Amy POV
Day 1 - June 21st
I was waiting for Callie outside by the front doors. Someway, somehow she found a way to drag the getting ready part for over half an hour. This was the first training day, and I can honestly say, she hasn't been feeling it, in fact, she has been trying to avoid it ever since the morning. She kept coming up with horrible excuses and she even tried to fake a temperature. Classic move, but still didn't work.
When I hear her walking down the stairs I peak inside the house and call her "Hurry up, slow poke! I have been waiting for you for over 20 minutes!"
"I'm coming, aren't I?" she replies walking out of the house as she was making her hair into a braid. Callie was wearing her running shoes, red football shorts and one of my old, dark blue SDPD issued t-shirt.
"I hope you won't disgrace the shirt" I say pulling on the shirt soft and then move to lock up the house
When I lock the doors, Callie reties her shoes "I need to find a way to make Stef suffer too. I can't believe you have done nothing to protect me from this" she says sounding hurt at the last part
I chuckle at first "Why should I?" I ask back putting the key in the sport jackets pocket and zip it up
"Why? Because you are my mother! That's should be a reason enough. She just signed me up, without even thinking twice about it" Callie said standing up straight
"And we-" I poke her softly to her chest "-already know, she had every right to do it! It was all justified. You have known them long enough to know that Stef doesn't like when someone walks away from conversation" I said stepping down the front steps to reach the path
I set the watch for 24 minutes. Callie had peaked over my shoulder when I did that "24 minutes! Are you insane!? I can barely run 5 at gym class!"
"We won't run the whole time. Have some faith in me, Cal!" I said and pat her on the back "4 minutes run, 2 minute walk and so on. Now come on!" I said and started to jog in a pretty slow pace
"I can't believe I am doing this" Callie mumbled behind me and started to jog after me "Where are we running?" she asked when we have gotten to neighbor's house
"I don't know yet. Probably just around the block few times, so we wouldn't be too far from home"
"I hate running in circles" Callie commented when she was running next to me. I don't reply and just for few minutes we run in silence.
Callie started to breathe heavily soon.
"You aren't breathing right" I said and glanced to her. Her mouth was slightly open, cheeks flushed, shoulders tensed up
"Okay, first" I said as we kept on running slowly "Relax your shoulders…you are way too tensed up! Second, inhale in a constant rate. Like, every second step or third"
"I think…I want...the walk now" she said breathing heavily
While still keeping the pace up, I look to my watch on my wrist "We have run exactly 3 minutes and 25 seconds. How did you get B in gym exactly?"
"It's very…volleyball oriented"
Day 3 – June 23rd
"Callie" I was standing by her bed side, arms crossed on my chest. The room is all bright. The big light in her room is turned on. I softly poke the heap of blanket, where I know Callie is under.
"Callie!" I say louder and now shake the figure under the blanket
"Go away!" I receive back a mumble from under the blanket
"Get up!" I said sternly
"No" her answer in typical teenager way
"I give you 5 seconds to get up, get dressed, march your ass down the stairs and start running!" I said slowly, trying to keep my composure, not to lose it
"That is physically impossible" she said still from under the blanket
"Get. Out. Of. The. Freaking. Bed!" I said very slowly, losing my patience
"I don't want to" she replied simply. With quick movement, I lean down, grab the blanket and pull it away roughly, with one hard pull.
"HEY! What the—" she called out surprised and then covered her chest with her hands and said in hurt tone "What if I was naked!" she was fully dressed
"You aren't! Get up, put your shoes on and let's go!" I toss the blanket down to ground
"But what if I was? That would be so inappropriate! Invading my privacy!"
"I'm a woman, you are a woman, I have boobs, you have boobs, I have-"
Her hand flew up, gesturing me to stop "FINE! I'm up…just please don't continue that. You don't have to get rude!" Callie said grumpily. There was stiffness and pain in her movement. She slowly, stiffly walked over to her armchair in the room, where the yesterday's sport ware was put out to dry. Callie grabbed the shorts, the sport bra and the t-shirt.
"Rude? That was not rude!" I said frustrated watching her walk over to closet to get clean socks "You know what was rude - you not getting up for 15 minutes! I have to go to job Callie and you are intentionally stalling!"
