Stef came in the door sleepily on the first day of Spring Break. Working nights was hard, and only made harder when her wife and kids were all at home. The house was still and quiet. She snuck up the stairs to check on the kids on her way to bed. She went into her own room and quickly got ready for bed hoping Lena had some plans to get the kids out of the house for at least a few hours later in the day so she could sleep.

Instead, Stef was rudely woken less than two hours later. "That is my ball, Jesus! Yours was green, but it got caught in the tree. That one is mine, give it back!" Mariana yelled in the hallway.

"But I want to play with it outside with Jude. It doesn't matter if it is yours, we want to play and Mama said it had to be outside because Mom is sleeping!" Jesus yelled back.

"If you would just agree to go to go shopping you wouldn't have to play outside…."

"Shopping is boring! It is my Spring Break, too you know!"

"Mama! Jesus and Mariana are fighting upstairs and I think they might wake Mom!" Brandon yelled contributing to the noise.

"We were being quiet, it is you that is going to wake Mom!" Jesus screamed back at his brother.

Lena came as quickly as she heard the noise, but knew she was probably too late. "All of you get your shoes on. We are going to the mall to shop and have lunch. Then we are going by the park. Let's go."

Stef smiled a little to herself as she heard the kids groan a little and then heard the front door close some time later. She drifted back to sleep for several hours this time. When she woke back up it was with a slight shake to her bed. "Who's there?" She mumbled sleepily.

"It's me, Mommy." Jude answered. "Mama said you might be up. I guess you are. It started raining so we had to leave the park. Tomorrow it might rain all day. If it does we might go somewhere else. Maybe a surprise or something. I think it has to be something free because we are saving money for Disneyland, right? When are we going?"

"I think you said tomorrow?" Stef said sitting up and stretching some still not quite comprehending everything Jude just said.

Jude giggled. "No, I mean to Disneyland. You said we would go this summer. Well, everyone else has been saying you have promised lots of years, but we didn't go. So, when are we going?"

"If we said this summer, then that is when we are going. We haven't really made arrangements yet. How about you go tell Mama that I am up and then we can find something to do all together here at home."

"Okay!" Jude said hopping down and fairly running out the door and down the stairs.

Stef wandered down the stairs a few minutes later to see Lena quite frustrated. "It is Jesus's turn to choose the movie and this is what he wanted to watch. Either watch it or go find something else to do."

"But Mama! My turn didn't really count so it is really my turn. Remember that we didn't get to finish my movie because the DVD was too scratched. So, I get to pick." Callie said holding up her choice.

"That's not the way it works, Callie!" Jesus said back. We watched most of yours and it is my turn now. Mama said so."

"Then I will scratch your movie and then it will be Mariana's choice. She wants to watch this one, too." Callie announced getting into her brother's face.

"If you scratch mine, I will break yours into lots of pieces."

"If any of that happens, you will both be grounded from movies for a very long time. Callie, your movie was scratched. I do remember that now. However, we did watch most of it. Therefore it is still your brother's turn. You love this movie. Just put it in."

"But Mama…" Callie started again.

"But Mama nothing, Callie. I don't want to hear you arguing with Mama again. Do you understand?" Stef asked making her presence known.

"Yes ma'am." Callie said moving away from the DVD player. "It still isn't fair, though. Jesus always gets his way…."

"It doesn't have to be fair. Mama has tried really hard to keep you all happy today. Have you done your part to do what she has asked of you?"

"No…" Callie said in a drawn out way showing she had more she wanted to say, but was not going to say it.

"How about if you try harder now?" Callie tried to avoid Stef's gaze, but Stef gently guided her face back to her own. "Callie, will you try harder, or do you need to go sit in your room for a few minutes?"

"I will try harder." Callie said squirming away from her mother.

"See that you do. I don't want tomorrow to go so badly. If I see you acting like this anymore it will not end well for you. Keep that in mind."

"Okay… Well, during the movie may I go do something else? Mama said we could do something else."

"Actually, I think we are going to let Mama go upstairs and rest for a while and we are going to stay down here. So, if you would like to get out a quiet game you could play during the movie that would be okay, but otherwise, your entertainment for this afternoon is a movie."

Lena gave a slight smile and came toward Stef. "Thanks, Babe!" She kissed her wife lightly on the cheek before going to her room for some needed time off.

Stef sat down on the couch and Jude found his way to her lap. Callie found a card game and all four of the older kids agreed to play it as they watched the movie. It worked well until Callie lost. "That wasn't fair! Jesus cheated! He looked at my cards!"

"I did not! I am all the way over here. How could I have seen them?" He said grinning instantly making it known that something had happened.

"Then Brandon looked at my cards and told you!"

"I didn't either. It was Mariana who looked and told both of us." Brandon said nonchalantly. "She did it went you went to the bathroom."

