Stef and Lena are moms to three kids: Brandon, age nine; Callie, age eight; and Mariana, age seven. Stef works as a cop and Lena is vice principal of the school Anchor Beach which is where their kids attend.
Jesus, age nine and Jude, age four had been dropped off at the police station by their foster parents.
Jesus hugged Jude, holding him close, "I'm sorry, baby. It's my fault. I'll be better next time so you can have a family. Love you baby."
"Okay love you too dada." Jude replied. Jesus had been the only constant person in Jude's life, plus her always cared for Jude like a father would.
Stef just arrived at work when she saw two little boys sitting on a bench in the police station.
She glanced at then and then turned to her partner, Leo. "What are they in for? Armed robbery?"
"Their foster parents dropped them off. Said they couldn't care for them anymore." Leo replied
Stef walked over to the kids with a lollipop in each hand, which she hid behind her back for the time being.
"Hey, my name's Stef?" Stef introduced
"Hi" Jesus replied but didn't tell his name
"I Jude." Jude stated
"Nice to meet you, Jude." Stef responded. Then she looked at Jesus, "Do you have a name too, or should I just call you bud?"
"My name's Jesus." Jesus replied
Stef nodded and then pulled out the lollipops from behind her, "You probably don't like them, but just in case."
Jesus grabs the one being handed to him, and takes the one for Jude and gives it to Jude himself.
Stef goes back to work, and then calls Bill, the social work that gave her and Lena Callie and Mariana six years ago.
"Hey Bill, it's Stef." Stef started "two little boys were dropped off at the police station by their foster parents. Their names are Jesus and Jude."
"Those are my kids. I'm their social worker. What's this about, Stef?" Bill asked
"Well I have to talk to Lena first, but I would like to foster them." Stef stated
"Okay well talk it over with Lena and see what she says. Then we'll go from there." Bill explained.
A week later, Bill was dropping Jesus and Jude off at Stef and Lena's house. After a few minutes Bill left, Jesus stayed close to and kept an eye on his brother.
Then Callie and Mariana came running downstairs. The girls yelled, "Mommies!"
"What is it, babies?" Stef asked
"B is annoying us. He won't stop practicing his piano." Callie complained
"Okay Cal, mommy will talk to him, but mama has two people for you and Mari to meet." Lena said while Stef went upstairs to talk to Brandon.
"Who are they, mama?" Mariana asked
"Mariana, Callie, meet Jesus and Jude." Lena introduced "They are going to be staying with us for a while."
"Nice to meet you, Jesus and Jude." Callie said smiling. "I'm Callie."
"Yeah nice to meet you." Mariana added smiling "I'm Mariana."
"Hi"Jesus said shyly while having an arm around his little brother.
Later Jesus was sitting watching Jude play, Jude accidentally knocked over something and it broke. He started to cry.
"Shh Jude it's okay, but baby you have to be more careful." Jesus told his brother and wiped Jude's tears.
"Okay I try, dada." Jude replied as he sniffles.
Stef heat the glass shatter and went to check on Jude and Jesus, "Is everything alright in here?"
"I'm sorry. I broke something. I'll clean it up." Jesus said taking the blame for his little brother. He flinched slightly as if he expected to be hit. Then he was about to get up, in which case Jude would follow him.
"No bud it's okay. I'll clean it up. The glass is sharp." Stef told Jesus
Jesus just nodded, "Okay Stef."
Stef nodded and then started to clean up the glass.
That night when Jude and Jesus were asleep, Jude woke up with a bad dream.
"Dada!" Jude cried
Jesus woke up and comforted his little brother, "Hey baby it's okay. It was just a bad dream."
Jude cried and clung onto Jesus, "I was so scared. Stef and Lena sent you back, but kept me. Don't leave me, dada."
"Jude, baby, I'll never leave you. I won't let Stef and Lena separate us. We're a package deal. If they want to send me back then they don't get you." Jesus explained
"Okay dada." Jude replied as he sniffled. Jesus wiped Jude's tears and sang his little brother back to sleep.
In the morning when Lena woke up. She woke up the kids to get ready for school, and then went downstairs to cook breakfast. Stef woke up a few minutes later.