"I'm up, aren't I?" she asked wanting to head to bathroom to change. I hold my arm out to stop her
"No. You are not going to a room where you can lock yourself in! Get dressed here…" I point down to ground
"I need to use the toilet! Do you want me to publicly humiliate myself by peeing myself in public!"
I watch her carefully for a moment. I knew I couldn't forbid her from using toilet. I grit my teeth and raise up my arm that had the watch on "You have exactly 3 minutes 30 seconds, if you are not out after that time, I will kick the doors in and you will never have privacy ever again"
"You will not kick in your own bathroom doors, that is—"
"3 minutes 26 seconds" I count off watching the time tick
"Ooo-kay!"Callie said in hurry and run off to bathroom
Day 5 – June 25th
"Do not sit down!" I pointed out to her and held my hand out to pull her up from the ground
Callie was breathing heavily after the run, we were about 2 minute walk away from our home. She had dropped to her knees and then turned to sit down on the grass
"I…can't…stand…any…more" she said out of breath, she was sitting on grass, legs bent, hands pressed on the grass little bit behind her back
"Up!" I said once again. Callie sits up more and placed her hand in my hand. She doesn't really do anything to stand up. I literally have to pull her up. I pull her up and for a moment she hangs on to me, then finally she leans off me.
"Walk. Remember about the breathing we talked the first day" I said and we both slowly started to walk
"You said so many things on the first day" she said and then coughed for few seconds. I think it was the cool morning air that made her do that
"How do you feel today?" I ask as we keep on walking home
"Better than yesterday" she said still out of breathe
"Was it easier?" I ask putting my hand on her shoulder
"Yea, I guess a little bit easier" she admitted "How long till I can run like you? I mean, you are hardly out of breathe…"
"Give it few weeks. Nothing happens overnight"
"Weeks?" sounded like her whole confidence shattered at that moment
"I will be honest, Callie, it will probably be weeks. You are not in the best physical condition" Callie interrupted me quickly
"Wow…talking about kicking a person who is on ground" she said miserably
"You didn't let me finish" I said pulling her to my side and smirked down to her "I was going to say that you have a good potential. I know when you start something, you will finish it to the end, no matter how many obstacles are in your way. Right now, things may seem rough and hard, but trust me, it will get easier. All you need to do, is to believe it yourself, that you can do it and not give up. I believe in you, Callie. I believe you can do this" I said and kissed her temple
Lena POV
Day 6 - June 26th
I get Frankie out of the car seat and once her feet touch the ground, she runs inside the house. I grab the two grocery bags and follow Frankie.
We left early in the morning, Frankie and I both had dentist appointments and then I took Frankie to have her yearly medical check up. Then we headed to Stef's work and we had lunch together, we brought take out. After that we headed over to the mall for shopping and like always we spent quite some time in the kids department, looking at different kind of toys. It was now little over 3.
"Jude! We are home!" I announce myself when I step inside the house, Jude was the only one left home. Stef was at work, Brandon was with Talia, Jesus at skate park, Mariana with her dance team.
I heard TV running in living room and had assumed it was Jude and Callie, but Jude hurried down the stairs to meet me, he was alone.
"Where's Callie?" I ask knowing she was coming over today
"Sleeping" he said and nodded to the living room. I set the bags down and walk to the doorway, to stand next to Jude.
Frankie was in the room, sitting on the carpet, eyes on the TV. It was almost time for her favorite cartoon. She was watching with excitement what was on the TV.
"Frankie, love…too close" I said worried about her eyes. Frankie got up and crawled up to the armchair, sitting now with legs crossed under her, eyes on the screen. My eyes then went to the couch, where Callie was.
Callie was sleeping there, hands, legs spread out, face down. Right hand and leg were both touching the ground. She was drooling a bit and snoring out every once in a while. It seemed like the TV didn't even bother her.
"She came here around 10" Jude said looking up to me and explains "We sat down for like a minute, I ran to bathroom, when I got back, she had fallen asleep"
"She has been sleeping from 10?" I ask placing hand on his upper back, he nodded back and then asked out of nowhere "Did you get the corn flakes?"
