Stef
We finally get into the house a little before ten o'clock. I know Lena is still awake and I assume the kids are as well. Callie and Jude are practically dead on their feet and I'm no better. It's been a long night. Lena must have been looking out for us because I don't even get a chance to search for my keys before the door opens. I notice how Jude immediately moves behind Callie at the new, unfamiliar face.
Lena smiles at him, "Hi there, my name is Lena. Come on in." She steps back to let us into the house. I let Callie and Jude enter first and follow after, closing the door behind me. Lena wraps her arm around me and places a kiss at my temple.
"Don't scare me like that again," she whispers in a firm tone. I nod and move back.
"I'm going to go see about that bed in the garage―"
Callie cuts me off, "No, that's okay. We'll be fine in the living room."
I raise an eyebrow, "Are you sure? The couch isn't that big."
"We'll be fine," Callie says, putting her hands on Jude's shoulders, "Thank you."
Wow.
The girl speaking to me right now is a lot different than the girl I dealt with yesterday and earlier today. It would seem that Jude has an effect on her… His proximity to her, or at least his well-being, determines Callie's behavior.
"Okay," I say and turn to Lena, "Can you grab some extra blankets and pillows, Love?" She nods and disappears upstairs. "Are you guys hungry?" I ask, "I know it's been a few hours since you've eaten, Callie."
"I'm fine, thank you." She replies, the poster child for politeness.
Jude looks at his sister for a moment before looking at me, "I'm fine, too, thank you." So this is how their relationship works: Callie acts and Jude follows. Interesting, but not at all surprising. The system has put them into survival mode and now they're just living day to day. I hope they know I'm here to help them. It doesn't seem like it. It seems like they're waiting for me to snap or something.
"Okay," I sigh, "If you guys get hungry at all tonight just let me know, yes? Follow me, Jude. I'll show you where the bathroom is so you can get to bed. You guys must be exhausted."
I know I said Jude but it's Callie who follows me with Jude following her.
This is going to be a long night.
I finally manage to get Jude situated in the bathroom and Callie back in the kitchen. If it was up to her, she'd be right there in that bathroom with him. I don't think Jude would have even minded; he looks so scared. Callie is sitting across from me now at the table and her eyes are downcast, as per usual.
"Callie―"
"I'm sorry I stole from you," she says quietly, fiddling with a bracelet, "It was wrong and disrespectful." She reaches into her pocket and places a few bills and some coins on the table, "That's all the money that's left. I'll pay you back. I'm sorry."
I don't know who I prefer: the brazen girl who could give two-shits about what other people thought or this timid child who acts as if I'll send her to the electric chair if she makes one wrong move.
"Thank you for your apology," I say, trying to catch her eye, "I really appreciate it. I know you wanted to see Jude, but the way you went about it wasn't good. I told you I was going to get you in contact with him."
Callie shrugs, "People tell me a lot of things. That doesn't mean they're true."
"I haven't lied to you, Callie, and I won't."
"People tell me that, too."
We aren't getting anywhere.
I push a strand of hair behind my ear, "Tomorrow morning, Bill is going to come over so we can get everything straightened out."
Her head snaps up at this and she pales a bit, "You can't separate us!" she says, she demands, in a fierce voice.
"I never said I was," I say carefully, putting my hands down on the table. I'm not surprised when she moves hers to her lap, "I will do everything in my power to make sure you and Jude aren't split up again, okay?" Callie studies my face for a moment, gauging the authenticity of my words before finally nodding. She takes a shaky breath and I notice her grimace as she does.
"I say it's about time for another painkiller, huh?" I get up from my seat to go grab the bottle of pills and a glass for some water, "You're body is probably feeling it after all that running around you did today." I fill the glass about halfway, "That happens to me sometimes. Occupational hazard, you could call it. Lena gets so annoyed with me when I don't give my body 'time to recuperate.' I don't know. I'm always on the run." I'm rambling but I just want to ease Callie's nerves. She looks so tense in her seat and holding her body up so rigidly can't feel good on her aching muscles. I hand her two pills and the glass of water. She takes the medicine and drinks what is in her glass.
Callie gets up to put her glass in the sink and starts out of the kitchen, "I'm going to go check on Jude." She pauses by the doorway, as if waiting for my permission.
I nod, "Alright."
And she disappears.
