LilGirlLya

"That must be convenient, having something so accessible so close by." Claire agreed with her friend. For a just a moment she worried what might happen to Ravio if the shop was busier or less little friendly and instantly felt herself become defensive at the possibility someone might grab him. The rest of the shift finished pretty uneventfully and finally it was time for the two of them to clock out. Jess made sure everyone knew she and Ravio were heading out before clocking them both out. "So, lead the way." Claire said. She and Ravio chatted on the way, it was nice to not be worrying about Laura or being on the clock. She did make a note to make sure she wasn't too far from Ravio. She wanted to make sure everyone knew he wasn't theirs to grab. "I didn't know you lived so close," Claire commented, "well, I mean I knew you were close since you walk but you've got everything in walking distance. Do you have a shopping list? We getting just the basics or are young going to make your poor Amazon friend carry a pantry home?"

"Yeah, good idea. Maybe some ginger ale, graham crackers that sort of thing?" As they got back on the road something occured to Jess, "Oh, hell. Hey babe? Guess what we both forgot?" Jess gestured to the back seat, "car seats." Jess just signed and shook her head, "I knew we'd forget something. Maybe we can just take the bus into town tomorrow with them, or one of us can go out later once we've got them in bed? One of us will just have to let them lap sit in the back. You've had them all day, I can take over if you want to drive home?" Jess and Ivy found a small corner gas station and pulled in. Jess stretched when she got out, 'oof, I'm getting old. Too much car time today." Jess started to fill up the car while Ivy started on the snack run.

"No problem. I'll take care of it and then we can go wash our hands and get back to it, OK? Oh, by the way, you can stick close to me today if you want. Laura seems like shes in a mood today." Claire kept her eyes looked on Laura every time the other Amazon picked up any wet ingredients, watching for any 'slips' that might lead to her dropping any on Ravio and insisting he change into some new clothes. It wasn't just Laura as a person Claire disliked, it was every time she was in Claire had to keep her focus split between doing her job and making sure Laura didn't try anything funny. If Ravio had been a tweener she probably could have brought it up as harassment if she could just get Ravio to go say something with her. The few times she broached it though, the topic got shut down. She was lucky she was a better baker than Laura even with half her attention on the job. Lunch rush passed in a flurry of activity and once they were on the other side, Claire and Ravio turned toward prepping the baguettes. Opening meant Laura would have to stay for close so that meant they'd get to leave soon and leave her far behind. "Not much longer now. You got a place you'd prefer? I don't know where you like to do your shopping?"

"I hope you make some friends too, hon. Wouldn't want you changing every rugrat the kiddos bring home all by yourself." Jess teased. "Must be," Jess mused at Ivy's comment on the cartoon. It was weird, the proportions of the characters seemed off, but maybe that was just the art style? "We're near the border, Canadian maybe? Could be a Naomi and Olivier? Well, we may find out later." "You know, I think we're probably good. It's probably close to time to get on back anyway. We've got the basics, anything else we can pick up when we take them out tomorrow. Oh! Tomorrow, they have jammies but not any clothes. Hey hon, I'll go through the line and pay for all of this if you can just run and maybe find them something to wear tomorrow when we take them out for actual shopping?" Jess made her way through the checkout and the cashier rang her and a returning Ivy up one after the other. It was then a quick haul of their stuff into the car. "Anything else you might want to look for or scope out before we head back?" * * * * * Ellie could hear voices but everything was surreal and dreamlike, she opened her eyes just a little to find herself looking up at a bright light with a little mobile delicately spinning from it. She could hear a gentle twinkling before closing her eyes again. "Oh, she's waking up." Ellie heard a voice but it she couldn't remember who it was. "The reversal agent is working. Get her height and weight please?" "Sure Dr.", another voice, "41 inches, 36 pounds. Another success." "Fantastic, I'm going to go check on her brother. If you could start getting her ready for discharge."

"Hey Laura," Claire interjected, "do you think you could get going prepping the baguettes? We're sitting around because we've been here since five." Claire gave Laura a look and got one in return. Still, Claire knew it was technically insubordination to ask someone to do their job. "Sorry about that Ravio, do you need a minute? Laura can be..." Claire trailed off, glancing over her shoulder to ensure her coworker was actually working and not evesdropping in, "a real piece of shit. I'm pretty much done with mine but I can stick around for a few more minutes until you're done so she doesn't come back over to bug you. Want me to get started foiling the leftovers up for you?"

