The rest of the day went smoothly for Callie except for the constant worry about their future. She wondered if Stef and Lena would tell her what they had discussed with Bill. She figured that in this house she could probably ask but it still seemed to strange to her and honestly she had no idea how to.
Early that evening all the kids were sitting around the dining-room table doing homework. Lena hovered around as she always did in case any of the kids needed help and to make sure that they actually got their work done. She noticed how Jude constantly asked Callie for some help - usually just a spelling or definition but when he began working on his math worksheet he was asking her the answer to almost every problem.
"Hey Jude," Lena said as she took a seat next to him. "Do you need some help with that?"
"No thank you." Jude said looking a little uncomfortable.
Lena smiled at him but didn't get up so Jude struggled with his next problem not able to ask Callie for help. From the corner of her eye Lena watched as Callie silently wrote down the answer in the margin of her own notebook. Clearly Jude was having trouble with math and Lena had to find a way to help him.
After their homework Stef and Lena asked all the kids to grab a seat in the breakfast nook. They had something to discuss. Callie wondered if this would be their decision and why they called all the kids for it.
"So we have something to talk about obviously." Stef began.
"Um... Stef and I had our meeting with Bill and we've come to a decision." Lena continued.
Callie braced herself for whatever was to come.
"We are not in a position to offer Callie and Jude a home forever." Lena said causing Callie to be even more confused than before.
"But we would like you guys to be comfortable and as safe as possible until Bill does find you a permanent home however long that may take." Stef explained.
"It could be a week, it could be a year, we just don't know." Lena said.
"Ya, and we want this to be your very last way-station ever, ever, ever. Okay." Stef said.
They waited for a response from the children and when they received a slight nod from them Lena continued.
"So, that means we need to get you guys out of the living room. I think you'll be okay to camp down there one more night, but tomorrow we are having some beds delivered so after school let's help them get settled in okay." Lena addressed the group as a whole.
"Yup," Stef agreed. "Brandon and Jesus we could use a little muscle alright."
Stef then turned her attention back to the Jacob siblings. "Jude, my sweet, new, young friend, you'll be moving in with Jesus and Callie, you'll be moving in to Mariana's room."
Callie watched as Mariana's expression took on a look of disgust. Jesus didn't look too thrilled either but he hid it better.
Callie wan't sure how she felt about this arrangement. This seemed to be like a good home and they'd been safe so far but she couldn't get passed the fact that Stef was a cop. It was hard enough living with strangers and watching what you did and said but with a cop around constantly Callie felt like she was back in juvie.
Callie was getting ready for bed and Jude was in the bathroom brushing his teeth when Stef and Lena came into the living room.
"Can we talk for a minute Callie." Lena said as she sat down on a chair, Stef sitting on the armrest beside her.
"Um... sure." Callie said uncertainly sitting on top of her blankets.
"We... um... we want you to feel safe in this house." Stef began. "We want you to know that we would never hurt you or Jude."
Callie just looked at them. Something about this conversation gave her an uneasy feeling. Almost like it would be the beginning of them doing just that.
"Neither of us would." Lena emphasised.
"Okay." Callie said a little too quickly.
Stef sighed. The girl didn't believe them. She couldn't stand being the reason that they were afraid to be in this house.
"Callie, I know that my position as a cop scares you." Stef began.
Callie's eyes grew wide and she moved ever so slightly away from the two women. There was nothing worse than a person with power knowing that you were afraid.
Stef watched as Callie retreated and she had to forcer herself not to just grab the child and hug her.
Just then Jude came back into the room. He had to pass Stef and Lena to get to Callie and as he approached them Callie said. "Jude, go back into the bathroom and lock the door." without taking her eyes off the two women. She had said this with so much force that Jude's eyes travelled to the two women in horror before he did what he was told.
Lena and Stef watched in shock as the little boy all but ran into the bathroom, tears in his eyes.
"Callie," Lena said as she got up to approach the girl hating seeing her so afraid.
But Callie was up just a quick. She grabbed the first thing she could off the side-table to use as a weapon. It was a vase that she banged against the edge of the table. The glass broke instantly leaving Callie holding a piece with a pretty sharp edge.