Lena attempts to discipline a five year old Brandon for the first time but it doesn't go well and Stef helps them all get though.
Stef came home from work early on Saturday thinking that she'd surprise her son and girlfriend and take them to the pool and then for some ice-cream. She was in a good mood because she had caught an armed robber before anyone was hurt and she was then sent home early to just relax.
But when Stef opened her front door she was not expecting to see the sight before her. Lena was sitting on the couch crying and Brandon was yelling from his room.
"Go live in your own house." He said as angrily as a five-year-old could. "I hate you."
Stef's eyes widened. It wasn't often that her son got angry - he was generally well behaved, although he was only five so meltdowns and tantrums weren't completely new.
"What happened?" Stef asked as she took a seat next to Lena and tried to hug her. But Lena pulled away.
"You need to talk to him." Lena said.
"Okay I will." Stef told her. "But tell me what happened first."
"He pushed another kid on the playground this afternoon." Lena explained. "I told him that he needed to apologize to the boy but he refused, saying he deserved it."
Stef sighed. Brandon wasn't violent, there had to be more to the story. "Did the kid do something to him?" Stef asked, hoping that Lena wouldn't think she was questioning her judgement. They had only been dating six months and although they were practically living together and raising Brandon together, they were still pretty new as a couple.
"The boy accidentally knocked down Brandon's sandcastle." Lena said. "He apologized but Brandon pushed him and he hit his head on the side of the sandbox."
"I'll talk to him." Stef said. "Have you given him a consequence yet?" She asked.
"I tried to but he said that I wasn't his mom and he didn't have to listen to me since we weren't in school either." Lena said miserably.
As if on cue Brandon's voice piped up from the other room. "Wait till mommy get's home. I'm gonna tell her how mean you are."
"Brandon." Stef called out and instantly heard feet running out into the living room.
"Mommy." He wailed as he flung himself into her arms. "Mommy Lena's mean." He cried into her shoulder.
"Can you tell me what happened." Stef asked, giving the boy a chance to explain his side of the story.
"Willis kicked my castle down and when I pushed him away Lena got mad at me and told me to apologize. But I didn't want to because he knocked my castle down first and then she said that if I didn't then she wouldn't take me back to the playground for a week." Brandon complained.
Stef looked across to Lena who raised her eyebrows in an 'I told you so' fashion.
"But I told her that she couldn't tell me what to do because she wasn't my mommy and when you got home you'd tell her that she has to take me to the playground everyday." Brandon said, fully believing that his mom would agree with him.
"Honey, Lena doesn't have to take you anywhere." Stef said. "She chooses to take you to the playground so you can have some fun but she doesn't have to do it."
Brandon's face fell. "Fine then tell her she has to choose it still." He said, not fully understanding what she meant.
"I can't do that B." Stef said. "I'm afraid Lena was right. You can't push someone."
"But he broke..." Brandon began as tears filled his eyes again.
"...your sandcastle, I know." Stef agreed with him. "But that's not an excuse to hurt someone and you know that." Stef told him.
Brandon looked over to Lena, hurt evident in his eyes, wishing she'd just disappear.
"Can she go back to her own house?" Brandon asked Stef in a small voice.
Lena once again looked hurt at the thought. She had been getting along so well with the little boy so far but today was the first time that she had had to discipline him on her own and though she was reluctant at first she knew that Stef included her in everything so she figured she'd just handle this herself. Now she wished that she hadn't, she wished she had just waited for Stef to get home. But she also knew that it was more difficult for little kids to understand right from wrong when the punishment was given long after the crime was committed - things worked better when it all went together.
"No she can't." Stef said, taking Lena's hand in her own as she saw the look on her face. "She belongs here with us."
"But she's mean." Brandon said, as if that was a good enough reason to send her away.
"You don't think that pushing someone was mean?" Stef asked, knowing that Brandon's conscience would get the better of him.
Brandon looked away, unable to answer knowing that he was in the wrong.
"I think you know that pushing someone is mean." Stef answered for him.
"If I say sorry tomorrow can we still go play?" Brandon asked Stef.
"Actually I think that since Lena was in charge of you while this happened we are going to stick with Lena's punishment." Stef said. "No playground next week."
"But she's not my mommy so she can't punish me.
"No, she's not your mommy." Stef agreed. "But she does love you very very much and she wants you to grow up to be a good person, one that is kind and honest just like I do."
"But..." Brandon complained but he had nothing to say that he hadn't already said before.
"I also think that you owe Lena an apology too." Stef continued. "You said some pretty mean things to her."
"I'm sorry." Brandon said, turning to Lena but not going to her like he would usually do.
"I love you Brandon." Lena said, hoping that Brandon realized just how much.
"Go on to your room now so Lena and I can talk okay." Stef said as she kissed Brandon.
As soon as Brandon was out of earshot Stef laughed. Lena looked shocked at her partner as tears still glazed her eyes.
"What's so funny?" Lena asked.
"Welcome to parenthood." Stef said smiling at her.
But Lena continued to look miserable. "I wish I hadn't said anything."
"Hey now." Stef said turning Lena to look at her. "You did the right thing and you know it."
"But he hates me now." Lena said. Rationally she knew she had done the right thing and other kids at school had said they hated her but this was different, this was a child she hoped would see her as his mother someday.
"Sweetheart today he hates you, tomorrow he'll hate me and the day after that he'll hate Mike." Stef said amused. "That's how it works with five-year-olds."
"I know but when he gets upset with you or Mike he still wants you around." Lena said. "I'll always be someone else to him."
"Honey, give it time." Stef said gently. "He's only five and he doesn't really understand what we are right now. He'll learn to love you the way he loves Mike and me."
"I wasn't going to punish him at first." Lena said sadly. "I thought I'd make him apologize and then let you handle it when you got home but when he refused to apologize... I guess the teacher in me took over and I dealt with it."
"I'm glad you did." Stef smiled. "I want you to feel like you belong here Lena. I know that you love Brandon and would never do anything to hurt him. If you decide that somethings he's done deserves a consequence then I have no doubt that he deserves it too."
"Thank you." Lena said, wiping her eyes, though still wishing that Brandon didn't hate her right now.
"I love you Lena." Stef said as she leaned in and kissed Lena tenderly. She was determined to put a smile back on that beautiful face.
But Stef had to pull away when she heard the thumping of little feet running down the corridor again.
"Is my punishment only missing the playground next week?" Brandon asked.
Stef turned to Lena for an answer, this was her punishment after all. Lena gave her a small nod and Stef turned back to Brandon.
"Yes." She told him and watched his face light up.
"Then can we watch the movie now?" He asked Lena.
"What movie?" Stef asked Brandon.
"The Lion King." Brandon told her. "I was watching it this morning but I got scared so Lena promised she'd watch it with me in the evening." he explained as he walked over to Lena and pulled her hand. "Come on Lena." He said, all his anger towards her obviously forgotten.
Stef watched as Lena got up and followed her son to the DVD player, the smile that she had just moments ago tried to put on her face clearly visible as she held on lovingly to the boys hand.