A/N: I do not own any of Fosters Family characters in the story, all rights belong to ABC Family.
Thank you for reading. Look forward to your reviews.
Stef pulled her duffle bag from the back seat and got out of the car; she started the long walk towards the office. Stef had become accustomed to the starring and whispering as she walked through the office over the last few weeks. Coming out after having been married to one of their colleagues for over 5 years was bound to cause controversy, Stef knew this, but to say that walking through the office didn't leave a sting on her heart and a lump in her throat would be a lie. Children weren't the only ones capable of being cruel; adults did just as well too.
It's times like these where you discover who really has your back and who doesn't. Those that cared for Stef and considered her a friend where forthright in the questions they had, in their confusion as to why, as it seemed to them, that Stef would come out of the blue like this. When you have known someone a certain way for as long as you have known them, it can be incredibly confusing when you are told that they are no longer the way you knew them to be. They were bound to have questions, and Stef understood this, she answered as many of them as she could with as much honesty as she could. But let's face it these are cops we are talking about, they beat their chests, they chase after bad guys and they avoid talking about their feelings as much as possible, so for the most part many kept their distance, some might have been afraid; some just didn't want any part of it but either way true colours shone bright.
Monty Donaldson was sitting at his desk, leaning back in his chair, his morning cup of coffee in his left hand and daily paper in his right. Monty liked to come in early, read the paper and drink his coffee before starting off the day, he once remarked that it helped him decompress from the morning with his wife and kids. He was the offices rising star, pinned to be a detective very soon. He was an ambitious guy who had been in the force for a little longer than Stef had. His charming personality, green eyes and blond hair meant he was loved by the ladies. They called him the green eyed quarterback.
Stef decided that it was best to get this resolved first thing, clear the air and get back down to the business of being a cop. She took a deep breath, held her head high and walked over to his desk and spoke with confidence.
"Morning"
Monty looked up at Stef from behind that paper, as though he was looking at her over his glasses. "Morning Foster, is there something I can do for you?"
"Can we have a word?" Stef asked without flinching.
"About what?" his voice was cold and biting.
Stef looked him dead in the face, her eyes were strong and her face hard and unwavering. "About Brandon and Jack, can we go somewhere a little more private?" This was not a conversation Stef wanted to have in public.
He pulled a snarky disinterested face and looked back at his paper "I have nothing to say to you about that"
Stef's blood began to boil, this guy wasn't serious. "OK well I have something to say to you about that, and I would prefer not to do it in front of the whole office. So can we go over there and talk please!" Stef pointed towards the direction of one of the open meeting rooms.
"Look Foster, if you are expecting an apology, you are barking up the wrong tree coz you aint gonna get one"
Stef clocked her head to the left and bit her lip "Oh, so you acknowledge that you do owe me an apology"
The tension in the air was palpable, those that were in the office could tell something was up and shit was about to go down. They tried to look as though they weren't paying any attention but they were watching with eagle eyes. Stef could see them in the corner of her eyes; she could feel their beady eyes looking at them. Stef didn't want a scene, but she wasn't about to back down, she had to stand her ground. This was serious, Brandon is her son!
"Look here Foster" Monty put his paper and coffee down on his desk, leaned forward so his chair was positioned upright again and looked up at Stef. "I don't give a shit what you do, and who you do it with. But I tell you what, you bring that shit near me or my son and I'm not going to tolerate it. That, whatever it is that you are, is not natural I don't want it near me I don't want it near my son, I don't want it near my family. Stay away from me and keep you son away from my son! And we will be just fine" He sat back in his chair indignation written all over his face.
Stef was red with fuming, her heart was racing and her ears we ringing, she couldn't believe what was coming out of this man's mouth. Up until this moment she had considered Monty a friend, Stef knew his wife Megan, Brandon and Jack practically grew up together, they barbequed and she and Mike even spent thanksgiving with them once.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Spat out ferociously
Monty looked Stef up and down. "What the hell is wrong with you Stefanie?! It's unnatural, and quite frankly I think it's disgusting! You should be ashamed of yourself for spreading that homosexual nonsense, this is evil, IT'S A SIN AGAINST NATURE...!" Monty didn't bother to keep his voice down, it was clear that he had been bottling all of his anger up and now he was letting it spew into the air and like venom spitting from a cobra.
Stef didn't bother to let him finish "...THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH ME!"
