Stef and Lena sent the kids to watch TV while they cleared up. They were going to have the movie night that the kids had planned the day before and then all the kids were going to sleep together in the living room.
Stef and Lena were moving in a smooth rhythm putting things away and talking about Callie's first night away from them when Callie slowly walked into the kitchen. She looked sweaty and terrified.
"Honey are you okay?" Stef asked her as she helped her down onto a stool.
Callie looked up at her, afraid to say what she felt.
"Sweetheart what is it?" Lena asked sitting down next to her.
"I don't feel good." Callie whispered as tears filled her eyes.
"What do you mean?" Lena asked as she placed a hand on Callie's forehead. "You don't have a fever."
"I feel sick." Callie mumbled looking down at her hands avoiding Stef. "But I'm not doing it on purpose I promise."
Stef and Lena instantly knew what she meant.
"That's okay honey." Stef said as she patted Callie's back. "All that ice-cream was probably too much for your stomach right now."
Callie looked up at Stef with so much relief in her eyes that Stef had to laugh. "When are you going to learn to just come to us without putting yourself through all this?" She asked as she pulled Callie in and kissed her head.
Callie leaned into the hug for a few seconds before her hand flew to her mouth, her eyes wide.
"Come on." Stef pulled her up and rushed her to the bathroom just in time for Callie to throw up into the toilet.
Stef held her hair and rubbed her back until she was done and then helped Callie sit down. She handed her a cup of water and then she got a clean hand towel off the shelf and wet it with cold water before placing it on Callie's forehead.
"Feel better?" She asked as she wiped Callie's face with the cool cloth.
Callie nodded. She was drained and she felt week but her stomach finally stopped protesting.
"I'm sorry." She whispered.
"Don't be." Stef said. "Everyone gets sick sometimes and throws up. We just don't want you to force yourself to do it just because you've eaten something."
"I know." Callie said. "I didn't mean to do that."
"I know." Stef repeated her phrase as she continued to hold Callie. "And I'm proud of you for coming to us."
"I was afraid if I threw up you'd send me away." Callie said softly.
"Sweetheart, we are never, ever going to send you away." Stef explained. "When will you believe that?"
"But Dr. Briggs said that I might have to go to hospital." Callie reminded Stef.
"Sweetheart that's just because you weren't eating anything." Stef assured her. "It would be like if someone broke a bone or got in an accident. We won't leave you there forever."
Callie looked away. She didn't want to be left there for even one night.
"Even if you did have to go in, one of us would stay with you." Stef added, as though reading Callie's thoughts.
Callie looked up at her, her eyes wide. "You'd stay with me?" She asked.
"Yes love." Stef said softly. She wished that Callie knew that already and didn't look so surprised at the thought. "Just like I stayed with Jesus when he broke his leg and with Brandon when he had his tonsils removed. Just like mama stayed with me when I was shot, remember that?"
Callie nodded. She did remember that one. Back then she was still brave and strong and she helped take care of the others. Mariana and Jesus were so afraid of what they had done, Brandon was angry at them and Jude kept thinking about their mom. Callie was the only one who was able to keep it together. She had been afraid that Stef would die and that Lena would send them away but she was still strong enough to survive. Now she wasn't as strong, now she needed them and so now if she lost them she knew she wouldn't survive.
Once again she found those thoughts pulling her down and she was unable to stop them. She moved further into Stef and felt Stef tighten the arm around her. She instantly began to feel better.
"Don't let go." She whispered, too softly to really be heard.
But Stef did hear and she put down the towel and wrapped both arms around Callie. She had finally asked for something and Stef was going to give it to her. She held on to Callie for a while, sitting quietly, kissing the top of her head every so often.
After a while there was a knock on the door. "Everything okay? Lena asked as she opened the door and poked her head in.
"She's feeling better." Stef said. She knew it was time for them to get off the floor but she didn't want to let go of Callie, at least not until she warned the teen that she was going to do so.
