This situation can't continue and I don't want to lie anymore. While I totally understand why, I'm mad at Stef and Lena for asking me to lie to Robert about the emancipation. Considering how well they know me, they also should know that I don't like to lie and I feel like it's going to stab him in the heart or blow up in our face. Now I have to spend another entire weekend with him lying. It's making an uncomfortable situation even more so.
I went downstairs to meet him at the door, his smile at seeing me lit up his whole body and eyes. It's nice feeling like someone truly wants me around. The only other people who have that reaction when seeing me are Sophia and Stef. Jude doesn't smile at me like I'm his everything any more.
I love Lena but ever since the adoption failed and she lost Frankie she's been really distant and I won't lie, even though they don't know that I heard her, her calling me a "Foster Kid" really hurt and I don't know if I really trust her anymore and honestly it's hard being in this house with Brandon. He's my best friend and part of me will always love him but he's moved on and I feel like I'm stuck. There's been so much tension in the house that I've slowly found myself looking forward to these weekends with Robert and Jill.
"Hi Robert," I said with a smile, it felt weird calling him Robert and I wasn't ready to call him Dad, especially after everything that happened since the last time I called him my father and with Stef watching him like a mamma grisly. Stef made Robert both nervous and mad, this situation would be a lot easier if they could somehow get along. As much as I love the Fosters and hate to admit it, I do love Robert. We've gotten to know each other pretty well over the last few visits.
This is my 3rd full weekend with him and Jill, who has been surprisingly kind and fun. Not at all like I originally expected and she earned a lot of points by asking about Jude and telling me that she'd really like him to spend a weekend with them. Jill even showed me the room that she fixed up just for Jude and gave me a key to the house that I can give him.
Even though I didn't want to we went to visit Sophia last weekend and she was doing really well, we talked in private and patched things up. All siblings fight, lord knows Marianna and Jesus sometimes drive me nuts – but I love them. Later that night I finally told Jill and Robert my full story, even some things that Stef and Lena don't know.
I didn't want these people to continue to think that I was some perfect angel, I wanted them to understand how broken I was and why The Fosters mean so much to me. They are the reason that for the first time in my life I feel safe and wanted.
Robert already knew a lot of it from my files and his private investigator filled in the blanks. I was upset that he had me investigated, but he cried saying he was so proud of me and brave I was for having the courage to tell him. He said the same thing that Stef has said numerous times, "I'm not my file." We sat there and cried over my lost childhood for a good hour. He and Jill apologized over and over for not being there for me, that they'll never leave Jude or me alone again. It felt so nice to have a real dad and step mom that I could confide in.
I gave Stef a hug and she pulled tight, "Remember, don't tell Robert and never forget that I love you slug a bug…." I kissed her on the cheek, "Love you to. Thanks for everything."
"Ready to go sweetheart?" He asked while taking my bag.
"Have her home by 5pm tomorrow." Stef called out, stressing the word home. I saw Robert bristle at that.
We went to breakfast first for a little alone time before we went to the house.
I hate being forced to have a relationship with him, but maybe the judge was right, I never would have done it if I weren't forced into it. So many people have burned and betrayed me that the only adult I really trust is Stef. But Robert's excitement is contagious. I've started to look forward to these breakfast conversations.
Today we were going for a breakfast buffet, I'm not a picky eater, I piled my plate high with a little bit of everything except anything mushroom related. Robert had done the same and just laughed when he saw me, "Hungry or do you want to try everything except mushrooms?" He said pointing to his own plate.
We're so alike that it's scary sometimes. I smiled at him.
"So how's your latest get rich quick project going?" I asked.
Robert is Lawyer by trade but got lucky as an Investor. Now he owns a successful Investment Incubator business. He made his fortune investing in a bunch of early Valley start-ups with friends that he met in school. Just happens that these college friends went on to start some of the most successful Internet companies in the world. He now guides young companies and help others go public. They say he has the Midas touch when it comes to picking the next big tech trend.
"Have you ever tried to get 20 year old genius' to listen to anything? They are driving me crazy," he said with a smile. He loved his work.