Stef huffed as though she were out of breath when she spoke. Her emotions creeping to the surface with every word "Who I love has nothing to do with you or anyone else. Here is a fact Monty, I am not ashamed of who I am, and I am sure as hell not going to allow you or your son to convince my son that he should be ashamed of me, himself or anyone else that maybe different from him or his family" Stef's face was red, but she spoke with conviction, confidence and heart. She knew the whole office had stopped what they were doing and watching them and she wanted them all to know just how she felt about his ignorance and arrogance. There was no turning back at this point; it was all out in the open. This situation was a ticking time bomb, and that bomb had just exploded.
Monty stood up and faced Stef dead on. "You liberals and your liberal bullshit is what is wrong with this country. You come here trying to infect the rest of us with your filth..."
"...Your arrogance is unbelievable; you don't have a clue about what is best for this country let alone anyone else!" Stef was vigorous in her expressions, she leaned forward her nose and eyes inches away from Monty's face. The two of them looked like bulls in a pen, neither backing down, both with their horns out ready for the fight of their lives. The office was at a standstill, their bellowing voices reverberating through the air.
Monty didn't let Stef finish. "My arrogance...20 years ago, you would have been at home sowing my socks Foster! Now you're here acting like you have a pair of fucking balls! You have no idea what it is like to be a man, what it takes to be man...
They two were shouting over each other, barely allowing the other to finish speaking "I don't want to be a man..."Stef shouted back without warning
"FOSTER, DONALDSON IN MY OFFICE, NOW!" the voice rang through the office. They both whipped their heads to see the Captain standing in the middle of the room. Her eyes were irate, her body stiff as a pin and her anger radiating through the room. The room was silent; you could hear a pin drop.
Stef and Monty fallowed the Captain into her office. The tension in the air was overwrought. As soon as they entered her office the Captain closed the door behind them and began speaking.
"I don't know where the hell the two of you think you are but this is not a school ground. If you two want to argue like a pair of teenage girls you do it in your own time somewhere where the entire office can't hear or see you!" The Captain made her way around her desk and stood in front of both Stef and Monty who stood side by side.
"Captain! Foster..." Monty began whining like a school boy but the Captain cut him off before he could get another word out.
"I don't want to hear it Donaldson. I want to set the record straight, I WILL NOT tolerate any form of sexism or homophobia in this prescient am I clear!" The captain voice was firm, unwavering and hard.
"Captain..." Monty tried to protest aggressively
"I don't want to hear it, if you don't like it, find another prescient" She leaned forward on her desk and looked Monty straight in the eye. "Do I Make My Self Clear!" the Captain spoke every single word slowly and definitively. Her eyes were piercing her jaw was clenched, and Stef could tell that she was silently telling Monty that if he even bothered to open his mouth beyond this point he would regret every second after that.
Monty stood looking at the Captain, for a moment he thought about challenging her. Stef looked at the two of them starring each other down. The moment lingered in the air like a bad smell. And just as Stef thought Monty might challenge the Captain, he backed down. His body posture slumped; he looked down at his feet."Yes captain" the words were bitter, begrudging and forced.
The Captain stood back up and straitened her shoulders "Now the two of you had better resolve whatever the hell this is, this is a police station not a school ground"
Monty and Stef nodded at the Captain "Yes Captain" they both recited almost in unison.
"Ok, now get out of my office!" She sat back down in her chair as Stef and Monty turned and quickly made their way out the Captains Office. Neither of them looked at the other, walking straight to their respective desks. Stef threw herself into her chair. Monty huffed and puffed his way out the office muttering below his voice.
Officer Rodriguez, one of Stef colleagues leaned in from across his desk as Stef sat down. "That was intense. You ok?" He whispered
"Yeah, I'm good" Stef put on a brave face, putting on a cross between a grimace and a smile, as she ran her fingers through her hair. Her brain was struggling to take in what had just happened, adrenaline was pumping through her veins, her mind was racing, and her chest was tight, she tried to take in deep breaths to calm her nerves and slow her breathing.
"He's an ass, don't let him get to you" Rodriguez said in a sympathetic voice. Stef looked over at Rodriguez.
Lena was sitting at her desk, looking at new entrant files when the phone rang.
"Lena Adam" She recited as she always did when she answered the phone.
"Ms Adams" A familiar voice came from the phone.
"Yes Mrs Johnson what I can do for you" Lena responded politely.
"Would you mind joining us in the main boardroom for a meeting with a parent please?" the request was polite and inviting.
"Yes of course, is everything alright" Lena was surprised, it was unusual to have a teacher parent meeting at this time of the day this early in the year unless something was wrong.
