Hey Guys, I'm back! I'm soooo sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out, but between finals, moving and a job search, I got a little busy and didn't have a lot of time to write. Plus, I wasn't entirely sure how I wanted this conversation to go. But I figured it out. I don't feel like it's my best work, and Lena and Callie may be out of character, but once I figured it out, I couldn't get the idea out of my head. Hope you like it!
And, here it is...
I was sitting on our front porch waiting for my wife and oldest daughter to get home. Stef had called me saying that Callie had something important to tell us both, but she first wanted to talk to me alone.
When the car pulled into the driveway I stood up, waiting. Once the car was stopped, I saw Callie open the door and start sprinting towards me. I could see that she'd been crying, a few silent tears still running down her cheeks, and it broke my heart. I opened my arms and she launched herself into my waiting embrace, hugging me tight.
As I held this sweet girl in my arms, I heard Stef tell me she'd be waiting inside. I wondered what Callie had to tell me. Slowly, gently, I pulled away from the hug to look her in the eyes.
"Callie?" I began. "What is it, my love?"
She sighed before saying, "I just- I wanted to tell you that I never really wanted to go live with Robert. I only said that, because I was afraid."
I was confused. "You were afraid? Honey, what were you afraid of?"
"It's stupid. I did something wrong, but I didn't come to you guys because I was afraid that what I did would make you decide that you didn't want me anymore. That you and Stef would finally just give up on me like all the other homes I've been in." Callie said, not looking at me as she spoke.
"Callie. Look at me." I said, placing my hands on her shoulders and leaning down just enough so my eyes were level with hers. When she looked directly in my eyes, I spoke again.
"I promise you, right now, that that will never, never happen. Your adoption may be taking longer because of the Robert of it all, but that doesn't mean you are not a part of this family. You are my daughter. No matter what. And nothing will change that."
"Are you sure?" she asked softly.
"When Stef got shot, Marianna thought that we wouldn't want her and Jesus anymore because of that whole incident with Ana. I'm now going to tell you what I told her: we chose you, and you chose us. DNA doesn't make a family. Love does. We love you. That is never going to change."
She smiled as I spoke, but didn't say anything.
I sighed, as I said, "I know that it must have been impossibly hard to lose your Mom so young. And I can't imagine all the pain you went through in all your other foster homes, taking care of Jude all those years. And, let me tell you that you did an amazing job. That little boy is amazing, and loves you so much. I know that you have had a hard time trusting people after what happened with Liam, and I am so so sorry that he did that to you. That he made you feel unsafe and so unloved. But do you know one of the biggest things I love about you?"
She shook her head. "What?" She asked.
"You and Stef are a lot alike. You love hard, and do everything in your power to protect the ones you love. For example, you protected Jude all those years, and you protected Mariana by not drinking at that party and getting her home safely. But, as much as I love that about you, I want to make sure you know that you don't always have to be "the protector" anymore. You can trust us. I know you've been working on that, and you've been doing a great job. You're safe here, and we're never letting you go. Do you believe that?"
She had a few tears running down her cheeks at this point, and I nearly choked up saying it, but she smiled the biggest smile I'd ever seen from her before she hugged me again, saying, "Yeah, I really do, Mama."
I gasped a little as she said "mama", hugging her tight. A few tears escaped my eyes at that one little word.
It took me a minute to calm myself, so that I wouldn't start outright sobbing on the front lawn, holding my daughter. After a minute, I slowly disentangled myself from her again.
"Ok, now, let's go inside and talk with Stef, huh?"
She nodded again, sighing once more, "Yeah. It's time for you and Mom to know the truth. No more lies."
I smiled. "Sounds good to me."
Hope you liked it! I'm going to try to add on last chapter to this story, in Callie's POV maybe, telling her Moms what happened at Christmas with Daphne, Tasha and Brandon. If I can figure out how to word it. IF I can't, then this will be the last chapter, and I will post an AN to let you know so you're not just sitting and waiting. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you did, PLEASE review. I know I've said it before, but I'm self-conscious about posting what I write and I would love some positive feedback! Thanks guys! Happy Summer!
