Disappointment was the furthest thing from Lena's mind, and when she heard Callie begging her not to be disappointed in her, too, it broke Lena's heart. Too? Callie still thought her mother was disappointed in her, and Lena had no idea how to make that feeling leave the fifteen year old.

Callie had worn herself out and fallen asleep grasping Lena as close to her as possible. She'd not been able to move since Callie had fallen asleep, but she wouldn't have wanted to move from the spot she was in anyways. She wanted to be exactly where she was — with Callie, where she was currently needed.

Stef had gone out with Mariana and Jude to bring home something for dinner because it was obvious that Lena would not be cooking anytime soon.

"Um, hey, Mama, can I talk to you?"

Lena looked up at Jesus, who was standing in the entryway, moving back and forth, as he often did when he wanted to have a serious talk with one or both of his parents.

"Of course, love. Come here and talk to me."

Jesus walked over and sat on the coffee table so he could face his mother and not have to disturb Callie.

"You went to see their dad today, didn't you?" Jesus asked quietly, looking at Callie laying tightly against his mother.

Lena looked up, shocked, yet not shocked at all.

"Yes, we did," Lena said softly, running her fingers through Callie's hair like she had been since right before Callie had fallen asleep. "How did you know?"

Jesus shrugged.

"I realized it this morning by the way you acting around us. And I know how things went Saturday. And I also read the news sometimes. Their dad is looking at life in prison. I've been kind of following it so I could warn Callie when it goes south."

Lena looked at her son with more love than she had ever thought was possible before she had children. But her children always amazed her with their sincerity and the way they would, when it came down to it, look out for one another.

"Jesus, never lose your heart, son. I am so proud of the young man you are becoming."

"Mama …" Jesus started and then stalled, looking down at his hands.

"Yes?"

"I haven't been calling Jude by that name, and I don't think Callie has been either. I am not sure why he said that we had been, but I haven't. I mean, sure I have called him a few names, but definitely not that. I know you don't like it when we say words you don't approve of — I mean, I know I don't always listen and follow the rules, but I am not dumb either. I wouldn't call him that, Mama. I do know better. I mean we do call him names sometimes, but he calls us names, too. And yea, I know you don't like that any better, but still," Jesus said, shrugging.

Lena looked at him, thinking about what he had just said. And he was right. She had not stopped and wondered if Jude was lying to her. None of the teens, until Jesus just now, had said anything about not calling Jude by that awful name. Lena had just taken Jude's word for it.

She sighed and looked at her son.

"I am sorry, Jesus. You are right. I jumped to conclusions and I am sorry for that."

"It's okay, Mama. I know you have a lot going on and everything. So, when are we adopting Callie and Jude?"


Jude was sitting in front of Stef and Lena, his arms crossed over his chest as he pouted.

Callie and Mariana were upstairs in their room, with Mariana helping Callie with her math homework — in theory. Callie had still been out of it during dinner, her thoughts obviously a million miles away.

"I don't know why I am down here. I didn't do anything but get detention because of something I learned from Callie and Jesus," Jude said.

Lena narrowed her eyes a bit, as did Stef.

"Jude, do you know what is worse than using words like you did today?" Stef finally asked.

Jude looked at her and shook his head. No, he didn't know.

"Lying. It is horrible to tell lies, especially to adults who are in charge, isn't that right, Lena?"

"Yes. It isn't good when you lie to adults in your life. If you lie it means you cannot be trusted. And if you can't be trusted it means will would have to treat you like a toddler and watch your every move," Lena said.

Jude shifted uncomfortably in his seat and refused to look at the two adults in front of him.

"Yes, lying makes us not trust our children. Jesus and Callie have been apparently lying to us. They said they didn't call Jude the name Jude said they did. So they are grounded and Jesus isn't allowed to play video games for the next month," Stef added.

And then Jude exploded.

