[name_f]Deandra[/name_f] " [name_f]Andie[/name_f] " [name_f]Sophie[/name_f] [name_m]Travis[/name_m] (62) is [name_f]Kalliope[/name_f] and Austen’s mother, who adopted both of her children as a single parent and has remained unmarried, even if people were convinced for several years that she would settle down with someone. She’s pretty outwardly goofy and easygoing, so she jokes about how [name_f]Hannah[/name_f] actually intimidated her when they first met thanks to how put together they are, but it’s all in jest.
Andie’s made sure to cultivate good relationships with both of her children’s significant others, as she absolutely cannot stand the idea of being one of those hellish in-laws who’s interfering and critiquing everything. Her children are her pride and joy, so only if either one of them was dating someone toxic or harmful would she have intervened.
Being a grandmother is absolutely the greatest new joy in Andie’s life, and she loves whenever she visits [name_m]Austen[/name_m] and [name_f]Chiyuki[/name_f] or babysits if they need some time as just a couple. She retired from her job as a special needs teacher two years ago and while she misses her work to a degree, keeping in touch with some students since leaving, it is nice having more time to just relax and live a little less hectically. And, as [name_f]Andie[/name_f] reminds people, it always tended to be hectic as she isn’t the most organised of people - that’s something becoming a parent didn’t magically teach her!
Although she adopted [name_f]Kalliope[/name_f] and [name_m]Austen[/name_m] in quite quick succession - just a year between them - [name_f]Andie[/name_f] has advised they both take as much time as they need when it feels right to become parents [Kalliope and Hannah] or expand their family [Chiyuki and Austen]. Her choice was because of Kalliope’s circumstances and there was a bit of a steep curve to adjust to going from just one child to two, but [name_f]Andie[/name_f] wouldn’t change her decision for anything in the world.