The family had a wonderful day at the amusement park. The kids rode every ride at least twice and the roller coaster more times than they could count, they stuffed themselves on junk food and cotton candy and sodas spent way too much at the game booths where they won absolutely nothing. But still the day had gone well for the entire family. The boys played silly games like bobbing for apples and doughnuts, a pie eating contest and a hotdog contest while the girls browsed the shops picking up little trinkets and other small items and the two moms just strolled along behind them, hand in hand, carefree and happy.
"I'm absolutely stuffed." Jesus said as they made their way back to the car. He had eaten two slices of pizza, three hotdogs, almost an entire pie and the apple that he had managed to get at the bobbing game plus all the candy he had picked up along the way.
"Really?" Mariana asked teasingly. "I wonder why."
"Hey, I almost won that pie eating contest." Jesus defended. He had come second, beaten only by a big guy in his twenties who looked like he ate pies for a living.
"Almost does't really count now does it?" Mariana shot back.
"What did you girls buy?" Lena asked, wanting to break up the argument before it became a full blown fight.
"I bought some bracelets and earrings." Mariana said, holding up her hands so everyone could see.
"They're pretty." Jude said, leaning in for a better look.
"What about you slug-a-bug?" Lena asked, stroking her hand through Callie's hair.
"Just this little box." Callie said, holding up a package wrapped in bubble in a paper bag. "It's hand carved and smells of sandalwood." She added, smiling at Lena, remembering their pedicure the day before.
"It's really pretty." Mariana agreed. "The guy in the store said his family has been carving wood for five generations and his son was there too and he was learning to carve as well."
"Yeah, I can't wait to see it." Lena said with a smile.
"What are you going to put into it?" Stef asked.
"I don't know yet." Callie answered. "I'll find something. I just really liked the carving and the smell."
"Sandalwood is one of my favorite smells." Stef said. "It always reminds me of mama." She looked lovingly over at her wife.
"I used to burn this sandalwood oil when I first met your mom." Lena explained. "I had seen it on one of my trips to Asia and just fell in love with the smell."
"And Gretchen bought it for her to try to win her back." Stef added with a grin.
"Wait, what?" All the kids asked in unison.
"She knew it was mama's favorite and bought her some when she returned from one of her trips and tried to win her back with it." Stef said.
"It didn't work." Lena pointed out.
"No, it didn't." Stef agreed. "Because she had already fallen madly in love with the most amazing woman in the world." She grinned.
"That I did." Lena agreed, grinning back.
"But you kept the oil?" Mariana asked, enjoying learning about her mom's past.
"I did." Lena laughed. "I wasn't about to return it just because Gretchen gave it to me."
"Cool" Callie said. "What else did you guys do when you were young?" She asked.
"Younger, young lady." Stef gave her a mock glare in the rear-view mirror. "Young implies that we are old now." She watched as her children smirked in the back seats. "I'll make all of you walk home if you're not careful." She said, though they were just a few houses away from their own.
Everyone was laughing and teasing Stef as she pulled up into the driveway.
"Thanks moms, that was a really great day." Jude said as he got out of the car, clutching the pictures of himself on the roller coaster he had been given.
"Yeah, thanks moms." The others pipped up.
"You're welcome." The mom's replied. "We loved it too."
"Hey love, how are you doing?" Stef asked Callie as she walked into the girl's room.
Callie was sitting on the bed unwrapping her box. Mariana was downstairs helping Lena with dinner so Stef decided to check in with Callie for a bit.
"I'm okay." Callie said as Stef sat down beside her.
"That is gorgeous." Stef said as she picked up the lid of the box to examine it. It had an intricate flower pattern carved into the wood with a fluted edge and twisted rim. "You must have paid quite a bit for it." She said, studying the box more closely.
"Sort of." Callie said.
"Well I'm glad you found something that you really like." Stef said, leaning over to give her a kiss.
Callie smiled as she tossed the bubble and carefully placed the box on her nightstand.
"I'm proud of you, you know." Stef said. "You are trying so hard and I know it's difficult for you but you're doing it anyways."
Callie shrugged, unsure of what to say. She didn't quite know how to explain that it wasn't as hard as she thought.
"You are so strong honey." Stef added. "When you put your mind to something, there's absolutely nothing that you can't do. Just remember that we're here too and when it gets too tough we'll help you."
"I know." Callie said. "I think I'm learning that."
"That's good." Stef said, laughing.
"It's not so hard as I thought it would be." Callie said.
"What were you expecting to be hard?" Stef asked.
"Giving in, letting go." Callie answered. "But then I think about how worried and angry all of you were and I knew there was something I could do about it. In a way, that was something I could control too." She said. "I could make you happy and I think I prefer that to making you angry all the time."
Stef just stared at her daughter, amazed at how she'd turned out so wonderfully even though she'd been through more in sixteen years than anyone should go through in a lifetime.
"I love you so much Callie." Stef said firmly as she pulled Callie close and held her tight. "You can't even imagine how much I love you."
"I love you too." Callie said, hugging Stef back.
"And whether you try to make me happy or absolutely drive me up the walls, that will never change." Stef told her, pulling away to look at her.
"I know." Callie smiled. "That's why I got you this." She pulled out a bumper sticker that read 'Caution: Over the Hill Driver."
"Ouch." Stef teased as she looked at her daughter, pretending to be hurt.
Callie grinned back. "Now you know why I asked what you did when you were young?" She asked.
"You are going to regret this young lady." Stef said, widening her eyes and pointing her finger pointedly at Callie. "You better watch out."
Callie laughed as she watched her mother walk out before pulling out the magnet she's picked for Lena.