Ripples
“Aunt Lena!”
Alex would be the first to admit that she could have reacted poorly to her 12-year-old daughter asking if her godmother could chaperone the sixth grade field trip to the Smithsonian’s first West Coast expansion — the Museum of Magic, which she had already visited with Lena the day it opened — when Alex had gone to sign the permission slip.
And that she probably would have if her wife hadn’t preemptively swooped in, telling Esme — but really Alex — that of course she could ask whoever she wanted.
Alex had snorted to herself at the idea of Esme needing to ask. But fortunately, the preteen had already been slipping off the kitchen stool and whipping out her phone with a giddy “thanks,” so Alex had needed only to contend with Kelly’s sympathetic disappointment.
Now, two months later, the former director of the Deparment of Extranormal Operations, literally stopped in her tracks at the sight of a horde of middle schoolers, maybe half the class, beaming and cheering in unison at 6 a.m.
At least a dozen even rushed at the former CEO, taking turns giving her quick hugs, which Lena accepted with a small, but exceedingly warm, smile and faint blush.
“Ms. Smith, I think it’s time we got on the bus. Now that our guest of honor has arrived?”
Kelsey Rudd.
Despite Kelly’s cautionings, back when Esme was starting kindergarten, about not rushing to judge other parents… Alex’s rushed judgment had been correct.
Kelsey Rudd was a stuck-up bitch.
So far Alex had held her tongue, though, because Gianna Rudd had been Esme’s best friend since kindergarten. Naturally, Alex had laughed at the irony for years. Until Kelly had asked her to consider that Gianna, who was truly a very sweet girl, might not be so close to Esme solely because of Esme.
Alex had assumed her wife meant that Gianna appreciated the opportunity that playdates or hang-outs, as she was now supposed to call them, afforded her to not spend as much time at home — which she had not, to her shame, considered.
Watching Gianna meekly shuffle out of Lena’s embrace, however — as Lena tensed and stepped back simultaneously — Alex felt even more humbled.
And next thing she knew she was ruining her day.
“Hey, Ms. Smith. Need any more chaperones?”
“Actually, yeah! A couple just called out, so that would be amazing.”
Alex couldn’t tell if the clipboard-clad twenty-something was more relieved at the extra help or the excuse to step away from Kelsey… who promptly slung her arm around Alex like they were old sorority sisters.
“Any chance you got a flask in that jacket?”
——
After they stepped off the bus 12 hours later, and Kelsey offered her a parting air cheek kiss and promise to catch up again soon, Alex swore her ears were still ringing.
She knew that it had been worth it, though.
Even before she’d ushered Kelsey into a seat at the front of the bus this morning and glanced at the back to find Esme already watching her with a grateful smile.
Even before Esme and Lena finally said their goodbyes to the fan club and made it over to where she was waiting by the car and her daughter hugged her extra tight before sliding into the backseat.
“How’s the headache?”
Alex could haven’t stifled the bark of laughter if she’d tried at her sister-in-law’s dry greeting. With how sappy Lena got around Kara, Alex sometimes forgot how similar she and Lena actually were.
“I’ll live. I feel like I should be asking you, though. I had one adult talking my ear off. Not 20 tweens.”
Up close, the younger woman’s blush was quite prominent as she chuckled… or tried to.
“Lena?”
Alex stepped closer on instinct, lightly gripping her elbows, as she knew Lena found grounding.
“Thank you, Alex.”
Alex was already shaking her head, her gut twisting guilty, but apparently Lena wasn’t finished.
“I don’t know if it’s just the hormones talking, but I - I think this was one of the best days of my life.”
Alex had never stood in the way of Esme spending time with her godmother. Obviously.
Though she also, obviously, couldn’t have said before today that she realized the impact giving her blessing for Lena to volunteer at Esme’s school and occasionally asking if Lena was available to supervise Esme’s playdates over the years had had.
On her daughter’s classmates, let alone on her sister-in-law.
“Imagine if they knew you were a witch. They wouldn’t have given a shit about the museum.”
Lena laughed brightly, the way usually only Kara could make her, and Alex felt a hint of pride… until her brain stalled out.
“Wait, hormones?”
Lena slowly smiled, as widely as a wobbly chin would allow, and Alex immediately felt tears spring to her own eyes.
“Kara doesn’t know yet. I wanted to tell you first since you’re the one who made it possi—”
“I call godmother!”
As Alex flung her arms around Lena, she was perfectly positioned to watch Esme accidentally, and quite forcefully, fling her phone against the car window.