"I can't play with you guys anymore, you are all cheaters!" Callie yelled throwing down her cards and nearly stomping on someone's hand.

Stef grabbed her daughter and dragged her into the kitchen. "Callie, calm down. This was just a card game and it isn't a big deal. You have won several times in a row. It is okay for someone else to win once."

"But they cheated! Jesus has been doing this kind of thing all day! Mama let him watch his movie just because he was causing problems and she wanted him to stop. He didn't take his medicine this morning. I told Mama and she just got upset with me, not him."

"His medication has nothing to do with you. You probably did not know this, but his doctor wanted to see what he was like without medication for a week to make sure we are still doing the right thing. So, we thought this week would be the best since it wouldn't interfere with school. Now, I could tell from Mama's expression that today has been hard for everyone. So, again I ask, are you doing your part to make things easier?"

"No, but I didn't know that stuff. If no one tells me, how am I supposed to know?"

"As an eleven year old and the second oldest, it is always your job to make things easier and not harder. Tomorrow, when Mama takes everyone else wherever she finds to go, you will stay home with me. You will sit in my room with a book or something else that is silent while I sleep. When I wake up, we will catch up with the others. That will keep Mama's load a little lighter."

"I can do better tomorrow. Please let me try. I don't want to miss whatever we are doing… Wait, shouldn't it be Jesus who has to stay with you?"

"Nope. I could never sleep with him not on his meds… I realize that he is a little hard to deal with, but I also think that sometime away will help you remember your part. We are a lot alike. I know you have heard that many times. We protect the people we love. By keeping you here, I am reminding you that protecting Jesus means that even when he is driving you insane you still do what you can to help him. Protecting Mama means that you try your hardest to not add to whatever issues are happening." Stef put her arms around Callie and hugged her closely. "In a way I am also protecting you. If Mama had another day like today, I think she would come back without one of you. I would hate for it to be you."

XXXX

"You are really going to keep Callie for me tomorrow?" Lena asked leaning on her wife.

"It is not really for you… She is my daughter too. I just thought it would make your day better. What happened today anyway? You were looking extremely frazzled when I came downstairs, but I didn't get any texts from you all day."

"What didn't happen? Seriously, we got to the mall, and as soon as we got inside two of the kids needed to go to the bathroom. Jude wanted to go into the men's room so I sent Brandon in with him. I went in with Mariana and told the other two to stand outside. It was a mistake. I had to go pull the two of them out of the arcade next to the bathroom. Jesus was climbing around the machines as Callie said there could be money for them to play games with."

"And did they find any?" Stef asked trying to picture it.

"Not right then. After that, I took all the kids into a children's clothing store having a sale. I found things for them to try on, but Jesus was everywhere. He was begging for a little ball at the counter. I am ashamed to say that when we checked out I went ahead and bought it. Then we had to chase the ball down the hallway until it fell over the railing and into the fountain."

"Nice. Let me guess, at some point at least two of the kids were in the fountain trying to get the ball?"

"Of course. Jude and Jesus got into the fountain when Mariana and Callie finally to go into Build-a-Bear for a few minutes. We all went in and then those two were gone. Both girls were upset by the boys spoiling their favorite store. Callie complained in the Lego store that she had missed her turn, but she was truly upset went we still went to Game Stop to look at the video games for Jesus. She loves that store also, but today all she wanted to do was fight."

"Right, Callie didn't get her way and was unwilling to allow anyone else to have theirs. Like the movie this afternoon and even the card game. Jesus might be hard to manage without his meds, but Callie wasn't taken off of anything. She just needs to remember she is not the one in charge. A day with me will help."

"I haven't even gotten to the worst part… At lunch Mariana said she had to go back to the bathroom and she insisted that I go with her. I left my purse at the food court table with the other four since they were eating. When I got back, the contents of my purse were dumped on the table with Brandon and Jude trying to put it all back in. Jesus and Callie were back in the arcade with my wallet. Together they probably only burned through a couple of dollars, but still. I was quite angry. I probably did take it out on Callie more than Jesus. I told them if they squandered our money would wouldn't be able to go to Disneyland."

"That would explain my conversation with Jude earlier… Jesus might have been the purse dumper, but it was certainly Callie's idea. She definitely knows better. I assume you are garnishing their wages for a week or so?"

"Yep. We also left the mall almost immediately. I made both Callie and Jesus sit out at the park. Jesus got to get up first as he is younger and he cannot hold still right now. Callie started griping again so I made her sit out longer. It started raining and we had to come home before she really got to play at all. I guess I can see a little why she was so upset, but I have to say that you watching Callie tomorrow will make my life better."

XXXX

The next morning, Lena sent Callie into Stef's room. "Be good today, Sweetheart. I love you and I hope to see you later. If you need anything either wake Mom or call me."

