CALLIE'S CHOICE: CHAPTER 2
:::Time has passed since Callie and Brandon had their talk in the garage. Stef and Lena have some news.:::
Callie walks in the door with the others, just getting home from school.
Stef and Lena are sitting on the couch in the living room.
"Hey, Callie, can you come in here for a minute?" Stef calls to her.
"Sure." Callie replied. She dumps her backpack next to the staircase, watching her foster siblings as they head upstairs. Brandon hesitates, giving Callie a long look. She shrugs and he heads up stairs with the others.
She sits on the sofa with them. "What's up? Is something wrong?"
"No hon, not at all. Actually we've heard from Lori Seymore today." Lena informed her. "We did it. The court decided to grant your emancipation. You are no longer a ward of the state and you're free from the custody of Robert Quinn."
"Oh my God. I didn't think... I can't believe it."
"It's true, love. You've really worked hard for this. We are so very proud of you." Stef said, patting her hand on Callie's knee.
"I don't even know what to say. I am just so used to being disappointed."
"Well, this battle is over. Now you can cut your hours at work and get your life back to normal. How does that sound?" Stef asked.
"It sounds...great." Callie nods affirmatively, with a smile that didn't convince Lena or Stef. They both say nothing, then Lena looks at Callie for a few seconds.
"Okay, what's going on? You seem distracted." Lena stared at Callie, who says nothing. "Honey, it's a done deal. Robert can't appeal. You're free from him."
"I know. I understand that..."
"Then what's bothering you?"
Callie pauses a little too long.
"You need to tell us."
"I just...I think I want to be on my own now. Have my own place. I mean, I proved I could do it."
"Callie, where is this coming from? I thought we all agreed to get you emancipated so that we could adopt you." Stef asked.
"I know. And don't get me wrong. I am so grateful for everything you have done for Jude and me. You don't even know how much. You gave Jude a home and a family. That was the most important thing to me, really. But I truly believe I am ready to be on my own."
"Sweets, that is what the courts agreed, so we agree too. But I thought we all had planned out without a doubt that if the court made this decision, you would be adopted by us."
"We did, I know. I just have been doing a lot of thinking about this... about what I really want. I was going talk it over with you, but I didn't want you think that I was bailing on you after all you've done for me. I wasn't even sure if I needed to because I honestly didn't think that I had any chance to win my case. I don't want to hurt you both or disappoint you because I love you, and I love how you've taken care of me for so long, even when it wasn't that easy sometimes. But being on my own and having my freedom... I would be here a lot, and you all could even come visit me, too. And of course I would want to see Jude as much as I could."
"Yes, lets talk about what this would do to Jude. Why do you feel the need be on your own if, like you said, you would see us and Jude so much?" Lena asked.
Stef chimed in. "I feel like there's something you're not telling us."
Callie didn't answer.
"Callie?" Stef paused. "Wait, is this about Brandon? Another pause. "I have been feeling like there was something different about you both lately. Did he put this idea into your head?"
"God, no! I told you it's what I want. But Brandon does agree with me though."
"Oh yeah, I bet he does." Stef said sarcastically, with anger.
"You just don't understand..."
"Oh, I think I understand very well." Stef replied with the same angry tone. "You think that being on your own and not being adopted would give you both the green light to be together."
"It's not like that. I mean I guess that's true, but I feel like there's more to it then that. But yes, we do want to be together. I wish you would understand. It's just that... we can't know if we can't try."
"Oh my god, I don't believe this." Stef says, shaking her head.
"Callie you are 16." Lena pointed out.
"Almost 17."
"Okay, sure, but you cannot make a huge life decision like this based on a boy." Lena rationalized.
"He's not just 'a boy'', it's Brandon. Don't you trust me? Or you don't trust us, is that it? Maybe you don't even think that I'm good enough for him."
"Honey, you know we don't feel that way about you." Lena urged.
Even though Stef remained silent, she let out a deep sigh and pressed her hands on her temples.
"You trusted Brandon enough to let him go on tour all summer. Do you have some kind of double standard? Because that's what this feels like."
"Callie you are way out of line. This is a completely different situation." Stef said firmly.
"I knew this was going to be a hard decision. One that makes you feel like I am messing up again. And you both have always been great about supporting me. I won't just disappear, I swear. And I don't want you to give up on me. I want you to believe in me, I really do." Callie says, tears starting to well up in her eyes.
"We do believe in you, you know that. But this idea, this situation is bigger than our belief in you." Lena assured.
"Do you think that if you move out and date Brandon that everything is just going to fall into place? Because if that's the case, you're not looking at this decision maturely, with the consequences that could come from it." Stef pointed out. "You need to take some time and think about what happens if it doesn't work out."
"I have thought about it. For a while now, I told you that."
'Well maybe you should think about it some more. Just consider what we've said." Stef stands up. "In the mean time, we are going to talk to Brandon about this." Stef said bluntly.
"I don't want you to talk Brandon about this without me."
"Well that's not your decision."
"You're right, it isn't my decision. But I know he's going to say that he is onboard with this as much as I am."
"That may be true, but he is not at liberty to decide what is best for the both of you."
"I am really sorry. This is not how I wanted to handle it. I hope you get that. I want your support and your love and your approval. Please think about it. And I swear I'll think about it more too. But don't want you to give up on me just because I want to make a decision that upsets you or that you don't agree with."
"We are not giving up on you. But you're right, this does upset us and we definitely do not agree with it." Lena countered.
"Okay. Go upstairs and start your homework. We'll be right behind you." Stef told her.
Callie grabs her backpack and heads upstairs.
Brandon is waiting in the doorway of his room.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"I can't..." Callie nods her head and heads into her room.