"Where's Callie, Mama?" Jude asked during lunch. "I thought you said she was going to be here at lunchtime, but she isn't yet."

"Well, sweetheart-" Lena started before Jesus interrupted.

"Callie's with Mom and she has to stay there until Mom wakes up because she wasn't nice yesterday. Remember when she said she was going to scratch up our movie? It's like that."

"That was the original plan." Lena said putting a hand on Jesus to remind him to slow down. "However, we had a slight change and now she is with Grandpa Frank for a little while."

The kids looked at each other and tears sprang to Mariana's eyes, but it was Jesus once again who expressed what the kids were feeling. "Just because she was bad she has to live with Grandpa Frank now? Will she still get to go to school with us?"

"First of all, Callie herself is not bad. She just made poor choices. Secondly, she is not living there, she is just there so Mom can sleep. All I am saying is that she may not join us here because she is somewhere else just for today."

XXXX

"Are you sure my mama hasn't texted yet?" Callie asked again peering over at her grandpa's phone. This trip had started off feeling like a great idea, but was already not so great. As soon as Frank heard that Callie was virtually running away to his house, he determined to make her stay a little less pleasant. She was currently washing their lunch dishes as well as some other dishes that were already dirty at his house. Before lunch, she had dusted and vacuumed the living room. Now she was feeling tired and irritable.

"I am positive that neither of your moms have contacted me at all. How about you call or text them?" He asked holding out his phone. Frank was beginning to wonder how long Callie really would be staying. He reasoned that it was possible that no one knew she was missing and he was halfway tempted to contact them himself.

"No way. I think I might just live with your for the rest of my life. We never have to contact them again. How about that?"

"How many days do you have off from school?" Frank asked in response.

"Well, it is only Tuesday and I get the whole week off. It doesn't really matter, thought, right? I mean you don't really do anything all day…"

"Is that what your mom says?" Frank questioned with a laugh. Callie sort of shrugged. "I may not be working, but I am also sure that I have plans all day tomorrow. I am gonna get coffee with some of my fellow retired officers tomorrow morning. You have met Eddie several times, you might remember him. Then, I have a doctor's appointment in the afternoon."

"Coffee doesn't take that long. I could go with you. You can leave me here while you go to the doctor. It all works out fine."

"Right, because it worked out so well for your mama to leave you at home today? What do we do on Monday? Your school isn't exactly in my neighborhood and I don't really get up early enough to take you all the way there every day."

"I could walk to the school Mom went to when she was my age. It is close to here. That would be better anyway, because if you took me to school it would be just like contacting Mama since she works there."

"Before you could attend any sort of new school, I would have to enroll you. I don't have permission to do that." Frank answered simply. "I would have to contact your parents for that."

"Well, then, I could be homeschooled. I saw a commercial for an online program. Then we could spend all day together. You do have a computer, don't you?" Callie said pleading with her eyes.

"I only have a computer that your mom says is too old to connect well to the Internet. So, that won't work out. I think it would have the same issue with being enrolled even in that program. So we are at an impasse of sorts. You still really haven't told me what was going on that made you decide to move in with me."

Callie let out a large sigh. "Both of my moms were being really unfair. Jesus started fights and did things he knew better to do all day and I was the only one who got into trouble. He actually got into the fountain at the mall and still got to go to his favorite store. Mama bought him a ball, but didn't get anything like that for anyone else. She wouldn't even get me new shoes for my bear. He dumped Mama's purse and used her money at the arcade, but I got in more trouble. When Mom woke up she said I had to stay home without even listening to my side."

"I see. I only had one child, so your mom is at a disadvantage to understand siblings. I, though, had three brothers and a sister. I think it is hard for parents to treat everyone the same. I remember once when we all needed shoes, but my mom only got some for my older brother. I understand now that shoes are expensive and the rest of us could wear handed down ones. Other times I got something and no one else did. It always seemed like to me that my sister got all of the advantages since she was the only girl."

"Oh. It wasn't like that. No one got shoes yesterday, but I did get new clothes. The ones I am wearing are new and so are the ones in my backpack. Mama found a sale, but she really only found clothes for us girls. Jude almost got some pants, but Mama couldn't find his size in the ones she liked. Jesus was running all over the place in the store."

