Chapter 2

"So how long are you gonna be gone for?" Brandon asked Monday morning as everyone sat around the breakfast table. An extra stool had been added days ago for Ana who sat quietly at the end next to Callie.

"Until Friday," Lena answered before taking a sip of her orange juice. "There will be lots of education related workshops and lectures," she explained.

Stef pushed her scrambled eggs around her plate as she listened to her wife.

"Ugh! Sounds boring," Mariana said. "But at least you get to go to L.A. for a week! If you see any famous people, be sure to get a picture or maybe even an autograph!"

Lena smiled at her daughter's excitement.

"How long is the drive?" Jude asked as he cut into his pancakes.

"It's about three hours," Lena said, looking at the clock on the wall. "I should actually get going pretty soon if I want to make it in time for orientation."

Everyone was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a small groan coming from Ana.

"Sorry," she said with a shy smile. "She's kicking really hard this morning."

Mariana stood up and went to her. "Can I feel?" Ana nodded and Marian gently placed her hand on Ana's belly. "Oh my god!" she smiled. "Jesus come feel."

Jesus glanced around the table for a moment before moving next to his sister and placed his hand on Ana's stomach, a smile spreading across his face.

Stef glanced at her wife to see the small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She reached over to grab her hand and found some comfort when Lena squeezed back.

Callie watched the exchange before turning back to her breakfast.

"Okay, guys, I have to get going!" Lena announced as she stood up and cleared her dishes away. "Give me hugs and kisses!"

Stef watched with a smile as the children crowded around their mama and bombarded her with affection. "Alright, alright! Give the lady some space," she said as she pushed through the crowd and wrapped an arm around her wife's waist.

"Walk me out," Lena said as she took Stef's hand. "You guys be good for your mom and your grandmothers," she yelled as they walked to the front door.

Stef grabbed Lena's bag and walked with her outside to the car. "Did you already get gas?" she asked.

"Yes," Lena answered as she watched Stef heft her bag into the trunk.

"Do you have something to snack on while you're driving?"

"Yes, and if I need anything, I'll just stop at rest area," Lena said.

Stef nodded. She wasn't really sure of what else to say. She didn't want her to leave.

Lena picked up on her wife's anxiety and grabbed her hand. "Stef, it's okay. It's just work."

Stef looked at the ground uncomfortably. "Will Monte be there, too?" she asked quietly.

Lena closed her eyes as the guilt from what happened with Monte came rushing back to her. "No," she said softly. "I wouldn't have agreed to go if she was," Lena tried to explain.

Stef wasn't really sure what the difference was considering they worked together every day anyway, but she didn't want to argue right before Lena was about to get on the road. "Okay," she said, pulling Lena in for a hug. "Please, be careful and call me as soon as you get there."

Lena held her wife tightly, her face buried in her neck. "I will. I love you."

"I love you, too," Stef said before she pulled away slightly and kissed her wife's lips. After she had been shot, she and Lena promised never to go away angry and it was promise she intended to keep, even if things were hard at the moment.


Later that evening, Stef arrived home to find everyone, including her mother, in the kitchen.

"Stefanie!" Sharon said as she pulled her into a tight hug.

"Hi, mom," Stef said. Her mom drove her nuts most of the time, but today it felt comforting to have her close. "Hi, my babies!" Stef said as she turned to the table to greet her children. "Hi, Ana," Stef said, smiling at the quiet woman, who returned the greeting.

"Ana here helped me make dinner," Sharon said as she went to the oven to pull out a warm plate of green beans, mashed potatoes and baked chicken for her daughter.

"Looks delicious," Stef said as she sat down. As she listened to everyone talk about their day, she couldn't help but miss her wife and wonder what she was doing.


When Lena got back to her hotel room that evening, she tossed her things onto the small loveseat and immediately began undressing for a shower. It had been a long day of orientation, meeting people and discussing all of the different lectures and workshops that would be taking place throughout the week. It was nice to hear other viewpoints and to know that there were other administrators out there facing the exact same problems she was at Anchor Beach. It was nice to talk to people who understood.

After adjusting the water temperature, Lena quickly piled her curls on top of her head in a bun and stepped into the shower. The hot water felt wonderful after such a long day and she simply stood there savoring it as her muscles relaxed.

Eventually, her mind wandered to her family. She had thought about them all day actually, especially Stef. A few of the other administrators had even brought their spouses with them and Lena thought about how nice it would be if Stef could arrange to come with her in the future. But then she laughed at the thought. Stef barely listened when Lena tried to talk about her job at home, so she couldn't imagine her actually wanting to come to an event like this.

Then she thought about how unfair she was being, considering she didn't exactly encourage her wife to talk about her job either. The very thought of Stef being hurt devastated her. Lena remembered the first time Stef had tried to talk to her about her job after they had moved in together.

"He aimed his gun right at me!" Stef said one evening as they sat in the kitchen having dinner. She took a large bite of her salad, completely oblivious to the expression of horror on her girlfriend's face.

