Choosing Hope

As Maura and Jane exited Amelia’s room and was safely out of earshot of the little girl, Jane
finally let out the laughter she had been desperately holding back. Maura looked at her wife and
shook her head. “Pull it together Jane. You’re supposed to be the stricter one of the two of us.
Look at you.”
That didn’t stop Jane’s continued laughter. When she finally got a hold of herself she tried to
speak. “She, she, how rude!” Jane fell into a fit of laughter all over again. When she finally
regained her composure for good she held up her hand to her wife and apologized. “Sorry Maur.
I just can’t believe she did that. That’s all. I couldn’t help myself. It was cute.”
“It won’t be cute when she’s 16”, Maura said as she shook her head.
“Yeah, yeah. You’re right. I’m sorry,” Jane said. She put an arm around her wife and bent down
to kiss her. “Come on. Let’s go back down until she’s eligible for bail.”
Back downstairs, Cailin had found the twins who were doing some pouting of their own.
“We thought you weren’t going to come,” Abby said as she stuck her lip out. “Where is Jess?”
Maddy looks as if she is about to cry at her sister's absence.
“I’m sorry girls. Jess is coming. She was still working but she told me to tell you she would be
here soon. I had to work a little late also but,” she grins at the girls as she pulls out her bag and
reaches into it. “How about a peace offering?” She holds up a huge bag of oreos and a jar of Jiffy
peanut butter.
“Yay! Both girls let out a squeal of delight. Their favorite thing in the world is oreos with a
dollop of peanut butter on top. Cailin had been the one to get the girls hooked on this less than
healthy treat, much to her sister's annoyance.
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