Stef wrapped her arms around her knees as she sat in the cool grass. Zipping up her Padres sweatshirt and pulling her baseball cap, the one she hadn't worn in over 11 years on her head. She stopped wearing it when she got together with Lena. When their relationship fell apart.
"We need gear, Stefanie," Frank said as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, "A sweatshirt just isn't enough," he laughed. Stef was 17 and Frank was in town, in was the last game of the season. He stared as his daughter's short blond hair before picking up a dark blue baseball cap, snuggling in on her head. "Perfect!" he said as he picked another one up for himself.
"Thank you, Dad," Stef smiled as she pulled her hair back so it was behind her shoulders, "I've missed you," Stef said as they made their way to a concession stand, picking up food before heading to their seat.
"I know you tried to accept me, I just wish you could have been better at it," she whispered as tears filled her eyes, "I wish you could have accepted all my kids the way you did Brandon."
"My daughter is in labor!" Stef heard her dad's frantic shout from somewhere in the hallway as she beared down as a contraction made her body tense. "Stefanie," Stef breathed as she looked up.
"Dad," she managed, squeezing his hand tightly through the pain as she felt him come beside her.
"You're doing great, Honey," he said as he patted her hand between the two of her's. "I'll be waiting right outside." Stef nodded.
Stef struggled to keep her eyes opened as she watched the man she always saw as tough as nails melt at the baby in his arms, stroking a finger down his cheek, "I'm your grandpa, and I'm going to take you to baseball games and teach you how to fish and all the things that are important. You look just like your Momma did, except that dark hair you got." Stef smiled at the two of them, "Sleep, Honey, I got him," Frank said as he looked up at his daughter was loosing the fight with sleep quickly.
"Though you were never right out mean to Lena, no matter how much you didn't like that we were together, thank you."
"Can you get that, Love?" Stef yelled from the bathroom. She wasn't sure who would be knocking.
"Umm, hi, Lena. Is Stef here, I was dropping off B, I got called into work." Stef's heart thudded as she quickly washed her hands and went to the front door.
"You just be Frank," Lena smiled as Brandon ran into the house.
"Hey, Dad," Stef said quickly, trying to stop anything from happening.
"Hello Stefanie. Lena, Brandon obviously really likes you. He was telling me about you guys going to the music store and buying his guitar."
"Yes, I'm really proud of him, he saved up all the money himself," Lena smiled. There was an awkward silence as no one really knew what to say.
"Well, I should get going to work. Have a good evening you guys."
"You too, Frank."
"The kids and Lena are with Suart, and B is with Mike, but I just couldn't go, Dad," Stef whispered as she pushed away tears and tried to control her emotions, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry we fought before you died. I'm sorry I inherited your stubbornness which made me not take the car. I wish you could meet your newest granddaughter. She's 2 weeks old. Her name is Jennifer Rebecca Adams Foster. She is going to have curls. She already does, the little starts of them. The car is really a life saver, Daddy. Thank you."
Stef looked down at a picture she had in her purse, a picture of her dad holding her for the first time. It made her think of the first time she held Jenny. After she had been breastfed and Lena was sleeping beside them.
"I understand, Daddy. You loved me. You loved me but didn't know how to give up your god for me, or what you were raised to believe." Stef slowly ran her fingers across the carving in the marble 'Francis Collins Lebold December 23rd 1948- Febuary 13th 2014, Loving father and grandfather.'
"Hey Babe."
Stef looked up to see Lena sitting down next to her with Jenny in her arms. Lena laid out a swaddling blanket and set their sleeping daughter on it before wrapping her arms around Stef and pulling Stef to her. Stef let herself sink into Lena's body as she swallowed hard to try and keep her emotions in check.
"I thought you were spending the day with your dad," Stef said as she turned. Lena smiled, grabbing Sef as they laid down next to their daughter and Lena rolled on her side, pulling Stef so she was snuggled against her chest.
"It's 7, Baby, we went out 6 hours ago. You weren't home and after 2 and a half hours I figured I knew where you'd gone, the kids are keeping dad entertained."
"I'm sorry," Stef said as she started to cry softly in the safety of her wife's arms.
"You have nothing to be sorry about," Lena assured her as they lay in the silence. Twenty minutes later Stef wiped her eyes, having gone between crying and staying silent. "Happy Father's day, Dad." she whispered as she felt Lena running her fingers through her hair. "Let's go home," Stef said softly as Lena kissed her lips.
Standing up Stef picked up Jenny and snugled her against her chest, smiling as Jenny opened her eyes and looked around, grasping onto Stef's shirt as their walking lulled her to sleep again, "You shouldn't have brought her out when it was her nap time," Stef said as she put the baby in her car seat.
"She napped in the grass, plus she always sleeps better around her mommy, on her mommy if you let her get away with it," Lena teased. Stef shrugged, what could she say? She loved laying on the couch or bed with her daughter sleeping on her chest.
When they got him Len got Jenny out as Stef locked the car. In the living room Stuart and the kids were watching a movie, "I'm going to go feed her," Lena said as Jenny started to fuss.
"Come watch with us," Stuart said to Stef as she stood against the wall, watching her five oldest kids. Stuart patted the spot beside him as she raised her eyebrow at the small space between him and the arm of the couch, Jude sitting on his other side, "There's enough room," he smiled.
Stef laughed but sat next to him, for once not feeling overwhelmed at sitting in a small space. She was surprised to find Stuart wrapping his arm around her shoulder, and more to her easily leaning into his side for a moment, "Happy father's day," she said with a small smile.
"I am so proud of you, and I know Frank would be too."