Chapter 7.

Sitting in her room, Callie's ear perked up. She lifted her head to listen to the voices coming from downstairs. One was Robert's. One was Sophia's; she sounded upset. The last voice was definitely a grown woman's. It had to be Jill. She had been absent for several days. Had she come back?

Suddenly the distant talking quieted, and she heard the door close hard. Then, footsteps running up the stairs. It was Sophia, going into her room and slamming the door behind her.

Callie set her homework aside; it wasn't like her to do her homework on a Friday night, but she didn't want to have it looming over her on the weekend of the camping trip. Sliding of her bed, she went downstairs to investigate, under the pretense of getting a snack. When she arrived in the kitchen, Jill was already gone. She could hear her car leaving the driveway.

Robert was slumped over the kitchen table, his face in his hands. His shoulders were shaking; he was crying.

"Robert?" she said softly. "Are- are you okay?"

He looked up at her. He sighed, shakily. "Jill moved out tonight."

Callie winced. "How's Sophia?"

"She's in her room," he said quietly. "She took it pretty hard." He closed his eyes and sobbed, a deep gasping sob. Callie then knew what Brandon had meant, when he said it had scared him to see Mike cry. She'd never seen a man cry like that before.

Without thinking twice, she went to Robert's side and placed her hand on his shoulder, trying to reassure him. He placed his hand over hers, squeezing it, before taking her in his arms and hugging her. She encircled his neck, letting him hold her.

"I'll be fine," he breathed into her hair, probably trying to convince himself more than her. "I don't want you to worry. You girls come first to me. I'm always going to be there for you."

Callie nodded. "I know."

He pressed a kiss to her head. "I love you, sweetheart." He let her go, gripping her arms. "Go ahead and get ready for bed. It's getting late, and you have a big day tomorrow."


Callie took a long shower, knowing it would be her last one for a three-day weekend. The hot, steamy water beat the tension from her shoulders and cleared her head. She shivered as she got out, drying herself off, then putting on her pajamas and running a comb through her wet hair. From the room next door, she could hear the soft sound of her sister crying. This time, she couldn't ignore her big-sister instincts.

"Sophia?" She tiptoed into the young girl's room. Sophia was sprawled on her bed, her face buried in her pillow.

She looked up, her tears sparkling in the dark. "My mom left."

Callie nodded grimly. "I know. I heard." She sighed sadly. "Are you okay? Do you want me to sleep in here?"

"Will you?" she whispered, hopeful. "I mean, you don't have to."

"Move over," she said, climbing into bed. She settled under the covers, beside her sister.

"Why are you being nice to me?" Sophia asked. "I thought you hate me. You said I wasn't your sister."

Sighing, Callie wrapped her arm around the younger girl and pulled her close. "I don't hate you.," she told her. "And I didn't mean all the mean things I said. I was just mad. Haven't you ever said things you didn't mean when you were upset?"

Sophia nodded, fresh tears leaking from her dark eyes. "Yeah."

"I'm really sorry," Callie admitted. "I wish I could take it all back."

"You do?"

"Yes. If I'd known you were going through so much, I wouldn't have been so hard on you. You're just a kid. It's just... I miss Jude, and, I guess it was easy to take it out on you. But I was wrong."

"I didn't mean to ruin your life," Sophia confided. "I just wanted a sister so much. A sister is like a built-in best friend. But now I have no one."

"You have me," Callie assured her, brushing back her hair. "I know I haven't been the most approachable person, but you can come to me. Okay?"

Sophia nodded, resting her head against Callie's shoulder. "Can we just start over? I want to be friends."

"I'd love to start over," she replied, wrapping her in a hug. Sophia hugged her back, eager for comfort. "I'll sleep in here with you every night," she whispered. "For as long as you need me. I'll even stay home from the camping trip if you want me to."

"You would do that for me?" Sophia asked, surprised. "Why?"

"Because I love you," she told her. "And that's what big sisters are for."

Sophia was quiet for a moment. "I don't want you to miss the camping trip, Callie. You've been looking forward to it."

