Chapter Text
Ava and Beatrice had been best friends for years, but they had only been dating for a little under a year when Ava got the call. It was late on a Thursday night, they had each had a glass of wine. Beatrice held her hand as her world imploded.
Orphaned child. Parents deceased. Next of kin. Adoption. Orphanage.
She was saying yes before she could even think it. No way was she letting this kid end up in the system. No fucking way.
Everything happened quick after that. Lots of rushed packing and travelling and desperate googling. With paperwork signed, and backgrounds checked, they handed her a bag with a few of his belongings, a pamphlet on childhood grief, and the business card for an orphanage (should she change her mind) Suddenly she was the sole caretaker for a 3 year old kid. A tiny human she had only ever seen on Instagram. A living, breathing child. Diego. He looked as stunned as she felt.
“Hey kiddo, you’re gonna come live with me now, okay?”
He stared blankly at her for a moment. “Auntie Ava?”
“That’s me! How are you feeling? Are you hungry o-”
“Are you my new mommy?” He interrupted.
Ava sucked in a breath and kneeled down to look him in the eyes. “I can be whatever you need me to be Diego, I never want to replace your mommy, but I’m here now, and I’m not going anywhere, okay?”
He nodded slowly.
“Who is she?” He asked, pointing at Beatrice.
“That’s my girlfriend, Beatrice, she came to help me bring you home.”
He nodded again absently, puffing out his little cheeks in thought before looking at Ava. “I’m being brave.”
Ava almost crumpled. “You are, you’re being so, so brave.”
Her throat started to close, memories of her own parents accident threatening to overwhelm her. How could this happen to him? Why would this happen? She felt a warm hand on her shoulder.
“It’s nice to meet you Diego, would you like a lift to the car or do you prefer walking?” Beatrice asked, giving Ava a moment to breathe. He watched her carefully for a second before judging her trustworthy and lifting his arms in the universal “pick me up” motion. She scooped him up and turned to Ava with a gentle smile. “Ready, love?”
Ava squared her shoulders and offered a thankful smile. “Yeah, I’m good.”
Her cousin had left money for Ava alongside her son, with Beatrice’s help she was able to find a small house in their town with space for Diego to have his own room. It was exhausting and overwhelming but entirely worth it. Diego was a sweetheart, he was energetic and cautious and eager to learn. He could be kind of destructive but Ava had gotten better at setting boundaries with him. (Seriously dude, if you wanna smear stuff I’ll get you some paints! Let’s save food for eating m’kay?) She had never been a fan of discipline, but she figured treating him like a person was a good place to start. She wanted desperately to give him the world, to make up for all the cruelty he had faced so young.
She was terrified every day, terrified of doing anything wrong, terrified that she would fail him, and terrified that choosing Diego would mean losing Beatrice. Bea hadn’t given her any reason to doubt, not really, but what relationship could possibly survive this? They hadn’t even talked about kids, not as a couple at least.
After a few weeks, they had settled into a bit of a routine. Ava had taken indefinite leave from her job until she figured things out. Beatrice still worked, but she came over as often as she could, bringing food and little gifts for Diego. One evening and they watched him play for a while before Ava put him in his new high chair to give him his dinner of chicken nuggets and mashed potato’s.
She fell back into the couch next to Beatrice.
“I’m a mom.” Ava whispered, almost to herself, like she hadn’t realized it yet.
Beatrice took her hand, rubbing it gently.
“I don’t know what the fu-fluff I’m doing here Bea.”
Beatrice smiled at her softly. “You’re doing fantastic Ava, being a guardian is hard, even to those who have much more than a few days warning.”
Ava watched him as he continued to test the physics of his mashed potato’s. “I didn’t even know his mom that well, I won’t know what to say when he asks about her one day.”
“He hasn’t asked yet?”
“He’s too young, I don’t think he really understands what’s happened, but sometimes I catch him crying at night, and not like normal kid crying, like the quiet kind where you’re just so sad that it spills out.” Ava said, her own tears escaping. “-and there’s nothing I can do.”
Beatrice wiped them before cradling her face. “Ava, can I move in?”
“You-what?”
“I want to help, the both of you. You shouldn’t have to do this alone.”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that Bea.”
It wouldn’t be much of a change, she was there almost everyday already, but it was also entirely fucking life changing. Ava searched her face for any sign of pity, but she only found certainty. “You’re serious?”
Beatrice nodded. “I want to be here, if you’ll have me.”
Diego got a cold early November, one that had them trading off care duties so that the other could get a few hours sleep at a time. He cried a lot, frustrated and angry at his body’s betrayal. It lasted the better part of a week, and left them both exhausted. Ava tried her best to shoulder most of the burden, but she could see the weight of it settling on Beatrice’s shoulders.
