Mother/Son

"Alright, baby." Callie Jacob said to her one-year old son, Jude. She stopped the car in the parking lot and smiled at the little boy, "You ready for your first day?"

The child lifted his head up and looked out the window, where the pre-school stood. Jude turned to the brunette and frowned, shaking his head.

"No? Why not?"

"It looks scary." He answered, whimpering at the sight of the building. Callie laughed and held his hand, which comforted him.

"Mama, will you come with me?"

Callie hesitated. She didn't want to get out of the car and get those weird looks she would be expecting from the other parents. The brunette was almost 18 and she was already raising a son. Things like that didn't go unnoticed by the public. But she also didn't want Jude to feel scared, so she nodded.

Unlocking the car door, she got out and lifted Jude out of the car. She held onto his hand and walked him inside. The brunette kissed her son goodbye as she watched him enter the class. But then he ran back out and hugged her legs, "Mama don't make me."

Callie bent down on her knees and smiled at her son, "You'll be fine, honey. You just do everything that your teacher says and be sweet to the other kids, okay?" She hugged him close, "I'll come get you as soon as you get out, okay Jude?"

He averted his eyes.

"Okay?" She repeated.

"Okay." He nodded, "I love you, Mama."

"I love you too, Jude." She nudged him inside and turned around to leave, but then remembered she had been asked to meet with the head of the preschool.

The office door was just two doors down from Jude's class, so she cracked it open and smiled awkwardly at the woman sitting behind the desk. Noticing Callie, she set down her pen and looked up, "I'm sorry, I'm supposed to be meeting with Jude Jacob's Mom."

"I am Jude Jacob's Mom."

"Oh." The principal cleared her throat, "Alright. Well, take a seat Ms. Jacob."

The brunette cringed at the name, "You can go ahead and call me Callie." She corrected, sitting in the seat across from the principal.

"Alright, Callie. My name is Lena Adams, I'm the head of this preschool. And every year I like to talk to the new parents to discuss information about our school and what to expect."

Callie listened carefully to everything, nodding her head in the right places.

"So, Ms. Jaco- Callie." Lena corrected, "Do you have any questions for me?"

"Yes, actually. Jude is a very special kid, and I want him to succeed."

"Understandable."

"I just...I need you to promise me that this school will be safe for him. If he gets into any sort of trouble I need you to call me, okay?"

Lena nodded, "Of course. I do believe I have your home phone somewhere in Jude's information."

"No. Here, I would like for you to call me on my mobile." Callie grabbed a torn piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it to the women.

She nodded and pocketed it, "You love your son very much, huh?" It was more of an observation than a question. The brunette nodded shyly, "I just wish people wouldn't act so shocked when I drop Jude off."

Nodding in her head, "Well, I apologize if I came off that way. Oh, we have career day at the start of next month, all the kids' parents come in and share what their jobs are. I'm sure your son would love for you to be there."

"I'm not sure that's the best idea for me to come. I mean, I'll go if he asks me. But do the other kids in his class really want to hear about me being a full-time waitress?"

"Well, at least you're not an accountant, Callie."

She shrugged, "I guess."

"So, where do you work?"

"Rudford's Diner." She answered, "What is this, an interview? I've got to go home. Remember to call me if anything happens."

Lena nodded and watched the girl leave, making a mental note not to cross her. Truthfully, she'd always disapproved of teen Moms. But this one, the way she cared so deeply about her son… it made her rethink her opinion.

Looking down at the number Callie had given her, she quickly added the contact into her phone.

The day ended two hours later and as promised, Callie was waiting out front. Leaning against the car, she beamed as she watched Jude speed up. Bending down she caught him and held him in the air, hugging her son.

"Have a good day?"

"Yeah." He responded.

"We're you a good boy for your teacher?"

"Yes, Mama."

"Good." She kissed him on the forehead, which made him giggle.

"Ready to go home, baby?" Callie asked, opening the passenger's seat and buckling home into the booster seat. She gave him another kiss, earning another giggle.

Across the way, Lena smiled as she watched the way Callie acted with her son. She felt a slight bit of admiration for the girl, who had put so much effort into raising such an amazing child like Jude.

"You should have seen this girl, Stef." Lena said to her wife, "The way she interacted with her son." The multiracial woman smiled, "She is an amazing Mother."

"Sweets, she's a teenager."

"So?"

"So, teenagers can't take care of kids. It's just not right." Straightening her back up, "You know what, I would really like to meet this girl."

"Stef…"

"No, really. Take me to work tomorrow so I can see her."

"You can't just corner her, Stef."

"I'm not going to corner her or confront her. I just would like to see her for myself."

Lena knew this was a bad idea, though she also knew that saying no again wouldn't work on Stef, she would just going to keep digging her heels in further.

"Fine." She muttered, "You can see her. Though after school only, because she told me she has to work right after." Lena lied. Callie had told her no such thing.

So, after school the next day Stef pulled up just minutes before Callie's car pulled up in front of the school. Frowning, the blonde exited her vehicle and walked next to her wife. They watched the 1-year-old boy run out of the building with his lunchbox, throwing himself into his Mother's arms.

"Mama!" He squealed, squeezing her tighter.

"Hey, Baby." Callie smiled, "Have a good day?"

"Mm-hm. I colored a T-Rex!" He displayed his artwork as if it was his greatest accomplishment, which made the brunette smile wider.

"It's beautiful!" She praised, "You know where this is going?"

"No."

"On the fridge, with all your fantastic drawings you've made me." Her brown eyes twinkled down at her son as she strapped him into the booster seat, closing the door behind him.

This was Stef's chance. She walked over to the girl and offered her a kind smile, "Hi there, sweetie. I'm uh...I'm Lena's wife."

"That's nice." She said, grabbing her car keys and walking to the driver's seat, only to be stopped by Stef.

"Okay, I know that this was a mistake, but we could get you help. This isn't right, love. A special boy like that deserves to be raised by an adult."

Callie chewed her lip, "What, are you implying I set my son up for adoption? Because that's not going to happen."

"No, no, no! I'm just saying that maybe you could think about getting some help. Like a Nanny to help him with his homework or cook his meals."

"Okay, so now you are saying that I can't provide for my son?"

"No, no. That's not what I'm doi—"

"That's exactly what you're doing! You can't tell me how to parent my own kid."

As the two bickered, a woman and a man opened the car to Callie's car and unbuckled Jude, the woman quickly grabbing him and running away with her (possible) husband.

"I can't do any of this anymore. I just need to take Jude ho—" Gesturing to the car, her mouth gaped open when she saw the open door and missing child. Her eyes flickered toward the two people who were holding Jude.

"Mama!"

Callie turned around, "Jude!"

Tears already streaming down her face, she got into her car and sped after the boy, determined to get him back.