A.N: Hey everyone! Thank you so much for your reviews and for sticking with this story, I will hopefully start updating more regularly now, it's just life has been hectic of late... Anyway, enjoy the new chapter and let me know what you think! ~ fostersjacob
Robert's looking at his daughter full of doubt and fear. This isn't exactly how he imagined today would go. He wasn't sure what to say, all he knows is that they definitely need to talk about it. "So, you and Brandon?" He asks hesitantly.
Callie nods, "Um yeah."
"What exactly is going on?"
She doesn't need time to think about the answer, she just blurts it out. "I love him."
Robert is taken by surprise, that definitely wasn't something he'd expected to hear her say. His daughter in love... in love with her foster brother. "I take it he loves you too?"
She smiles, "He does."
"He treats you right?" He asks, no longer sceptical about the situation. He already knows the answer to the question but he has to ask anyway.
Callie quickly nods. "Always has, always will."
Now it's Robert's turn to smile. A genuine smile. "Well then I'm very happy for you, Callie. For the both of you."
The moment Callie hears those words she's filled with a sense of relief. Callie stands up and quickly walks over to her father, he pulls her into his arms for a hug, "Thank you." She says, her voice thick with emotion.
"You're my daughter Callie and there is nothing you could ever tell me that would make me hate you or stop loving you, all I want is for you to be happy. Admittedly this isn't the ideal situation but we'll deal with it, together, as a family. Everything will be okay."
(*)
Brandon was sitting on a bench in the backyard with Sophia, who had taken quite a liking to him, this was the first of her sister's boyfriend's that she'd met and she was rather impressed. She hoped he'd be the last one she met too. "Can I ask you something?"
The question takes Brandon by surprise but he nods, "Sure you can."
"What's it like? Being in love I mean, what's it like?"
Brandon smiles. This is a question he definitely likes. "Well," He says, turning slightly so he's directly facing her, "It's different for everyone I suppose but for me? Um, I'm not quite sure how to describe it. Love is a beautiful thing, I love being in love, it's overwhelming and at times it can drive you crazy but I wouldn't want it any other way. I didn't really know what love was until I met this one girl, she was so broken yet so beautiful and strong, I think that moment at the kitchen table was the moment I began to fall and once I had fallen hard there was no going back. You know something, all I have to do is think of her and I immediately feel good inside, she's just everything. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for Callie. Love is the best feeling in the world, without it we'd be empty inside and when you're in it, in love, you got to hold on tight and fight for it because love is worthing fighting for."
"I hope somebody falls in love with me someday." Sophia says quietly.
"Of course they will," Brandon tells her, "One day you're gonna fall in love and it's going to be the best and worst thing in the world, you never forget your first love, no matter how it ends. Somebody is gonna fall in love with you someday and they're gonna love that thing you do that you hate, all the things you don't like about yourself they're gonna cherish, they'll wish you could see yourself the way they see you and hopefully you will. You're a beautiful girl, inside and out, you just have to believe in yourself."
"Thank you," She says softly, "I'm glad Callie has you."
Brandon smiles gratefully, "Thanks."
Their conversation doesn't go any further as Callie and Robert are walking towards them. Brandon quickly stands up, "Everything okay?" He asks, his gaze firmly locked on Callie.
Callie nods, a massive grin on her face. "Everything's good." She tells him.
Sophia gets up off the bench and addresses her father, "Dad, let's go check on the food and see if lunch is finally ready."
Robert smiles knowingly, understanding that Sophia is trying to give Callie and Brandon a few minutes to themselves. "Alright, come on then." With that being said, they head back inside the house, leaving Callie and Brandon alone outside.
"So your Dad is okay with this, that's amazing Cals."
Callie's eyes are shining with tears but she's the furthest thing from being sad, she throws herself at Brandon, who catches her without hesitation. Her legs are wrapped tightly around his waist and she cannot contain her happiness, she kisses him with all the passion she can muster, he nearly stumbles but doesn't. He can feel her smile against him and it truly warms his heart to see her this happy, "I love you baby." Brandon mumbles against her lips. Callie pulls fully away from him and he puts her down, once she's standing on the ground again she speaks, "I love you too."
Brandon takes her hand in his, it fits perfectly, "I'm starving, let's eat."
Callie bursts into laughter at his words, she catches him smirking at her and her laughter fades out. "Alright B."
(*)
This afternoon has well and truly flown by, Brandon has spent time getting to know Robert and Sophia better and vice versa. Callie is so incredibly happy. Brandon makes her fall a little bit more in love everyday, something she didn't even think was possible. The way he looks at her makes her feel alive, it makes her feel wanted and loved. When she thanked him for coming with her today and changing his plans so he could stay he gave her this look that she's never seen before yet she could see exactly what it meant. He's in this for the long haul and now she can finally see it. She'd overheard some of his conversation with her father.
"You're a good kid, Brandon and I hope that's something that will never change." Robert says sincerely.
Brandon smiles, "Thank you, Mr Quinn."
Robert puts a hand on Brandon's shoulder and looks him dead in the eye, "Look after her."
"Always." Brandon says, "I love her, more than anything, that's one thing I know will never change."
They've been home for a few hours now and are just finishing up eating dinner when Brandon catches Callie looking at him from across the table and smiles to himself, life is pretty damn good right now. The smile falls from his face when Stef comes back into the kitchen, having left only a few minutes before to take a phone call, with an unreadable expression on her face and tears in her eyes that Brandon can tell she's fighting hard to keep at bay. "Stef, what's wrong?" Lena quickly asks.
Stef opens her mouth to speak but nothing comes out, tears are falling and Lena gets up from the table to comfort her wife but is stopped in her tracks when she hears the words that leave Stef's mouth, "There's been an accident."
Brandon feels like his stomach is in knots, he has a gut feeling that the words that follow are going to break his heart. He looks at his mom intently, hoping she doesn't say what he thinks she's going to. No such luck. "Mike, h-he's been shot." Stef composes herself, she knows she has to be strong, that's just who she is. The family's source of strength.
The color quickly drains from Brandon's face, he stands up, not knowing what to do. "Dad's gonna be okay though, right?" He asks, he doesn't even recognize the sound of his own voice right now. Stef looks at Brandon, she knows she has to be honest, she can't just sugarcoat this and let him believe everything will be alright when she knows that is not looking good at all right now. "MOM!?" Brandon shouts, unintentionally startling Stef who was too busy thinking about what to say that she hadn't realized how long she'd been silent.
"He's in good hands B but he's lost a lot of blood and-"
"THIS ISN'T HAPPENING!" Brandon screams, it's taking all he has just to be able to stand straight right now and not collapse onto the ground. The sound of his scream pierced through his moms' hearts and Callie can't take her eyes off him, the pain in his voice is breaking her heart and there's nothing she can do to take it away. In this moment she's glad that Jude, Jesus and Mariana aren't here right now to witness this. This morning Brandon's life was perfect, or as perfect as can be, now it's slowly falling apart. Maybe it'll never be the same.