Chapter Forty-Nine: The Science Fair
The science fair was announced in a letter that came home in Leo's backpack.
Dear Parents,
The first grade will be hosting its annual science fair on Friday, March 24th. Each student will be required to complete a project and present it to the class. Projects can be done individually or in groups.
Please help your child choose a topic and gather materials. The goal is to encourage curiosity and creativity, not to create stress.
Lina read the letter three times.
"Leo, what do you want to do for the science fair?" she asked.
Leo looked up from his book. "I already have an idea."
"What is it?"
"Black holes."
Lina blinked. "Black holes?"
"They're the most interesting thing in the universe. I'm going to build a model and explain how they work."
Lina looked at Ethan. Ethan looked at Lina.
"That sounds... ambitious," Lina said.
Leo shrugged. "It's not ambitious. It's just science."
---
Lily, meanwhile, had no idea what she wanted to do.
"I could do something with glitter," she said.
"Glitter isn't science," Leo said.
"Glitter is everything."
Leo sighed. "Glitter is not a science fair project."
"Then what is?"
Leo thought about it. "You could do something with plants. Or animals. Or the weather."
Lily considered this. "I could do something with Snowball."
"Snowball is a stuffed animal."
"Snowball is whatever she wants to be."
Leo sighed again.
Lina intervened. "How about we all think about it for a few days? No pressure. Just ideas."
Lily nodded. Leo nodded.
The science fair brainstorming began.
---
Leo settled on black holes.
He spent weeks building a model out of cardboard and paint and a small flashlight to represent the accretion disk. He wrote a report that was three pages long, single-spaced, with citations.
Lina helped him with the glue gun.
Ethan helped him with the wiring.
The twins helped him by staying out of the way.
"It's beautiful," Lina said, looking at the finished model.
"It's accurate," Leo corrected.
"That too."
Leo nodded, satisfied.
---
Lily settled on something simpler.
She decided to test whether plants grew faster when you talked to them. She planted three seeds in three pots. She talked to one. She played music for another. She ignored the third.
"Ignoring is not a variable," Leo said.
"Yes, it is. It's the control."
Leo looked impressed. "Where did you learn that?"
Lily shrugged. "I listen sometimes."
Leo smiled.
Lily smiled back.
---
The week of the science fair arrived cold and clear.
Lina and Ethan sat in the back of the gymnasium, surrounded by parents and grandparents and the particular chaos of a hundred children showing off their projects.
Leo's project was in the front row.
The model was impressive—a black sphere with a ring of light around it, surrounded by stars painted on black paper. Leo stood beside it, his report in his hand, his expression serious.
Lily's project was in the back.
Three pots. Three plants. The one she had talked to was the tallest. The one she had ignored was the smallest. She had made a poster with pictures and arrows and the words "TALK TO YOUR PLANTS" in glitter.
"I told you glitter was important," Lily said to Leo.
Leo looked at her poster. "It's actually very scientific."
Lily beamed.
---
The judges came around at noon.
They asked Leo questions about black holes. He answered them all, confidently and correctly. They asked Lily questions about her experiment. She answered them with enthusiasm and flair.
Lina watched from the back of the gymnasium, her heart full.
"They're doing well," Ethan said.
"They're doing wonderfully."
Ethan took her hand. "They get it from you."
"Get what?"
"The curiosity. The creativity. The willingness to try."
Lina leaned into him.
"They get it from you too," she said.
"Maybe. Or maybe they get it from themselves."
Lina thought about that.
She thought about Leo, building a model of a black hole. Lily, talking to her plants. Both of them curious. Both of them creative. Both of them exactly who they were supposed to be.
"I can't wait to see who they become," Lina said.
Ethan kissed her forehead.
"Neither can I," he said.
---
The winners were announced at three o'clock.
Leo won first place for his project on black holes.
Lily won honorable mention for her project on talking to plants.
The twins hugged each other.
"We both won," Lily said.
"We both won," Leo agreed.
They stood in the gymnasium, holding their awards, their faces flushed with pride.
Lina cried.
Happy tears.
---
That Night
The celebration was at the penthouse.
Pizza and cake and ice cream and the particular chaos of a family that had something to celebrate. Leo told the story of his project again and again, adding new details each time. Lily talked about her plants, about the power of kindness, about the importance of glitter.
Victoria found Lina in the kitchen.
"They're amazing," Victoria said.
"They're something."
Victoria smiled. "They're yours."
Lina looked at her children—Lily, holding court in the living room; Leo, explaining black holes to Victor.
"Yes," she said. "They are."
---
Later, after the guests had gone home and the twins were asleep, Lina sat on the couch with Ethan.
"How do you feel?" he asked.
"Full," Lina said. "Not from the food. From... everything. From watching them. From seeing them shine."
Ethan put his arm around her. "They get it from you."
"Get what?"
"The shining. The confidence. The ability to stand in front of a room full of people and not be afraid."
Lina leaned into him. "They get it from you too."
"Maybe. Or maybe they get it from themselves. Maybe they're just who they're supposed to be."
Lina thought about that.
She thought about Leo, the scientist. Lily, the communicator. Both of them perfect, just as they were.
"I can't wait to see who they become," Lina said.
Ethan kissed her forehead.
"Neither can I," he said.
---
The Next Morning
Lina found Leo in his room, sitting on his bed, holding his award.
"Are you okay, baby?" she asked.
Leo nodded. "I was thinking about the science fair."
"What about it?"
"About winning. About being the best."
Lina sat beside him. "And?"
Leo was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "I think I'm okay with it. Being the best. But only because I worked hard. Not because I'm better than anyone else."
Lina pulled him into her arms.
"That's very wise," she said. "For a first-grader."
Leo shrugged. "I read a lot."
Lina laughed.
She held her son, her scientist, and felt grateful for every part of him.
Not the parts that won awards. Not the parts that stood out.
All of him.
---
End of Chapter Forty-Nine