Beatrice had just gotten him to sleep again by reading him a story and rubbing vapor rub onto his little chest and feet. She poured herself a glass of water and fell into the couch, rubbing at the headache that was threatening to turn into a migraine.
“Hey, can I get you anything?” Ava whispered, slipping out of their bedroom.
“I’m alright, Ava, you can go back to sleep.”
She took a hesitant step toward the couch, biting her lip. “I’m so sorry Bea.” She muttered.
“Sorry for what?”
“Cornering you into parenthood, I understand if this is too much too soon. He’s my responsibility. I don’t want to hold you back from your life.”
Beatrice reached for her as she moved closer, standing up. “Hey, this is my life, Ava. I chose this, I want this.”
“You do?” She whispered.
“Oh darling, of course I do…It’s a bit earlier than I expected, but it’s beautiful all the same.”
“What?” Ava shook her head, struggling to keep up.
“I didn’t say anything about kids because it felt too soon, but, well.” She gestured to the living room full of toys and parenting books.
Ava looked at her in awe. “You wanted to have a baby with me?”
Bea smiled and ran a thumb over her cheek. “I still do.”
Ava laughed in shock. “Yeah?”
“Not right now, but one day, maybe we could give Diego a sibling.” Beatrice responded shyly.
Ava bumped their foreheads together, overwhelmed with relief and hope. “I better get back on birth control then.” She whispered.
Beatrice laughed and pulled her into a tight hug. Ava sunk into her, closing her eyes.
Tension left her shoulders with each breath, each calming rub of Beatrice’s hand accross her back; tension that had been rooted in her bones ever since the day she first got the call.
“Thank you.” She whispered into Bea’s neck.
“For what?”
“For staying.”
Beatrice kissed her tears away. “I’m not going anywhere, Ava, I swear it. We’re in this together.”
They had a Friendsgiving with their friends at the end of the month. Ava was excited to host, since they were the only homeowners in their circle. Mary and Shannon came with their dog, Crucious. The dog ran straight for Diego and would’ve bowled him down had it not been for Beatrice’s quick reflexes. He squealed happily at the dog sniffing his toes. Beatrice lifted him higher on her hip and shot an angry look at Mary.
“Hey ya’ll! My bad.” Mary said, recalling the dog.
Ava threw her arms around the couple. “You guys came!”
“Of course we did, we needed to see momma Ava in action.” Shannon teased.
“More like mummy Beatrice.” Mary snorted as Beatrice rolled her eyes. “Hey kid, I’m auntie Mary.”
Camila and Jasmine came in next, holding pies and swooning over Diego as Mary taught him how to fist bump.
“He’s precious!” Camila whispered to Ava when they hugged.
“I know right!” Ava beamed proudly watching Shannon bouncing him in her lap with Beatrice hovering nearby.
Lilith and Dora came last, sporting wine and Chinese takeout.
“Rude! I’ll have you know, I’m a great cook now that I have this one.” Ava said with Diego at her side. She ruffled his hair as he stared up at Lilith.
“You’re tall.” He said in awe.
“You’re short.” She responded before turning back to Ava. “I figured you might have your hands full, that’s all.”
“Awww you do care!” Ava smiled and took the offerings. “I did cook though, and you’re gonna try it! I make a mean mac n’ cheese.”
Lilith rolled her eyes and stepped passed them to great the others. Soon the party was in full swing, everyone mingling and catching up, sharing stories and memories from the past year.
Beatrice found Ava in the kitchen, she had Diego sitting on the counter while she swayed to the soft music and munched from the charcuterie board Shannon prepared. One of her favorite things to do was watch Diego eat food he had never had before, the flip between awe and disgust never failed to make her laugh.
“Aw come on! Olives are so good though!- oh hey babe!”
Beatrice hugged her from behind, watching over her shoulder to see what they were doing. Ava swayed them together while she talked to Diego about food and occasionally passed snacks she knew Beatrice liked back to her. Diego had opened up more in the last month, he was starting to talk almost as much as Ava when she was excited. They had both acclimated to his baby talk so they could understand him much better, which had him much more excited to talk.
Click
They turned to see Camila and Dora in the doorway. “Sorry I simply had to take a picture, you guys are disgustingly sweet.”
Ava laughed and leaned back into her girlfriend. “Aren’t we just the cutest?”
Beatrice blushed but hugged her tighter.
“Did you guys want to play a game?” Camila asked.
“Game?” Diego perked up.
“That sounds like a yes!” Ava answered.
They played several games as the night went on, most of them turned out to be beyond the scope of a toddler but he seemed content to laugh when everyone else laughed. He tired himself out quickly though, and the night ended in hushed conversation as he slept in Ava’s lap, little legs either side of her waist and head against her chest.
“Never thought I’d see the day.” Mary teased. There was nothing but warmth in her eyes as she watched Ava stand to take him to bed. “Our little girls’ all grown up.”