Chapter 28.

Lena (one month later)

Isn't it funny how the days we look forward to; Christmas, for instance, or the last day of school, seem to come so slowly. But the days we dread arrive before we know it? I remembered looking forward to things as a little girl. My father would always tell me 'be patient, the anticipation is half the fun.' And he was right. Once the big day finally arrived, it was over. No more waiting. But sometimes, you just wish for time to stand still...

A month had passed in the blink of an eye. The next day was Sophia's court date. It hung over us like a storm cloud.

"Mama?"

I was pulled from my thoughts by Sophia's voice. I dried my soapy wet hands on a dish towel. "Hi, baby. Do you want to help me finish the dishes?" When I turned around, I frowned. She was so pale. "Honey, are you okay?"

"I got sick," she said, holding her stomach. "I don't feel good."

"Oh, honey," I sighed. "Mama's here." I went over to her and kissed her cool forehead, checking for a fever. "You're not warm, baby. Is it just your tummy?"

She nodded. "I made a mess in the bathroom. I didn't get there in time. I'm sorry." Her brown eyes welled with tears that spilled down her cheeks.

"It's okay, Soph," I said, gathering her in my arms. "It was an accident. Mama will clean it up."

She hiccuped, burying her face in my chest, and I hugged her closer. Maybe I babied Sophia, but I didn't care. I think that from the beginning, Stef and I realized that Sophia and Callie were kids who needed extra love; love that we were more than happy to give. I took her hands in front of me, holding them tight. "Hey, why don't you sit down at the table and drink some ginger ale, I'll go clean up the mess, and then you and I can have some snuggle time. How does that sound?"

"Good," she sniffled.

"Okay," I nodded. I poured her a drink, then went up to the kids' bathroom. When I returned, Sophia and I settled on the couch.

"Mama?" she said, looking up at me.

"Hmm?"

"I think I'm probably too sick to go to court tomorrow. Maybe we should cancel it?"

I hid a smile against her hair. "Honey, are you sure the reason you're sick isn't just because you're nervous about the trial?"

She shrugged.

"It's okay to be nervous, peanut," I told her. "Anyone would be. But won't it feel good once this is all over and done with, and you can just be a normal little girl?"

"Yes," she said. "But I'm scared. I have all these thoughts running through my head, and I can't make them stop."

I leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Which thought is bothering you right this second?"

She was quiet for a long moment. "That this might be my last snuggle time with you." A single tear dripped off the tip of her nose.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying not to cry myself, but in the end, I couldn't fight it. "Baby... don't think like that," I whispered. "You're not going anywhere, and neither am I. There's going to be lots more snuggles with me. You'll see."

"If I go to jail," she said seriously, "promise you won't put Callie back in the system. Please? I don't want anyone to hurt her again. She needs you and mom." Her dark eyes were wide; she watched me with a wisdom that was older than her twelve years. Older than me.

"Sophia." I turned her around to face me. "Mommy and I would never ever put you or Callie back in the system, no matter what happens. I don't want you to ever worry about that, baby. We're your family, and we love you. Okay?"

"Okay," she said, looking down into her lap. "But I still don't know if I can face the judge tomorrow."

I tilted her chin up so she would look at me. "I'm going to tell you something, Soph. I want you to listen to me." I paused, making sure I had her full attention. "You can face the judge tomorrow, because you did nothing wrong. We all believe in you. Now you need to believe in yourself. All you have to do tomorrow is tell the truth, baby. You can never go wrong by being honest. The truth always comes out in the end."


Callie

Toss, roll, toss, turn...

I'd been laying awake for an hour, trying to fall asleep. Stef and Lena had let Sophia and I each take a long bubble bath after dinner, in their bathroom where no one would bother us. And afterward, they gave us a mug of hot herbal tea to help us relax. All that should have helped, but it didn't. Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore. "Sophie bug," I whispered. "Are you awake?"

I heard her roll over. "Yeah.

"I can't sleep," I told her. "Can you?"

"No," she said softly.

"Do you want to sleep in my bed?" I asked. I just wanted her near me that night. I didn't know if this would be our last night in the same place, and I wanted to be with her as much as I could.

"Alright," she said.

