Callie got up helping Jesus clear the table as everyone else lingered around. It was their night to do dished and Callie knew Jesus was in a rush to finish them so he could take his skate board out before it got to dark. She didn't mind getting them out of the way either.
"I'll wash you dry and put away" Callie said turning on the water.
"Actually guys, why don't we al go take a seat in the living room mom and I wanted to talk to you about something" Lena said. Callie turned back to the moms, did this have something to do with why they had been so quiet during dinner.
"Oh momma I wanted to…" Jesus started but Lena gave him a look and he stopped talking. Mariana shot Callie a questioning look but Callie just shrugged, she had no idea what was going on.
"Go and sit down we will be there in a minute" Stef said. Callie turned off the water and followed her siblings as they filed into the living room while the moms hung back.
"What do you think it's about?" Jude asked.
"Maybe they found out why you can't go back to boarding school." Brandon said turning to Jesus.
"But they wouldn't talk about it in front of everyone" Jesus whispered.
"I bet it's about the family vacation this summer" Mariana said.
"No, they would have talked about that during dinner" Callie said as all she Jesus and Mariana sat on the couch. Brandon and Jude each perched on one of the arms.
"This is so stupid now I will never have time to practice" Jesus muttered.
"All I know is there better not be another baby coming, fostered, pregnant or otherwise" Mariana shook her head.
"You think momma still wants a baby?" Jude asked.
"I don't think that's it" Brandon said. They were silent for a minute and Lena and Stef came in sitting in the chairs across from them. Callie could tell by the look on Lena's face it was not going to be good news.
"So guys momma and I just wanted to touch base with you all on something that has been going on, we don't want you to be worried or anything because it is all under control, but we don't want to be keeping anything from you and we want you guys in the loop" Stef said. The room was silent for a few seconds as Callie felt her heart beating fast.
"What is it?" Mariana asked her voice shaking a bit. Stef reached out taking Lena's hand before she went on.
"So I had a doctors appointment a few days ago and they found a little bump and it looks like I may have a bit of breast cancer" Stef said. Callie felt her mouth fall open. No one moved, no one breathed they could hear the ticking of the clock on the wall that Callie was not even aware made a sound.
"But they are treating, and mom is going to be just fine" Lena jumped in.
"Mom?" Mariana asked as they all turned to Stef. Callie looked down at her feet not wanting to look at Stef, Brandon and Jude had red rimmed eyes, Mariana's tears were rolling down her cheeks, Jesus had his lips tightly pressed together trying to loo hard but his soft eyes gave him away. Stef cleared her throat meeting all their eyes nodding.
"Momma is right, I'm going to be just fine, they caught it early, so I get to have a few weeks off work and they are going to treat it quick and it will be gone" Stef said flashing them a strong smile. None of the kids moved to return it.
"Mom is going to be fine, but I'm going to need all of you to help me try and get her to rest, we all know how terrible she is at that" Lena said trying again to get a smile out of the kids but was not successful.
"Do you guys have any questions?" Stef asked.
"Are you going to have to have surgery?" Jesus asked.
"Yes, they are going to just cut it out, so much faster that way" Stef nodded.
"When?" Brandon asked.
"Friday" Lena said.
"What about chemo?" Jude asked
"Oh we don't know yet, they will have to see how the surgery goes" Stef said gently.
"But you'll tell us?" Jesus asked.
"Promise" Lena nodded.
"Do you girls have any questions?" Stef asked Callie and Mariana who had been silent. Mariana just shook her head crying silently to hard to talk, Callie still couldn't raise her eyes to look at Stef. She didn't know what was going to happen is she looked into her face. Why did everything have to be so messed up, she was just adopted things were supposed to get better. Life was supposed to be easier for everyone now…
"Come here my babies, I am fine I promises" Stef said opening her arms. Jude was the first to dive into them followed closely by Brandon and Jesus as Stef held the three boys tightly.
"I have 5 teenagers you think a little cancer is going to beat me? No way" Stef said making Jude crack a smile. Len moved from her seat to sit next to Mariana on the couch pulling Mariana to her. Mariana buried her face in Lena's neck as Lena rubbed her back. Callie felt Lena reached out to take her hand but Callie pulled away, she was in emotional over load and didn't want any kind of comfort.
"Can we have a family game night?" Jesus asked. Stef gave him a sweet smile.
"We sure can, why don't you boys go finish the dishes and pick one out and momma and I are going to talk to your sisters" Stef said gently.
"Love you mom" Brandon said as they gave her another hug.
"Love you too" Stef nodded as the boys went into the kitchen. Stef glanced at Callie who had yet to look up from her feet they turned to Mariana.
"Come here my love" She whispered.
"Go see mom" Lena said untangling herself from Mariana grip. Mariana wiped away fresh tears as she crossed the room and Stef pulled her down into her lap.
"Look, I am just fine ok, I am going to be fine. You think your old mom is going to let someone as silly as cancer beat her?" Stef asked. Mariana just shook her head.
"I love you very very much and I am always going to be here to take care of you and your brothers and your sister and your momma for a long long time. You are not getting rid of me Miss Thing" Stef said getting a little smirk from Mariana
"I love you too" Mariana whispered.