"I will explain when you get here"
"I'm on my way" Lena advised. She got up from her desk and made her way out her office.
When Lena entered the boardroom Mrs Johnson was sitting at the head of the table and a short, brunette was sitting adjacent to her. The woman wore a choral dress and silver necklace; she let her hair hang down her shoulders. Her make-up was subtle but flattering. Lena recognised the face but struggled with the name. She looked over at Mrs Johnson as she walked to sit opposite the woman on the other side of the table. Mrs Johnson got up from her chair.
"Ms Adams this is Mrs Donaldson, Jack Donaldson's mother. Monty is one of our kindergarten students"
"Yes of course Mrs Donaldson, how are you?" Lena extended her hand to shake the other woman's.
Mrs Donaldson stood from her seat. "Ms Adams, I am well and yourself"
"I'm doing great thank you for asking" Lena responded politely.
Mrs Johnson spoke as both women took their seats. "Mrs Johnson, Mrs Adams here is in charge of student enrolment evaluation and class placement. Ms Adams, Mrs Johnson has come to us today requesting that Jack be moved to another class."
"I don't understand" Lena looked around at both women, with surprised look on her face.
Mrs Johnson was the one who spoke first. "My husband and I feel that Jack might be better served in another class"
Lena leaned back into her chair and dropped her shoulders in disappointment. "I am correct in assuming that this has to do with Brandon and Stef Foster?" Lena's heart sank
"Yes, my husband and I would prefer to have our son in an environment that does not contradict our beliefs and values" Mrs Johnson wriggled uncomfortably in her chair as she spoke.
"I see" Lena took a deep breath and thought carefully about what she would say next. "Mrs Johnson we encourage diversity at Anchor Beach and believe that children that are exposed to an environment that is diverse have a much richer learning experience and it serves them better later in life" diplomacy was one of Lena strong suites and she was well versed in finding the right words at the right time.
"Ms Adams, my husband and I are not bad people, we just don't believe that being exposed to homosexuality is healthy for our child" Mrs Johnson looked straight forward, and spoke with conviction.
"Well, I have spent some time with Brandon and as far as I am aware he has not expressed any sexual orientation, he's only 5 years old so I think we are still quite far from that stage where he might be questioning is orientation"
"He might not have but his mother has, and we don't know what she is exposing Brandon to and we don't want our son around that"
Lena was quick to respond, she leaned forward and placed her hand over her heart "Mrs Johnson, I can assure you, Stef is nothing but a caring, loving and devoted mother. She's an amazing woman and is raising an incredible young man..." Lena spoke with passion, admiration and soul. Her face lit up, her eyes beamed with pride and joy as she spoke about the woman she not only had fallen in love with but respected deeply.
"...Mrs Foster, you mean Mrs Foster is a caring, loving and devoted mother" Mrs Johnson interrupted Lena giving her a stern look. Mrs Johnson was in her late 50's and close to retirement. She had a very conservative approach to education and how she dealt with faculty matters. She disliked familiarity and preferred a disciplined approach.
Lena looked over at Mrs Johnson, gathered herself and continued to speak "...Mrs Foster is a fantastic mother Mrs Johnson and I can assure you that neither Brandon or your son is being exposed to anything that may harm them"
Mrs Johnson was becoming agitated as she listened to Lena talk "I don't want my son around someone who is raising their son to be a homosexual" the words were biting as they came out her mouth.
Lena could not believe that in 2005, there were still people so completely ignorant about sexual orientation. Lena realised that a compassionate please was not going to be received well in this case and decided that a different approach was needed.
Lena straightened herself in her chair "Mrs Johnson, sexual orientation is not something you can teach someone, it is something you discover."
Mrs Donaldson turned to look at Mrs Johnson. "I don't want my son to be exposed to the gay lifestyle, if you refuse to move him, I will be forced to take him to another school"
Lena decided to try another approach. "Mrs Donaldson as I am sure you remember, during the admissions process we require students to undergo an assessment. This assessment process is done to evaluate the child's ability to learn and aptitude. This assists us in placing our children with the right teacher but also group the children with the same learning ability together. Jack is in our highest class, if we were to move him, he would be moved to a teaching level that is lower than his aptitude requires."
Mrs Johnson looked at Lena "Ms Adams perhaps we can re-evaluate Monty situation and find alternative arrangements to accommodate him"
Lena looked back at Mrs Johnson, anger brimming through her eyes. She had never discussed her sexual orientation with Mrs Johnson, although it was a well known fact amongst the faculty that Lena was a lesbian, she resented the fact that she seemed to supporting the notion that there was something wrong with Brandon or the way Stef was raising her son.
