AN- Did you guys know that May is national foster care awareness month? There are millions of kids in the us like Callie and Jude. We adopted our four from foster care. And I grew up in the system from 2 months old. I was never adopted though. I lived in 17 different homes. There are many people who don't realize that Foster Care is a real thing, or how prevelent it is. It is said that a kid is taken into foster care every 11 minutes in the world. I hope you guys take a minute this May to tell someone about the foster care system and help us bring awareness.
"Where are you off to?" Stef asked Callie as Callie walked out in a pair of slacks and a nice shirt. A part of her couldn't help to swell with pride. The last four days she had been able to see the woman her daughter had become. Callie was a hard worker and cared about the kids she worked for.
"A placement meeting, tying up loose strings for the kids to go back to their mother," Callie said as she grabbed a orange out of the fruit bowl and sat on a stool, "It shouldn't take too long. We just want to make sure the mom knows she is not to let her ex anywhere near the kids or they will be taken again. It shouldn't take but a couple hours."
"And then we go get the keys to the house, right?" Stef asked as she sat opisite Callie. She was excited to see where her grandchild would be raised.
"Yes, we get them at 2, but Mama made me promise we would wait for her. She said she had a meeing at 1:30 but she should be out by 2:30 and we can all go together."
"I didn't promise her," Stef joked as she stole a segment of Callie's orange.
"Don't steal food from your grandchild," Callie slapped Stef's hand with a smile, "And we'll see how that not waiting for her goes over with Mama," she laughed.
"What am I supposed to do until then?" Stef groaned good naturedly.
"Well, when I get home we could do some grocery shopping for my place," Callie suggested. Stef agreed as Callie threw her orange peels away and grabbed her purse, "I'll see you in a few hours," she said as she hugged her mom, rolling her eyes When Stef's hand moved to her stomach, "Peanut isn't leaving for a few more months. THe baby will always be there."
"Don't make fun of me," Stef laughed, "Have a good meeting."
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"So you're getting a new case. Couldn't they wait until you had the baby?" Stef asked as she paced the kitchen. Callie sighed,
"Mom, I told you, since we closed the case with the one family they gave me another one so I'll always have two until Peanut is born."
"Callie, the father is abusive! What if he did something to you."
"Mom, for one, you shouldn't have read my case notes. And two, I'm not going to be near the father unless it's in a meeting and since the father was abusive there will be a police officer at any meetings to make sure everyone is safe."
"I glanced at the first page," Stef said with indignently.
"Mom this is my job. I'm going to make sure I'm safe, ok?"
"I don't like the thought of you maybe being in danger."
"Slimmer than none," Callie said as she closed her folder, "Plus, what about your job? Mama hated it."
"I'm not-" Stef said exsasperated.
"Your daughter?" Callie asked gently as she stood up, "Mom, you jut have to trust me on this. I love my job, and there is a little boy that needs someone on his side. Not on the states or the government's. But who only cares about him and him alone."
"I get it, Cal," Stef said after a moment, taking a breath, "I can't help worry about you though, you taught me the true meaning of a daughter scaring her mother to death," Stef said as she grabbed her keys "Go get groceries?" she asked.
Callie smiled and grabbed her coat and slipped on a pair of shoes, ""by scaring to death you mean Jason?" She asked as they got into the car, "We weren't that bad."
"No, Sweets, I mean the suicide attempt."
Callie sighed, "Yes, that was a bad... year," She murmered.
"I'm not saying anything that it's your fault, I just want you to understand. Between me being protective over my babies anyways, this being my first grandchild, and your past. I worry."
"I know Mom, and I know you worry that one day I'm just going to up and leave but I want my baby to grow up around family. That's why I came back. There are so many people who already love Peanut. It would be unfair to the baby to just up and leave."
"And to you," Stef smiled, looking over.
"What do you mean?"
"Don't pretend like you don't remember the conversation we had the other night, Callie Quin AdamsFoster, Lord you have a long name, I know you like to forget once you have heart to heart conversations but you asked for my help, and I'm planning on giving it. Even if you sometimes fight it."
"Can't we just call that conversation pregnancy hormones making me emotional? That was an emotional night."
"Nope, not letting that conversation go," Stef said with a small smile, "For the first time in years you acutally opened up to me about being afraid. I'm taking it. If it's pregnancy hormones, I hope you have more," She said as they pulled into Fred Myer's.
"Ok, let's go find some food that won't make me gag trying to cook it," Callie said as she pushed herself out of the car.
"What type of things were you thinking?" Stef asked as she grabbed a cart and they alked into the store.
"Anything but meat or eggs, well, eggs, just not cooking them on their own."
