So, this is sort of like a crossover between Life Unexpected and The Fosters But NOT REALLY. Don't let that discourage you. You won't need to know a thing about Life Unexpected to continue reading.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Italics= character's thoughts.

Chapter 1

Lux's POV

By the time I get to Villa Mariposa, I'm completely surprised by how nice the neighborhood looks.

This isn't the typical crack-head area I was expecting my birth mother to live in. I knew that San Diego was actually a pretty nice area to begin with, but I was still expecting something more… dangerous-looking?

I glance down at the yellow paper I ripped out of the phone book earlier. I stared at almost a thousand times, just to make sure I didn't misread it.

Nope, Villa Mariposa, San Diego, California; I got it right. Hmm…. Maybe this isn't the right "Stefanie Foster." Maybe I should've double-checked on the internet or something… I don't know exactly why but I wanted to be wrong. To think that this woman was "almost normal" was my last inclination. It had never crossed my mind and deep down I understood perfectly why.

What foster-kid wants to actually think that their parents willingly decided to give them up?

At least if my mother was a crack-addict, I could blame her addiction. I could tell myself that she wasn't physically able to take care of me so she gave me up, hoping that I'd have better parents one day.

Or I could even tell myself that cps took me away from her because they didn't deem her "fit" to be a parent.

But this neighborhood didn't sit well with me… Whatever, Lux. This is exactly why you want to get emancipated. After Friday, you won't ever have to feel unwanted again. Just get it over with, I coach myself, as I find the strength to keep walking down the street.

Finally, I'm able to make out the numbers on the houses.

2324…

2326…

2328…

2330.

For a while, I stand in front of a big brown house that's covered with green plants. This is where she lives? I ask myself as I turn my attention to the driveway and notice a grayish car. It's not the car I imagined my birth mother driving, but at least someone's home. It would suck to have to sit outside all day, especially in this ridiculous heat.

Alright… I came for one thing and one thing only.

Well two things. Stefanie's signature and to ask about the whereabouts of Mike, so that I could get his signature.

No tea.

No brunch, or whatever these rich people eat.

Just those two things.

With that in mind, I walk over toward the door and knock loudly three times. That's when I realized that there was a doorbell and felt stupid. "Really, Lux? Really?" I whisper. I pressed the buzzer and was surprised that it actually worked. If no one heard the knocking, someone would definitely hear the bell. I ring it again just for fun.

That's when I hear someone unlatching the locks from the other side. I immediately straighten my posture and take the smile off of my face when I see the door swing wide-open.

A dark-skinned woman with curly hair stares at me strangely. I know that she's wondering who the hell I am but she doesn't ask that.

"Hi… May I help you?"

"Uh…" is all I can muster out. "This has got to be the wrong house," I mumble as I step back a few inches, almost tripping on the porch-steps, to glance at the number on the house again.

"Hi," she says again as if I hadn't heard her. "Who are you looking for? I'm pretty friendly with all of our neighbors. Maybe I can help?" she smiles at me as she takes a step outside.

I look her over intently and try to find any resemblance at all. By the awkward look on her face, I realize that she thinks I'm behaving strangely. "Sorry... Uh, are you… You're not…Stefanie Foster by any chance? Are you?"

She smiles, "Oh. Uh, no, I'm not Stefanie…"

Great! I've made this trip for nothing! I'm still no closer to finding my birth mom and getting these damn signatures.

"I'm Lena. Stef's my wife."

I chuckle at her sense of humor, "Ha, good one. No, but seriously? Do you know if there's a Stefanie Foster around here. It's important that I speak with her. It will only take a second."

She crosses her arms over her body. "It wasn't a joke," she responds with a more serious tone. "Stef's not here at the moment. Is there something that I can help you with?"

My face falls flat. Oh crap! Did I just insult her? "Um… No, I just… Do you know what time she'll be back?" My cheeks start burning with embarrassment, but I try to remain as cool as a cucumber.

"Uh…she doesn't get off of work until 6, so by that time…"

I glance down at my watch, "It's 2:30 now, so that's about three hours…"

Damn! I have to wait out here for 3-and-a-half hours for her to get back. Of course she's at work. It's a Tuesday. Why didn't I think about that? Oh that's right… I thought she was a crack-head… I sigh deeply in frustration. By the look on the woman's face, I can tell that she was taken aback by it.