Brandon, Mariana, Callie, Jesus, and Jude walked downstairs for breakfast.
"Mama, what's for breakfast?" Brandon asked
"Eggs and bacon." Lena replied
"Crispy bacon, mama?" Callie asked. She liked her bacon crispy.
Lena nodded, "Yes, sweets some of it is." Then she looked at Jesus, "Okay bud, so this morning you're coming to school with me. You have to take a test so we know where to place you."
"Is Jude coming too?" Jesus asked
"Sorry, Jude's too young for school still. Stef is going to stay home with him, and then when you're done with your test she'll come pick you up." Lena explained
Jesus shook his head as Jude clung onto him, "I'm not leaving Jude."
"It's okay, Jesus. He'll be safe with my mom, Stef." Brandon said trying to help reassure Jesus.
Jesus shook his head again, "No, I'm not leaving Jude alone." Then he ran upstairs with Jude.
Lena sighed, "Thanks for trying to help, B."
"You're welcome, mama." Brandon replied.
Meanwhile Stef was walking downstairs when she saw Jesus and Jude running upstairs.
"Hey Jesus, Jude, what's wrong? Where you going?" Stef asked. Jesus ignored her and kept on running until he and Jude eventually his in a hall closet.
When Stef made it downstairs, she kissed Lena and then asked, "What's wrong with Jesus, love?"
"He's upset that he has to take a placement test because Jude can't go." Lena explained
Stef nodded, "Okay well maybe I should talk to him. You can take our babies to school, and I'll bring Jesus for his placement test."
Lena nodded, "Okay love. That works for me. Good luck with Jesus."
"Alright my babies. Come say bye to mommy before mama takes you to school." Stef said
Callie and Mariana ran and hugged their mommy, "Bye mommy. Love you."
Stef hugged them back and gave them lots of kisses, "Bye bug and miss thing."
Then Brandon gave his mom a one arm hug the way most men do, "Bye mom. Love you."
Stef pulled her son in and tickled him a little, "Bye B. Love you too."
After Lena left with the kids, Stef walked upstairs to find Jesus and Jude.
"Jesus! Jude!" Stef yelled up and down the hallway, while looking in the bedrooms. "Lena left already, Jesus. You don't have to take the placement test. You will have to take it, but you don't have to take it now."
Jesus came out of the hall closet while Jude followed while staying behind him.
"Lena said that you don't want to leave your brother. Why is that?" Stef asked
Jesus shrugged, "I have to protect him, plus he doesn't like when I leave him. He gets scared."
"Jesus, buddy, you don't have to protect Jude from Lena and I. We're never going to hurt either of you." Stef explained. Then she looked at Jude who was still behind Jesus. She asked, "Jude, buddy, why are you scared to be away from Jesus? He'll always come back to you."
Jude nodded, "I know it's you and Lena I'm afraid of. I'm afraid you'll send dada away and keep me."
"Dada?" Stef questioned looking over at Jesus.
"I've been raising him since he was born, so he calls me dada." Jesus explained
Stef nodded, "Okay well you are going to go to school, Jesus, which mean you'll have to take the placement test?"
Then Jude hugged Jesus and clung on for dear life, "No! Dada, you can't leave me."
"I won't, baby. It won't. I promise." Jesus reassured
"Jesus, have you ever been to school?" Stef asked
"Yeah before Jude was born." Jesus replied
Stef sighed, "Okay. I have to call Lena. Would you like to go downstairs?"
"No Jude and I are okay here." Jesus said
Stef nods and then walks downstairs and calls Lena.
Lena answers, "Hey love, are you coming?"
"Um no, we have bigger problems." Stef said
"What's the problem?" Lena asked
"Jesus hasn't been to school since before Jude was born. He's been taking care of Jude since when Jude was born." Stef explained "Jude calls Jesus dada and I think Jesus is going to have a hard time leaving Jude."
"It sounds like Jesus has post partum disorder." Lena replied
"Lena that's what mothers have after having a baby." Stef stated
"Yes and Jesus has been taking care of Jude like a parent. It's natural." Lena explained
"Okay so what do we do? Jesus has to go to school." Stef said
"I know, but now we just have to be patient and help release Jesus of the responsibility of Jude and give him his childhood back." Lena explained