"What did you and Ms. Adams do today?" Brandon inquired as Stef dried him off.
Lena was in the kitchen making dinner for the three of them and Stef had gone to check on Brandon. As usual she questioned him about his weekend and listened diligently to all his tales but today the conversation took a turn that Stef had not been expecting.
"We sat and watched movies all day." She said, fully expecting Brandon to be jealous but she was surprised when he just continued with his questioning.
"That's it?" He asked, a slight frown on his face.
"Yup." Stef said. "Well and I did some laundry this morning." She chuckled.
"Well what about yesterday?" He asked again, the seriousness still in his face.
"We went to the museum and the botanical gardens and the pier." Stef answered him, sharing only the major activities they'd done.
"Oh." Brandon said, still frowning and obviously thinking about something. "Did she sleep here?" He asked innocently.
"Why?" Stef enquired, though she was pretty sure she knew the answer already.
"Daddy asked me." Brandon said. "He asked if she ever had a sleepover."
Stef knew that Mike was bound to have questions and even concerns where Brandon was concerned but she just wished he hadn't interrogated the poor kid. She would have to talk to him about that but for now she just wanted to know what else he'd asked Brandon and what Brandon understood of these questions.
"Lena hasn't come for a sleepover." Stef clarified, just to clear her son's mind.
"Is she gonna go home tonight too?" Brandon asked.
"Yup." Stef stated, trying to make it sound unimportant. "After dinner."
"Oh." Brandon said, showing no sign of caring either way.
Stef got his pajamas on and was busy drying up his hair when she decided to question her son.
"What if Lena did sleep over?" She asked cautiously, wondering if Brandon understood the gravity of the conversation.
"Did she bring pajamas?" Brandon asked, trying to dodge the towel Stef was using to rub his head dry.
Stef smiled at his innocence. For a five year old sleepovers were about pillow fights and pajamas and mid-night snacks.
"No." Stef said. "She's not sleeping over." She reminded him. "But what if she did sometime?" She asked again.
"She'd have to remember to bring pajamas." Brandon said. "Mine won't fit her." The thought that his mother might have something she could borrow never struck him.
"And what would we do at this sleepover?" Stef enquired. She wanted to know if Mike had asked him any specific questions.
"Eat Oreos and ice-cream all night long." Brandon said, smiling widely. The only time he ever had midnight treats like that was when he slept over somewhere or someone slept over with him.
"That sounds like fun." Stef said. She wanted to put a positive spin on Lena staying over for whenever the time came.
"Yeah." Brandon said. "And we could call Lucas as well." He suggested.
"How about we see if Lucas can come over next weekend." Stef suggested. "He may not be able to sleep over but maybe he can spend the day with us." She warned. She knew that Lucas had gone to visit his grandmother over thanksgiving week which was why he hadn't been over at all since their sleepover but she really wanted to thank Cathy and make it up to her.
"Yeah." Brandon said, excitement filling him despite her waring. "I'll go ask Ms. Adams right now." He said and disappeared before Stef could stop him.
By the time Stef got there just moments later she could see the bewilderment on Lena's face as she heard Brandon talk about sleeping arrangements - he wanted to sleep between her and Lucas and Stef could sleep on the other side of her.
"B, why don't you pick out a movie okay." Stef suggested quickly as she practically pushed him out the door.
Brandon disappeared without argument and Stef just stood watching Lena, wondering if she'd been completely spooked.
"Sleepover?" Lena asked cautiously, finally breaking the silence.
"I'm sorry." Stef apologized. "Mike asked him about it and put the idea in his head." She tried to explain. "I wasn't pushing it or anything, I was just asking him questions to see what he felt about it." She tried to defend her reasoning.
A smile slowly spread across Lena's face. "He seems okay with it." Lena said a little mischievously.
"He does." Stef smiled back, relief flooding her.
"I just don't think it should be the same time as Lucas though." Lena admitted with a small laugh.
"Right." Stef agreed though her face fell slightly.
"What's wrong?" Lena asked, wondering if the blond really needed an extra five year old around for their sleepover.
"I just..." Stef began but she wasn't sure how to say what she needed to. "I want to tell Brandon about us." She finally blurted out. He was the one person who's opinion and support she truly wanted and needed and without which she would really end this right now. He was her world and she wanted to include him in this new chapter of her life before someone else could taint his views. "I want him to know and I want to be the one to tell him... before someone gives him the idea that it's wrong." Stef said nervously - both at the thought of telling her son the truth and that Lena would think they were moving too fast.
