The End
The canary yellow taxi pulls up in front of the craftsman house in San Diego, California at the same time that the light blue mini cooper pulls into the driveway. The dark haired man slings his duffle bag over his shoulder before strutting up the familiar driveway. His twin sister exits the mini cooper and instantly wraps her brother in for a tight hug.
"It's so good to see you, B!" Callie Adams Foster says with a smile. "It's been so long."
"I know. I'm sorry. I just couldn't afford to come home for spring break this year." Brandon Adams Foster replies.
"How did your audition with the New York Philharmonic go?" Callie asks as the two of them approach the front door of their childhood home.
"I killed it." Brandon smiles proudly.
"That's so exciting!" Callie exclaims.
"What's exciting?" A different masculine voice inquires from the next room over.
"Brandon's audition went well." Callie answers as she and her twin walk into the kitchen.
"That's awesome!" Jesus Adams Foster replies excitedly, his mouth full of chips. Callie laughs at her oldest younger brother before wrapping him in a quick hug. It still surprised her that Jesus was now taller than Brandon by a good several inches.
"How's the tree house biz going, bro?" Brandon asks, exchanging a 'man hug' with Jesus. Jesus had gotten his contractor's license earlier this year and had opened a tree house building company with a high school friend. He was hoping to soon be earning enough money that he could move out of the garage apartment.
"It's going. Just got some business cards printed out. Now we just wait for the jobs to roll in." Jesus replies.
"You should really invest in more advertisements." A voice pipes in behind them. "And I can't believe no one told me you guys were here!" Mariana Adams Foster squeals when she sees her older brother and sister standing in the kitchen. More hugs are exchanged among the siblings.
"What a sight for sore eyes." Lena grins. There was nothing that warned her heart more than seeing her children together and getting along.
"Mama!" Brandon and Callie exclaim at the same time. Lena pulls her oldest children in for a tight hug. Brandon hadn't been home since Christmas and so much was happening in his life right now. He would be graduating soon and hopefully playing piano with the New York Philharmonic. Not having her oldest son living nearby was hard, but it felt so good to see the young piano prodigy achieving his dreams.
Even though Callie was nearby at the UCSD, she didn't come home nearly enough in Lena's opinion. But the twenty-two year old was busy with earning her juris doctorate degree in only five years. And when she wasn't busy studying law and reading case studies, the young woman was taking photographs or creating art. Seeing her oldest daughter embracing two different passions was heartwarming to Lena.
"Hello! Hello!" Stef calls into the house as she walks through the front door, Jude and Frankie trailing right behind her. "Look at my beautiful family, all together!"
There was nothing that brought more joy to Stef's heart than having the whole family together. Mariana had flown into San Diego earlier in the month from Boston to spend her summer break at home. She had just finished her second year at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Majoring in Engineering at one the most prestigious universities in the world was proving to be more difficult than the STEM classes offered at Anchor Beach Community Charter School. But, in typical Miss Thing fashion, Mariana was kicking ass and taking names - showing all those nerdy boys just how good a girl could be at coding and engineering.
"Mom, can I go upstairs and play videogames?" Jude asks. The seventeen year old was now taller than both his mothers and spent ninety-nine percent of his time playing video games like most teenage boys. Unlike most teenage boys, Jude had recently come out as gay to his family and the world. And his moms had been there to support and protect him no matter what.
"No; your brother and sister just got here. We're going to have a family dinner!" Stef exclaims. "Jesus, grab a knife and start chopping some vegetables! Jude, you can set the table."
"I'm gonna go change." Twelve year old Frankie says before bounding up the stairs. Stef smiles at her youngest daughter. Her practice soccer uniform was covered in dirt that would take some soaking to get out, and her thick curly hair was pulled into a tight bun on the top of her head. She had definitely inherited her mama's grace and poise, but Stef had made sure to teach her how to also be tough.
Once their mostly adult children are working together on dinner, Lena wraps her arms around Stef from behind. The family wasn't all together for no reason. Tomorrow was Stef and Lena's twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.
The last twelve years had certainly been a roller coaster ride. Raising six children wasn't easy. There was always drama going on - especially when the house was full of teenagers. But Stef and Lena worked through it all - together. For twenty-five years, their love for one another had never waivered. In fact, it only grew stronger. Every triumph and setback made them that much stronger. Stef wouldn't change anything for the world.
These days, Stef and Lena were busier than ever with their two remaining children at home and their changing career paths. Stef had decided to leave the San Diego Police Department last year to set up and run an abused woman shelter. Meanwhile, Lena was in the middle of her campaign for the San Diego school board. Yes, things were busier and crazier than ever these days.
"Having everyone here together is the best anniversary gift I could have asked for." Lena smiles, nuzzling into Stef's neck. Tomorrow, they would have a party in the backyard with all their extended friends and family - but tonight was just for the Adams Fosters to celebrate.
"Good - 'cuz I didn't get you anything." Stef chuckles, her hazel green eyes sparkling just the way they had on their first date. Lena swats her wife playfully before leaning in for a kiss. The feeling of Stef smiling against her lips makes her heart flutter, as if it were their first kiss. Neither woman had ever imagined such a happy and full life for themselves, and yet here they were - right where they belonged.
A/N: And there you have it, folks. Right Where You Belong is officially finished. It's hard to believe that I started this story over seven months ago. It's been quite the journey. As you all know, it was a struggle at times for me to write. But I think that sums up any creative process. I've had several people request a sequel in the reviews. I will not be writing a sequel for this story. However, I do have several ideas for new fanfictions focused on Stef and Lena. I won't be writing any fanfiction until December, however, because I will be focusing on writing an original novel for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). I'm hoping to come back in December and provide you with some more Stef and Lena love and angst. Thank you all so much for sticking with me, especially when there were times that I didn't update for weeks. I can't believe that this story reached one hundred chapters. It's insane. Thank you all again for your support!
