Chapter 25.

"Callie," said Robert, grabbing her arm to stop her. "Honey, I wasn't spying on you."

"Then why were you standing there listening to me?" she asked, tears springing her eyes. "That was a private conversation."

He sighed, looking her in the eye. "I'm so sorry. I was just passing by, and I heard you talking about your mother. I didn't mean to invade your privacy. I've just never heard you talk about her much, and I was curious."

"If you heard me talking about mom, you must have heard everything else too," she told him, cringing as she went over her conversation in her head.

He nodded grimly.

"Ugh," she groaned, covering her eyes. "This is so embarrassing."

"You don't have to be embarrassed," he told her, pulling her closer. "I'm the one who should be embarrassed. Again, I'm sorry... I just want so badly to be involved in your life." He looked down at his feet, studying the pattern of the Oriental rug. "I love you, Callie. And contrary to what you may think, you were conceived in love. Your mother was very special to me."

"Then why did you leave her?" she asked. "You're supposed to fight for the people you love." As she said it, she knew from experience that it was easier said than done.

"I was scared," he admitted. "I was- am- a coward, just like you said. But if I'd known about you, I would have fought a little harder. I will always fight for you, Callie."

"I think you should know," she slowly told him. "Donald offered to give me away at my wedding."

Robert's face darkened, shadowed with grief. "Are you going to take him up on that offer?"

"I haven't decided yet," replied, biting her lip. "But, he is my father..."

"I'm your father," Robert told her, firmly. "I would love to walk you down the aisle. Would you really rob me of that?"

"Donald is the person who loved me and raised me," she calmly pointed out, her loyalties torn. "He's the only dad I've ever known."

"And he's the person who killed your mother," Robert reminded her. "How the hell can you still call him your dad, or even look at him for that matter? I don't get it. He was so selfish, he took Colleen away from two little kids who needed her."

"At least he was around," she retorted. "That's more than you can say." She sucked in her breath, wondering if she'd gone too far.

"Honey," Robert sighed. "I'm trying to be there for you now. I'm trying to be a good dad, but you keep pushing me away. Can't you see that?" He took her hand in his, gently squeezing it. "Donald is just going to hurt you like he always has before."

"You don't know that..."

"Yes, I do," he promised. "And when he does, I'll be there for you, no matter what."

"You weren't there for me when I asked you to sign the abandonment papers," she told him, her tears spilling over, betraying her tough attitude. "That was the only thing I've ever asked of you, and you wouldn't do that one thing for me."

"I did the right thing!" he cried, quickly touching his hand to his chest. "They wanted me to abandon you, when I never even got a chance to know you. How is that fair?"

"You should've just let me stay with the Fosters," she sniffled. "I was happy there. I would've come to visit you guys all the time. Why did you have to take me away?"

"Because you didn't belong in a foster home," he replied. "You belonged with us. I would've adopted Jude too, if Stef and Lena hadn't already. I would've loved him as my own."

"Do you like Stef and Lena?" Callie asked, in a calmer voice. She'd always suspected that a big part of the reason he took her from them so easily was because he disliked them, and the argument he'd had with Stef the day before supported that theory.

Robert squeezed his eyes shut, taking a deep breath. "I'm grateful that they were good to you," he told her. "And I know you love them. But they never asked me if I wanted you, and I resent that. They just came in and assumed I would abandon you, without even considering that I might want a relationship with you. I'm not some deadbeat dad, Callie. If I'd known you existed, you never would've even seen a foster home."

He paused, tears running down his face. "When you have a child, you'll understand why I couldn't abandon you. I could never turn my back on you, honey. You're my baby girl."

Callie's face softened, her expression blank. As angry as she was with her father, it was hard to see him cry, and to know that she caused it. She stepped forward, opening her mouth to speak, just as Jill called them down for dinner.

That night, after a huge meal and dessert with the Quinns, Callie and Brandon went to the Foster's. They planned to spend the night so they could be there on Christmas morning, for breakfast and presents; even Robert had agreed to the arrangement, since they'd spent Christmas Eve with his family.

They arrived at the house late, exhausted. And after some convincing, Stef and Lena finally allowed the two of them to share Brandon's bed, rather than sleep separately. Once everyone else had begun to turn in for the night, Callie slipped on her nightgown, and crawled under the covers.

Minutes later, Brandon joined her, freshly showered, dressed in plaid pajama pants. "Callie?" He snuggled beside her, snaking his arm around her waist.

"Yeah?" she rolled over to look at him.

