Respite
"What's respite?" Jude asked his older sister as they stood side by side brushing their teeth before bed.
The question made Callie pause in mid brush. Her dark eyes deepened before meeting her brother's innocent gaze in the mirror. The sibling pair had only been in the Foster's home for the three weeks before summer vacation. Anchor Beach had been the third school in nine months. Jude had handled the disruptions easily. Still, Callie heard more in his question. Lori, an emergency worker, dropped the Jacob's on the porch late late one night. There had been a lot of commotion the evening she and Bill arrived at the Sanchez house. Krista, the girl Callie shared a room with told her on the bus home, "things are going to be different when we get to the house." Krista wore a smirk that told Callie a secret she was supposed to share, but drifted just above the fifth grader's grasp. Bill then Lori cornered Callie in the kitchen asking her uncomfortable questions she had no answer for. She obviously failed whatever test they were giving. So, she and Jude met a tall black woman with crazy hair and a calm voice. The next morning they'd met a cop, a boy, and twins. The past twenty-three days were calm. Calm in the way Callie had been comfortable enough to get into a few shouting matches with the cop, Stef and an epic argument with the black lady, Lena. After she'd calmed down after that, she'd angrily tossed a garbage bag into Jude and Jesus' room telling him to pack because she was sure Bill would be picking them up after school. That was eight days ago, and even though Callie dind't believe it, Lena bought home a brand new bottle of ketchup that evening. Now, Jude's question gave her all the answer. It was a trick. Callie's heart hurt for Jude, he was old enough to understand families weren't forever regardless of what a framed piece of paper in the stairwell read.
Callie spit and wiped her mouth before handing the towel to her brother. Jude's face fell as he processed her answer, "it's when we go stay at some other house so these guys can be a real family for a few days."
Lena stopped when she and Stef heard the exchange between the siblings. Her arms quickly stopped Stef from intervening. They were on their way to their bed after talking to their fourth grade twin, Marianna about attitude. Lena had witnessed the phenomena of sweet little girls becoming sharp tongued preteens between their fourth and fifth grade. She'd been a little more graceful with Marianna's fight over dishes earlier. She quickly guided Stef against the wall, wanting to go unnoticed but not appear Spies.
Stef hadn't been shocked when she woke in the quiet of the morning just a few hours after they'd arrived on her porch. Bill called earlier asking if they could accommodate two children in an unsafe home. Lena had told her to sleep, letting her rest for the early beat. Two dark haired, slight kids were tangled in blankets strung in the living room the next morning. Immediately, Stef had developed a connection as she watched the young girl fighting something or someone as she slept, while the boy was relatively peaceful. The emergency plan had become an open ended placement. Callie stretched the partner's patience but neither felt they or the children were in any physical danger.
Callie silently cursed herself knowing respite was a mask for removal. They were in the middle of their first week of summer vacation. Her protective walls were just beginning to weaken after spending two days with Stef and Lena. She'd been betrayed. To think she thought this was different just because there were two moms instead of a mom and dad. Two weeks ago, Callie had been mortifed when her period began. The first day she'd stuffed toilet paper and hoped with everything things wouldn't show. It was only her second cycle ever. Nothing good ever came of Callie talking about things going on 'down there,' so she'd said nothing to Sef or Lena. That evening, though, she'd found a pad in her school bag with 'under the sink' written in Stef's writing. As embarrassed as she was, Callie was so grateful. Now, what?
Stef and Lena planned the trip to Disneyland in the Fall to celebrate the adoption of the twins. They'd meticulously planned and budgeted for the summer vacation. What was seen as a family bonding surprise, now threatened to break the fragile bond they were building with the Jacobs. Stef quickly recovered from overhearing Callie's description of the respite care Lena had brought up over the monthly evaluation Bill conducted that afternoon. Pulling Lena into a hug, she rested her chin on her partner's shoulder. Even though Callie's definition was completely different from their intention, she knew it'd be a complete cold day in hell before convining the young girl otherwise. Lena leaned into the hug, biting her trembling bottom lip, "surprise," she mumbled into Stef's soft blue tee-shirt.