Callie
Jude has finished his turn in the bathroom and now I'm taking mine. I don't think I've ever been this tired before. At least Jude is with me, for now. Bill will probably fuck that up tomorrow morning, but at least for tonight he's with me and somewhat safe. I hear a creak and turn around to see a door open and Mariana peek through. I guess this bathroom is attached to the bedrooms. She sees me and immediately begins to back out.
"Sorry," she mumbles.
"It's okay," I say quietly, "I was just brushing my teeth. You can stay if you want; it's your bathroom."
Mariana eyes me for a moment before stepping back into the bathroom. She opens a drawer and takes out a hairbrush and begins to sweep her dark locks up into a ponytail. I watch for a moment before going back to rinsing my mouth.
"I like your earrings."
My hand goes up to touch my piercings. I have two on my lobe and one on my cartilage in each ear. I didn't go to a salon for any of them.
"They're cool," Mariana says, turning to fully face me. Her hair is done and now she is just rolling the handle of the brush in her hands, "My moms won't let me get a second hole. Or a nose ring or a belly button ring or a tattoo. It's like I live in a freaking convent."
I crack a smile at this, "That's the last thing I'd call this place." I put my toothbrush in the holder and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand.
"Is Jude okay?"
I'm surprised by her question. Mariana doesn't come off as someone who cares about people she barely knows. Jude was introduced pretty quickly to the Foster children. It's so late and everyone is pretty beat. I didn't expect her to give him the time of day.
"Yeah," I answer, "He's okay. Tired."
Mariana shifts on her feet, "Okay. We should probably get to bed. Goodnight." I watch her leave before heading out in the other direction, towards the living room. Everyone else is in their bedrooms. I get to the living room and see that Jude is sitting up, waiting for me. I turn off the lamp on the end table and get onto the couch. I sandwich Jude between myself and the back of the couch; I want him to be covered in case something goes wrong. I pull the blankets over us and pull him to me. His thin arms wrap around my waist and he rests his head on my chest.
God I missed him.
"Callie?" he whispers.
"Hm?"
"I'm scared. What if we get split up again?" I let out a little sigh because he has a valid point. Bill, or at least the states, could deem me a danger to Jude's well being and we could get separated again.
"That won't happen," I tell him as I press my lips to his forehead, "I won't let it."
"Promise?"
"I promise." I know I shouldn't promise him this when I don't know for sure, but I'll do anything to keep my word. If it were up to me, I would become Jude's legal guardian and we would be out of this messed up system and on our own. That won't happen, not with my record, "Let's get some sleep." I pull the blankets more securely over us and Jude huddles up close to me His eyes slip close but I keep mine open. I'd rather him fall asleep before me since this place is unfamiliar for him.
I run my hands through his hair, "It's going to be okay, Jude," I whisper in his ear, "We're going to be just fine."
Stef
"How are Callie and Jude?" Lena asks me as I walk into the bedroom.
"Asleep," I answer, crawling into bed, "Well, at least Jude is. I think Callie is still awake." I just got back from checking up on them. They're curled up so close together on the couch you would think they were one person. For someone who doesn't like to be touched, Callie sure can't keep her hands off Jude. It's as if she's afraid that if she's not touching him, he'll disappear, "Bill will be here tomorrow at around ten."
Lena switches off the bedside lamp, "These past two days have been crazy," she comments.
"Yeah," I agree. Lena snuggles up next to me and I wrap my arm around her to bring her closer to me, "I'm sorry about all this, Love," I apologize, "Had I known what I was getting into―"
Lena cuts me off with a kiss, "Stef, one of the many reasons I love you is because you have a big heart. I'm glad you got Callie and Jude out of that situation. If they need to stay here for a few days or weeks or even months, that's fine."
I smile. My girlfriend's compassion and understanding for the needs of others will never cease to amaze me. I pull Lena to kiss her on the forehead and she settles into me, legs intertwined with my own. Tomorrow will be interesting for sure, but at least for now I can rest.
My life has been pretty mundane so I have nothing to share with you beauties. :/
Last night's episode was good. Felt more like a filler episode; nothing MAJOR happened but things were set into motion. Next week on Monday is my prom. As well as work orientation so…
7AM-12PM Work Orientation
12PM-3PM Hair
3PM-4PM Makeup
5PM-6PM Pre-Prom
7PM-12AM Prom
12AM-5AM After Prom
So I'll be up for basically 24 hours as well as miss the Fosters. I'm going to watch it at 6AM and then pass out until Wednesday night.
-Liv