"In the bag" I said looking back to the shopping bags. Jude took one last look to Callie, sighted and then walked to the bag and then to kitchen
I walked in the room and up to the couch where she was sleeping. I crouch down to the couch and for few seconds just watch her slightly squished up face at the pillow. She looked so cute while sleeping, the slight, little snore once in a while just made it even cuter. I couldn't help, but smile at her.
I place my palm on her forehead and coo very softly "Callie, honey"
She stirred very softly after some minute of me just softly stroking her hair, she wrinkled her nose and her hand flew up to her face and rubbed her nose. She didn't lower her hand down, her right hand index finger was now wrapped around her tip of the nose, almost looked like she was about to suck her thumb.
"Callie, baby" I coo gently once more as I keep softly stroking her hair. This time she let out a hum "Hmm…"
"Callie, time to wake up. We wouldn't want you to sleep through the whole day, would we?" it was easier to wake up Jude to be honest, so either Callie is heavy sleeper, which I highly doubt, or she was extremely exhausted
"5 more minutes mom" she replied in a mix of mumble and hum, not realizing I wasn't her mother and that she wasn't home
I let out a small laugh and caress her cheek "Love?" Callie's eyes slowly flutter open
She blinks them open few times till she finally keeps them open. She looks straight right back at me for a moment and then suddenly she jolts up, realizing where she was and what she said. With her left she wiped off the drool that was by her lips, on her chin.
"I didn't mean…I thought…sorry" she looked down embarrassed that she called me mom
"Stef would just eat it up" I said chuckling, placing my hand on her knee for a second and then standing up. Once I stood up I noticed the change in her facial expression. Her left hand goes to her lower back and rubs it.
"Please don't tell her" she pleaded and then winced in pain
"Secret is safe with me. Does your back hurt?" I ask looking to her hand movement
"What doesn't hurt?" she asks me back and then I see first-hand with how much trouble she stands up. Her movement is very stiff, her body looked tensed up and it seemed like every movement she made – hurt.
"What time is it?" she asks now both hands are on her lower back, she was stretching her back, making small leans back and to the sides
"Almost 3:30" The first second she seemed like she didn't quiet realized what I had said. But then after a moment "Wait…what? You said 3:30?"
"Yes" I said confirming it. I didn't have to look at watch. In the background Frankie's cartoon just started, the theme song was on. It starts at precisely 3:30.
"Damn it! Where's Jude?" she asked and I could tell how upset she was with herself, for simply falling asleep
"Kitchen!" Jude called out, sounded like he was talking with full mouth
Callie started walking. The first steps she made were very stiff and slow. It seemed like she can't even lift her leg up or press up with her feet, or place any weight on her feet. She was wincing in pain from every step she made.
I kissed Frankie's head and headed back to hallway to get the shopping bags. I walked in the kitchen and placed the bags on the kitchen table before Callie even managed to sit down next to Jude, who had a bowl of cereal in front of him. She was apologizing on the way
"Jude, I'm really sorry. I thought I would just close my eyes for a second…"
"You don't have to apologize, Cal" Jude said back, by his tone of voice, I could tell he was meaning it. I started packing out the groceries, while they talked.
"Mom wakes me up at 5:30" she repeated it slower "5:30!"
"Why don't you run at evenings?" he asked back
"Because mom is exhausted after work and I need a trainer. Otherwise I would just walk the 35 minutes"
"You run for 35 minutes already?" I ask surprised as I place the milk in fridge
"No, not all the 35 minutes. Right now, I have moved up to - 5 minute run, 2 minute walk and so on…"
"That must be hard" Jude said feeling her pain
"It feels like torture! I am out of breathe after the first round and then I still need to do 4 more!"
"No wonder you are exhausted" I chipped in
"Exhausted doesn't even cover it! I am beyond exhaustion..." she sighted and rubbed the back of her neck "Every muscle in my body hurts. Even my hands…and I don't do exercises for my hands! I have a blister forming on both of my feet. I am constantly thirsty. I can drink a bottle of water right after the run in one sitting, never taking lips of the bottle of neck"
"That is really—"
"I wasn't even done!" Callie interrupted me and continued "You know what the worst part is?"
