Suddenly silence filled the back yard as all heads turned towards Stef as she looked at each child, studying their faces. Only three faces looked guilty, one looked annoyed and one looked on curiously. Obviously Jude and Brandon had no idea of how this conversation came about but the other three knew something.
"How..." Stef began, looking at Jesus but not sure how to phrase the statement how do you know that your mother and I had sex.
"Mariana told me." Jesus answered, under her glare.
Stef immediately turned towards Mariana. "And how did you find out?"
Mariana was a little more reluctant to give her sister away so instead she remained silent and stared down at her hands to avoid looked at her mother.
Callie could tell that Mariana was struggling. She'd been in trouble enough times to take it. "I heard Lena tell Jenna." She finally admitted before looked to Lena. "I'm sorry, I hadn't meant to listen I just overheard."
"And so you told your sister, who told her brother?" Stef asked, connecting the dots.
"I'm sorry." Callie said, looking remorseful. "Honestly, I was just glad that you guys were okay and I knew Mariana would be too. I guess that's how she felt about Jesus."
Stef looked to Lena, hoping Lena would help her figure this out but instead she found her wife trying hard to hide a smirk.
"Lena?" She questioned. But Lena was not much help. Instead she looked towards the kids, all sitting quietly staring at their mom, waiting for whatever was coming next. The curious and slightly scared looks on their faces snapped her out of her thoughts and she eventually reached out for Stef's hand, leading her back into the house.
"Start eating." She instructed, on her way to the door. "Mom and I will be back in a minute."
"You think this is funny?" Stef asked once they were out of earshot.
"Not funny exactly." Lena admitted. "I just... I honestly think it was good for the kids."
"What?" Stef asked in shock. "How is our children being so focused on our sex life a good thing?"
"Honey, they were obviously still unsure about us and even though we did assure them we were fine, I think deep down that feeling was still there. We may not have known it, hell they may not have even realized it but I think it was there and knowing this eased their minds."
Stef's expression softened at her wife's words. She was finally beginning to understand just why something this personal was suddenly constantly under the spotlight.
"You heard Callie." Lena continued. "The relief in her voice when she said she was glad to know that we were okay."
"Will this ever end?" Stef groaned. "I miss the days when they were little and we could just tell them we were play wrestling when they heard us." She had always been less confident about sex than Lena and having to discuss it with her kids just intensified it. She had no trouble talking to them about sex and their sex lives she just didn't want to have to talk about her own.
"Let's just go back out there and enjoy lunch shall we?" Lena suggested.
"Fine, but we're not letting Callie take Jude anywhere this evening." Stef said, wanting their kids to know for certain that nothing was going to happen.
"Okay." Lena laughed as the two headed back outside.
The kids visible relaxed once the moms were back outside and Stef didn't mention the conversation again. Everyone ate as they continued to discuss their evening plans and were playfully teasing each other. Stef heading back to the kitchen to grab some water from the fridge when Callie showed up behind her.
"I'm sorry if I upset you." She said. "I never meant to, I hadn't even planned to tell Mariana. I was just nervous and when I heard Lena say that you guys were okay I was just..."
"It's okay." Stef stopped her. "I get it. I just wish you'd come to me when you feel scared. We've told you this a hundred times - come to us."
"I know." Callie said. "I'm sorry. You had already promised that you were okay and it's not that I don't believe you it's just..."
"Things happen even when you don't mean for them to." Stef finished for her daughter.
"I'm just sorry." Callie repeated what she had come in to say.
"I know." Stef said. "You're forgiven." She gave her daughter a smile but was surprised not to get one in return. Or at least not one that looked like she meant it. Stef decided that there was one more kid that needed a heart to heart with her moms.
"And no eavesdropping." Stef said as she shooed the kids up the stairs.
Stef and Lena decided to do the dishes alone so they could talk. They needed to work out what they were going to say to their kids. So far they knew that they needed to talk to Jesus about Hayley and Mariana about the dance team girls but they weren't sure what to say to Callie because they weren't sure what the problem was.
"I think it's still about sex." Stef said, scraping leftovers into the sink before rinsing out the plates.
"But you said that she told you she believed us now." Lena said.
"I don't think it's us." Stef clarified. "I think it's her. As glad as she is that we're doing it..." She said with a roll of her eyes. "I think she now feels like there's something wrong with her for not getting over it as quickly."
"She's just sixteen." Lena clarified as she put leftover pork chops into a box.
"Tell her that." Stef said. "She just thinks that it's been long enough and she should be over it by now."
"As much as I hate to admit it, this is the time she's supposed to be trying sex for the first time, not hoping that she can actually go through with it after being raped." Lena said. "She should be a little nervous, just for different reasons."
"Look, we aren't even sure what the problem really is, we're just assuming this." Stef said. "So let's deal with the other two tonight and then focus on her tomorrow."
"Sounds like a plan." Lena said.