"Yeah, I was thinking about that when we were still weighing out on coming. Given how many of the scientists here have families, the kids will also probably have neighbors to play with too." Jess looked over at Ivy to see if that got any reaction from her. With Ivy not having to go back to working and switching into more of a housewife role for the next few years, Jess wondered how Ivy would respond to having a neighborhood horde of toddlers run through if Ellie and Avery made a lot of new friends. Jess smiled at the memory of that. "I do," she shook her head with a grin still on her face, "you ever think 'we should have known?'" Jess and Ivy poked around for a while, given that it was a general store they had a little bit of everything. One thing that would take some time to get used to the lack of any big brands or chain places. Everything was some little mom and pop, though Jess couldn't help but wonder how much help they were getting from the Institute. She did find it amusing given who had his name on a brick in the lobby of the Clarke Institute main campus that she couldn't get Amazon delivery. She did recall mentioning that on her interview to one of the head researchers. It was hard to forget Dr. Teal, six eight in heels isn't a common site after all. It was the weirdest thing because she seemed so confused at first when Jess mentioned how weird it was there was no Amazon on the island. There were a few cute odds and ends for the house they picked up before checking back in on the boxes. Each "box" could more accurately be described as about a 2 by 1.5 foot tote. Both had some things in common, a box will an assembly required bed rail was the biggest individual package inside, beside it was what Jess had been bracing for but wasn't entirely real until she saw it. A small package of 10, size 5 diapers. They both also had a Blu-Ray cartoon inside, "Naomi and Oliver's First Night!" Jess had never heard of Naomi and Oliver before? Ellie's box also had some things customized for her, Jess had mentioned that Ellie's favorite color was lilac there was a soft, fuzzy fleece blanket in one corner and under it she found a small, lavender pacifier, a small stuffed unicorn, and a cute, toddler sized footed sleeper. It was pink with white striping on the arms and legs, on the chest in white letters with blue accents it read "My First Night!"

"Me too, hon" Jess pulled Ivy in for a hug, "Me too. If you're only nervous then you're doing better than me." "Yeah, might as well." Jess agreed, regaining her composure. "We can get them the rest of their stuff tomorrow." Despite the short distance they opted to take the car for ease of getting the new supplies. During the drive Jess looked over to Ivy, "how are you liking the town so far?" She asked, "It's sort of quaint, you know? Very small town but in a good way?" Her last sentence inadvertently came out like a question, Jess really wanted Ivy to be happy. The kids too, given all that everyone was sacrificing so she could take the job. The thought alone of Ivy as some board house wife broke her heart. The general store seemed pretty busy, but given the time of day Jess wondered if it could just be the aftermath of a shift at the Institute letting out. A sort of micro-rush hour. Inside they were directed to a service counter when asking about the first night boxes. There Ivy and Jess were given surveys to fill out so the attendant could put something together. The survey not only got physical information and gender identity but also asked about favorite colors, textures, animals, and several other various preferences. Jess filled out Ellie's and gave Avery's to Ivy.

"You want any company on that? If I'm with you then you could really load up." Claire extended the offer to combine the trips together, partly because she wanted an excuse to spend time with her friend but she knew even basic errands like shopping were tough for littles. Even at little run shops most of the good you're going to find are sized for Amazons or betweeners. Having to rely on the subway, Ravio would only be able to get a few days worth of food at most. Plus, Claire wanted a break from her normal, boring routine. "Hey Laura," Claire gave a wave as Laura came in, "not us, just slaving away over some hot ovens back here." Claire despised how Laura talked to littles, just absolutely no respect for them. "*We*" Claire said pointedly, "have actually been having a real good morning. Nice and steady, lots of work. Just enjoying a bit of lunch."