"Do you think that is why Jesus got a ball? Your mama was trying to be fair to him when he didn't get anything?" Callie shrugged a little. "Did your brother not get in any trouble yesterday?"

"No, he did. He had to sit out at the park, just not as long. He is also losing his allowance for a while to pay Mama back for what we used at the arcade." Callie paused. "But he got to watch his movie and that's why I was the only one who had to stay home. Those were really unfair parts."

"So does Jesus always pick the movie? If I let you pick one to watch right now, you would go home?" Frank asked with a little smile to show he was teasing.

"He doesn't always get to pick. Mama makes us take turns and it was sort of his turn. I picked last time, but we didn't get to watch the end. He picked this time because his choice is after mine. I just wanted to have another turn. Then we played a game and he cheated. Mom got mad at me for it.."

"So you moved in here because Jesus cheated in a card game? If that is the case, I have some bad news for you. You will run into other cheaters in life. It is how you react that is normally the issue. Did you calmly walk away from the game or did you throw a fit?" Frank asked being fairly certain of the answer.

"It really wasn't fair… I sort of jumped up and yelled at the others… I also almost stepped on Mariana's hand. That's when Mom said I was in trouble with her. I am not even sure if she knew about the other stuff yet." Callie hung her head in silence for quite some time. She felt like she really had to think this all through. When she did finally speak, it was in a quiet voice that sounded a little like repenting. "What would you do to me for this? I mean, if my mom did what I did today, what would you have done?"

"Oh little one, your mom went to live with her best friend once when she was about your age. Have you heard that story before?" Callie shook her head and came over to sit next to Frank. "Well, she did. I think she was around thirteen. She was upset that her mother and I wouldn't let her go to a movie theater to watch an R rated movie with her friends. She called her friend, said she had permission, and left with her things while we thought she was in her room."

"Did you catch her then?"

"Of course. As soon as we noticed her missing, I went to the movie theater and took her out myself. I yelled at her right there and grounded her."

"You yelled at her in front of her friends? Seriously? That would be so embarrassing! Mama would never let Mom do that! I guess she probably will come over here as soon as she wakes up, though…. And I don't think Mama has an issue with her doing whatever she wants here at your house..."

"I think going back to her friend's house later and gathering up her things was probably more embarrassing. Your mom wouldn't speak to me for days after that. I was probably too hard on her. I was never that great at the parenting thing."

"You are good at being a grandpa, though." Callie said at last. "Maybe you could just take me home and I could get there before Mom wakes up. Do you think that would work?"

"Do you have a key?" Frank asked with a wink.

XXX

Stef woke up to the sound of someone entering her house. For the first moment her cop instincts took over before she knew who it really had to be. "Callie?" She called from her doorway.

"I am right here, Mom. I was just getting drink. I thought that would be okay…." Callie lied as she came up the stairs.

"So you were definitely home all day where you were supposed to be?" Stef asked and Callie looked at the ground and nodded slightly. Stef held up her phone. "Do you want to rethink your story?"

"I might have sent a text to Grandpa Frank. Then he came to pick me up. I was with him all day so that you could sleep."

"Is he the only one that you texted today? Should I be looking for more?" Stef asked looking at her phone and then back at her daughter who was looking a little scared. "Like these ones you sent to Grandma? And these other ones I see you sent to Mama. It is a serious offense to impersonate or pretend to be someone else."

"I didn't impersonate anyone, it was the phone who said it was you. I wasn't meaning anything bad, I promise. You have let me text Grandma before and Mama said I could text her if I needed something. Grandpa Frank asked if he could help and I thought he could. They all just assumed it was you, I didn't say it." Callie fairly whimpered.

"You told my mother that you were a model child and that we were stupid… You also told Mama that Jesus was the bad one. For the record, you might have tricked Grandma and Grandpa Frank, but Mama never assumed it was me who sent those. She called fairly quickly to ask about it. Did you text anyone else?"

"No ma'am. I promise it was only them." Callie said honestly with a few tears trickling down her cheeks.

