Elle Baade > Quotes

“All of our planning about perfect names for our perfectly normal family was in vain. There is no normal, no perfection to strive for. Not because it’s too hard but because it does not exist. We are mere mortals, doing our best, no matter how it may look from the street. I now have three daughters, two I named myself and one who named herself after going through hell and back to be heard. After such a quest, how could I do anything except let her choose what to call herself? Today, we are throwing her the biggest seven-year-old birthday party we can muster. It feels like her coming-out party. How lucky I am to be Julia’s mama.”
― Elle Baade, Consequences of Normal

“Then the therapist told us that supporting our trans kid is actually suicide prevention. And not supporting them is the exact opposite.”
― Elle Baade, Consequences of Normal

“If you think our sinful life is so dangerous, you should avoid us altogether. I’m letting you off here.” I hang up and look down at my hand. I’m not even shaking or scared. I’m pissed because, for once in my life, I know I deserve better than what I am getting. After hanging up, I text Libby. I told my mom and sister off because they are hateful assholes. Thanks for showing me I could. I hit send with a heart emoji. Libby texts back: ​​Great job! They don’t deserve your time.​​ I walk away from the whole thing with a smile, which is not something I can ever say about talking to my mom and sister.”
― Elle Baade, Consequences of Normal

“The Wellington house on Maple Street stands as one of Atwood’s most historied homes. Built in 1906 by John and Margaret Hansen, the home was considered one of the grandest in town. The Hansens, owners of the local sawmill and numerous other small businesses, were well known for their extravagant parties, always attended by the most influential members of Atwood society. Though the Hansens had four children, only Virginia survived past childhood, and she inherited the stately home after the sudden death of her parents in an automobile accident in the late 1930s. In 1936, at the age of eighteen, Virginia married Thomas Wellington, a businessman whose fortune was rumored to have been made in oil fields somewhere out West. Thomas and Virginia had two children, Mary and Thomas Jr. Virginia kept her parents’ legacy going by hosting grand parties and social gatherings. Virginia’s reputation was shadowed by the mysterious death of Thomas Wellington in 1946, which occurred during one of their parties. The Wellington children left Atwood upon reaching adulthood, and Virginia remained in the home she was born in until her death in 2010. Though remembered for her affluence, style, and reclusive nature, rumors of her misfortune and unanswered questions surrounding her husband’s untimely demise still linger in local memory, ensuring the Wellington house on Maple holds its air of mystery within Atwood’s community.”
― Elle Baade, Consequences of Normal