Callie woke up to the sound of Mariana gasping, ever the light sleeper Callie rolled over in her bed squinting across the room as her eyes fought to close again.
"What?" Callie mumbled seeing Mariana's phone screen lighting up her shocked face in the dark room.
"Lexie just texted me. Trump won" Mariana whispered as if she didn't believe it.
"What? She's joking" Callie said more awake now as she sat up in her own bed.
"It's online too, this must be a joke right?" Mariana asked.
"Come on, let's go check the TV" Callie muttered knowing she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep until she knew what was going on. She slipped out of her bed throwing a sweater on over her t-shirt grabbing Mariana's hand and pulling her into the hallway.
"Where's moms?" Mariana asked looking into the women's empty bedroom.
"Downstairs" Callie muttered standing on the top step hearing the quiet murmur of the tv.
"What's going on?" Brandon asked appearing in his doorway.
"Who won the election?" Mariana asked quickly going up to him.
"I don't know, is that why your up?" Brandon asked clearly still half asleep.
"Lexie just texted me, is it true?" Jesus asked stepping out into the hallway with Jude close behind him.
"It can't be" Callie shook her head.
"That's not what Facebook is saying" Mariana said still scrolling through her phone.
"Maybe it's one big collective internet joke everyone keeps reposting" Brandon shrugged. as they all pulled out their phones. Suddenly Lena appeared at the landing of the stairs.
"Oh, your all up, we thought we heard you" Lena sighed. Callie could tell from the look on her face this was no joke.
"So it's true?" Mariana asked clearly seeing it as well.
"Yeah, Mom and I were going to talk to you in the morning but since your all up, come downstairs" Lena said gently. There was the trample of 10 running feet as they all seemed to crash into the living room at once and Stef looked up from the couch greeting them with a weak smile.
"How did this happen!" Jesus asked angrily.
"Come sit" Stef waved them into the living room. Callie and Jesus sat in the big chairs. Mariana and Jude sat on either side of Lena on the couch while Brandon perched on the arm rest. Stef stood up as the room was silent. On the muted TV Trump was making a speech and people were cheering. Lena quickly turned it off.
"What's going to happen?" Jude asked. Callie chewed her lip nervously. before this the politics of it all had been idle threats, now it was suddenly looking very real.
"This whole family is screwed that's what's going to happen. We all fit into at least one of those stereotypes, latino, black, female, gay" Jesus counted them off on his fingers as Mariana watched him nervously.
"Jesus please" Stef said gently trying to calm him down.
"He's not wrong" Callie muttered avoiding the eyes of everyone else in the room.
"Maybe it won't be so bad" Brandon offered trying to lighten the mood.
"Yeah says the straight white male in the room" Jesus snapped.
"What the hell Jesus what you think I voted for him?" Brandon cried.
"Who know's I mean it would give you all the power wouldn't it" Jesus cried standing up looming over Brandon.
"Hey, hey" Lena said gently her voice almost pleading.
"Jesus sit down" Stef sighed. Jesus looked around at the silent room and gave up the fight slumping back into the chair.
"Listen to me, we are all going to be fine." Stef said looking around the room.
"What if they take away you and Momma's marriage, what if we can't be a family anymore?" Mariana asked.
"We are always going to be a family, Hey look at me. Momma and I were together for a long time before we were married on some piece of paper and we will be together even without that paper. We are always going to be a family and no one is going to tell us otherwise." Stef said firmly looking at all the kids watching her.
"In the coming weeks and months we may have to discuss some changes we will have to make as a family to ensure our safety when out in public, but when we are here, when we are home. Nothing changes" Lena said gently running her fingers through Mariana's hair.
"If you guys aren't married, can they take away our adoption?" Callie asked looking up at Stef.
"Can Anna's parents be sent back to Mexico? What about Jesus and I?" Mariana asked.
"I don't know baby. I don't know how this will effect things like adoption but if it comes to that Momma and I will figure something out even if one of us have to adopt some of you as single parents on paper we will take care of it" Stef nodded.
"And you and Jesus are not illegal, you were both born here you will not be deported" Lena added.
"OK listen to me. These are a lot of questions I wish we had the answers too, but we don't. Momma and I don't know what is going to happen to the world around us. But we are a family no matter what. We don't need papers or even the damn president of the United States to tell us what we are or are not." Stef said.
"That's right. No matter how much the world outside that door changes, in this house nothing ever will. This is going to be our safe place away from everything else around us" Lena nodded.
"Promise?" Jude asked his voice almost a whisper.
"Yes sweetie we promise" Lena nodded blinking back tears as she grabbed Jude's hand. Jude nodded accepting her answer.
"What can we do?" Brandon asked.
"We can be together, we can make sure that we support each other, not just this family but everyone we meet. We can be accepting and loving people. You boys it's going to be very important you stand up for women, treat them with respect no matter what other people say or do. We need to be a voice for all the people who can't have their own. You were all raised to be good, judgement free people, I want you to continue with that. It's very important we recognize and embrace differences. That's what makes a country like this so great and we need to continue that." Stef said firmly as everyone nodded.
"I think we should all head up to bed, you all have to be up for school in a few hours" Lena said gently. but for a minute nobody moved, the room was silent.
"Ok, come on, group hug" Stef whispered standing up and opening her arms as they all stood up their arms around each other as they formed a circle in the living room. Callie sighed putting her arm around Mariana and tucking herself into Stef's side. What was going to happen to her country, her own family, was all so uncertain. But right now, right here, wrapped up in this family she found a little comfort in knowing they would fight for each other. She had hope that there were other people like them making the same vows tonight. To fight for rights deserved by everyone no matter what.
