When I wake up, it's because Brandon is climbing out of bed. The warmth of his body was leaving me slowly, before I realized he was completely out of bed.

"Wait," I mumble, grabbing his hand. "Stay with me for a few more minutes."

Brandon doesn't say anything, just gets in next to me, and I rest my head on his chest, Mariana words still in my mind.

Isn't having a family more important than having a boyfriend?

Having a family is important, I think. But isn't your family is supposed to accept you for who you are? Even it is something like having feelings for your foster brother?

I'm wasn't going to lie to myself, Mariana was right. A family is what everybody deserves. Expect me. Jude deserves one, but I don't. I ruin everything for people that I care about. I'm the one who ruined things for Jude, aren't I?

"Thinking about what Mariana said?" Brandon whispers, and I look at him.

"Yeah," I answer truthfully. It was no use to lying to him. He can read me like a book. "I mean, she is right. Having a family is important."

"I'm not going to disagree with that," Brandon says carefully, as if reading his words from a card. "But you were right too. Just because Stef and Lena don't adopt you, it doesn't mean that aren't part of our family. We shouldn't need to have some dumb ass signed papers to show that you are."

I smile weakly. "What are we gonna to do when Stef and Lena find out?"

Brandon smiles, looking at me. "Let's not think about that right now," He answers, kissing me. "It's not that important right now." He murmurs against my lips. I don't answer him, instead, I just kiss him back before we have to get the day started. Tomorrow we'd be going back to school. Brandon called Anchor Beach yesterday, and somehow convinced them to let me come back. Maybe it was because he's the vice principal son.

I pull away and look at him, suddenly hungry. "What's for breakfast?" I ask. "I hope your cooking skills are better than your dad."

"Well, I've heard that I make some serious pancakes."

As it turned out, Brandon does make some really good pancakes, better than mine.

He laughed at me, "Want another one?"

I shake my head. "No, I'm okay."

"I'll add extra chocolate chips."

"I'm good."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

Brandon doesn't say anything, just starts cleaning up the floor, where flour had fell after I knocked it over. There's knock on the door, and I can only imagine Stef and Lena standing there, with disappointed looks on their faces. I'm the one who ran away after they asked me if it was okay to adopt me, and I said yes. Then I just booked it.

I swallow. "I'll get it," I tell Brandon, who started down the hall. He looks back at me, a confused look on his face. "I got it." I tell him, walking past him.

I open the door, and Mariana stands there, a small frown on her face. At first, I don't move. I was surprised to Mariana again.

"Do you want to come in?" I ask, still somewhat surprised.

"I'm sorry!" Mariana tells me, hugging me. "I didn't mean any of that! I just wanted a sister!"

"It's fine?" I tell her, but it's more like a question. I didn't expect Mariana to be at the door again, sorry for what she said yesterday.

"I shouldn't have said anything like that! You're right! Just because you don't get adopted, it doesn't mean you aren't my sister. We shouldn't need a signature to prove that. It just matters if we feel like that, right? I mean it's okay to feel like you're my sister, right? It shouldn't matter if you like Brandon."

"It's okay," I tell her. "Really."

"But I judged you for liking Brandon!" Mariana tells me. "That's not fair."

She sound like she was on the verge of tears. "Hey. Hey, it's okay. I didn't leave. I'm right here. I'm still here. I still care about you," I look at her. "Do you really feel that bad?"

Mariana nods. "I know that you've been judge your entire life. I just didn't want you to hate me."

"I'm not going to hate you, Mariana."

"But I-"

"She doesn't hate you," Brandon says. "She's not going to lie."

"She might hate me after she finds out what happened last night." Mariana says, her voice quiet.

"What happened? Jude is okay, right? They aren't sending him away, are they? They can't! It's my fault!"

"Cals," Brandon mumbles. "They love Jude."

"Last night, I told Jude that you were here, Callie. I explained everything to him. Moms heard us talking. Jude told me to let him see you, but I told him no."

"But I need to tell him why I left! I need to let him know it wasn't his fault!" I take a deep breath. "Please tell me they're still going to adopt him. He deserves a family."

Mariana looks at the floor. "I don't know that. They're talking about fostering him, but not adopting him."

My heart sinks. Jude would be heartbroken. He loves the Fosters. He wants to get adopted by them. He has too. I shake my head.

"They have to adopt him! It's Jude."

"I'm sorry Callie. I should have just kept quiet about it. I just made things even worse."

I don't say anything. Instead, I imagine what Jude would be thinking right now. Would he be blaming me? Probably. Does he hate me? Yeah, that too. He'd be wondering why they don't want him. He's a good kid. Jude deserves so much more than a sister like me. I ruin everything. I can see him on his bed in Jesus' room, just sitting there, blaming me. Blaming Brandon. Telling himself that it was his fault that I left.

"He hates me," I mutter. "He's gonna say it's all my fault. You need to tell Stef and Lena that they can't do that. Tell them that Jude needs them."

"Callie, I- it might not wo-"

"Then tell them that they need Jude! Tell them that you want him!" I take a deep breath. "Anything, Mariana! You have to promise me that you'll make sure that they'll adopt him. Please."

"I'll try, but they won't lis-"

"Do anything! Just make sure he's happy for me. I want him to be happy."

"Okay. I'll try."

"No, you'll do it. You'll make sure that he becomes your brother. Just make sure that my choice doesn't affect Stef and Lena's about Jude, Mariana. That's all I'm asking you."

Brandon hand finds mine, and I feel a little better. Brandon always seemed to be there for me when I needed him.

"I'm going to, Callie. I promise. He's my brother." Mariana walks out the door again, and I look at Brandon.

"They'll keep him, right? They love him, don't they? I mean, Jude needs them. And they need him. It just makes sense to adopt him."

"Yeah, it does. But it's still missing a piece."

"What?"

"They're missing you."

"What? Are you saying that we shouldn't do this?"

Brandon shakes his head. "I'm not trying to make you change your mind, Callie. I'm really not, but it's your choice. I'm just saying that if they adopt Jude, it might not feel the same to them," His green eyes meet mine. "They need you, too."