"Yeah, probably," Ellie wryly remarked, though a part of her did think at least seeing "baby pictures" wouldn't give her dysphoria anymore now that the little boy and the little girl in them would be reversed. "Don't mind me," the door opened as Ivy was snapping the last photo, a nurse popped her head out into the lobby "Palmer-Kelly family. Avery? Ellie? Dr. Lee is ready for you both, she stood aside and opened the door for the two siblings. Mom and..mom," she somewhat awkwardly said, "this procedure is going to take about 2 hours or so, give or take. If you'd like there are some shops nearby, Wren and Wabbit boutique nearby has some very nice stuff for them to have on their first night, or there's the Gibbs Island general store a block north of here. They'll sell a 'first nights' kit to you at a good price if you just want the basics for now. "Ivy and I will talk it over," Jess assured nurse, "Well, see you on the other side kids, Jess gave each of her teenagers one last hug before they vanished down the corridor. Ellie stayed close to Avery until they came to the back of the hall. Some basic weights and measurements were gotten for both but then it was time to separate. Ellie looked at her brother as he was for the last time and said the only thing that came to mind, "love you, Avery." The inside of the room had a doctor's bench sized for adults. She half expected children's murals but instead the walls were soft pastels. The lighting was dim and relaxing ocean sounds were playing over a speaker. After a few minutes alone she heard a knock on the door. "Ellie Palmer-Kelly? I'm Doctor Lee, nice to meet you." Dr. Lee was handsome with a brilliant smile and he stuck out his hand for Ellie to shake. "Nice to meet you." she responded, she could feel her anxiety rise as another person came in with equipment. "This is my assistant Chloe, she went through this process about five or six years ago when she was about your age, now she's almost just finished her training to be our new pediatrics doctor here for kids like you." "Hi Ellie, I just met you brother just a little bit ago," the aspiring doctor also stuck out her hand for a shake. Ellie couldn't get over how much smaller than her Chloe was, she was at most five even and Ellie heard a strange crinkle with every step Chloe took. "Now Ellie, what's about to happen is Chloe and I are going to start a line into your arm. It will be a four step process, the first will introduce a general anesthetic, the second will be the nanites, those are what's going to do all of the work here. Then we're going to start you on fluids to keep you hydrated and maintain your electrolyte balance, you're going to be losing a lot of mass and fluid but this will keep you stable. Finally, the last injection is to wake you back up. Now, you're going to feel a pinch" Ellie did as the needle was inserted into her arm. "There we are, do me a favor Ellie and count back from a hundred." "One hundred, ninety-nine, nintetyninetynine" Ellie was fast asleep.

"Oh, there you are Ravio," Claire said as she saw her coworker come back into the kitchen, "pizza just got out of the over a few minutes ago, it should be cool enough to start on now." Claire cut the pizza into eight slices and took one for herself, it was...not great. Still, it was apparently one of her friends favorites so she wasn't going to let one how much she wasn't a fan of it. "Halfway done for the day, didn't think breakfast rush would ever end" Claire said, trying to start up some conversation, "you have any plans for this afternoon or are you headed right back home?" Claire was probably going to swing by the store on the way home, get some things for dinner. The fridge was pretty empty back at home. Oh, and probably needed to pick up some pads too for next week. She was out, for a moment thought about Ravio. Maybe that's why he's being so antsy about the bathroom? Just uncomfortable talking about periods and stuff with a cis woman. It wasn't a big deal but she imagined it would be awkward for him to discuss such a dysphoric body function.

Jess sat in the lobby of the doctor's office filling out seemingly endless pieces of paperwork. Complete medical histories on both kids, allergies, waivers, it just seemed like so much but then again, even if they'd been doing it for over a decade, nanomedicine was still cutting edge stuff. Nanosurgery on a scale that it could complete deage a human body and restore the brain's capacity for rapid knowledge accumulation? That wasn't even science fiction, that was science fantasy! And yet, here she was signing the endless forms so each of her kids could undergo it. Jess' phone buzzed, they were here. Fortunately Jess was just about finished with the paperwork. She got up out of the nice leather waiting room chair and walked up to the window, handing over each piece of information. "Fantastic," the receptionist said as the forms were handed over. A thought came over Jess. "Excuse me, this might be a weird request, I don't know but," Jess pulled out her phone and the receptionist gave a knowing smile. "could you do a picture of us before the kids go in?" "Absolutely, I can. Believe me, you aren't the first to ask." Ellie followed close to her Momma and brother into the waiting room, Jess smiled as they came in. "Safe trip?" Jess asked, to a murmuring chorus of 'yeahs'. "OK, let's get some pictures before you go in. I want one of all of us, then Momma and me with each of you, then just the two of you. Come on, come on, the doctor will be here any minute!"