"No more tears my love, I am going to be just fine, ok?" Stef said. Mariana nodded wiping the last of her tears.
"Oh my baby" Step said giving Mariana a tight hug. Callie stood up and everyone was watching her.
"I hope you feel better" Callie said very monotone to Stef as she started heading out of the room.
"Wait Callie.." Stef called after her.
"I don't feel very well. I'm going to go lay down" Callie said as her foot hit the top step.
"Do you want to play the game?" Lena asked.
"Maybe later" Callie said as she climbed the stairs. She closed the door to her room laying on her bed she took out her head phones and turning her music up so loud she know Lena would be giving her a lecture about it. But Callie didn't care she needed to drown out all the voices in her head. She lay down staring up at her ceiling trying to focus on the words scream in her ears and not the voices screaming in her head.
Callie jumped awake from a dream she couldn't remember but knew she didn't like. The room was dark as she looked around and saw Mariana asleep in her bed. Someone had pulled out her headphones and her phone lay turned off on her night stand next to her. Callie turned it on, almost midnight, she hadn't meant to fall asleep. She noticed the bottle of water someone had left on her night stand. One of the moms must have been in here they would be the only people who noticed she liked water by her bed. Callie got up going to use the bathroom taking the long way back to look into the boys room. Jesus was fast asleep shoring lightly with an arm thrown over his eyes. Callie would never admit it but she was glad to have him home, everything felt complete again. Jude was curled up in a ball on his side, the same way he always slept. Callie turned to go back to her room but stopped seeing the door to the moms room open. She crept into the doorway silently standing there for a minute. Lena was facing the doorway but was asleep her curls thrown up over her head her hand delicately under her face on her pillow. Even sleeping Lena was one of the most elegant people Callie had ever met. Stef was next to her Callie couldn't see her face but her arm was thrown over Lena casually holding her close. Callie turned to go and the floor board under her creaked. Stef immediately raised her head.
"Callie?" She whispered and Callie knew she had been awake the whole time.
"Sorry, I was going back to bed" Callie said.
"Come here" Stef said moving away from Lena a little and waving Callie to her. Callie hesitated before entering the room creeping across the carpet and going to Stef's side of the bed sitting down.
"We missed you during the game" Stef whispered.
"I wasn't feeling well" Callie said.
"So you said, you feel asleep with your music on pretty loud" Stef raised an eyebrow at her.
"Sorry" Callie whispered.
"Come here, talk to me what's go on" Stef said pulling Callie back until she was sitting against the head board between her and Lena.
"Nothing" Callie shook her head.
"Callie, don't do that. Don't shut me out. I'm sorry this happened but it's going to be fine"
"It's not fair" Callie said.
"It's not, but my love life is not always fair, you know as well an anybody"
"But why can't it be fair just once" Callie wined knowing she sounded like a toddler.
"Hey look at me" Stef said. Callie raised her eyes to look at her for the first time all night.
"You and me, we're the same, and we are both going to be just fine. But we have to work together ok?" Stef said. Callie bit her lip nodding.
"I love you so much, and you are going to be just fine"
"Well what about you? I already had one mom die it's not fair" Callie said raising her voice a little forgetting Lena asleep next to her. But Lena sat up clearly not asleep anymore and Callie was squished between both women now.
"I'm going to be fine baby."
"You don't know that" Callie shook her head.
"But I do, I know mom, she's tougher then anyone I have ever met. Especially when it comes you you kids, she would never do anything to leave you, that makes her 5 times as tough" Lena said. Callie glanced as Stef who raised her eyebrows nodding making Callie crack a smile.
"I love you so much, and your right life is not fair, and you have a lot of not fair things happen to you. You losing another mom will not be one of those things ok?" Stef asked.
"Ok" Callie nodded.
"Good, if anything else is bothering you please come talk to me ok?" Stef asked.
"We are all going to help each other through this, we're all going to be there for mom and help her get better" Lena added.
"Ok, I love you mom" Callie said giving Stef a tight hug.
"I love you too my baby" Stef said holding her and Callie marveled at how comforting it was for Stef to hold the back of her head with one hand and rub her back with the other. To smell her vanilla shampoo and have her blond hair tickle her nose.
"You head off to bed we'll see you in the morning ok" Stef said letting her go.
"Ok" Callie nodded as Lena gave her a kiss on the cheek, Callie gave them both a smile as she crawled from their bed going back to her room. Lena turned back to Stef and was shocked to see a tear rolling down her cheek.
"She's right Lena, she already lost a mom, I can't do this to her" Stef whispered.
"Hey hey, Your not doing anything to her, or any of us. We all need you and your not going anywhere, I don't sign on for the single mom card do you don't get to." Lena said gently rubbing her thumb over Stef's cheeks catching her tears.
"I love you so much" Stef whispered.
"I love you too, and you are going to be just fine" Lena said as they lay back down she pulled Stef to her and Stef lay her head on her chest.
"Your going to be just fine you are not allowed to leave me with with 5 kids. No way lady you brought most of these kids into the house your not leaving me with this mess" Lena muttered making Stef laugh as Lena kissed her forehead.