Chapter thirty-four
Stef leaves the courthouse with a wide grin on her face. Judge Carson is going to pull a few strings and organise Ali's court date and everything else is ready to go. Finally, it's all starting to fall into place, Stef thinks as she checks the time, realising that she's late picking the kids up from school.
Moments after parking the car, three impatient children clamber into the backseat while Stef apologises for being so late. She turns around to look at them and laughs slightly at the disgusted look on Mariana's face. You'd think I'd abandoned them for hours, not twenty minutes.
"How about pizza for dinner? Will that be enough to make you forget this terrible ordeal?" Stef asks, desperately trying not to laugh.
"Pepperoni?" Jesus asks his interest peaking for the first time since getting into the car.
"Only the best for my kids!" Stef says loudly, her body full of expression. They all laugh as Stef begins to drive to their favourite pizza restaurant.
The following morning, Lena and Stef find themselves sitting in the, now well-acquainted, outpatients' clinic. After ten minutes of waiting, Lena's name flashes across the screen. Stef carefully helps Lena up from her chair and into the doctor's office.
"Mrs. Adams Foster?" A middle-aged man with a slightly husky voice turns around from his computer screen to shake both women's hands, "Hi, I'm Dr. Jason Lowe. If you could take a seat on the bed please." Jason smiles as he stands up to help Lena onto the bed while Stef sits down in the chair at the end of the bed.
"Please call me Lena, and this is my wife Stef," Lena says as she slowly lies back.
"Okay, Lena. Today we're just going to run a few blood tests and get another x-ray of your lungs." Jason notices the nervousness of Lena as she struggles to stay still, "It's just precautionary really, there's nothing to worry about."
Lena nods slowly before looking over to Stef, who begins to softly rub her leg. The contact of her wife's skin on her own instantly calms Lena, much to Jason's surprise. A nurse walks into the office carrying a tray. Jason moves over to the sink and washes his hands before putting on a pair of surgical gloves.
"Alright, then Lena, sharp scratch," Jason says as he begins to take the first of many blood samples from Lena, causing her to wince.
An hour later, the appointment is over and Stef is driving them home. Glancing over to the passenger seat, Stef watches as Lena fights to keep her eyes open.
"I know that the kids understand why Ali's been getting so much of our attention but they need some mommy and mama time too," Lena says softly, her eyes now closed.
"I know, honey." Stef replies, sighing, "But we can't leave Ali with anyone right now and I don't think you're up to a day out." Stef stretches across and places her hand on Lena's knee. They both feel guilty about the lack of time they've been spending with their kids.
"What if you do something with Brandon and the twins downstairs and I'll keep Ali occupied in our room and then we can switch?" Lena opens her eyes slowly and looks across to Stef, slightly embarrassed. Stef gently squeezes Lena's hand and wants nothing more than to kiss her wife right there and then. It is clear to her that Lena's been thinking about this for some time.
"I love you." Stef whispers, glancing over to Lena again.
"I love you too," Lena whispers back, feeling her cheeks get even warmer.
After dinner that evening, Stef is sitting in the kitchen supervising whilst Brandon, Jesus and Mariana wash up.
"Would you like to have some mommy and mama time tonight?" Stef suddenly asks, causing all three of them to turn on their heels, "I'll take that as a unanimous yes, then?" She laughs as their heads begin to nod, "Me and mama want you to know how much we love you and how proud we are of your behaviour these past few weeks. It's made things a lot easier for Ali."
"Well, she's our sister mommy. We just want her to get better." Brandon pipes up from behind the twins, causing Stef's heart to nearly explode with love for her son who is so wise for his age.
"What will we do?" Mariana asks, looking up to Stef with a big smile on her face.
"Well, mama has it all planned out! A movie of your choice with me and then monopoly with her in our bed." Stef smiles, feeling tears threatening to surface at the looks on her kids' faces, so overjoyed to spend time doing simple, almost boring, things with them.
That evening, after much deliberation, a movie was chosen and seats were taken on the sofa as Stef made popcorn and drinks. Walking into the dark front room, she notices that they've left a space for her on the sofa between Mariana and Brandon, with Jesus on Brandon's other side. Stef places the popcorn onto the coffee table and takes her reserved seat. Mariana instantly cuddles into her side as Stef relaxes into the pillows and wraps an arm around her daughter.
