Family Part 18

The kids were getting ready for their first day of school.  Oscar was starting year one and Eve and Freddie were beginning secondary school.  It was a rather exciting day for everyone.  Aziraphale actually ended up having to head into London to handle some kind of emergency at the bookshop so Crowley was making sure that the kids were getting ready to go. 

Oscar had managed to dress himself in a way that could only be described as color blind hobo.  Nothing matched and he'd even mixed patterns in an unflattering way.  The fashionista in Crowley wanted to correct him but he was so happy about what he was wearing and so proud of himself for getting himself dressed that she let him be.  She had no intention of squashing his positive feelings because of something as ridiculous as fashion.  

Freddie had spent far too long in the bathroom getting himself ready.  He wanted to look his best for the school day.  He'd made sure that his hair was perfect and that he was wearing his best clothes without looking like some stuck up teacher's pet.  A nice green dress shirt with some black jeans and a pair of boots did the trick.  At least that's what he thought.  

"You look very handsome dear."  Crowley said as she kissed his forehead.  Freddie made a face.  

"Mom, come on.  I'm too old for that now."  He rubbed at his forehead.  

"Even when you're fifty you're not going to be too old for me to kiss your forehead."  Crowley chuckled and patted his shoulder before going to check on Eve.  She was standing in front of her closet just staring at her clothes as if it were empty and she literally had nothing to wear.  

"What's wrong, darling?"  Crowley asked as she walked up behind her daughter.  

"I don't like any of it."  Eve sighed as she started to move clothes around.  The sound of the hangers sliding always made Crowley cringe a bit.  

"You know I can change anything if you don't like the way it looks...."  Crowley tilted her head as she watched Eve.  

"I know, Mom.  I appreciate it."  She sighed.  "I'll figure something out."  She shrugged.  

"Alright.  Just let me know if you need anything."  Crowley patted Eve's shoulder before heading downstairs.  It was about half an hour later when Eve finally came downstairs in a t-shirt and some jeans with a sweater over it.  She seemed a little down as they made their way to school but Crowley didn't want to push.  

It seemed to be the same routine day after day.  Freddie and Oscar would be ready to go and Eve would still be trying to decide what to wear.  She never took up Crowley on her offer to miracle anything different.  She didn't like anything that she had to wear but she didn't want to be a bother to her parents.  After the end of the first quarter, Crowley received a phone call from Eve's teacher.  When the phone call was done, she went up to Eve's room and knocked on the door.  

"It's open."  Eve said as she closed the book she was reading.  Crowley opened the door and poked her head in.  

"Can we talk?"  Crowley asked.  

"Sure."  Eve nodded as she sat up on her bed.  

"So, I just got off the phone with your teacher."  Crowley said as she made her way over to sit next to Eve.  

"Oh?"  Eve tried not to look nervous.  

"Your grades are good, but she says she's a bit worried about you.  That you seem a bit down."  Crowley moved some of Eve's hair behind her ear.  Eve looked down and picked at her nails.  

"Maybe."  Eve said with a shrug.  

"What is it, darling?"  Crowley sighed a little.  

"I'm afraid you'll be mad at me."  Eve gave Crowley a little side glance before looking at her nails again as she picked at them.  

"Unless you've murdered someone, I highly doubt I'll be mad at you."  Crowley chuckled softly.  "And even then it'd depend on who you murdered."  That did manage to get a little smile out of Eve.  

"It just doesn't feel right."  Eve said with another shrug.  

"What doesn't, darling?"  Crowley asked.  

"Anything."  Eve looked up at her mother.  There was almost desperation in her eyes.  "My clothes, my things....even my name.  It doesn't feel right."  

"Oh my darling child."  Crowley smiled a little and took Eve's hand in hers.  "I need to tell you a little story, okay?  I promise this has a point to it."  

"Okay."  Eve nodded.  

"So, a very very long time ago, I used to be an angel like your father.  I had an angelic name and everything.  I honestly don't remember what it was because it was pretty much eons ago."  Crowley shook her head.  "When I fell and became a demon, I picked a new name.  Crawly."  

"Crawly?"  Eve wrinkled her nose.  

"I know.  Not the best name."  Crowley laughed softly.  "But I was a serpent, after all.  Crawly did fit, in a way."  She smiled.  "But after a few thousand years, I decided that Crawly didn't feel right.  It wasn't my true name.  So I changed it to Crowley."  

"Did you know daddy back then?"  Eve asked.  

"I knew your father back when I was Crawly.  It actually took him quite a long time to remember that I changed my name.  Seven hundred years if I remember correctly."  Crowley smiled a little.  

"That must have been your true name because you still use it."  Eve nodded.  

"That I do.  But things change.  After a while, I met my friend Leonardo and he started to call me Antonio because he hated the name Crowley."  Crowley chuckled a little.  

"Not Antonia?"  Eve tilted her head.  

"Nope."  Crowley shook her head.  "For a very large majority of my existence I presented as a man.  I had times when I presented as a woman but most of the time I looked like a man.  It was easier to get things done."  She shrugged.  

"So you used to be a man and your friend Leonardo called you Antonio."  Eve said rather than asked.  

"Exactly."  Crowley nodded.  "And then I became Anthony because Antonio is not a name that a pale skinned, ginger haired man would use in England."  She laughed again.  

"And what did Daddy think about it?"  Even tilted her head.  

"He didn't like it at first.  Still insists on calling me Crowley. "  Crowley smiled.  "And I was Anthony J Crowley up until the day your father and I decided we wanted to have children."  

"What's the J stand for?"  Eve asked with a raised eyebrow.  

"It's just a J."  Crowley shrugged.  "When your father and I decided to bring you and your brothers into the world, I became Anna Crowley.  And I have been your mother ever since."   

"You said your story has a point?" Eve had a good idea she knew what the point was.  

"My point is, darling, that your name is just a name.  It was something that we could call you until you were old enough to decide what you wanted to be called.  And who you are as a person can only be decided by you.  Right here."  She pointed to Eve's heart.  "If you want to change anything about yourself, your father and I are both going to be completely supportive."  

"But you said that Freddie and Oscar and I are named after very important people to you and daddy."  Eve moved some hair behind her ear.  

"That doesn't obligate you to keep your name, my darling."  Crowley gave her a quick side hug.  "If Eve is not who you truly are, then you shouldn't stay her.  You should be your true self."  

"Okay."  Eve nodded.  "Can we maybe go clothes shopping?  I need.....less pink."  Eve wrinkled her nose.  

"Absolutely.  And until then...."  Crowley snapped her fingers and all of the pink was removed from Eve's wardrobe.  

"Thanks, mom."  Eve smiled and gave Crowley a hug.  

"And what shall I call you from now on, my child?  Or shall I just call you my child?"  Crowley said with a bit of a smirk.  

"I really like the name Evan."  Eve looked up at Crowley.  

"Evan is a beautiful name."  Crowley nodded.  "Just don't be surprised if it takes your father a few hundred years to remember to use it."  She chuckled.  

"I won't."  Evan laughed softly.  She was already starting to feel a bit better.