"Mrs Johnson, while I respect that we want to make sure we accommodate our students and their parents, I don't believe that we will be serving Jack's best interest in removing him from a class that he is not only best suited for his ability to learn but he seems to be enjoying because one of the students parents is a lesbian. There is nothing wrong with Stef Foster or her son that would warrant any level of concern let alone require us to move a child unnecessarily"
Mrs Johnson looked at Lena, the tension in the air between them thickening with every heartbeat. "Mrs Donaldson, we will review the situation and see what we can do to accommodate your son" Lena eyes nearly fell from her face as she looked at Mrs Johnson in dismay. Did she really just commit to moving a child from his class because a parent of one of the students was gay?
"Thank you" Mrs Donaldson responded to Mrs Johnson as she rose from her seat to shake her hand. Mrs Donaldson looked over at Lena "Thank you for your time Ms Adams" she remarked politely and began to walk towards the door. Lena nodded at Mrs Donaldson and watched her extend to shake Mrs Johnsons hand.
"We will be in touch shortly" Mrs Johnson remarked as she shook Mrs Donaldson's hand.
The two women exchanged goodbyes and Mrs Johnson closed the door behind Mrs Donaldson.
Lena spoke as she stood "You are not seriously going to entertain the idea of moving Jack because his mother is a lesbian are you?"
"One of the key principals of our school is making sure that we provide an environment that accommodates both parents and students Mrs Adams. As an administrator I expect you to understand that" Mrs Johnson spoke calmly as she walked past Lena back to her seat to collect her notebook and pen.
"I do understand that, but it is not only against school policy to discriminate but it is illegal to use someone's sexual orientation to discriminate against them. As an administrator I would expect you to understand that." Lena spoke with passion and conviction.
"Ms Adams perhaps you are not impartial to this situation and you should recues yourself from further involvement" Mrs Johnson's tone was accusatory and implying. Lena looked back at Mrs Johnson and tried to assess whether she thought she was implying what she thought she was implying. The women looked at each other intently for a long moment, letting the unspoken sit and linger in the air.
As Lena stood there looking at Mrs Johnson, her heart compelled her to tell Mrs Johnson about the love she felt for Stefanie Foster, how much joy this woman brought her, how safe she felt in her arms, the admiration and respect she had for the type of mother she was. But her experience and her mind told her that she shouldn't, coming out was a difficult process and Stef's experience was not easy and Stef had the right to her privacy, they both did. With all the drama that was unfolding telling the entire school was not going to make life easier. They needed to wait, allow the dust to settle before they declared their love for each other. Lena knew there would be reaction and they needed to manage that reaction, for Brandon's sake if nothing else. So Lena chose in that moments not tell Mrs Johnson that she was deeply in love with Stefanie Foster, she was going to put Stef and Brandon's right to privacy first. She decided that she would have to figure out how to fight this battle another way, but sure as she breathed she was going to do everything in her power to make sure she protected Brandon's best interest.
Lena steadied herself "We should discuss at the admissions meeting on Monday." she spoke calmly. She stood from her chair and walked out the room.
Stef walked through the door, grocery bags in hand, Brandon at her feet. She dumped the bags on the kitchen table and told Brandon to go to the bathroom to freshen up. It had been the world's longest day. After her altercation with Monty that morning, she had been involved a hostage negotiation where a convenient store clerk and a bystander had been held at gun point. Thank fully no one was injured. However it meant that she arrived late to pick Brandon up from his play date after school and then tried to negotiate her way through peak time traffic to make it to the grocery store to collect a list of items for dinner. By the time she and Brandon made it home Stef was finished and she hadn't even got dinner on the table. As she unpacked the groceries from their bags, there was an unexpected knock on the door.
"Dad" Stef was surprised to see her father. She knew he was due back from his trip this morning and was hoping she might convince him to take Brandon the following night so she could get some well needed alone time with Lena, but she certainly did not anticipate him arriving at her home out of the blues like this.
"Hi Stef" he responded standing in the door way. "Can I come in?" he asked.
"Sure" Stef stepped aside to let him in. "How was your trip?" she asked politely
"It was good, really good. It's why I'm here actually" he turned to look at Stef as she closed the door.
"GRANDPA" aloud screeching voice sounded from the other room. Before Frank had a minute to turn and see where the noise was coming from he was greeted with a loud thud on his leg. Brandon wrapped his arms around his grandfather's legs and looked up at his with joy and delight radiating from his face.
