The sun was so bright it made the classroom windows sparkle, and the sll of crayons and paper still clung to the air even though the bell had already rung. Maya sat at her desk swinging her legs under the chair, looking down at the paper her teacher had given her. Big boxes, all stacked in rows like steps. The words written on the boxes made her sound them out slowly in her head—"fa-mi-ly tree."
Mrs. Yeo had explained it with her hands moving a lot, like branches growing up and out. "You start with yourself here," she said, pointing to the bottom box, "then put your parents above you, and your grandparents above them." She’d smiled and added, "You can even decorate it if you want. Draw leaves, or flowers, or pictures of your family."
That part sounded fun. Maya already knew she would use her green glitter pen for the leaves. But now, looking at the paper, she frowned. The box for "Mother" was easy, she could write "Katherine" there. But the one next to it... "Father." She chewed on the end of her pencil.
She knew lots of kids wrote their dad’s na there without even thinking. Her friend Janelle had already filled hers in before Mrs. Yeo even finished explaining. But Maya didn’t know what to write.
The bell rang loud and sharp, snapping her out of her thoughts. Everyone’s chairs scraped against the floor as they hurried to pack their bags. Maya slid her paper into the front pocket of her backpack and zipped it up.
When she stepped into the hallway, the noise from other classrooms spilled into the corridor. Shouts, laughter, the thump of feet running. And there was Nathan, leaning against the wall outside her class, one strap of his backpack hanging loose and his sneaker scuffing little lines into the dirt by the drain.
"Hi," she said, grinning at him.
"Hi," he answered, his hair sticking up a little from where he’d been running earlier. "What took you so long?"
"Teacher talked about our new project," Maya said, adjusting her backpack straps as they started walking.
"What project?"
"Family tree," she said, opening her arms wide to show how big it was. "We have to draw all the people in our family and put their nas in boxes."
Nathan’s eyes widened. "Us too. Mr. Andrews gave us the sa thing."
They walked side by side, their shadows stretching long and thin in the afternoon sun.
"Are you gonna put Uncle Felix in the dad box?" Nathan asked after a mont.
Maya slowed her steps, her mouth twisting. "I don’t know. Mommy never said Unle Felix is our dad."
"But he’s always there," Nathan pointed out, kicking a pebble so hard it bounced off the wall. "He takes us places. He brings snacks. He even ca to celebrate our birthday and stuff."
"Yeah, but..." Maya’s brow furrowed. "That doesn’t an he’s our real dad."
They reached the covered walkway near the gate, where the chatter of students waiting for their parents made the air hum. Before they could keep talking, a familiar voice called from down the hall.
"Hey! Wait up!"
Julio ca jogging toward them, his ssy hair bouncing with each step, his backpack half unzipped so the corner of a math workbook stuck out. He was grinning, like he’d just thought of sothing exciting.
"You didn’t tell ," Julio said when he reached them, a little out of breath. "Did you ask your mom about... y’know."
Maya and Nathan exchanged a glance. "About what?" Nathan asked cautiously.
Julio leaned closer, lowering his voice like it was a big secret. "If she ever married Uncle Leonard. You know, after we found that picture the other day."
Maya shook her head quickly. "No. We didn’t ask."
"Why not?" Julio tilted his head. "Don’t you wanna know?"
"I dunno..." Nathan mumbled, looking away.
They wandered over to one of the benches under the shade of a big tree near the gate. The three of them climbed onto it, their feet dangling far from the ground. Maya swung hers back and forth, the tips of her sneakers brushing the bark of the tree trunk.
Julio rested his elbows on his knees, thinking. "Maybe they used to be together," he said slowly, "but then they broke up before you were born. That’s why nobody talks about it."
Maya’s eyes went wide. "Like in the cartoons?"
"Yeah! Like... maybe Uncle Leonard went away for a long ti, and your mom t soone else. Then later he ca back." Julio grinned like it was the most interesting story ever.
Nathan laughed. "That’s silly."
"Well," Julio shrugged, "sotis silly things are true."
Maya giggled too, but there was a tiny, prickly feeling in her chest now. She thought about the blank box on her family tree paper. She thought about the way her mother never really talked about before they were born.
Julio glanced toward the gate, where a group of parents had started gathering. "Anyway," he said, hopping off the bench, "you should ask her. Then you can put the right na on your tree."
They waved as Julio ran off to et his mom.
Maya and Nathan stayed sitting for a bit longer. The breeze slled faintly of the fried noodles soone was selling at the canteen.
"What if we can’t put any na there?" Nathan said quietly.
Maya swung her legs slower. "You have to put sothing."
They looked at each other.
"So who?" Nathan asked.
Maya hesitated, her voice almost a whisper. "If not Uncle Felix... then who?"
She bit her lip. You couldn’t just write I don’t know in there. That wasn’t how family trees worked. Everyone else in class would have nas, full nas.
If she left it blank, the teacher might ask questions. Or worse, her classmates might. She could already imagine the puzzled stares, the whispering. She’d seen how kids talked about other kids whose families were "different."
The question seed to hang between them, heavy and strange, as they slid off the bench and started walking toward the gate, their steps slower than before.
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