"Pineapple and olives?" Claire raised her eyebrow before shrugging, "sure but this time you get to take the leftovers home, bud. It's not my favorite but it's free so whatever." Claire frequently would do pizzas or sandwiches for them both when they worked together. With them having near free run of the back most days, it make up something quick and 'on the house.' She didn't know if the owner would even care if he found out, but she didn't care to let him in on the secret, even if it meant sometimes sneaking a lunch for Laura too to keep the whole operation safe. Besides, living on her own she had to make money stretch somehow. She suspected Ravio was in the same boat money and living situation wise. The little kept his private life private and fair call on his part. The world was so full of Amazon's who didn't respect a little's basic privacy or maturity and would seize on anything to deprive them of it. She hoped Ravio knew he could trust her but even if she was an ally, she wasn't quite as sure about Veronica or Dillon and was absolutely sure about Laura. Still, it had to be lonely to be so defensively isolated. "Thank Ravio, gotta stay hydrated, don't want to make this work any harder than it already is!" Claire took a long drink of her water before setting it down with a refreshed "ahh". "Oh yeah, of course, go on, there's still time on the pizza. Ravio was already gone by the time she finished. "Huh, that's different," she thought.

Ellie took a deep breath and nodded, "ready as I'll ever be." What else could she say? She was never going to be ready for this but with Avery's help she'd gotten past the bargaining and depression stage and finally arrived at acceptance. What she was surrounded by on the deck was going to be her life for a few years. Ellie felt a deep loss thinking about all the normal teenage stuff she wouldn't be able to do but tried to stay positive like Avery. Even if she was losing one set of formative experiences, she'd be trading it for another. "Can I go to the bathroom first though?" Ellie caught Ivy's eyebrow shooting up, "Momma," she groaned, "I promise I'm not going to lock myself in the bathroom and refuse to come out." That seemed to be enough. Ellie hardly even had to go and the dingy, 'well-used' ladies toilets of the ferry weren't a great last memory to go into this with, but she had no idea how long it might be until she got to go on her own again. Once she was finished, Ellie met back up with her family and piled into the back seat of the car. It was fewer than 15 minutes and they were in the parking lot.

"Mo-om, I can do it myself" Luna objected to no avail as Akiza's hand found it's way between her legs. Luna let out a small 'eep' as the cool baby wipe came into contact with her and blushed from embarrassment. After spending so many minutes in her birthday suit in front of her mother, Luna eagerly stepped into the pull-up, just thankful to have literally anything to wear.

"Ooh hey, nice work on the cup cakes especially." Claire came over near the workstation Ravio had been at and started to stretch out one of the pieces of dough over her knuckles, shaping it into a round, pizza shape. "Oh, there is one thing I could use a hand with actually," Claire mentioned as Ravio climbed down from the stool, "do you think you could gather up the toppings you want? We did a soppresetta and burrata one last time, it's your turn to pick what we do. Go grab what you want and the sauce mix from the work fridge. Oh yeah, and if you could pour me an ice water, I'd appreciate it! You get me all that and lunch will be ready in around ten minutes." Claire felt a little guilty with the scale of that ask, she knew it would probably take Ravio two or three trips to get all of it but the time he spent running was time she could spend shaping out the dough which meant lunch getting done faster.

"Yeah..." Ellie replied, "'lets just, lets take it slow on the way back." Ellie and Avery made the walk back at a leisurely pace. As they got closer they could see the boat approaching port. They met up with Momma and handed off her sandwich and all three started eating before boarding. Ellie's nerves killed her appetite but she pushed through, enjoying every last spicy, messy bite. When it was their turn, Momma drove the car on board and the boat was away shortly after. Ellie got out to stretch her legs but she knew the ride wouldn't be very long. There seemed to be an awful lot of families with kids taking the ferry and conspicuously, she and Avery were the only two she saw that looked any older than a kindergartener. Walking around she caught a few looks and whispers and she wondered if any of these kids might be in a class with her. It was a weird thing to wonder about kids seemingly so much younger but Ellie had no idea how old any of them actually were. "They look happy at least," Ellie mused, looking over the railing and preferring to spend the hour long voyage trying to see if she could spot any whales in the Sound. It wasn't long before she saw an island with a port coming into view.

"Yeah, for real. We can't all be natural morning people, otherwise people could wake up early to bake their own stuff!" Claire joked, "Alright, the schedule for today is pretty routine, get the breads started then move on to muffins, pastries, cupcakes that sort of thing. I'll need you on decor duty for those. We'll then start our cookies and prep the baguettes for tomorrow. Just a good, easy day hopefully." Claire heard the chime of someone opening the door, letting her know their cashier was here and the day was about to get started. Claire threw herself into working and she and Ravio worked together with the precision of a team that had been doing this for a long time. One of the biggest upsides to working with Ravio was his little tastebuds made it perfect to calibrate how sweet she needed to make the pastries so they were appealing for little sensitivities without being too offensive to Amazons. Lots of amazons came in for a breakfast sandwich and ended up getting their little one a cake pop or a brownie and working together they could make certain to please both pallets. As the day wore close to 'lunch' at 10 a.m., Claire started portioning out some dough to make personal pizzas for the crew. Just another side benefit to working here. "How you doing Ravio? Ready to take a break?"