"You're not going to eat meat at all?" Stef asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm just not going to cook it. It makes me nausious," Callie replied.
"Me and Mama will have to make extra and bring it over some nights then," Stef said as they started walking around. Callie filled the basket with stuff that was easy to prepare or great for taking on the run for snacks.
"Really?" Stef asked with a raised eyebrow as Callie put a thing of donuts and icecream beside the bags of fruit.
"What, so I have a little indulgence."
Stef snikered, "I'm starting to see why you wanted to get this done before Mama was done." Callie rolled her eyes.
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Callie stood infront of the small three bedroom house while her moms talked to the renter. It wasn't the best house, and it was small, but with the money Jason gave her she was able to afford it, it was close to home and work. And Stef hadn't started complaining yet, so that was a good sign.
"Well Sweets, should we see the inside?" Stef asked as she threw an arm around Callie's shoulders.
"You wouldn't let me answer no would you?" Callie laughed.
"No I wouldn't," Lena said as she walked over to them. Taking the key Callie opened the front door and stepped inside.
"It needs aired out," She said with a wrinkle of her nose, "It smells."
"It's the pregnancy, but we can air it out tomorrow while we're unloading the trailer," Stef said as she stepped inside, "All hardwood floors?"
"yep," Callie smiled, "It's cleaner, have you ever pulled up a rug? It's discusting."
"What will the baby lay on when it needs tummy time, or is learning to walk?" Stef askd a little worried.
"I'm going to get area rugs, but I can always also just put a blanket down for when the baby's playing on the floor."
Stef rubbed a hand over her eyes, "Ok, where to next?"
Callie led them to a medium sized but open kitchen, "There's not much cooking space but I figured there's enough room for a table that will fit a few of us, I don't think we'll be having very many family meals here," She laughed a little. Thinking back she had thought it was huge, until she was with her moms and was in a house filed with pictures that reminded her just how big this family was.
"It's perfect," Lena smiled, "Maybe you and I could do some more cooking like when you were a teenager. I still haven't prefected your biscuts and gravey." The comment caused Callie to laugh.
"How can you not make biscuts and gravy?"
"Oh, shush, you," Lena smiled.
Callie led them to what would be the guest room, "I figured a full sized bed, a dresser, mirror, just make it kind of cozy for people to come over."
"Good Grandma can stay with you," Stef said.
"Haha, no, I'll take Marianna, Grandma can sleep in her room and Grandpa can sleep in my room. You're not sticking me with her."
Callie led them to a medium sized bathroom with a small shower and a seperate bath tub, "simple but I love it," Callie said, making the two mothers grin. Their daughter looked so proud of her new house.
"Peanut's room," Callie said as she opened the door to a small bedroom with a window opening to a small back yard, "Peanut will be sleeping in a cot in my room for the first few months, but hopefully I'll be able to move the baby in here by 4 or 5 months."
"It'll be great, and Jude is going to have a hay day with this," Stef smiled.
"And, the master room," Callie said as she opened the bedroom door. A musty stench waifferd out and made Callie's stomach churn, hurrying to the back yard she heaved into the grass as Stef followed her quickly, pulling the hair tie out of her hai she pulled Callie's hair back before rubing her lower back.
"Alright?" Stef asked when she straightened her back.
"Really needs aired out," Callie muttered as Lena walked over with a bottle of water that Callie sipped on.
"Don't worry, we'll make sure it is tomorrow," Stef said as she ran a hand up and down her back for a few more moments. "Ready to head back home?"
"Yeah, I'll call about getting the water and electricity there," Callie said. She had wanted to do it here and be able just to sit in her new house for a little while but that obviously wasn't going to happen until she did something about the smell.
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"You going to be bored without me home now?" Callie asked Stef as they chopped vegtables for dinner.
"You're close enough I'll come visit if I'm bored. Plus there is still unpacking and setting up the house, then there's the ultra sound, then we're going to see your brother and sister. It's safe to say you are keeping mine and Mama's life active," Stef laughed.
"It'll be an interesting few months," Callie said offhandidly.
"Months? Try years, Sweets, or decades. Pregnancy is just the start of it all."
"Hopefully it'll get easier after a year or so."
"mmmhm," Stef murmered with a smile, "And that is why you'll need my help, you're still naive from those parenting books. You need one called 'the teenage years, what they fail to tell you', and 'ages 6-16, where everytime you kiss your partner a child will walk in.'"
"You were just never discreate about it and Mama is fun to tease."
"She does get embarressed easily," Stef winked.
"You guys are horrible," Lena said as she walked in and grabbed the cut veggies.