Callie sat in Jude's room, under the tent Jesus had built for him and Frankie the night before. They were just sitting, with Jude thinking. For so long it had just been the two of them. Jude had only had Callie to depend on for so long. But now things were changing.

It was going to be a completely new world when they were adopted — when they no longer would have to worry about moving to another house. Jude would no longer look to Callie as a parental figure. He would be able to look at her like his sister. It would be a huge adjustment, despite the fact Stef and Lena had been working on making both children learn and realize that Callie was also a child, not in charge, and could make mistakes like everyone else without worry.

"What does it mean that Mama is your aunt for real, Sissy? What about me?" Jude asked. He was hugging the hippo Lena had gotten him not so long ago. He had overheard Mariana and Jesus talking about Lena being Callie's real aunt, and he wanted to understand what that meant. He wanted to understand that badly.

"Bubba, do you remember when I told you about how I had a different daddy than you do? That Donald isn't my real daddy like he is your real daddy?" Callie asked. She knew she had to tread carefully when she talked to her baby brother. He was only seven. He was, just like the day they had walked through the door here, innocent.

"Yes. You told me about Robert Quinn and Sophia. Sophia knocked me down one time," Jude said quietly.

"Yes. Mama is Robert Quinn's sister — like you and me. Only Mama and Robert Quinn have the same daddy and different mommys."

"And we had the same mommy before she died and different daddys."

"Exactly. Technically, it makes Mama my aunt. But Mama and Mommy are going to adopt us very soon and that is all that matters. But remember, Jude, I will never not be your sister. Nothing can ever change that. I chose you because you are important to me. I will always protect you."

"Because Robert Quinn wanted to send me away and send you to boarding school," Jude said. He didn't know what boarding school was, but he did understand that it meant Callie would have been alone most of the time — and they would have never seen each other again. Callie had explained all of it to him a long time ago, and would occasionally explain it to him again so he would not forget that he was what mattered to her, even then.

"Robert Quinn was not a nice man. He was not my real daddy," Callie said.

"Then who is your real daddy?" That statement had confused Jude.

"Jude, you and I don't need a daddy. We have Mama and Mommy. And they are all we need now. They will always take care of us," Callie said, leaning over to hug her little brother. She knew he didn't understand it all, but he understood enough.

"So it doesn't matter that Mama is your aunt? She won't send you away or me away?" Jude asked.

Callie looked down at him and shook her head.

"Never, Bubba. Mama and Mommy love us more than anyone has since our first mommy died, I promise you. We are safe here. Safer than we ever have been."

That was good enough for the seven year old.


Callie walked into her room later that night and stared at Mariana, who was sitting on her bed reading a magazine. She didn't say anything, she just stared at her.

Mariana could feel the stares, but didn't look up. She still felt slightly bad for how she had reacted to the news that Callie was Mama's biological niece. To Mariana, though, it still hurt. She was the only daughter who wasn't related to Mama somehow. And that was really hard for her. No one seemed to understand how she felt.

"You can stop being an ass any day now," Callie said, just loud enough for Mariana to hear her, but not for anyone outside of their room to hear. That was the last thing she needed — Lena to hear her using bad words again.

Mariana looked over at the twelve year old.

"Better not get caught using such language — the moms wouldn't be pleased at all."

Callie shrugged. They wouldn't do anything but ground her or take her phone away. It would suck, but they would still not hit her for it. They would never go over the top with any punishment. She was slowly learning that, and it was starting to sink in.

"Mama and Mom wouldn't be happy to find out that you have your belly button pierced either. And you've had it pierced for months," Callie said, with a shrug to let Mariana know she could play the same games with her.

"Are you going to be a snitch and tell on me now?" Mariana asked. But the truth was, she knew Callie wouldn't tell on her. Callie never told on anyone about anything, really, and if she did it was an accident and she'd feel guilty about it for ages afterwards.