She got out of her own bed, crawled into mine, and snuggled beside me. As usual, her feet were cold, but I didn't mind. I covered her with my comforter and kissed her cheek. "Better?"

She laid her head against my chest and nodded. "Better."

"Sissy?" she whispered, after a few minutes.

"What, baby?"

"I talked to Mama today," she said. "I made her promise me that if I have to go away, they won't put you back in the system. So, you don't have to worry, in case you were."

My blood pounded in my head. I knew she was just trying to comfort me, but it wasn't working. Hearing her plan like that scared me. We'd been together since she was born, and I didn't know life without her. I didn't even want to think about it. I lay still, mute, hoping she wouldn't say anymore about it.

She was quiet for a long time, and then she spoke again. "You know, I'm not that scared about tomorrow anymore. I feel... I don't know. Peaceful?"

"Peaceful?" I asked, raising my brow. Staring into the darkness, I reached up and stroked my nose. I'd been trying to be strong for my sister, I really had been. I hadn't mentioned the trial much, I hadn't cried in front of her. I'd been keeping it all bottled up tightly inside me. All that time, I figured she was as scared and confused as I was. I didn't understand how she could feel peaceful when our future was up in the air.

"Yeah," she answered. "I mean, I'm still a little scared, but knowing you'll be safe makes me feel a lot better."

I cringed on the inside. maybe I would have a place to live, but it wouldn't feel like a home without her. "Thanks for looking out for me," I said.

She shrugged. "Well, you've always looked out for me." She yawned, cuddling closer. "No matter what happens tomorrow, I love you Callie."

"I love you too, Soph," I said. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

And then the room was quiet again. Even with Sophia next to me, I still couldn't fall asleep. I was afraid to close my eyes. Because when I opened them again, it would be tomorrow.


Stef (The next morning)

Callie and Sophia were dressed neatly and beautifully when we walked into the courthouse. They looked as ready as they could ever be. I hoped they were as ready on the inside as they were on the outside.

We led the kids to a bench in the lobby and sat them down with us, to discuss some last minute things.

"Listen, girls," I said to Callie and Sophia, looking them in the eye. "When you go in there, the first thing that will happen is that they'll go over the details of your case. You'll be asked a lot of questions, and some of them will be really hard for you to answer. And I know that's really scary, but I want you to remember that it's super important to stay calm in front of the judge. He's not going to listen if you get all upset, okay? Show him you believe you're innocent by the way you conduct yourselves. Remember to speak clearly to him, make eye contact, and address him as 'your honor.''

Sophia nodded and Callie looked down thoughtfully.

"And if you do get scared," Lena added. "You can always just look at as. We'll all be there, cheering you on."

"Mama's right," Mariana smiled. "We've got your back." She gave Callie and Sophia each a hug.

"You'll be fine," I told them. "You're good girls, and anyone can see that. We believe in you, and we love you both very much." Lena and I embraced the girls and gave them kiss. And then, we prepared to enter the courtroom.

I took a few steps, and then realized Callie wasn't walking with us. "Are you okay, love?" I asked, turning around.

Callie's eyes were round and frightened. "I can't... breath," she gasped, holding her throat. She coughed, struggling for air. Her face was red. Suddenly, she turned and ran to the bathroom.

"Callie!" I called. "Wait!"

"I'll get her some water," Lena offered.

I nodded. "You guys stay here," I told the kids, following my daughter.

I found her leaning against the bathroom wall, hyperventilating, as tears streamed down her face. "Callie baby," I breathed, going to her. It didn't hit me until then how very hard she was taking all this. Maybe there was only so much trauma a person could take in their short life.

"Help me," she sobbed.

I reached out and put my hands on her arms. "You're having a panic attack, baby," I told her. "You have to breath." I was worried she was going to faint. She had to calm down.

I took her hand and held it to my chest. "Feel my breathing, Cal. Just follow me. In and out." I inhaled deeply, imploring her to do the same, and then I slowly exhaled. "Please, love? Breath with me?"

Finally, she inhaled shakily, and let it out, her eyes closed. "You're doing good, honey," I praised. "So good. Keep it up." I took another deep breath, trying to set a rhythm. "That's a good girl."

