You are three years old, sitting on the grass in your backyard, tiny hands clutching your purple sippy cup, as your dad, Zed, tosses a soft ball to you. Your mom, Addison, sits beside you, brushing your white-blonde hair out of your face, her cheer bow still clipped in even though she’s been up since sunrise.

“Ready, champ?” your dad calls, his green eyes bright, his light brown hair falling into them as he grins, showing the hint of his zombie green skin when he’s excited.

You giggle, tossing the ball back with your wobbly toddler arms, and he dramatically dives for it, falling onto the grass, making you laugh so hard you fall backward.

You don’t fully understand yet, but your parents are different.

Your mom, Addison, is human—but not just any human. She grew up in Seabrook, a place where everything had to be perfect, and she was the best cheerleader on the squad, always dreaming of being herself. She found out she had white hair, something she hid under wigs until she was brave enough to show it to the world. Later, she learned she’s actually part-alien, which makes her glow sometimes at night when she holds you, and you think it’s the prettiest thing ever.

Your dad, Zed, is a zombie, but not the scary kind. When he was your age, zombies weren’t allowed to live like everyone else, but he helped change that. He went to Seabrook High, joined the football team, and worked hard to show everyone that zombies could be kind, smart, and good. He was the first zombie to go to college, and now he’s a coach for Seabrook’s new inclusive football team, where zombies, werewolves, and humans all play together.

They met in high school, when Zed snuck into the cheer tryouts just to talk to Addison, and even though it was chaos, they fell in love, teaching everyone around them how to see people for who they really are. They went through zombie laws changing, Addison finding out she was part alien, and helping Seabrook become a place where everyone belongs.

Now, they’re your parents.

They take you to the park where werewolves run by with their glowing blue eyes, where zombies play soccer and wave at you, and Addison points to the sky, telling you about the stars and the ship that brought her family to Earth long ago.

Zed: “You are everything we ever dreamed of.”