Leaning in, he sensuously kissed her neck, then her lips. "You know," he whispered seductively, "it's always been a fantasy of mine to fuck you in this room."

She shook her head softly. "I'm really not in the mood tonight, Brandon. I'm sorry."

He nodded, backing off. "Did something happen between you and Robert?" he asked. "Things seemed kind of tense at dinner."

"We had an argument," she replied. She slowly explained what happened, from start to finish.

"Callie..." said Brandon, quietly but firmly. "You had an opportunity to make up with him. Why didn't you do it?"

"Because..."

"You should have heard how he talked about you tonight," he told her, before she could finish her thought. "He loves you so much. He called you his baby. All he wants is for you to love him back."

He sighed. "I love my dad to death, and he's changed a lot since he's gotten sober, but when I was a kid, he let me down more times than I can count. I would've given anything for him to be more like Robert."

"What are you trying to say?" Callie asked.

"I'm saying," he replied, "that I love you, sweetheart, but I think you're being stupid."

She gave him a look of hurt and confusion. Brandon had never spoken to her that way before.

"About this," he clarified. "Being angry at him can't change anything now. All it's doing is keeping you from having a good relationship with him."

"Anyway," he added. "I thought you should know that he gave his permission for me to marry you." Pausing, he pressed a tender kiss to her temple. "And I can't help but remember that if Robert didn't take you away from moms, we wouldn't be getting married at all."

Callie said nothing, studying Brandon through wet eyes.

"Can't you just make up with him?" Brandon asked. "Please?"

"I'll think about it," she told him, her voice barely a whisper.

Brandon smiled, though he tried to hide it. Sliding his hand under her head, he drew her toward him and kissed her. "Goodnight. I love you."

She nodded again. "I love you too."

"It's Christmas morning!" Lena chirped, as everyone gathered in the living room. "Let's see what Santa brought!"

"Mama," Mariana groaned, dressed in her Christmas pajamas and Grinch slippers. "Puh-lease."

Lena passed her hand over Mariana's hair. "You're never too old for Santa, my love." She went to the tree, which was slightly crooked from ornament overload, and began passing out presents.

For an hour, the whole family sat, spread out around the living room, eating sweet rolls, drinking coffee and cocoa, and tearing into gifts. Callie admired a purse Lena had given her, thinking that everything had already been opened, when Stef called her name.

"There's one more gift for you here," she told her, reaching to the back of the tree, sending a shower of pine needles to the floor.

"Really?" she asked, her interest piqued. "What is it?"

"I don't know, love," her foster mother replied. "Open it and find out."

Callie took the small, square box in her hands, examining it. The tag read, To: Callie Quinn Foster?

Curious, she tore into the wrapping paper. Inside, she found a jewelry box. She lifted the lid slowly. Inside, sitting on a bed of black velvet, was the most beautiful diamond ring she'd ever seen; the clear stone was princess cut in a silver setting, flanked by a band of smaller stones. Instantly, she fell in love with it. She gaped at it in awe, then turned to look at Brandon. "Is it-?"

Brandon took the box from her, and removed the ring, then took her hands in his own, smiling. "Callie, I love you. I didn't even know what love was until I met you. You're everything to me, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

As far as Callie knew, it was already decided that she and Brandon would be getting married, so his romantic proposal caught her off guard. She blinked once as the family watched her intently, waiting for her to answer. Then, she threw her arms around Brandon, bursting into happy tears. "Yes! Of course I'll marry you."

"She said yes!" Stef cheered, as everyone clapped.

"I love you," Callie whispered, as Brandon pulled her closer and kissed her. When they parted, he slipped the ring on her finger. It fit her perfectly.

"I love you too," he told her. His eyes shone with tears. "I love you so much."

Once things had settled down, gift wrappings strewn across the living room, Callie found a private moment with Brandon, sitting down next to him. "Where did you get this ring?" she asked, moving her finger so the stones sparkled. "It must have cost a fortune."

"Do you like it?" he asked, hopefully.

She nodded. "I love it. I feel like... like it was made for me. But you didn't have to spend so much on me. I would've been happy with something simpler."

Brandon smiled vaguely, as if he knew a secret. "I didn't buy it," he told her, taking her hand in his, and kissing her knuckles. "It was your mother's engagement ring."

"My mother's?" she asked. She didn't recall her mother ever owning a piece of jewelry so precious.

He nodded. "Robert gave it to me last night when you weren't looking. He thought... he thought you should have it. You know, to remember her by."

Callie looked down at the ring again, her lip trembling. Brandon took her in his arms, hugging her tight, as her tears came.

To be Continued