"Mama what time is mom going to be home?" Callie asked walking into the kitchen watching Lena cut the vegetables for dinner.
"I'm not sure honey, why don't you do me a favor and call her for me." Lena said smiling at her oldest daughter while she ran the knife through the onion.
"It's fine I'll just wait till she gets home. " Callie said walking out the back door.
Tears started falling and she couldn't stop them the sudden weight of everything came crashing down on her.
"Goodbye mama." Callie whispered to herself before sneaking out the side gate making a right. She wasn't sure where she was going but she knew she had to go fast.
Quickly Callie ran down the street trying to dodge each car in hopes it wouldn't be Lena looking for her.
"Mama where is Callie?" Mariana asked approaching the kitchen.
Lena thought for a second before pointing her knife to the back door. "She went outback."
"Thanks mama." Mariana said with a smile heading out the back door stopping in her tracks when she saw th back gate open.
"MAMA!" Mariana yelled in a panic running back into the house.
"What's -" Lena started before being interupted.
"Callie's gone." Mariana said as her siblings all approached from downstairs.
Lena quickly set the knife down and pulled out her phone.
*ring ring ring*
"Hey my l..." Stef greeted before being cut off.
"Callie is gone." Lena said in a panic
"What do you mean she's gone?" Stef asked quickly jumping into her car speeding down the street.
"She snuck out the back gate." Lena said scrambling to find her key's.
"I'll go check all her favorite places." Stef said.
"I'll have Brandon check the streets." Lena said giving Brandon a pleading look.
"Almost there." Callie breathed heavily walking into the police station.
Callie quickly walked into the large building where she was greeted by a tall younger gentleman named Jessie.
"I'm looking for Stef Adam's Foster." Callie managed to breath out the running catching up to her as she began to regret not bringing her inhalor.
"She left for the day but I can give her a call." The man said politely touching Callie's shoulder causing her to flinch. "What's the number?"
Callie took a deep breath before handing the man her cell phone with the number pulled up. "In- ha-lor" She spit out between breaths.
Jessie quickly called Stef's number from his desk phone.
*ring*
"Captain Roberts?" Stef answered
"Actually no this is Officer Jessie, I have your daughter Callie Adams- Foster here." He said waiting for a response.
Stef could feel her blood began to boil what had her daughter done to be brought into the station.
"What did she do?" Stef asked half infuriated with the girl.
"She actually showed up here looking for you, and she's having a hard time breathing she needs an inhalor." He said explaining the situation.
Stef let out a breath of relief. "I am on my way. In my desk drawer I have an inhalor, give that to her I'll be there in like 10 minutes."
"Yes officer." He greeted before ending the call and retrieving the inhalor from the desk drawer giving it to Callie.
"Lena the station called Callie is there I guess she showed up looking for me. I wasn't there when you called I was at the gas station on my way home." Stef explained driving as quickly as she could to the station.
"Why was she going to your work looking for you?" Lena questioned
"I don't know love but I'll find out." Stef said stopping at the stop sign. "Listen babe I gotta go. I will talk to you later. I love you."
"I love you too." Lena said hanging up the phone.
"Callie!" Stef practically yelled walking into the station.
"Mommy." Callie said letting some tears fall as she ran into her mothers arms. She may be 16 but her mom is all she needed in that moment.
"Callie baby let's go home." Stef said hugging her.
Stef quickly thanked Jessie and walked to her car with Callie holding her hand.
After both women were in the car and buckled Stef spoke.
"Callie what were you doing?" Stef asked looking at Callie
"I was looking for you." She responded.
"Why didn't you call me?" Stef asked this question causing Callie to remain quiet.
"Callie answer me." Stef tried again.
Callie swallowed the lump in her throat before speaking as Stef began to drive home. "Because I needed you not a phone call."
Stef felt her heart break at the words. "Baby did you talk to mama?"
"no" Callie said quietly.
"What's going on love?" Stef asked pulling into the driveway.
"It's just that.. you said if one of us kids ever felt like hurting ourselves to tell you or mama..." She said letting a tear fall. "It's not exactly a phone conversation."
"Cal lets get out of the car and we will go sit on the swing and talk." Stef said undoing her seatbelt.
Callie nodded undoing her seatbelt before making her way to the swing walking along her mothers side.
"Take a seat baby" Stef said patting the spot next to her.
Callie took the empty spot on the swing wrapping her arms around Stef cuddling into her. "Momma I'm sorry."
Stef gently placed a kiss to Callie's forehead. "My love why do you want to hurt yourself?"
Callie took a deep breath as Stef gave her a light squeeze. "I don't know."
"Does mama know?" Stef asked recieving a head shake from Callie.
Stef nodded for a moment as she sat there holding Callie, she knew there was more questions she needed to ask but didn't want it to feel like she was pressuring Callie.
"Love why don't we go inside, we can talk more in a little bit." Stef said lightly nudging Callie to get up.
Both ladies made their way inside where they were greeted by Lena.
"What happened?" Lena question wrapping Callie into a hug.
"Explain later" Stef mouthed before walking further into the house.
"Well you two are just in time for dinner I was getting ready to call everyone down to eat, Callie why don't you go tell everyone to come down for dinner." Lena said hoping to get a moment alone with Stef.
"Dinner!" Callie screamed from downstairs.
"Callie!" Lena said sternly half annoyed. "I meant walk up and get them."
"Sorry." Callie said in a meaningless tone.
As each kid made their way down the stairs they each greeted Callie and question where she had went.
Dinner was quiet for Callie everyone else talked about there day and what they were doing over the weekend while Callie shuffled her food across her plate trying to make it look like she was eating. Unfortunately Stef knew her to well as she had seen Callie use this strategy all to often.
"Love you need to eat." Stef said squeezing Callie's free hand under the table while her left hand continued to hold her fork.
"I'm not hungry." Callie said placing her fork on the table.
"Callie you need to eat." Lena said as the other children all excused themselves from the table.
Callie ignored the comment before looking over to Stef. "Mom I need to talk to you."
Stef nodded before placing her plate in the sink. "Let's go love. We can talk outside."
Calllie nodded pushing her plate away and standing up making her way outside taking a seat on the porch swing.
Stef walked outside taking a seat beside Callie. "What's going on love?"
"I want to hurt myself." Callie said as she anxiously picked at her nails.
"Can you tell me why baby?' Stef asked grabbing Callie's hands in hers.
"I want to feel nothing." Callie said as she legs began to shake from her nerves.
"Now baby can you tell me how you want to hurt yourself?" Stef said
"I want to cut myself or burn myself or even just end everything." Callie said.
Stef sighed her heart broke for her daughter and she wasn't entirely sure how she was going to handle this situation. "Ok love I need you to listen. None of those things is the answer. I need you to know how loved you are and know that mama and I are going to help you."
Callie nodded her head as a few tears silently fell.
"Cal babe, how to you feel right now?" Stef asked.
"Scared." Callie mumbled.
"Are you scared of how you are feeling?" Stef questioned.
Callie nodded letting out a small yawn.
Stef and Callie sat there for about an hour just cuddling on the porch swing. Callie hadn't realized how much she really did need her mom in that moment.