"What?" we asked in unison
"My appetite is just…off charts. I don't want and can't eat anything for like 5 hours after, but after 5, I am so hungry I am eating like Jesus" We both laughed at that
Jude's phone in pocket buzzed. He pulled his phone out and with full mouth said "Connor" he said jumping off the stool and heading out to porch to talk to him
"You seem really dedicated to this" I said folding one of the shopping bags
"I wouldn't even get out of bed if it wasn't for mom" Callie said dragging her finger over the table in a wavy line "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course" I said clearing out the second shopping bag
"Can you please be honest with me?" she asked slowly tilting her head up to look at me. I stopped with the groceries and looked back at her "Always"
"Do you think I can do it? Run the marathon I mean…" it sounded to me that she was questioning herself, if she can do this
"I believe you can do everything you set your eye on, love." I say walking back to the other side of the table. I dig in the bag taking out groceries as I kept talking with her "I see you as very determined young woman, Callie. You don't strike me as a person who gives up at the first sign of trouble, you don't seem like the person who would ever give up. Yes, there may be some rough patches on the way, your will question yourself along the way, but in the end…you get through it. You are a fighter, no obstacle will stop you. So, of course I think you can do it. I have no doubt about it."
She blushed and glanced down back to the table. I leaned down on the table, forearms pressed on the table.
"Callie, all of us want to see you finish that line. We will have the biggest signs and we will be the cheering the loudest for you" I said confident and reached for her hand to give it a soft squeeze
"Even Stef?" she questions me
"Especially Stef. Callie-" I took a pause, thinking of a way to explain it to her "Stef wants you to prove her wrong. She won't ever tell you while you are training, she will tease you about it every chance she gets, but trust me when I say, she will be the most happiest and proudest person, after Amy of course, once you finish that line. Trust me Callie, Stef is your biggest fan"
Callie's doesn't take her eyes off me when she replies after a moment "I do"
I smile warmly back at her, pat her hand softly and lean forward towards her to place a kiss on her forehead. It still amazes me how much she has changed our lives. How much Callie is now part of our lives. I still remember how we had our troubles at first, but we have both overcome them. Hearing and knowing that someone trust you, especially a kid, is one of the best feelings in the world. We both have come a far way to get to this point.
I am grateful that I had been given the chance to get to know her and to call her my family. But then all of a sudden she looked guilty. Guilt was written all over her face. I lean back and stand straight up, hands pressed at the edge of the table
"What did you do?" I knew by the look in her eyes, that she has done something
"Nothing" she replied not missing a beat
"Callie?" I coax
"Okay, I may have done something…" she warily looked up to me
I repeat in the same manner "Callie?"
"I may or may not have signed…Stef up to a thing" she said very slowly, carefully watching for my reactions
"A thing? What thing?" I coax further and cross my arms on my chest
"The annual San Diego Police Triathlon" she was biting her lower lip, her big brown eyes were looking up to me warily, waiting for me to say something
But all I did for a minute was just stare at her, without blinking, my mouth was parted slightly, I had uncrossed my arms and now they were, like before just pressed to the table
"A triathlon?" I ask to make sure I heard her right, Callie only nodded her head back
"Why?" I managed to get out
"I needed to get back to her for signing me up to a marathon" she took her hands to her lap
"So you signed her up to a triathlon!?" I exclaim out loud shocked
"It is a sprint distance! It's the easiest…" she gestured with her hands and then nervously scratched behind her ear
"How?" I question her further
"Yesterday mom called and said she forgot house keys at home, so before I headed over to Jude's, I took the keys and walked to the station to get them to her. Before I left, I saw this poster in the hall. I asked Officer Kate about it and I just…I signed her up. Like I said, it is not even that bad…it's a charity event for San Diego Police" And then after a small pause she adds "She will get medal after the race"
I slowly shake my head at her "I don't know how you will tell her the news" I continued with the groceries
"Could you…maybe?" she asks shyly, picking her finger nails nervously
I stop in my feet, holding the bag of apples I just took out - I let out a laugh and shake my head back at her "Callie, I truly love you, but no!"
Her shoulders slump down immediately and her facial expression changes from hopeful to doomed in matter of second. Her stomach growled loudly the next moment, I turn back to her
"You want me to make something?" Callie nodded hesitantly and smiled shyly to me
AN: I have read all of your ideas and I am working on all of them. But like always, I am asking you to be patience, it can take some time. I hope you enjoyed this and are still with me. Thank you for reading :)