I laughed, Robert has been trying to get investors for a new startup, but the founders don't want to give up a chunk of their company to a board of directors or investors, they only want Robert.
I gave him a fake pout, "Poor baby…" he laughed. I loved hearing him laugh, he's not the type to hold it in; it is an easygoing, full body laugh.
"So how was your week?"
"Ok," I said, while playing with my food.
"Come on Callie, we said no more secrets, I can tell something's bothering you."
"I don't know, it's just everything with this Adoption, I love you, but I really want you to sign the papers, I'm tired of never having a say in my life" said Callie.
"You know I can't do that. I'll give you anything else in the world, but not that," he said.
She dropped the subject and started again, "It's Jude. He hasn't been acting like himself lately. He snuck out of the house and broke into his friend's house. His friend got shot in the foot. I feel like he's pulling away from me and doesn't love me as much anymore…"
Robert put his hand on hers, "Oh honey. Jude still loves you. He's becoming a teenager and it's natural to start testing boundaries…"
"Yeah, but he's never yelled at me before and he's done it a few times lately, he was always the perfect child and with Stef and Lena being his mom now, I'm starting to feel like I don't have a place in his life anymore."
"Oh Callie. He clearly loves you. You should be proud and happy that he feels safe enough to test boundaries and that he's finally starting to see you like a sister and not a mom."
"I don't know if he'll ever truly be just my brother. He's so much more to me. My entire life has been devoted to him. Even when Mom was alive, Donald was never the best parent – even though he tried."
"Your lives are just different at the moment. I know part of it is my fault, but even if I wasn't around, your lives would be going in different directions, it's part of growing up, they don't call it growing pains for nothing."
I just nodded my head, he was right. I am proud of Jude for how far he's come in the last 7 months. He used to be so shy and scared, but now he has a lot of friends and while I think Connor may be a bad influence, he's starting to blossom.
Robert continued, "He wouldn't have skipped school to come and see us nor asked me to teach you to drive and get you a car so you can come and see him anytime you wanted if he didn't still love you." Robert said.
I laughed, "He really asked you to get me a car? I thought he was joking."
Robert laughed as well, "Yep… So even if you don't want it, I'm getting you a car and you have to take it – to make Jude happy."
"I don't want you getting me a car… You can't buy me Robert."
"Honey, I'm not trying to buy you, I just want to get you the world and Jude wants you to have a car…."
I didn't want to have a big fight over this, "Fine. We'll talk about it, but I don't want anything fancy or new. Just something simple and used." He nodded his head in agreement.
I smiled at him and then thought about something and frowned. Robert caught it.
"What's wrong?" Asked Robert.
Something's been bothering me and I don't know how to ask, "I just. It's silly really. For a moment, last month when you told the judge that I didn't have to move in, I thought you didn't want me anymore."
"Oh Callie, that will never be the case. I will always want you. But as much as I don't want to admit it, Stef was right, it was too soon and I didn't want you living with me just because you couldn't face them. It wouldn't have been fair to anyone."
"We promised no more secrets. I'm not stupid Robert. You won and got what you wanted, so it seems odd that you'd just give up on me and give me back to Stef and Lena."
"Honey, there were just some other things going on," he didn't want to admit that Stef had blackmailed him into changing his mind. It would ruin his daughter's faith and trust in both him and Stef who he had to admit had her best interest at heart, even though she was a ball buster.
"What?" It had to be something bad, in my heart I knew he never would willingly give up on me.
"Before I tell you, you have to understand Stef did it out of love for you," Robert said. "I may not particularly like her at the moment, but she is truly your mom and I'll always respect her."
I nodded, what did Stef have to do with anything?
"She tried blackmailing me."
"Jill and I had problems early in our marriage, I was still hung up on your mother and things were really bumpy. I had an affair with a woman that reminded me of your mother. Her name is Cathy. The affair nearly destroyed my marriage and we separated for a little while. Sophia was so young she doesn't really remember it. Stef had her cop friends follow me and found incriminating pictures of Cathy and I having lunch a few weeks ago. So she used that to blackmail me."
