Loving you is easy
Callie POV
When I wake up, it's noon and the house is quite. I manage to pull myself out of bed, and start to go down the stairs. I stop in my tracks when I hear Lena's voice.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Jacob. Would you like anything to eat?"
"I still can't believe that you invited her father inside!"
"Brandon!" Lena says. "I'm sorry about, Sir. I'm sure that Callie would love to see you, just like Jude."
"Are you insan-"
"Brandon!" Stef says. "Please! Why don't you go and wake up Callie?" There's the sound of a chair scraping against the floor. "I'm very sorry about that. He's quite protective of Callie.I know Callie would very happy to see you again, just like Jude, sir."
"Please, call me James."
Screw that. I'm not like Jude. I don't want to see my father again.
I can tell that I startle Brandon when he see me standing there, frozen. I put my hand over his mouth before he can say anything.
"I don't want to see my father again," I whisper, and move my hand. "I don't want to have anything to do with him again."
Brandon nods, "I know you don't. That's what I told them, but Jude saw him, so moms had to invite him in. I don't think Jude is going to let him leave anytime soon."
"Dammit, Jude!" I say, and Brandon looks at me in confusion, but I ignore it and go down the rest of the stairs, where everybody is sitting at the table. It takes all of my willpower to not tell Jude to move way from our father, who hasn't changed in the last 10 years.
He stands up suddenly, his arms spread out. "Callie!" he shouts, smiling at me. "You've grown so much!" I don't say anything before he hugs me, and I tense up. "It's been such a long time! And Jude, he's grown so much more than you! I mean look at him, I'd do anything to see him grow up like that. You have pictures, right?"
"Cant. Breathe." I choke out, so he can let go of me, but it's partly true.
"Sorry! I'm just so happy. You have great friends here."
"Yeah," I answer, sitting down in the empty chair next to Brandon. "They keep me company."
My father nods, and begins talking to Jude again, which only makes me tense up even more. Brandon takes my hand from underneath the table, and I calm down a little bit.
"Callie, honey. Would like some pasta?" Stef asks, holding out a bowl.
"Sure," I say, taking the bowl. "Thanks, Mom."
Stef gives me a sad smile, and Lena looks at me. "Can I speak to you, for a minute?"
I let go of Brandon's hand, and follow Lena into the living room.
"What's up?" I ask.
"Your dad, he's been talking to Jude about taking care of you again."
I shake my head. "No. It didn't work well the first time. I don't want to live with him again." I mumble, and Lena hugs me.
"It's going to be okay, Callie. You can come visit us everyday, okay?"
"But you adopted us," I argue. "He can't ju-"
Lena cuts me off. "He's your biological father, Callie. He can do what he wants to. You know that."
"I know," I say. "I just don't want him to be around Jude."
Lena nods in understanding. "Let's go before everybody starts notice that we're gone."
I don't say anything. I just follow Lena back into the kitchen, but I don't sit down. Instead I grab a Gatorade from the fridge and sit on the counter, and everybody stares at me.
"What?" I ask innocently, and Brandon smiles.
"Callie," My dad says, when everybody begins talking again. "Do you have a boyfriend?"
"Wh- What? A boyfriend? No."
"Are you sure? 'Cause on my way here I met a nice lad named Liam, and he mentioned you. He seemed to know you well."
I freeze, holding to the plastic bottle tightly before I shake my head. "No. We're just close friends."
He nods dropping the subject, and I make eye contact with Brandon, who's look at me. 'Are you okay?' He mouths, and I don't respond.
"Excuse me," My dad says, his hand on Jude's shoulder. "Do you mind if I steal Jude and Callie for a few moments?"
Moms are quick to respond. "No, of course not! Go ahead."
I follow Jude into the living room, and dad sits on the couch, and I stop Jude from sitting down next to him.
"Don't trust him," I whisper. "He-"
"Callie, Jude," He says, getting our attention. "I know I've made mistakes in my life, but I want to start over again with you guys."
I shake my head before Jude can make the connection. "No," I tell him. "I'm not going to let that happen. I'm not going to let you near my brother again." I grab the fabric of Jude's shirt, pulling him towards me.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me," I say simply. "I'm not going to let you near my brother again."
"He is my son!" My father says, and I can tell that he's trying hard to not lose his temper.
"He is my brother! You don't get him! You were never there for him! What makes you think I'm going to let you live in the same house as Jude?"
I've gone too far, I can see it in his eyes. he stands up, and puts a few inches between us. "You're going to live me again, weather if you like or not, Callie Marie Jacob. Do you understand me? Do never say that ever again. I have been here for you guys all along."
"Really?" I demand. "Were you there when Jude made the soccer team? Or there for me when I met Liam? Were you there when I need someone to help me with Liam? No. Now get out of my house, James Ryan Jacob. I didn't say you can come near us."
"Callie," Jude starts. "He-"
Our father cuts him off, his anger clearly visible. "I am your father!" He roars. "And you Callie, you need to learn some manners!"
"You're telling me this shit?" I shout. "Are you fucking serious? You're the reason why me and Jude ended up in the foster system! Tell Jude the truth since you lied to him. You told him that you got into the car crash because of a drunken driver! You got drunk and forced our mom into the car with you, and you killed her! Tell him that!"
I don't have time to see his actions before he smacks me. "I am your family!"
"Callie!" Jude says, and he pulls me behind him. "Don't you dare hit my sister again. If you touch her, I'll kill you."
"Jude," I mumble, my hand covering the red mark. "Don't say that."
"He lied to me, Callie!" Jude tells me, spinning around to face me. "And I didn't believe you when you tried to tell me the truth!"
"Jude!" I manage to pull him back far enough from the man in front of us, who hands just balled up into fists, and swung one of them at Jude's face.
"Jude," James says, mocking me. "We're a family, remember?"
"No. We aren't! This isn't a family!" I shout, hating him for what he's done to not my life, but to Jude's. For making it a living hell.
I feel arms around my waist, pulling me away from James. I grab Jude's hand. "Thanks for the offer, though, James."
James mouth drops open. "Really?" He asks. "You rather be with these people?" He gestures to Lena and Stef. "They're lesbians!"
"Hey!" Brandon says. "Don't talk about my mothers like that!"
James ignores him. "And those two, Jesus and Mariana or something whatever their names are. Their mother is a drug dealer. And then there's you and Jude here with these people. You deserve so much more."
"More than an asshole like you," Jude says. That's my Jude. "They are great people."
Brandon's arms left my waist, but I grab his hand, and look over at the twins and moms, then back to James, Mariana's words echoing in my ears.
DNA doesn't make a family, Callie. Love does.
I look James right in the eye when I speak. "We might not be perfect people. I know for a fact that we aren't. Moms work their asses off to be the best parents they can be. That's what makes them perfect. They try hard. Jesus and Mariana are great kids, and great siblings," I hold Brandon's hand tighter. "Brandon's just like the rest of them. He's nice and gentle and caring. Then I have Jude. I've been taking care of him for almost ten years. We all have problems. We all have something that makes us different, but that's what makes us special. We might not be perfect. We might be broken at times. But who the hell cares? I'm proud that they're my family. But do you want to know why we're a family?"
James doesn't say anything.
"We don't have the same DNA. DNA doesn't matter, it so unimportant. DNA doesn't make a family, James. Love does."
Jude looks down at me and smiles. "I can tell you right now, you don't have a lot of love to make the three of us a family. Callie and I are happy here. Now if you can't stand it any longer, then there's the door."
