It wasn't long before Lena had Callie talking and right now the two were discussing recipes.

"That's quite a long list of dishes you can make." Lena said, impressed at the things Callie had tried.

"My mom loved baking." Callie explained. "She was always in the kitchen making something or the other. It always made her happy."

"It's the best thing, being able to do what you love." Lena agreed wholeheartedly.

"She would let me help her decorate the cookies." Callie said with a smile. "Most of the frosting and sprinkles went straight into my mouth." She added with a giggle.

"My kids were the same." Lena smiled back, so happy to see Callie come out of her shell.

"She made other stuff too. Cakes, bread, buns, real food." Callie listed.

"The smell of freshly baked bread just might be the most amazing thing in the world." Lena agreed.

"I'm not much of a baker but she taught me a few things." Callie admitted. "Mostly I just make simple mac and cheese or burgers so that we don't starve. Sometimes my cooking was the only food Jude and I had." Callie admitted, not even realizing she was sharing personal information.

A quick glance was exchanged between the two adults but neither made a big deal of it for they didn't want Callie to stop talking.

"Well I think knowing how to cook is very important for everyone." Lena said. "No matter who you are you should be able to feed yourself."

Callie couldn't agree more for it was Foster Care that had forced her to actually learn to cook. With her mother she'd been more of the unofficial taster rather than the head chef.

Lunch continued for almost an hour as the three of them talked about various things ranging from food to sports. Absentmindedly Stef would remind Callie to eat the vegetables that she didn't like or to drink water even though she hated having to pee in a bedpan. When they were finally done an orderly knocked on the door to remind Stef it was time for her physiotherapy.

"Damn." Stef teased as she got up, shooting glares at the man. She turned and gave Callie a quick kiss on the head and Lena one on the lips before heading out, leaving the two alone.

Callie looked at Lena awkwardly. It was one thing to have Stef around but it was an entirely different situation having just Lena. The two had only officially met less than an hour ago so Callie was still somewhat nervous.

"So what do you want to do once you're done with school?" Lena questioned, curious about the girl's plans for the future.

"I never really thought about it." Callie admitted nervously. Somehow she felt like it was the wrong answer and that Lena wouldn't like it.

"Well what do you do for fun?" Lena asked, hoping to keep up the conversation and communication by staying away from uncomfortable topics.

Callie shrugged. "Nothing really." She answered. "There's not that much time."

"What do you do all day?" Lena questioned.

But Callie wasn't sure how to answer for she didn't think that admitting she had housework and chores from the moment she woke up to the time she was finally allowed to go to bed was appropriate. When Stef was around Callie found herself telling the truth without even realizing it but now she felt she had to be careful about what she said.

"Do you read?" Lena asked, sensing the change in atmosphere.

"I guess." Callie answered. "I read whatever they give us in school" She said.

"Well, I have something for you." Lena said, picking up the book she'd brought with her and handing it to Callie.

"Why?" Callie asked in surprise as she looked between the book and Lena.

"Well for many reasons." Lena answered, unwilling to give her all the reasons. "A book is like a magical portal to another time or another world. In a book you can be a princess locked away in a tower or a pirate sailing the seven seas in search of treasure. You can be a swimmer or a cook or a pilot. You can see places you would never be able to go to and make friends with people anywhere in the world." She said passionately, obviously an avid reader herself."

Callie raised her eyebrows as she listened to Lena, wondering exactly what the woman was talking about.

Lena smiled. "Having a book is like having a friend. You're never lonely. Once you start reading you get pulled into the story and the world around you just vanishes and you are transported into the world of whatever book you're reading." She watched Callie as she began to really look at the book. "This is one of my favorites." Lena said, as she too looked at the book. "A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett"

"What's it about?" Callie asked, somewhat curiously.

This is where Lena hesitated slightly for she wasn't sure what Callie would make of the story. She had brought a book because Stef had told her that Callie had no one and Lena had hoped this would help her pass the time. She hoped that Callie would find some entertainment and companionship in the stories. She'd chosen this particular book because she felt it might speak to Callie and help her see that there's always hope, especially if you stayed true to yourself and didn't let the cruel ways of life get you down.

"It's about a girl who is mistreated after her father dies." Lena explained, studying Callie closely, not surprised when her head shot up. "And how she overcomes it all." She continued, knowing that Callie was more than curious now.

Callie looked back down at the book, almost like it was a treasure that held a deep secret that would instantly solve all her problems.

"Give it a try." Lena encouraged. "You might like it." With that she left, leaving Callie to figure out what she wanted to do. She'd given Callie the opportunity and now it was up to Callie to take the next step. Lena would be there if she needed her and she'd bring more books if she wanted but Callie had to make that choice. Lena only hoped that it would give the girl a positive outlet and escape and maybe have her think about her future a little more."