All Jude, Brandon, Mariana, and Lena went out the car to greet the grandparents and get the luggage. Jesus was still in the shower since he had come back from his skateboard ride hot and sweaty. Callie sort of hung back some. In the chaotic greetings, no one noticed that she was missing at first. Stef noticed after a few minutes, but figured that Callie was showering or getting ready still. When everyone made it inside, she found the girl at a distance watching everyone else.
"Hey, Bug. As I am sure you already saw, your grandparents are here. It would be really great if you went over and greeted them. They are part of the family and also love you."
"I know… and it was sort of my idea to call them. I am just not sure now that they are here. You say that they love me, but I have no idea how that would be possible. I mean, they have only been here a handful of times since I moved in and yet they have mostly only seen me at my worst. For real, they were all here when I ran away. All of that on top of the fact that until I got here grandparents a foreign concept." Callie looked back over to the rest of her family. Jude was snuggled between Lena and Dana on the couch with Brandon on the armrest. Mariana was having an animated conversation with Sharon. Jesus, who had just come downstairs ready for dinner, was hugging Stuart.
"You're right, they were here when you ran away. Do you know, though, that when you ran it was my mom who said she would watch the others while Mama and I went to find you? Our parents all rejoiced when we called to say you were safe. At the quince, Dana had some doubts about us taking in more kids. However, at the wedding she admitted that she knew you are Jude were meant for us. Now, they consider you one of theirs like the others. Just give them a chance, Baby."
"Well, I will try…. I don't know how to say this, but I am a little uncomfortable with what to do. Do I go over and hug them or give them handshakes? What do I call them? You and Mama have been really good to let me get there when I do, but it seems weird to address your parents by their first names…."
"I wouldn't worry much about that, Cals. The other kids call Stuart- Gramps, Dana- Grams, and my mom- Grandma. If you are unsure, don't call them anything. As far as the physical contact goes, you will note that Mama and I both inherited are touchiness from our parents. If you don't want to be hugged, though, I am sure if you put your hand out they would probably shake it."
"I know all of that, and I know that after I have been with them awhile again it won't feel so awkward, but the initial greeting is always hard."
Stef stood up and grabbed Callie's hand dragging her to a standing position. "Come on, Bug, we will go over there together."
"Do I have to? I might be okay just watching from over here…"
"You invited them, and now you are also going to greet them. If I had to go to the airport, the least you can do now is say hello."
Callie approached the grandparents almost hiding behind Stef. Sharon saw what was happening and approached the nervous girl first. "Hello, Callie!" She said grabbing her into a bear hug similar to Stef's hugs. "It is so good to see you! I was telling the other kids that I was really hoping you all would be at the airport."
"Thanks, uh…."
"Grandma. The rest of the lot all call me Grandma."
"Thanks, Grandma."
Dana was next. She stood up and also hugged Callie. "Baby, I just love seeing my oldest granddaughter. Thanks for inviting us." Dana, sensing part of Callie's awkwardness added, "Remember that you can call me Gram."
"I am glad you came… Gram." Callie answered hesitantly.
Stuart noticed that when Callie approached him that she held her hand out to shake. He was disappointed, but he knew a little of her history. Stuart took her hand and then grabbed her into sort of a half hug. Callie found herself leaning into Stuart's embrace. "Hey, Gramps. Welcome to our house."
Stuart released her. "Okay, well if are all ready now, does anyone have a suggestion of where we want to go for dinner tonight?"
"Chinese." "Pizza." "Italian." "Sushi." The kids, other than Callie, all answered at once.
"Sushi?" Jesus questioned Mariana. "That is like raw fish wrapped in seaweed. No way am I going to eat that." He and Jude looked at each other and made similar gagging faces.
"Well, some of us want a bit of culture when we eat. We have never tried sushi and I think Callie and I are both interested in trying new things. Right, Callie?"
"Don't drag me into this, Mari." Callie said lightening up and rapidly becoming more comfortable. "Chinese is my favorite."
"You are supposed to back me up. What is the point of having a sister if you don't back me up? Besides, you told me last week that you would try sushi. Here is our chance."
"I told you last week that I was not completely opposed to the idea. I like new experiences, I really do." Callie sighed. "If that's what you really want…"
"If the girls are both voting for sushi, the boys are now all voting for Italian food. So now the vote is Le
Mari looked at Callie. "That is so unfair. We really do need at least one more sister." Callie nodded back although somewhat relieved that maybe they would not have to try something new.
Stef could see that this banter was good natured, but also knew how quickly that could change. "And now the five adults are going to consult and there are five of us to vote. Stuart really just asked for suggestions anyway."
All of the kids moaned just a little. The adults quickly grouped up where they were and talked in low voices for a moment. Not to be out done, Jesus motioned the girls to join the boys in the corner. "There are five of them and five of us. If we can agree on a place the vote will be a tie and we could still win."
"If we talk long enough, the kids will finally come to an agreement together and we will not have to disappoint any of them." Lena whispered to the other adults. They all glanced over at the kids and noticed what she was talking about.
After a few more minutes, the kids had reached an agreement. "We are now all voting on Mongolian stir fry." Jude announced. "That way everyone can get exactly what they want."
The adults nodded, but before they could agree Stef spoke up. "We all voted for Indian food." She said as her and Lena had always enjoyed Indian food, but none of their kids had taken to it. All the other adults looked at Stef with surprise as their only agreement had been to go with what the kids decided. "I guess we are still tied five to five." She challenged.
