"How on earth can one small boy make such a huge mess?" Stef muttered to herself as she picked up yet another lego block she found lying around.
"Stef, would you relax please." Lena said as she helped Stef clear up. She didn't think it was this necessary but she was helping because she was afraid that Stef would drive herself crazy from the speed at which she was running about.
"They get here in less than four hours Lena." Stef said exasperatedly.
"They are parents too you know." Lena reminded her. "They know kids and perfect houses don't happen.
"I don't for one second believe that you were a messy child." Stef stated, pausing her clean up for a moment to look at Lena.
"Neither is Brandon." Lena said. "This is just regular five year old clutter and it's not bad. It makes the house look homey."
Stef seemed to just ignore Lena as she arranged the magazines on the coffee table so that they were all facing the right way.
"You're stressing yourself out for nothing." Lena tried again.
"Why don't you go check on the chicken and let me do my thing." Stef suggested. It didn't matter what Lena thought, she was meeting her parents for the first time and wanted everything perfect.
Despite Stef and Lena suggesting that they go and pick up the senior Adams from the airport Stewart and Dana had declined and Stef was using the extra time to clear up the already ridiculously tidy house.
"Remember to be polite." Stef said to Brandon as she absentmindedly combed his hair with her fingers.
"Yes mom." Brandon said robotically, not even looking up from the video game he was playing. Just like Lena, he had begun to ignore his mother's craziness round about the time she sprayed lemon scented air freshener in every room.
"And don't keep jabbering through dinner." Stef said, thinking of all the instructions she needed to give her son. "Give the adults a chance to talk."
"Yes mom." Brandon said in the same robotic tone as before and Lena wondered whether or not he was evening listening.
"And for Pete's sake, please don't drop anything on your shirt. It's the only really nice one you have." Stef added to her list.
And just as Lena expected, Brandon gave her the exact same response.
"He's fine Stef." Lena said, trying to give the kid a break. "They are going to love him." She took a step closer to Stef, close enough to be touching the length of her body and whispered. "They are going to love you too."
Stef smiled gratefully as she leaned in to kiss Lena. But the moment ended abruptly as a taxi pulled up outside Stef's house.
"They're here. Brandon put that away and straighten your shirt please." Stef said, glancing around the room one last time to make sure she'd done everything. "No, don't mess up your hair." She groaned as Brandon came to stand by them, his fingers scratching through his now messy hair.
Lena smiled. As sorry as she felt for Brandon she though it was sweet that Stef was trying to hard to impress her parents. It wasn't necessary. Not at all because she knew for a fact that if Stef made Lena happy then her parents would love her instantly but for Stef it was a whole new ballgame and Lena just had to let her play it her own way.
"...And they catch all the bad guys and they save the world." Brandon chatted away happily, amusing the two guests immensely.
Stef had relaxed quite a bit after having actually met Lena's parents and she no longer minded Brandon taking up most of the conversation. Stewart and Dana seemed to like him and were genuinely interested in what he had to say.
"Is that what you want to be when you grow up?" Stewart asked the young boy.
"Yeah." Brandon said enthusiastically before glancing quickly at Lena. "But Lena doesn't like it." He added in almost a whisper.
"Lena doesn't want you to be a cop?" Stewart clarified, having gotten everyone's attention.
"She doesn't like that moms a cop." Brandon answered.
"How do you know that?" Stef asked in confusion. She had never heard Lena say anything about her job and she wondered why Brandon would think something like that.
"She always mumbles when you're working." Brandon answered, taking a bite of his cherry pie, unaware of the sudden awkwardness in the room.
"Mumbles?" Dana asked, wondering what that had to do with Stef's job.
"Why do they keep calling her? Is she the only one in that entire station that can do the job?" Brandon mimicked in his best Lena voice.
Though all four adults began laughing the look that passed between the younger couple didn't go unnoticed by the older one.
"If you will excuse us, it's time for bed B, say goodnight." Stef said, wiping her mouth on her napkin and handing Brandon his to do the same.
"Goodnight." Brandon answered.
"Goodnight Brandon. It was lovely to meet you." Dana said.
"Nice to meet you kiddo." Stewart added.
Before jumping off his chair Brandon quickly leaned over the table and stuck his finger in the pie, digging out a cherry and popping it in his mouth, giving everyone a huge grin at his accomplishment.
"Come on Little Jack Horner." Stef said, pulling out his chair for him to get off.
Brandon jumped off but before following Stef he ran up to Lena and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight Lena." He said before disappearing down the hall to his room.
As Stef followed Brandon, Dana and Stewart watched their daughter carefully and absolutely loved the smile on her face.
Dana and Stewart helped Lena with the dishes while Stef gave Brandon his bath and got him ready for bed. Once he was asleep the four adults were going to talk over a few glasses of wine but until then Lena and her parents were alone
"Let me just go help Stef, B is probably too wound up from the evening." Lena said as she put away the last plate. Why don't you guys open up the wine.
Lena was about to enter Brandon's room, assuming that Brandon still hadn't fallen asleep from all the excitement but she stopped at the doorway when she noticed both Stef and Brandon fast asleep on the little bed, Dr. Seuss still open across Stef's lap.
Lena smiled to herself as she watched the two most important people in her life. They both looked so peaceful and as much as Lena wanted to spend time with her parents she wished she could join the two. She longed to be part of their family but she knew it would take time - they couldn't just rush into anything, especially when Brandon was involved.
"You've fallen hard." Dana whispers as she quietly comes up behind Lena.
Lena was startled out of her thoughts. She hadn't realized just how long she'd been standing there, imagining her future.
"I love her." Lena said honestly. "She's beautiful and strong and smart and not at all perfect." She added with a smile.
"She treats you right?" Dana asked. Stef wasn't quite what she'd imagined for her daughter but as long as she was good to Lena she had absolutely no objection.
"Like a queen." Lena answered with a smile.
Dana smiled back but moved on to a more serious topic. "Her job scares you." She stated more than asked.
"I just can't help but think about getting that dreaded call." Lena admitted. "I'm sorry Ms. Adams but Ms. Foster was killed on duty." Lena said the words that she hoped she never had to hear.
"But is she worth it?" Dana asked. "Is the constant worry worth it?"
Lena looked back at Stef and she thought about it for a moment before finally looking back at her mother and nodding. "Yes." She said. "She's definitely worth it."
"Then stick by her." Dana suggested wisely. "Live your lives and don't think about the 'what ifs' and cherish every moment, god forbid something did happen to her."
Lena nodded as she accepted her mother's advice. She'd do just that because Stef was definitely worth it.