Internally, she let out a sigh of relief; she truly did want to go on the trip. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Thanks," she said back.

"I love you, Callie," Sophia whispered.

Callie pressed her lips to Sophia's cheek. "I love you too. Now go to sleep. I'm right here."

Nodding, Sophia snuggled in beside her. Callie closed her eyes, rubbing her little sister's arm, trying to sooth her in the silence.

"Callie?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think you and I will ever be as close as you and Jude are?"

She opened her eyes and mulled it over. "I don't know. Jude and I have been through so much together. For a long time, we were each other's only family. I've always been more like a mother to him." She paused. "Maybe we can't be close exactly like Jude and I are, but we can be close in a different way."

"I like that," she said. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."


Callie awoke bright and early the next morning, and Robert drove her to the campsite to meet the Fosters. He walked with her until he was a few feet away from them, and then he wrapped her in a bear-hug. "Have fun, sweetheart," he said. "And be safe."

"I will," she promised with a nod.

He bent down and kissed her cheek. "I love you, honey. I'll see you soon."

"Okay," she replied. "Bye."

He waved as she turned and walked away, and he waited until she was safely with Stef and Lena before getting in his car and going home. Callie didn't expect to feel a pang of homesickness as she watched him drive away. But she did.

Stef and Lena greeted her in their usual way, as if they hadn't seen her for a year. Her lonely feelings evaporated once she was in their arms.

"We're so glad you could come, love," Stef smiled. She gave her a kiss, then drew back in for another hug.

"We miss you, sweets," Lena added.

"I miss you guys too," Callie told them. She turned to Jude and threw her arms around him. "And I especially miss you." She tousled his hair and kissed the tip of his nose.

"Well," we have a little hike before we get to our campsite," Stef announced. "So we better go over the checklist one more time and then get going." She held up a clipboard and began looking over their supplies.

"Hey, beautiful," said Brandon, when no one was looking. He put his arms around her waist and leaned in to kiss her.

Suddenly, Callie felt shy. She ducked away from his kiss. "Brandon, not here."

"You're right," he sighed, glancing back at the family. He winked. "Later."

Just then, Stef turned to them. "Alright, let's get going."

Callie followed her family down the dirt path. The first half of the walk was slow and easy. Callie found herself matching steps with Mariana and Jude. "This is gonna be so much fun," Jude told her enthusiastically. "Mama brought stuff for s'mores, and we can swim in the lake."

"I've never been camping before," Callie admitted.

"Don't let him fool you," Mariana piped up. "Camping is the worst. It's bugs, and dirt, and sweat," she counted off on her fingers. "Sub-standard bathrooms, no beds, and to top it all off, I have cramps."

"Oh, you know you love it," Lena laughed. "You cried your eyes out the year we didn't go, when you were ten."

"Well, I didn't know any better back then," she pouted.

"What's with the whistles?" Callie asked, noticing the bright plastic objects that hung around everyone's necks but hers.

"Oh! I almost forgot," said Stef. She handed Callie an orange whistle on a lanyard. "Wear this, and blow on it if you get lost, so we can find you."

"Thanks," she smiled, slipping the whistle over her head.

After arriving at their destination, they spent the better part of the morning unpacking and setting up camp. By the time late afternoon came, Stef and Jesus had started a campfire. They sat around it, warming themselves and eating the hotdogs they'd cooked. Callie sat next to Brandon. In the growing darkness, he slipped his hand into hers and squeezed it.

Jude told a scary story that was boring, and Jesus told one that was gross. Callie found herself huddled closer to Brandon as Jesus spoke, the flashlight casting eerie shadows on his face.

Before they headed to their tents that night, Brandon took Callie aside. "Let's sneak out later."

Callie looked back at the darkness of the woods and shivered; she knew there were bears out there, and who knew what else. But she wanted to spend time with her boyfriend. She'd hardly had a minute alone with him all day. "Okay," she whispered with a smile. "After moms go to bed."

He nodded. "I'll meet you by the restrooms."

To Be Continued