"What were you thinking?"

"I was sort of thinking that I could have a better day. I certainly didn't consider that Mama would call you. Are you mad at her for waking you?"

Stef let out a small laugh. "No, Mama is not the one in trouble here. However, she does want to be involved in what happens to you next. Originally we had said that when I got up, I would take you to join everyone else and she would bring Jesus home. Now, though, we are going to have to talk. So, you may sit down right here on our bed while I go into the hallway and talk to Mama. If you know what is good for you, I will find you exactly right here when I get back."

"Yes, ma'am." Callie said as she got onto the bed. "I am not a baby, I am eleven. I am a little too old for a time out… I mean what if I need to go to the bathroom or I get thirsty or…." She trailed off as she saw the look she was getting.

"You are correct that you are not a baby. However, you have not been acting like an eleven year old. Since you were just getting a drink you should not be thirsty. If you need to go to the bathroom, hold it. I won't be gone long."

Callie considered her mother's words and decided it would be best to not say anything else. Stef slipped from the room with her phone and dialed her wife who picked up quickly. "Hey Love. My dad just dropped Callie off here. I have her trapped in our room."

"Perfect! Now that she is back could you come relieve me? We are still at the Hands-On Museum and Jesus has had his hands on absolutely everything including other kids. Brandon. Marianna, and Jude are still having a great time."

"Sure. But what about Callie? I can't exactly leave her here or she may escape again."

"Bring her with you. She could use the time with the others and they need to be assured that she was not given away. I can take Jesus home with me so that we don't all get thrown out." Stef heard some scuffling in the background. "Jesus Adams Foster, come sit down on this bench with me immediately." Lena said fiercely.

"What about Callie?" Stef repeated. "We have to do something to her, right?"

"Just bring her right now. We can sort all of that out later. Honestly, I miss Callie balancing out the group. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that we were hard on her yesterday. She keeps Jesus out of some trouble and helps use some of his endless energy. Talk to your dad, but I imagine if he brought Callie back it was because she asked. That may mean she has seen the error of her ways. Even if she hasn't, go ahead and bring her."

Stef said goodbye to her wife before going back into the room. "Well, Bug, you are currently sprung. Go get your shoes back on because we are headed to meet the others. I will be watching you closely, though, and this isn't over completely. Mama just needs to come home with Jesus."

"Because he isn't listening?" Callie asked slyly.

Stef swatted at her a little causing Callie to giggle and dodge to get out of the room. The two of them got into the car, but found Lena and Jesus waiting by the curb at the museum. "The manager told me it would be best if we waited out here. He was gracious enough to let the others stay inside for you."

Stef gave her wife a quick kiss. "I don't mind taking Jesus with me if you want to take Callie to join the others. It would give you a little time away from him." Stef said eyeing the boy hopping all over the curbing outside.

"But I want you to have some fun time with your kids, too." Lena said. "You don't always get times like this and it is healthy."

"I get plenty of good time with them. Besides, from the looks of things, you need time from our son, and I need time from our daughter. You love this place and can show the kids so many more things. We have already paid for your admission, so just go."

Lena gave her wife a bigger kiss. "Thanks! I owe you one." She then turned to the kids who had surprisingly not been listening as they competed over who could hop the curb the most times without missing. "Okay guys, Mom is taking Jesus home and Callie you are coming with me inside. Let's go!"

"Really Mama?" Callie asked coming back over to her moms. "I thought I was going to have to stay here with Mom."

"Really. Staying with Mom wouldn't be bad, though, right?" Lena asked putting her arm around her daughter and watching Stef leave with Jesus. "I mean she loves you more than almost anything."

"I love her, too, I just knew I was going to get in trouble because of earlier. You aren't mad at me though. That's why you said I could come here." Callie said as they walked in.

"Oh, I am upset with you. You cannot leave anytime you like nor are you allowed to text pretending to be one of us. I am just willing to put that aside for an afternoon. You are still in trouble." Lena said in her quiet mother voice that sent a few chills down Callie's back. Lena quickly paid for Callie. "Now, though, go have fun with the others. We will talk again later."