"If it's something important, I can tell her to come home early..." she offers.

"No," I shake my head. It's not that important to her anyway. "…I'll just wait for her, thanks." I smile at the woman, already feeling uncomfortable for laughing at her a few minutes earlier.

"You're going to wait outside in this 103 degree weather? And it's not important?" she questions with her eyebrows raised. I just stare at her, obviously not liking the fact that she was reading too much into it. "I'm not leaving you out there to fry… Come on in," she offers nicely.

"I'm okay to wait...But thank you," I answer. "Do you mind if I wait out here?" I point to the bench on the porch. "…Just so I'm not in the sun…"

She stares at me strangely, "…I'm not going to bite you, ya know?"

"No, I know," I assure her.

"Uh, it just wouldn't seem right to leave you out there in this heat. My wife would kill me if she came home and saw that I left you outside in a hundred-degree weather. You'll be doing me a favor." She steps back inside and holds the door open for me to enter.

I smile awkwardly and reluctantly follow her in. I'm amazed at the sudden cool air from the air conditioner they had on. She closes the door behind her, letting all of the musky-hot air disintegrate.

"Have a seat in the living room," she points to the small room to the left of the hallway. "Would you like something to drink? You must've been hot out there when you were walking."

"No, thanks. I'm fine," I reply as I take a seat on one of the couches. If my legs could talk, they would thank her too, for the sudden break from all of the walking I had to do to get here. "I have water in my bag," I inform her, causing her to nod. It was true. I did have water. A few sips were left inside of my Poland Spring water bottle that I was saving. I'm sure it tastes as if it had been boiling for an hour, but I didn't want to waste it completely.

And I wasn't going to ask for a thing.

Not even a glass of water.

I hated asking for things. People always think you owe them something afterwards.

Which is why I didn't want to come inside of her house in the first place.

The woman and I share an awkward moment of silence that I felt lasted a lifetime.

"Well, I'll be right back. Make yourself at home," she smiles again and walks off.

What the hell is she talking about? Make yourself at home? Why would she tell that to a complete stranger? I shake my head as I wonder how these rich people could be so trusting.

Lena's POV

I wasn't sure who this girl was or why she was looking for Stef, but I couldn't just leave her outside for almost four hours, regardless of the fact that I didn't know her.

If it were Mariana or Callie, I wouldn't like it if someone thought it was okay to leave one of them outside like that.

I run into the kitchen the moment I'm out of the girl's sight. I know that I shouldn't have left her alone, but calling Stef right in front of her would've been rude, and I was afraid she was going to offer to wait outside again if I did.

I wait impatiently as the phone rings a few times. The second that I think that the voicemail is going to pop up she answers, "Hey, babe. Is there something else you need me to grab from the store on my way home?"

"Uh, no. I'm not calling for that. You do know that a kid just showed up here looking for you, right?"

"Showed up at the house?" she asks in disbelief. "No? Who was it?"

"A young girl, maybe 15? Blonde hair, green eyes, petite..." I wait for a response hoping that she knew exactly whom I was talking about. I didn't want to believe that I left a complete stranger in my living room. And when she doesn't answer I get nervous, "Stef?"

"That's weird. I don't give my address to people at work… Are you sure this girl was looking for me?"

"She called you Stefanie, instead of Stef, but she did say Foster.

"Uhuh," she responds. "Did she say what she wanted?" Stef asks with sudden interest.

"No, she said that it wasn't important, but…"

"You think that it's important?" she finishes, reading my mind. I know that she assumes I'm exaggerating, by her tone though.

"Yes."

"Uhuh. Did she leave her name and number?"

"No, I didn't ask. And well… she's sort of waiting for you."

"In the house? Lena?" Stef asks with anger and then worry in her voice.

"I know, I know!" I whisper-scream. "But what was I supposed to do? Leave her outside until you got home?"

Stef breathes heavily on the phone, "Are you at least watching her? Making sure that she's not taking anything?"

"Yes, I am," I answer in an annoyed voice, even though it's a complete lie. "Can you just come home, so I don't have to figure out how to entertain her for the next 4 hours?"

"Oh, that would be funny," Stef laughs.

"Stef," I warn.

"Okay. I'm coming." she answers in defeat.

"Alright. I love you."

"Love you too."