectful parents. They would support their daughters in whatever decisions they made (other than, you know, murder. Or being a Yankees fan). But does Zoey not feel that way? What is it she can’t tell them??
She ends up calling Jake into the kitchen and showing him the text with a look of pure panic. Jake is confused, bc they don’t like to look at their daughter’s phone (see: respectful parents) but then his eyes widen. As soon as he’s done reading he looks up at Amy with raised eyebrows. However, unlike Amy he doesn’t seem that surprised.
“Do you have any idea what she could be talking about?” Amy asks.
“Well…” Jake starts, running a hand through his hair. “Do you think she’s, y’know, gay?”
“Oh!” The thought had never even crossed Amy’s mind. But the more she thinks about it…“I mean, maybe? But she’s never said anything!”
“She might not feel comfortable yet,” he says gently. “It took Rosa fifteen years to come out to her parents, remember?”
That stings a bit, because Zoey tells Amy everything. Or at least, Amy thought she did. Why should this be any different?
But then she remembers how nervous Rosa had been to tell the squad. So if Rosa, one of the toughest people Amy knows, was actually scared to come out, of course her daughter would be scared as well. And as much as that kills her – she never, ever wants her daughter to be afraid of her – it does make a little sense.
They talk for awhile, trying to figure out the best way to go about this without breaking their daughter’s trust. In the end they decide to go to Rosa and ask her about it.
Jake and Amy invite her over for dinner when the girls are both at sleepovers on the premise of needing some adult time.
It’s not till they all have a glass of wine in their system that Jake brings up Zoey.
“We actually had a question for you…It’s about Zoey.”
Rosa downs her second glass. “Okay. What ab–”
“We saw your text,” Amy blurts out. “Is Zoey gay?”
Rosa raises her eyebrows but doesn’t say anything except, “We’re gonna need more wine.”
She never confirms or denies anything, but she does tell them she and Zoey have been getting coffee, and that certain things have come up. Zoey asked her not to tell her parents, which is why Rosa never said anything, and will continue to not say anything. She does, however, tell them not to worry, and that they have raised an awesome, badass daughter who has made the world a better, more interesting place.
Both Amy and Jake pick up on this little code. It’s how they know their suspicions are correct.
Amy asks if she should bring it up, because lord knows the woman’s impatient and wants to talk to her daughter ASAP. But before Rosa can say anything Jake’s taking her hand.
“Babe, this is a conversation Zoey needs to start when she feels comfortable. She’ll tell us when she’s ready. You know she will.”
Amy agrees; rather begrudgingly, but still. She does. She knows it’s what’s best for Zoey.
When Zoey does tell her parents she’s bisexual, it’s about two months after their talk with Rosa.
Amy immediately takes her daughter’s hand. There are a couple unshed tears in Zoey’s eyes, which Amy wipes away with the pad of her thumb.
Zoey asks if she’s surprised, to which Amy simply says, “You, my girl, have so much room in your heart for love. How could we expect that love to be limited to one gender? So no, I’m not surprised. And I love you for it. So much.”
Jake wraps Zoey in the biggest hug, telling her how proud he is of her and that he loves her more than anything.
“All I want is for you to find someone who loves you like your mom and I love each other. Doesn’t matter if they’re a man or a woman or somewhere in between. Your happiness is all that matters.”
Later that night Amy gets two texts from Rosa.
Your daughter is so lucky to have you dum dums as parents.
andulkaphoto
janainaart
jbbartram-illu
tangentwithtanner