"That makes sense." Lena said. She could see just how nervous Stef was about this but she could also see the determination in her eyes. "Why don't I leave so you can do it now." She suggested. "And after that you can watch your movie."
"No." Stef stopped her. "I want you to stay." She said. "I'll talk to him in my room first if that's okay but I want you to be here... after." She admitted.
Lena smiled. "I'd like that." She said as tears filled her eyes. She loved that Stef included her, even if it was just in small ways still.
"So, you remember what I told you about mommy and daddy?" Stef asked.
She had taken Brandon up to her room, promising that the movie was still on the agenda but there was something she needed to talk to him about first. Lena was sitting in the living room waiting for them to finish.
"That you're not gonna live together anymore but you both love me to pieces." Brandon said, remembering the words his mother had said just a little over a week ago.
"That's right." Stef said. "We're getting a divorce." She added, reminding him about the term. "Mommy and Daddy love you and we do love each other too but not as husband and wife." She tried to explain as best she could.
"Okay." Brandon said and Stef wondered if he really understood what she was saying or whether he was just accepting it because he was already used to living apart from his father.
Stef took a deep breath as she prepared for the next part of the conversation.
"B, you like Ms. Adams right?" She asked her son, gradually introducing her into the conversation.
"Yeah." Brandon said. "I didn't like it when she was angry with me for teasing Lucas but I like her now." He confirmed.
"So do I." Stef said. "I like her a lot." She admitted.
"Is she your best friend?" Brandon asked. "Lucas is my best friend." He informed her.
"I know Lucas is your best friend." Stef said smiling. "And in a way Lena is my best friend." She said, using the term to help Brandon understand. "But she's also more than that." She continued. "I love Lena."
"Like you love me?" Brandon asked.
"No." Stef said, pulling him a little closer. "I don't love anyone as much as I love you but I do love Lena in a different way." She explained.
"What way?" Brandon asked curiously.
"Well, I love her like a girlfriend." Stef said, knowing that while Brandon found the word absolutely revolting at this stage in his life, he at least understood it.
"Like the kissing on the lips kind?" He asked in surprise, relating it to what he knew about girlfriends and boyfriends.
"Yes the kissing on the lips kind." Stef answered amused. "I like kissing Lena."
"You do?" Brandon asked, his eyes going wide.
"I do." Stef admitted, trying not to laugh at his expression.
"She's a girl." The boy said, making certain that his mom knew this little detail.
Stef smiled at him. She knew he was talking about the fact that in his mind girls were gross and not that she was the wrong sex but she knew that would come as well.
"Yes, I know." Stef said.
"Shouldn't girls have boyfriends?" Brandon asked, just as Stef was expecting.
"Well, many girls have boyfriends and many boys have girlfriends." Stef tried to explain as simply as she could. "But sometimes there are girls who have girlfriends and boys who have boyfriends."
"Is that allowed?" Brandon asked, a frown on his face. He'd never heard of this before.
"It is." Stef said with a confidence that even she didn't know she had. "It doesn't matter whether you have a girlfriend or a boyfriend. If you love them and you do everything to make them happy and they do the same for you then there are no rules."
"So when I grow up I can love a girl or a boy?" Brandon asked, trying to understand.
"You can love whoever you want." Stef said.
"Are you sure?" Brandon asked, still a little uncertain.
"Honey, some people might tell you that there are rules about who you should love." Stef explained. "But it doesn't matter if you love and marry a boy or a girl, a person with dark skin or light, someone tall or short, fat or thin, someone who prays to god or someone who doesn't, someone from here or from far away. All that matters is if that person is nice to you and loves you and makes you happy."
"Does Ms. Adams make you happy?" Brandon asked.
"She does." Stef said. "But it takes time to fall in love." She explained. "We don't know what will happen after some time but I like her and she's nice to me and makes me happy and I want to see if maybe we can spend our life together."
"What about me?" Brandon asked, wondering where he would go if his mom lived her life with Lena.
"You would be right there with us." Stef said. "I would never go anywhere without you and that's why I'm asking you if it's okay. I want you to be happy too."
"Will we live in one house like when we lived with daddy?" Brandon asked, wondering how it was all going to work.
"Not right now." Stef said. "We first have to get to know each other and see if we want to live together but maybe someday."
Brandon sat thinking about it for a few moments and Stef nervously wondered what was going though his head but she was so relieved when he finally spoke. "When we do live together can she do bedtime stories?" He asked innocently. "She tells the best stories."
Stef laughed outwardly as she pulled her son onto her lap and and hugged and kissed him. Tears falling freely from her eyes. Now all that was left was to add Lena to the cuddle.