Lena came into the bathroom with a cold bottle of water. "How is she, honey?" Her face was creased with concern.

"Getting there," I said softly.

Lena twisted the cap off the water bottle. "Can you try to take a sip of water, sweetheart?" she asked.

Callie nodded weakly, and Lena gave the bottle to her. "I need to get back to the other kids," she told me. "Can you take it from here?"

I nodded. "I think so. Thanks, babe."

I turned back to our daughter. "Keep taking deep breaths, Callie," I said. "You're okay. Mommy's right here. I'm not gonna leave you." I wet a paper towel and rung it out. "Let's wash your pretty face." I wiped her tear-stained cheeks and forehead with the towel, and then her neck, trying to cool her down. "Try and take another drink of water."

She did, and then I set the bottle on the counter. "Come here," I said, holding my arms out for her. She hugged me tighter than she ever had before. I rocked her back and forth, letting her cry on my shoulder. The movement hurt my abdomen, and I winced a little, trying not to let the pain show on my face. "Just keep telling yourself it's only a panic attack," I whispered. "You're going to be okay."

"My chest hurts," she sobbed. "I'm scared." She clung to me, digging her nails into my back.

"I know," I told her. "Fear does crazy things to your body. But you're in control, Cal." I continued to rock her gently, trying to sooth her. "I know it's scary, but it's nothing you can't overcome."

"I don't want Sophia to go away," she sniffled angrily. "She's my best friend. She's just a baby. I need her with me. My baby..." She broke down in fresh tears.

Hugging her closer, I stilled, before she could get frantic again. "Love, Mama and I are not going to let anyone take Sophia away from you," I firmly told her. "We have a strong case. And if- and I mean if- the judge doesn't rule in our favor, we'll fight it, no matter what it takes. I know you've never really had an adult fight for you, honey, but we will never give up on either of you. Not while there's air in our lungs. I promise you, Callie."

I kissed her temple, and gently stroked her back. "In the meantime, I want you to remember something. If it hasn't happened yet, it isn't true. Nothing bad has happened yet, so we have nothing to worry about. Okay?"

We stood there for a long time, as she gradually calmed down. When I saw just starting to worry that we'd be late for the hearing, she looked up from my shoulder through tear-filled eyes. "Okay."

I gave her a proud smile "Ready to go out there?"

"I think so."

I planted one more kiss on top of her head. "That's my girl." I took her hand, and we walked back out to the lobby.

When Sophia saw us, she ran over and threw her arms around her sister. "Callie, are you okay? I was so scared."

Callie pulled Sophia into a hug. "I'll be okay. You just take care of you, baby." She kissed her cheek and hugged her again. "I love you."

"I love you too, Sissy," Sophia said.

I heard the click of shoes on tile, and turned around. My heart thumped with surprise. "Lena-" I said, reaching for my wife's arm. She followed my gaze. Laura Bowen was coming toward us.

"Laura, hi," I said, managing a smile. "What brings you here?"

She looked down at her black pumps. "I had a change of heart," she said. "I'm going to tell the truth about Brian. I'm going to testify."

I was almost afraid to believe my ears. "What made you change your mind, if you don't mind me asking?"

She looked up, tears sparkling in her blue eyes. "I'm sick. I was diagnosed with cancer, a week ago. It's inoperable. I want- I want the time I have left to mean something."

"I'm so sorry," I said softly. "But thank you so much for doing this for us."

"I know what my husband did," she said. "And I know that I'm partly to blame. I allowed it to happen. You were right, Stef. I owe these girls. And I owe my own little girl. I need to make it right."

Suddenly, Laura looked past her shoulders, and her eyes filled with fresh tears. She held her hand to her mouth. Lena and I turned to see Lindsey standing in the courtroom doorway, sobbing. "Mom," she said. She came toward her mother, and Laura took her hand. And then they hugged.

My heart squeezed, and my eyes stung. Lena had tears in her eyes too. I knew that Lindsey and Laura had years of hurt to work out. It would take time. But the first step had been taken.

Now it was time for my family to take the next step toward the future. Lena took Sophia's hand, and I took Callie's. I saw Callie grab her sister's hand and squeeze it, so the four of us were linked. We glanced around at each other, then walked into the courtroom.

To Be Continued