"I won't need anything…"

"Okay, well if you do, Mom's phone is plugged in next to our bed."

"I am not sure why I have to stay in the room while she is sleeping. I could find other quiet things to occupy myself somewhere else…"

"Nope. Mom said here and she is in charge. If she changes her mind, have her text me. Otherwise you are here. By the way, I am taking the power cords for all of your video games with me."

"But Mama…."

"That better not be my Callie talking back again." Stef said in her half-awake state. "I was hoping just one day would help, but if not we can do this again tomorrow."

Reluctantly, Callie went into the room with her book and sat down in a chair several feet from her mother. After some amount of time, she heard Stef's phone buzz with a text. She went over to it to see who it was from. The screen said it was from her grandma. Callie picked up the phone and quickly opened the message. "I hope things are going well, I haven't heard from you in a while."

Callie quickly responded. "Everything is okay."

"Are the kids doing well? Last time we talked you said you were considering taking Jesus off his meds this week is that going okay?"

Callie had a dawn of realization that via text, no one knew who they were really talking to. Sharon was sure she was talking to Stef. "Jesus needs his meds. Lena and I were stupid to take him off of them."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. I think it is good that you are willing to try. How is our little bug?"

"Callie is nearly perfect. I wish the other kids acted more like her."

"Really? No fun story today that I can compare to you? Well, you should call later if you get the chance. Love you."

"Love you, too." Callie answered on Stef's behalf wondering what sort of stories her mother usually told about her.

When Callie went to look through the old texts, she came up with a new plan. "I was wrong about Callie. I am going to let her watch TV in the family room." She typed and sent to her mama's phone.

"Are you sure? That was very quick. Maybe I should just come pick her up?"

"Very sure." Callie stopped to think a second. "Don't pick her up, I will bring her later."

"Okay, why the sudden change of heart?"

"Jesus should be the one in trouble, not Callie. Make sure he sits out during something fun today. Love you." Callie saw how Sharon ended the other conversation and thought it would be best to end this one before she got in too deep.

"I love you, too."

Callie considered carefully if she could do anything else with this new found power, but decided instead to go watch TV for a while. As she was leaving the room, Stef's phone lit up once more. Cautiously, Callie went to check it one more time.

"Hey Sport, your mom told me that you and Lena were having a hard day with Jesus and all. We may not be on the best terms, but is there anything I can do to help?"

Callie smiled before responding to Stef's dad. "Yes, come pick up Callie. I am trying to sleep and it would really help me if she had another place to go."

"No problem. Tell her to wait by the front door, I will be there in ten or fifteen minutes." Callie quietly laid the phone back down before going to her room. She placed her backpack on her bed and packed it with an extra change of clothes as well as a few of her favorite things. After zipping it up and putting it on, she walked down the stairs to wait for her grandfather.

He pulled up and Callie carefully shut and locked the door behind her before running toward his car. "Hi, Grandpa Frank! My mom said we were going to spend some time together today."

"Yes, I suppose we are. I hoped we would get to have days like this again, but we haven't spent much time together since the adoption. It is not that I don't like you, though, Callie."

"I know, but we are together now and maybe for longer than today…"

XXXX

Stef woke up with a start when her phone was vibrating. "Hello?" She answered still trying to wake up a little.

"Hey, Babe! I couldn't really talk when you texted earlier, but I found a quiet spot. So, what's going on? Your texts were really unusual, and I sort of suspect you didn't sent them."

"My texts? I just woke up. I don't remember sending you any texts… Wait, let me look. It seems that someone else used my phone. Let me find her." Stef halfway covered the phone before looking around for her daughter and finally yelling for her.

"Please, go to her. Our children are not animals that we call for across the house." Lena said going unnoticed by her wife.

"Callie Marie Adams Foster where are you?" Stef repeated in the hallway before going back to her texts and Lena. "Oh wait. I see that she also texted my dad to come pick her up for the day. So, she is not home. I guess I get dressed and go get her now."

"Or not."

"What are you saying, Lena? Our baby has flown the coop again and as her mother it is my job to go get her. I do believe I will spank her and then make her stay on your side of the bed for the rest of my sleep so that if she moves I will feel it and wake up." Stef said putting on her shoes.

"Slow down. Look, we know she is safe. She isn't wandering the streets alone. I say we leave her there. Go back to bed and finish sleeping. We will hear from her before too long and we will deal with it from there." Lena explained.

"Are you for real? In a text to my mom this morning she said we were stupid. We really just let her go this time? You do remember that she was stuck here because she was horrid yesterday, right? This is the same kid who had Jesus dump your purse and then complained all afternoon and evening."

"I know which of our babies we are taking about, Stef. I also know that if we do not do anything right now, she will request to come home. That will be more effective than rushing in. I am not saying that we do nothing, I am saying we need to be patient. I bet that your dad will call one of us within an hour."