"It was me! I am sorry. I am the one who lied! I said dildo at school because some of the guys were talking about their brothers being dildos, so I called them one! But Callie and Jesus make me mad sometimes so I blamed them after I got detention! I am sorry I lied to you both! Jesus and Callie didn't call me that and I lied, but I want you to be able to trust me!" Jude said, crying. He then jumped up and wrapped his arms around both Lena and Stef.

Lena and Stef eyed one another, their smirks at one another all knowing. Part of Lena did feel horrible that she had jumped to conclusions though. Jude had been so well behaved, and she knew how much Callie and Jesus would tease the boy when they thought the moms weren't around. That was why they had been so quick to assume Jude was telling them the truth. Add to that the fact the kids had not actually denied it until Jesus had come and talked to Lena, they had no reason to doubt Jude's story.

"Okay, Jude," Stef said, pushing him back a bit so she and Lena could see his face. "Since you decided to lie to us and try to get Jesus and Callie into trouble, you get no video game time for two weeks and no dessert for one. Understand? And no more lying."

Jude nodded, tears falling down his face, but he quickly brushed them away.

"Now, Jude, you need to go get ready for bed. I don't think an early bedtime tonight will hurt you at all," Lena said.

He nodded again.

"Okay, get to it," Lena said.

Jude quickly ran out of the room, though Lena called after him to walk rather quickly.

"Five kids, love. Five. Are we nuts?" Stef asked Lena, pulling her wife back against her chest and wrapping her arms around Lena's chest.

"I was thinking we could make it an even six — a half dozen …" Lena said slyly, looking behind at her wife.

"An even half dozen — you mean you want to adopt Callie and Jude and then find another kid to bring home?" Stef asked, looking down at an impish, grinning Lena.

"I was thinking you and I could think about having a baby — a baby I would carry," Lena said softly.

Stef's eyes grew weepy, her face practically glowing.

"Absolutely, baby, absolutely," Stef said, leaning down and kissing Lena passionately.

Stef could already picture her wife glowing with their child. The very thought sent tingles down her spine. Tingles of excitement.


Friday night, Lena and Stef asked to speak with Jude and Callie after dinner. They had waited to talk to them because of school. Both children were doing well in school, and neither wanted to bring more than the kids could handle during the school week. They had talked to Donald's lawyer and he had said as long as he had an answer this weekend, everything would be fine. So they had talked to one another and waited. They decided how they would talk to Callie and Jude; about Jesus knowing already; about telling Mariana and Brandon.

Callie and Jude looked at one another as the other three children scattered out of the kitchen.

"Callie, Jude, we wanted to tell you we went to see your father a few days ago, upon his request," Lena started.

She immediately saw Jude frown and look away, while Callie stiffened in her seat.

"Why did he want to see you? Is that where you were the day we made Jude walk home?" Callie asked, refusing to look at either of the adults or Jude, her mind racing.

The women both nodded, but they knew that Callie wasn't paying attention.

"Yes. Your father asked us if we would take over guardianship of you both and then adopt you. It is something we have to come to a decision to quickly for your father to have a say. But we wanted you to have a choice, too. Enough has changed in your life that we do not want to make this yet another thing you have no say in," Stef said.

Callie looked at her hands, tears creeping down here cheeks.

Jude looked from Stef to Lena and back again.

"He's never getting out of jail is he?" Jude asked, with a bit of finality in his voice as another nightmare was slowly coming true for him.

Callie didn't know what to say. She didn't have a clue about what to say to Lena or Stef or Jude.

"You want to adopt us?" Jude asked.

Lena smiled lightly, "Yes, Jude. We want to adopt you. You are part of this family, and we don't want any chance of losing either of you."

Callie stood up and finally looked at both Lena and Stef.

And she ran.

But, surprising both of them, she ran straight for them and threw her arms around them both.

"Thank you," Callie said in a whisper.

Because Callie knew what was at stake. She knew Donald was never getting out of jail after killing so many people. And she knew life in a foster care system would, more than likely, break her.

And, she was right where she wanted to be.