As the credits begin to roll, Stef sighs happily, feeling more content now than she has in weeks. Brandon is resting his head on her chest while Mariana is still snuggled into her side. Stef, having wrapped both arms around two of her kids, looks over to Jesus who is leaning his cheek against the back of her hand that's resting on Brandon's back.
"I'll just go up and let mama know that the movie's finished, okay? Then you can come up." Stef says as she begins to untangle herself from her three kids. After successfully escaping their tight hold, she makes her way upstairs to find Lena snuggling a very tired Ali in her arms. Stef makes her way over to the bed and sits down, causing Lena to open her eyes and smile as she sees Stef.
"Ali sweetie, it's time for some mommy time," Stef whispers down to Ali who opens one eye slightly and nods, pulling away from Lena and falling into Stef's arms. Once Ali is settled her in her bed, Stef makes her way to the door and turns around, noticing how Ali tenses when she's alone.
"Baby, I'm just going to bring the kids up to mama. Then I'll come straight back and we can cuddle for a while." Stef smiles sadly as she watches Ali sit up slightly in the bed.
"Mama, you're meant to let us win for once, not crush us every time!" Mariana exclaims as Lena bankrupts her in monopoly. Lena laughs as she stretches out her hand and waits patiently for Mariana to hand over the last of her money.
"And where would the fun be in that?" Lena asks, a mock look of confusion on her face that causes Brandon and Jesus to laugh at their sister's distress, "I don't know what you two are smirking about. You're next!" She says, pointing to Brandon.
Stef is lying on her daughter's bed with Ali snuggled into her side, her head resting on Stef's chest, listening to Stef's steady heartbeat.
Stef slowly strokes Ali's hair, feeling the short patch where the doctors had shaved her head. She looks down to Ali's relaxed body and takes Ali's hand which is resting on Stef's stomach. Gently, she begins rubbing circles onto the back of her hand before noticing the slightly ridged surface of her burn scars.
What can I do to make you forget? Stef thinks, sighing sadly.
Mariana opens the door and walks into her room, smiling as she sees Ali sleeping in her own bed. With Ali not feeling well and having nightmares, most nights she didn't even begin sleeping in her bed. Mariana was finding it difficult to sleep alone, the empty bed reminding her of the time that Ali had to go back to the group home.
Stef opens her eyes as a soft light enters the room from the landing. She turns her head to see Mariana getting into her own bed. Quietly, Stef pulls herself away from Ali and moves off of the bed. By settling Ali into her own bed and making her feel safe and secure, Stef hopes that she won't be visiting them in the middle of the night. But the minute that Stef places her feet onto the fluffy rug below, Ali's eyes shoot open, "Mommy?" Ali whispers, a slight shake in her voice.
"Hey, baby," Stef whispers, kneeling down beside the bed and taking Ali's hand in hers, "It's bedtime now and I think Mariana would love for you to sleep in here tonight with her, at least for a little bit." She didn't want to kick Ali out of their bed but at the same time, she and Lena needed some time to themselves too. Ali doesn't speak but looks up to Stef.
"We're just across the landing if you need us." Stef whispers whilst kissing Ali's temple and pulling her duvet up to her chest, "Goodnight baby."
She walks over to Mariana and performs the same bedtime ritual before walking out of the room, leaving the door slightly ajar.
An hour later Stef comes out from the bathroom, carrying a tube of cream that the doctor had given them that morning, and sits down behind Lena. Stef gently begins to rub the bruise cream onto Lena's back, mostly around her ribs, before helping her wife into her pyjamas.
"It feels weird being alone in our own bed," Lena says, leaning back into her mountain of pillows with a smirk.
Stef watches as her wife begins to relax, "I know what that face means." Stef says as gets into bed, "Not just yet, honey. The doctor said nothing physically exhausting for at least six weeks. It's only been three." Stef winks, laughing at her wife's look of disappointment, "We can still cuddle."
Stef reaches out her arm, allowing Lena to snuggle into her side and rest her head onto Stef's chest. Stef slowly rubs circles onto Lena's shoulder whilst Lena holds Stef's free hand in hers. Stef lies awake in the dark room until she hears Lena's breathing begin to even out, knowing that Lena is now completely asleep. Then she finally gives in to her own exhaustion and closes her eyes.