"No. You know, Jude took Mama being my aunt better than you and he is seven. You are being an ass about it. I didn't ask for Robert Quinn to be my biological father. You have no idea the kind of person he is. So why are you being an ass to me about it?" Callie asked, tears starting to cloud her vision.

"It's not like you would ever be able to understand, Callie. Everything is so easy for you, isn't it? You get here and the moms want to adopt you almost immediately. You are easier to adopt because of Robert Quinn. You are blood related to Mama. Nothing was easy about me and Jesus becoming part of this family. Nothing!" Mariana snapped at the younger girl.

"You're selfish," Callie whispered, looking down at her lap and refusing to look at Mariana. Why didn't Mariana see how much better she had had it than Callie and even Jude? Mariana was adopted when she was really young, even if the adoption had taken a while. It had still happened and they had lived with the moms for so long they didn't remember much else. They had lived here before they even started school.

Mariana let out a harsh laugh.

"I'm selfish? Are you fucking kidding me? I am selfish? Who didn't tell anyone about Jude and nearly got Jude and Jesus killed? Who didn't tell the moms about Robert Quinn? Who nearly got Mom killed when she ran out in the middle of a street? It sure as hell wasn't me!" Mariana yelled at her.

Tears were no longer just clouding Callie's vision, but also falling down her cheeks as well.

"None of that was done out of selfishness," Callie whispered. Because it was true. Callie didn't know what it was like to be selfish or to so anything for a selfish reason.

"Yea, right, Callie. All of it was selfish! You have been beyond selfish since you moved in here!"

Callie tried to take deep breathes, but it was hard, with every bit of air getting trapped in her chest. Mariana really had no idea what her life was like or had been like in the past. She did her best to never put herself first, to always make sure Jude came first. And because of that Jude was safe.

"I took good care of Jude," Callie said so quietly Mariana almost didn't hear her.

"Oh? Like you took care of him when you got kicked out of Liam's house? Jude told me all about Liam. Or how about when you destroyed your foster father's car and got sent to juvie? That was you protecting him? What the hell ever, Callie!" Mariana snapped. She only knew about these things through Jude's point of view, when he had told her why they had gotten kicked out of other homes. It always seemed to be Callie's fault.

Callie looked down at the floor this time, breathing in deeply before looking up at Mariana.

"I was selfish? Let me tell you how selfish I was, Mariana! At the Olmsteads — that is where Liam lived, he was their real son and was something like 23 years old or older — I was raped by him a lot because he threatened to hurt Jude if I didn't let him do what he wanted. Jude was barely six. So yes, if that is selfish, I was glad to be so Jude would always be safe! At Jim Pearsons home, I was selfish because I took a baseball bat to his car instead of letting him beat my little brother for putting on a dress— after he had hit me in the ribs so hard he cracked a couple of them! Robert Quinn wanted to send me to a boarding school and Jude away, and I refused to stay there if he didn't let Jude stay, too. Because Jude is my little brother and I will protect him at all costs. Jude knows nothing more than it was my fault we moved around so much, and that is okay! He doesn't need to understand what I did to protect him! What isn't okay, Mariana, is you being a colossal bitch and calling me selfish when I did what I had to do to! It is not my fault! None of it is my fault and I am tired of people blaming me for things I had no control over! Something I did to protect my baby brother! So fuck you, Mariana Adams Foster!"

"Young lady!"

Callie froze, her eyes widened when she heard Lena's voice — and she did one of the things she had learned to do best: she ran. Leaving behind Lena and Mariana — Mariana who had never felt like such a bitch in her entire life. What had she done? Why had she done it?

Jealousy. The fact hit her like a ton of bricks. Because she was jealous of a twelve year old kid.

But it was worse than that. Because Callie wasn't just a twelve year old kid. Callie was her sister.

And realizing that, Mariana ran after her sister, not bothering to say a word to Lena. She would fix this in her own way. Right now.

So, Mariana ran as fast as she could, simply so she could make this right with her little sister.