"Let's get out of here Callie." Stef said as she gently shook her. "Why don't you go up and brush your teeth and change and come back down, then we'll start the movie."
Callie waited a few more minutes in the embrace before she pushed herself up. Stef gave her one more squeeze before she let her go.
Soon the whole family was sitting around the living room watching The Dark Knight. Jude and Jesus were already lying in their sleeping bags in front of the coffee table, Stef and Lena were sitting in the middle of the couch with Mariana next to Lena and Callie next to Stef. All four of them had their feet up on the coffee table.
As the movie continued Jude and Mariana became more and more afraid as the movie went on and finally Jude jumped up and ran to Stef and Callie plopping himself between them. They all laughed until there was a loud bang and suddenly Mariana, Lena and Jude all buried their heads. Stef, Callie and Jesus were the only brave ones. Stef put her arms around Lena and Jude and held them close. Jesus went to join them on the couch and pretty soon it was over crowded with all six of them but none of them minded one bit. As the movie continued Mariana, Lena and Jude screeched louder and louder and Jesus added to the fun my scaring Mariana and Lena from behind.
By the end of the movie Mariana were crying because Rachel died and Jude and Jesus were laughing at her. Stef, Lena and Callie however, were beginning to get nervous, the end of the movie meant the beginning of Callie's first night unsupervised. All four kids began getting organized for their sleepover - both girls between their brothers. Callie felt just a little bit more in control having Jude right there next to her. He always kept her grounded and she knew she'd never do anything in front of him.
After kissing all the kids goodnight and before heading back upstairs Stef and Lena called Callie into the kitchen.
"You ready for this?" Stef asked her with a smile. She was nervous but she wanted to give Callie as much confidence as she could.
Callie slowly nodded but her expression told them something else.
"We're right upstairs if you need us." Stef reminded.
"You can come in anytime." Lena added.
"We love you." Stef said as they both kissed her and sent her back to the living room.
They waited until all four kids were tucked in and zipped up before turning out the lights and heading upstairs.
Right before Stef hit the switch she noticed Mariana reach across and grab Callie's hand in support. She smiled at the sight - Callie would make it though the night, she had her siblings to help her.
But that didn't stop Stef from laying awake worrying for the next two hours.
"You really need to sleep." Lena said as Stef sighed for the fifth time. She was worried too but she was more rational than Stef. "You can't stay up all night honey."
"I know." Stef said, though she had every intention of doing just that.
"Go check on her." Lena said with a smile, finally fed up of Stef's ridged posture.
Stef looked at her for a moment before nodding and quietly creeping out of the room.
Lena watched her go and laughed to herself. Oddly enough they seemed to have slept better in a crowded bed.
Stef tiptoed down the stairs as quietly as she could and peaked her head around into the living room. She found all four kids laying still and breathing evenly. She couldn't tell if Callie was actually asleep or not but she didn't seem to be fidgeting or crying so Stef decided to leave her.
"How was she?" Lena asked as Stef came back into the room leaving their door open.
"Asleep I think." Stef said.
"Good, now maybe we can get some sleep as well." Lena smiled as Stef climbed back into bed. "Relax honey." Lena said as she curled into Stef's side - something she hadn't been able to do in so long.
"This is nice." Lena said after a few minutes of silence. "I missed sleeping like this."
"Me too." Stef said, kissing Lena's head.
Lena tilted her head up so Stef could repeat the kiss on her lips and then rolled away back to her side of the bed.
"Where are you going?" Stef asked reaching to pull Lena back.
"I'm going to sleep on my side." Lena said.
"But it's our first night together too." Stef protested.
"I know." Lena smiled. "But I also know that you're going to be getting in and out of bet to check on Callie all night and I'd really like to get some sleep."
Stef laughed too but what started out as a laugh ended as an exhausted sigh. "I'm just worried." She admitted.
"I know babe." Lena said gently. "I am too, but we have to trust her."
"That's what the doctor said too." Stef said.