Sharon looked at her daughter and then at her grandbabies. She stood up and walked over to the kids. "I am changing my vote stir fry sounds better to me after all."
Dana, Stuart, and Lena caught on and also joined the kids leaving only Stef on her side. "Well, I guess that decides it. Stir fry it is."
Stef decided that she would take her car with her mother, Callie, and Mari. Lena would take the van with the others. They were able to make some arrangements to get a few tables put together so that all ten of them could sit together. Soon the kids were laughing and teasing Stef about not getting a pet. This was all Sharon needed to tell a good Stef story. "Your mom says no pets. That's very interesting considering…."
Eight year old Stef had been looking forward to her camping trip with her father for weeks. Just the two of them were going to drive an hour or so out of the city and spend two days and a night together in the woods. Her father had told her many times about how his father used to take his brother and him camping every summer. Now it was finally her turn. Frank had always considered that camping was more of an activity for father and son, but as Stef was so much of a daddy's girl he knew she would enjoy it.
The whole journey in the car, Stef talked nonstop about fishing, hiking, and campfires. It was clear that not only had she heard all of Frank's stories, but she had been living through them for years. Frank smiled at the child's chatter, seriously amazed how his little girl could look so much like her mother, but be so much like him at the same time.
At the campsite, Frank let Stef help set up the tent and then he sent her to find some firewood for their campfire. After an hour he became concerned about his daughter's whereabouts. Frank followed the path he sent Stef on, only to find her squatted on the ground a few yards from where she had started. "How is the firewood hunt going, Sport?"
"Not so good. But, Daddy, look!"
Frank joined Stef and glanced at what she was pointing at. "It looks like a baby raccoon. We should probably leave it here and gather up some firewood. It is summer, but still can get chilly at night. We wouldn't want your mother finding out that I let you get cold tonight on our first camping trip, would we?"
"Nope. But, Daddy, the baby raccoon might get cold tonight, too. He needs a mommy. Maybe I could be his mommy? I would take good care of him. Please, Daddy?"
Frank could never resist Stef when she really wanted something. "How about if we give him a blanket and a little fish tonight. If he is still here in the morning and his real mommy hasn't come back for him, we can talk again."
Stef was hesitant to leave the baby raccoon. Her father walked back down the path and brought a little towel back to the little girl. She wrapped the baby in it and left him on a soft pile of leaves before taking her daddy's hand.
Later that night after a long afternoon of fishing, Frank showed Stef how to clean their fish. He sent her back to the raccoon with some fish scraps thinking that if the baby would not eat them, maybe it would attract his mother to come back. Stef happily skipped down the path to her new baby and found him exactly where she had left him. Frank did not notice the slight bulge to Stef's shirt when she returned.
After a fish dinner, smores, and ghost stories Frank was more than happy to tuck Stef in for the night. A slightly more observant parent may have noticed a little towel tucked into Stef's sleeping bag that night. However, Frank did not. Nor did he notice the next day when Stef continuously went back into the tent to "look for something." He did ask once about the baby raccoon, but when Stef told him he wasn't on the path any longer, her father did not stop to investigate despite being a police officer.
When the two campers came home, however, Sharon noticed right off that Stef was acting strangely. "Did you have a nice time, Stefanie?" She asked. Stef nodded her head, but kept edging toward her room. "What was your favorite part?"
"Um, I don't really know right now, Mom. Um, I have to go check something in my room." Stef began to scurry to her room before her mother caught up with her.
"What is in your hands, young lady?" Sharon asked sternly.
"Well, Mommy, this is my new baby, Mr. Skittles. I found him in the woods and adopted him. Daddy said that if his real mommy did not come back I could keep him. So, here he is. I know you will love him as much as I do soon!"
"Frank!" Stef heard her mom yell. "I think we need to talk about a certain raccoon…"
"Strangely, we wound up keeping Mr. Skittles for a few months. When he grew up we released him. Then Stef brought home a squirrel, followed by a bird, followed by a snake, and you can probably see the pattern. Frank would help her take care of whatever critter she brought home. Now it is odd to me that Stef doesn't want any pets brought into the house."
"You named your raccoon Mr. Skittles?" Jesus asked eying Stef.
"I was eight. When you were eight you were still wearing sneakers with Velcro, Bud."
"I just had a hard time with shoe laces…" Jesus protested before catching another gleam in his eye. "Hey, B, you should feel pretty lucky that your dad was around to help name you when you were born. Otherwise you might have become Mr. Skittles the second or something."
Stef finally got Jesus settled when Jude spoke up more thoughtfully. "So, Mom, you were already into adoption when you were younger than me? I guess that you always knew you would be a great mom and take in lots of babies that would need you."
"Well, Jude, I guess you are right. I had never really thought about it like that before, but yeah. I did always want to be a mommy." Stef looked over at the boy and poked him. "Your mommy specifically."
"So, if you had all of those random pets as a kid, I still don't understand why we can't even have a dog. We would take care of it and it would be a much better pet than a squirrel…"
"Oh, B, you missed part of my mother's story. Before I got a new animal, I had to release the old one into the wild. I already have five pets right now and Mama and I are planning on number six…" Stef stopped and looked pointedly at each of her children. "We are at capacity. If I was to get a new pet right now, I would have to release one of you into the wild."