I was shocked and disgusted at both Stef and Robert. I thought he was different and could be trusted. Once again my instincts proved to be wrong. I got up to leave. I didn't know where I was going but I had to get out of there. Robert tugged at my arm and forced me to sit back down, "Please let me finish."
"I'm not having an affair Callie. Cathy is Joshua's mother and Jill was fully aware that I was working with her son. She wasn't happy about Cathy being back in my life, but I would never, NEVER risk my marriage, family or losing your respect for another fling. She's happily married and we were simply having lunch. She's always been my friend and I'm just helping Josh and his friends, I promise."
He looked so sincere. I sighed in relief. Josh was one of the founders of the company that Robert is trying to get funding for. Robert introduced them during our first weekend together when they came over for a brunch meeting; he was nice and just a couple of years older than me.
She held his hand, "I'm sorry I doubted you. I've been burned so much it's hard to trust people."
"I understand Callie. Which is why, after I told Stef the story that I agreed to wait until you got to know me better. It's never been my intention to force you to live with me. I want you to WANT to live with me, but you never would have given me a chance if you weren't forced to."
"I would have Robert…" She said, even though in her heart she knew she was lying.
"Callie. No more lies, remember? You wouldn't have…"
I shrugged my shoulders, I would have given him a chance; it just would have been hard. I couldn't lie anymore, "I'm getting emancipated…"
Robert felt like he was just punched in the gut. "So everything has been a lie?"
"No, I'm tired of fighting it. No matter what, I'm a part of you and Sophia, I love Jill you, guys will always be my family but the Fosters feel like Home, they are my home. Nothing you do will change that. I'm really mad at my mom for not telling us. I know you would have taken Jude and I in if you'd known. But you didn't get that chance and now it's too late."
"Callie, Colleen had her reasons and did the best she could…"
"Yeah, but Jude and I still ended up spending 7 years in hell. I'm tired of the system and not knowing if I'm going to get ripped out of my house."
"Callie…" He choked up a bit and sighed.
"I don't want you to get emancipated, but I'm not signing over my rights either. It was always my intention to give you a choice – even though I knew you'd choose the Fosters. The custody thing just got so out of hand, so fast. I just wanted a fair chance for us to get to know each other."
Callie just nodded, "Honestly, I'm glad we did. Like I said, I love you dad." Robert smiled when she slipped (without realizing it) and called him Dad.
"How would you feel about a formal joint custody agreement?"
"You can't just split me in half Dad…." Callie smiled, calling Robert Dad felt so right to her.
"Divorced couples do it all the time. I'm willing to drop the custody fight if you agree to continue spending weekends and the next two summers with us. You only have another year to go before you graduate and I think we should spend as much time together as possible – or as you'd allow. After missing out on you most of your life, I think we need this time."
He continued, "I would never stop you from seeing The Fosters; you will have a car and can go whenever you want during the summer and your siblings can come over whenever they want we'll even make up a room for them in addition to Jude's."
"Really?" Callie asked hopeful? She truly didn't mind continuing the weekend visits although she wasn't sure about staying for an entire summer.
Robert laughed and flicked her nose, "Yes, really. As long as your moms agree to it, we can settle this next week."
"My moms?" Callie was surprised that Robert finally acknowledged that Stef and Lena were her moms when she'd never really done it herself.
"Yes, I can't deny that they are your moms Callie… When we talk to the judge we can even formalize the joint custody agreement by changing your name. How do you feel about being Callie Adams-Foster Quinn?"
Callie, smiled her first true, big smile in months. Her entire body was glowing, "I would love it. But can we keep Jacobs as well? It was my mothers name…."
Robert nodded, "Callie Jacobs Adams-Foster Quinn?"
I laughed, "That's a mouthful…." Things were finally perfect in my world as I got up and hugged him tightly. This was my dad and now I truly have the family that I've always dreamed of. Maybe not a conventional one, but the Quinns and Fosters are mine.