"She's smart." Lena smiled. "She's got Jude and the twins with her and all three of them will look out for her."
"You're right." Stef said finally. "She's going to be fine."
"But you're still going to check on her soon." Lena finished as she turned out their lights and lay back.
"Just once or twice." Stef admitted sheepishly.
"Yeah right." Lena laughed.
By eight the next morning Stef had checked on Callie a total of six times, leaving her with less than an hour of sleep at a stretch, but she was relieved to see that Callie was asleep each time that she checked on her. It was after nine by the time the kids started to wake up and by then Stef and Lena were both showered, dressed and out in the back yard drinking coffee.
Callie was the first to wake up and as she unzipped herself from her sleeping bag Mariana woke up too.
"You okay?" Mariana asked quietly.
"Yeah." Callie smiled.
Mariana smiled back. They had made it though the night, Mariana still holding the hand that she had grasped hours earlier.
"Thank." Callie said softly.
"That's what sisters are for." Mariana whispered back as the two of them left the living room, without disturbing the boys.
"Coming up?" Mariana asked Callie.
"I'm gonna go see moms first." Callie said.
Mariana's face lit up. "You call them..."
"I know." Callie said. "It's our secret."
Both girls laughed before going their separate ways.
Hey baby." Lena smiled as Callie opened the back door. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah," Callie smiled back, taking a seat between them. "Apart from waking up once to someone tripping on the stairs." She gave Stef a playful look.
Stef looked back sheepishly. "Did you really think I wouldn't check up on you?" She said, her voice full of love. "I just wanted you to be safe love. I wanted to be there for you if you needed me."
"I know." Callie said. "Thanks."
"So how was it?" Stef asked. "We want details."
"It was okay." Callie said. "I was kinda nervous."
"Why?" Lena asked with worry in her voice.
"I guess because I had the freedom to do whatever I wanted." Callie answered honestly. "But strangely, that freedom is what kept me from even trying."
Both women smiled as their eyes met. The night had been a success and hopefully from now on there would be steady progress.
A short while later the kitchen was bustling with noise as the kids all grabbed for waffles, syrup, whipped cream and fruit.
"Jesus." Lena chastised as she watched her son spray what looked like half a can of whipped cream over his waffle. "I can't even see your waffle under that mountain of cream."
"It's there." Jesus assured her as he grabbed some berries from a bowl and sprinkled them over the whipped cream topping it off with some caramel sauce.
"See, this is why we don't have these breakfast often." Stef laughed as she dug her own spoon into Jesus' whipped cream and stole some.
"Which is why it's okay to indulge when we do." Jesus shot back as he pulled his plate out of Stef's reach.
They all dug in until Stef noticed that Callie wasn't touching her food.
"Honey." She said gently, silently reminding her that she had to eat.
"I think I'm done with sugar for a while." Callie answered, all the sweet stuff in front of her reminded her of the miserable feeling after eating ice-cream the night before.
"Alright." Stef said slowly. "How about some cereal or toast?" She needed Callie to eat something, anything. She had hardly eaten much the night before, not including the ice-cream.
Callie waited a moment as a two stared at each other before finally sighing. "Cereal's fine." She said and watched Stef get up and grab the box of wheat flakes and milk before setting it in front of Callie along with a bowl and spoon.
"Just a little love." Stef assured her with a wink.
Callie carefully pored out the bare minimum that she could pass off as an actual meal and then poured some milk over it. She took her first bite and then looked up at her moms. Both of them were looking at her, a mixture of pride and sympathy in their eyes. She could clearly see just how worried they both were about her - both had dark circles under their eyes which hadn't been there a week ago, both kept watching her, ready to protect her from anything and both had so much love in their eyes when she looked into them that she wanted to give them something back. She didn't have much to give but she knew that even a small gesture would go a long way.
She reached across Jude for the bowl of berries and pulled it close before grabbing a handful and adding it to her cereal. This time when she looked back up at her moms they both had smiles on their faces.