Lena listened quietly, not even touching her food as Stef continued. She was glad Brandon wasn't around to hear the story.

"But luckily the guy wasn't a very good shot," Stef chuckled. "It was completely off and ended up in the wall someplace."

"Will you excuse me for a minute?" Lena said with a tiny smile as she made her way to the bathroom. She shut the door behind her softly and closed her eyes tightly, but it didn't stop the tears from leaking through. Grabbing the nearest bath towel, she buried her face in it, hoping it would muffle out the sounds of her crying.

Lena wasn't sure how much time passed when she heard the knock on the door. She collected herself as best she could, hoping that Stef couldn't tell she had been crying, and opened the door.

"Love, what's wrong?" Stef asked, a look of worry on her face.

Lena's face scrunched up as more tears came and she buried her face in Stef's neck when she hugged her.

Lena gave a small smile at the memory as she stepped out of the shower and grabbed a robe. She had eventually managed to say what was wrong between hiccups and Stef had apologized for scaring her. From then on, other than a few occasions, Stef rarely talked about the details of her job.

As Lena got comfortable on the bed, she realized that maybe she needed to be more open about listening to Stef. She knew her job wasn't all bullets and fighting. Stef dealt with a lot of things that were emotional and traumatic. It was a lot for even the toughest person to deal with and if she could help Stef carry that emotional burden in any way, even if it was just listening, she would.


"Well, you've been awfully quiet tonight," Sharon said as she joined her daughter in her bedroom with a cup of tea. The kids had all gone to their rooms hours ago and Ana was resting in the living room.

Stef looked up from the magazine she was flipping through as her mother sat down next to her on Lena's side of the bed. "I'm just tired, mom."

Sharon watched her daughter for a moment before reclining on the bed next to her and glancing casually around the bedroom, taking in all of the pictures of the smiling family. "You miss your wife, don't you?"

"I do," Stef said softly and it was true. She debated on elaborating. Sometimes it was hard to talk to her mother, but she realized that she didn't really have anyone else. Usually, Lena was the person she confided in.

Sharon smirked, wondering whether or not Stef would get mad if she teased her a little. "You know, I remember when your father and I first got married. Sometimes he would work a double shift and I'd be in the house all alone, missing him," she smiled. "But then you came along and it'd just be me and my little girl, keeping each other company while you're father was at work." She decided to leave out the part where toward the end of their marriage, she dreaded it when Frank came home.

Stef smiled at her mother.

"Now, look at you. Over ten years and you and your wife are still like lovesick teenagers," Sharon laughed. "Lena hasn't even been gone a full day."

Stef sighed and closed her magazine.

Sharon sighed, too. "Now, don't get mad. I'm only teasing you," she said, patting her daughter's leg.

"It's not that, mom," Stef said as she took her glasses off. "Lena and I… It's been hard lately."

Sharon sat quietly for a moment. "Go on," she said eventually.

"There's just so much going on," Stef began as she rested her head against the headboard. "The kids are all so busy. We're trying our best to adopt Callie and deal with her birthfather, and now this thing with Ana and adopting the baby…" Stef said. She decided not to mention what happened with Monte. "Lena and I barely have time for each other and when we do manage to get a moment we end up arguing about something."

Sharon could hear the sadness in her daughter's voice. She always worried that one day Stef would try and take on more than she could handle and it was finally catching up to her.

"Well, are you going to say anything?" Stef asked.

"Do you want me to say anything?" Sharon asked cautiously.

"Mother…"

"Hey, I'm just trying to be a good listener!" Sharon defended.

"I just poured my heart out to you, mom. I assumed you'd have something to say," Stef said.

Sharon thought for a moment. "You say Lena's going to be gone all week?"

"Yes. Until Friday."

"Well…why aren't you with her then?" she asked as if it was the most obvious solution.

Stef looked at her mom confused. "It's not a vacation, mom. She's working!"

"Psh!" Sharon dismissed with a wave of her hand. "Don't you ever watch TV? Events like that are just excuses for people in any given industry to have a good time."

"You're not helping," Stef said, closing her eyes.

Sharon grabbed her daughter's hand. "Stefanie, listen to me. Whatever's going on between you and Lena, you need to work it out together."

"I can't just leave," Stef said. "I have to make sure Ana is taken care of and Callie needs to feel safe…"

"Stephanie!" Sharon said, cutting her daughter off. "You need to take care of your wife."

Stef looked at her mom, the seriousness in her eyes.

"You and Lena have made the most beautiful family, but if you don't take care of each other," she said softly, "It could all fall apart."

Stef blinked away tears at the very thought. She couldn't imagine life without Lena and her children.

"Besides," Sharon continued, "I'm here. Dana will be here tomorrow," she said, rolling her eyes, which caused Stef to laugh. "You have people to help you, dear. Take advantage of it. You can't do everything on your own."

Stef sat quietly contemplating her mother's advice, her mind working to find a way to make it happen.

"To be honest, Stefanie, you're a bit of a control freak…but, I'll admit…you probably get it from me."

To be continued...