"Yeah, I know. I think I got a look at my future in there and...I'd be a lot more enthusiastic about becoming some kind of super genius if one of the side effects wasn't *that*." Ellie couldn't fully bring herself to say it at the moment but she hoped the meaning was clear. "Do you think moms will let us change ourselves? I mean, if we need to? We're not actually little kids, how hard could any of that be?" It be better than going legs up out in the open on a changing table, Ellie thought. "Yeah, sandwiches should be good." Ellie didn't say too much, thinking of 'clinic time'. She remembered when she was a little kid and was scared of the dentist, how she'd try to lock the door and hide out in the office bathroom. Trying that would probably be just as successful she thought. She'd still end up in the chair regardless at this point. There was some peace that came with just admitting that to herself. She was probably in her last hours as a teenager, might as well enjoy them. Ellie got a huge cheese steak with some chips and decided if she was going out, she was going out in cheesy, greasy style.

With Jess at the helm, unloading and unpacking took significantly less time than getting loaded up. Jess had most of the essentials already ready ready for tonight but would have to pick up the final touches for the kids on her trip back out to the clinic. She was unsuccessful in negotiating an extra day of service from the movers but fortunately did get some recommendation for furniture and clothing that were popular with new arrivals and would do same day delivery. With all the boxes in, Jess wished a safe trip back to the movers before getting back in the car herself to wait for Ivy and the kids at the clinic. "Yeah, Momma. Avery and I will be fine. We've both got our phones. Just relax." Ellie was also pretty keen to enjoy her last minutes as an unsupervised teenager. The two made for the bathroom first. Ellie darted into the women's room. Across the bathroom there were two other people, a mom and a carrot topped toddler getting her diaper changed on one of those changing tables built into the wall. Ellie's eyes locked with the little girls who smiled and waved before looking away. Ellie felt uneasy as she used the bathroom, possibly for the last time. Thankfully the mother and daughter were gone by the time she was finished. "Thanks for letting us stop for that first Avery, you got any food ideas?"

Luna blushed furiously, she knew it be futile to protest because her mom hadn't even made the slightest motion to get her any new clothes and clearly expected her to march on into the bathroom naked. Luna's residual modesty held and she covered her chest and crotch with her hands before going as quickly as she could down the hall and into the bathroom. Luna uncovered herself and sat on the tiny potty, keeping her arms folded across where her chest used to be. It was awkward to go with her mom in the room but Luna's morning regularity wouldn't be swayed by just having Akiza around, especially since Luna knew if she didn't go now she might have issues later. Luna squeezed and scrunched her little face up with effort and managed to produce a bit of poop and a few tinkles of urine. She stood from the seat and reached out to the toilet paper by the actual toilet.

"Oh yum, low key but easy to make. I like it. A little junk food here and there never hurt anyone." Claire joined Ravio in doing some of the opening shift tasks that he'd been too short for, making teas, getting coffee going, putting out the little display sandwiches so people could see what was on offer. "Is that why you've started showering in the mornings? Just want to keep the bed tidy? From your hair I mean!" Claire blushed. she knew the condescension that littles trying to work often got and even as an Amazon she couldn't stand someone trying to lord their maturity over another adult because of how tall they were. Even mindful as she was though, sometimes in treating Ravio like any normal friend, she'd occasionally say something that could take on a whole new meaning to a little. "Come on we need to start the breads for the day before Veronica shows up to start on the register. You ready to get going?" Claire asked finishing her coffee.

The wait for the ferry wasn't long and soon Jess and the moving truck were on the water and crossing the Sound. Once the slow boat had gotten going there really wasn't too much left to the trip. The island was fairly small, a few neighborhoods around a little downtown on the northern bit near the port and then the Institute campus on the south part of the island. The community they'd be living was called Orca Point from the material she'd received after signing her contract. With the Institute going out of their way to promote a convenient, family friendly lifestyle she'd been given a map with all the parks, trails, playgrounds, and wading pools all highlighted, in addition to a few cafes and a grocery store. The idea was for all the necessities to be within walking distance which would at least ensure everyone spent a little more time outside and active. The ferry docked and Jess waited for the docking procedures to all be carried out before they were given the all clear. She followed the moving truck down the little two lane streets, into and then through downtown and into their neighborhood. Her heart swelled when she saw her house and Jess instantly knew she'd made the right choice. It was a cute little two story cottage with weathered red bricks, a hedge fence, and a little white gate. The door was painted a sea foam green. The move only felt final once Jess had brought her car into the driveway and got out to help the unloading. Ellie and Avery chit-chatted during the moving, making jokes and riffing it together. They reached port after a few hours in the car and with time to spare before the next ferry? "Momma, can we get something to eat, please? Maybe use the bathroom too?" Ellie asked.

Claire’s alarm blared to life at 3:30 in the morning, same as most morning. If she wasn’t a natural morning person, this job would be impossible. Fortunately, Claire loved what she did. She went to culinary school to be a chef and hadn’t imagined herself as a baker but now she wouldn’t have it any other way. She started some coffee as she got dressed in her standard issue black shirt and slacks for the bakery. Once the coffee finished she poured herself a big cup that she drank as she browsed her phone, catching up on the goings on after her 7 p.m. bed time. Once it was finished she poured the rest in a thermos, threw on her jacket and got her headphones and made for the transport station. Just another normal day, just like the one before. Claire loved her job but her home life left a lot to be desired, in that it didn't exist. She'd thought about getting roommates before, it certainly would help, but finding someone who could coexist with her sleep cycle had always been a challenge Public transport at 4 on a weekday morning meant it was just her more often than not. Today was no exception. and the ride was uneventful. She was at her stop by 4:30 and the bakery by 4:40. Key in the lock then go to the back to put on her apron, turn on the industrial ovens, and let in the morning deliveries at 4:45. Make small talk with the driver, pretend not to notice him trying to flirt. At 5:01 a tiny ball of energy burst in through the door. Fortunately, it was just the two of them this morning and she wasn't going to rat out Ravio for only a few minutes tardiness. "Hey Rav'!" She shouted, it echoing through the kitchen and out into the cafe, "could you start the front of the house?" There wouldn't be customers for a while but getting some things started early was always the best bet. At 5:15 the deliveries were mercifully done and she made her way out to the lobby to meet up with her coworker. It was different working with a little, there were things that sharing the schedule with him sort of forced her into doing but Ravio was hard working and the personality of the duo. Claire knew they were peers, they'd started out together when the place opened and she knew it was only her height that made her the de facto supervisor on duty. "Yeah, it was fine. Came home and made dinner and then just watched TV all night. How 'bout yourself?" Claire asked, sipping coffee from her thermos.

"I don't know? I didn't think the school was negotiable. Even if it was, who'd want to take a ferry to the mainland every day?" Ellie frowned at the suggestion of being the older sister, "That be too weird. You're my big brother. Besides, you'd probably just take the chance for revenge from all of what I did as a kid. Not to mention I know moms would make me change your diapers and I...nope. Can't get my head past that one." Ellie let her sarcastic tone slide when she realized how sincere Avery was being, "I don't know Avery, like, I'm not certain but I trust you. The last time I trusted you with something so major I ended up coming out to moms so it worked out that time. Besides, what if *you* think it sucks and you're all alone as some teenager stuck looking like a toddler? We're in this together, always have been."

The ride was a good one for podcasts and Jess had a playlist queued up to go. It was long but pretty and only really got stressful when she hit the city and had to wait for the ferry to get herself and the moving truck across. Still, it was a chance to get out, stretch her legs and get to bite to eat on the pier. She took a deep breath in of the sea air and looked out into the Pacific. It occurred to her that going from mom to two teenagers back to mommy for two shrunken kiddos meant times like this to be alone and really just enjoy the peace were probably not going to be a thing for a while. Despite appearances, Jess was as nervous as the kids. She had an optimism Ellie lacked but it didn't make the idea of starting research at some secret lab any less daunting. She'd really gotten used to teaching and even though she'd be doing what she loved even more instead, that change after so many years made her nervous. She knew she did the right thing. Now it was just about meeting the moment, for herself and for the kids. Ellie fished around searching for a movie they could both watch, she was interested in taking him up on the suggestion of something scary since she was unsure if she'd still get to watch scary movies. She'd been a horror buff since she was 11 and it would definitely make her sad if her moms just expected her to watch boring baby cartoons instead. "I never said I wasn't curious," Ellie said, "there's a lot to be curious about. I'm just not excited for it. For real though, if you weren't going to be right there with me, I would have been a hard no to this whole thing."