"Hey Brandon" Frank looked down at Brandon a smile breaking the wrinkles in his face. He bent over to pick the little boy up, moaning as he lifted him to settle on his arm. "OOOOHHHH, you're getting so big" he remarked bouncing Brandon up and down "Someone's been eating his vegetables!" he spoke with a slight tune in his voice.
Brandon smiled at his grandfather "I don't like vegetables."
"You don't" he remarked with a smile.
Brandon shook his head earnestly in response "I like Pizza"
"Pizza, just like your mom" He looked over at Stef reminiscently as he spoke.
Brandon and his grandfather had a delightful conversation as they sat at the kitchen table while Stef continued to unpack the groceries. The sight was heart warming, grandfather and grandson enjoying each other's company, the moment was not lost on Stef as she watched and listened to the two of them. The time Brandon spent playing with his grandfather allowed Stef time to prep dinner and run Brandon's bath.
"B, sweets, it's time for your bath" Stef said as she walked back into the kitchen where her father was bouncing Brandon up and down on his knee listening to Brandon chat away.
"Aaaahhhh but mom, I'm playing with Grandpa."
"I know sweets, but it's time for your bath, so I need you to be a good boy and get in the bath please" Stef was not in the mood for a bath time argument.
"I don't want a bath" Brandon responded with a sulking face.
"Brandon, not today, get in the bath please" Stef was losing her patience, her nerves where wound like a tightly bound spring.
"I don't want a bath!" Brandon shouted at his mother.
"Brandon Foster get in the bath, now" Stef shouted back, pointing her arms in the direction of the bathroom.
"Brandon, why don't you run and get in the bath and I will be there in a minute ok" Frank interjected, lifting Brandon to the floor.
Frank turned to look at Stef "He reminds me so much of you." He said with a slight laugh. "He seems to be doing well?"
"We're both doing fine dad"
There was uneasiness in the air between them, a disconnect that made conversation difficult and strained. Two people who desperately wanted to connect and find common ground but didn't know how or where to begin.
"You were telling me about your trip" Stef tried to break the uneasy silence that had fallen between them.
"Yes, it's why I'm here actually"
"Oh, why are you here?" Stef stopped what she was doing and leaned against the counter and crossed her legs in front of her and folded her arms as she looked at her father.
"I was speaking to father Michael and he was telling me that he knows a family that has experience with this type of thing, you know the homosexuals..." the word homosexual was spoken as a whisper, like a deep dark secret. Stef didn't have strength for this, not after the day she had had, she thought to herself. "...and he told me that they have had success with finding a cure for people who..."
"For people who what dad?" Stef interrupted with animosity.
"...for people who suffer from... your condition" he finished off hesitantly
Stef clenched her teeth and tried to temper her anger, she couldn't believe she was about to have this conversation for the second time today. "I'm not sick dad; I don't suffer from an illness. I'm gay, I'm a lesbian. It's not something you can cure like the common cold!"
"Well know at least there is a cure for the common cold" Frank remarked before continuing, not bothering to allow Stef time to respond. "Honey, all I am saying is that there is hope. We can make this right, and you and Mike can get back..."
"Dad, Mike and I are getting a divorce, I don't know how many different ways to say it that will help you understand, but the fact remains the same, we are getting a divorce!" Stef clenched her fists as she spoke, her voice hard and rough.
"Stefanie, you have a family, think about Brandon and what this must be doing to him. Every child wants to grow up in a family with their mother and father"
The words hit Stef like a train, she was instantly transported to the conversation she had with Brandon. All he wanted was for his father to come home and for them to live a happy family life. The guilt ran though Stef like a snake in the grass, making her skin crawl and her stomach turn.
She closed her eyes and swallowed hard "Brandon is fine!" she spoke to convince herself, more than her father. "There is nothing wrong with me, I don't need to be cured...and...I think you should leave" She opened her eyes and looked her father in the eyes before turning her head to the door.
"Stef..." he began but Stef lifted herself off the counter and walked towards the door. Frank bowed his head got up from his seat slowly and followed Stef to the door where he found her waiting with the door open.
"Bye dad" She spoke, her voice cold, biting and unwelcoming.
Frank walked towards the door and stood in front of Stef "I'm trying here Stef"
"I need you to try and accept who I am!" she looked into her father's eyes. Frank turned and walked to the car without a word. Stef closed the door behind her and leaned herself against it and let out a deep breath.
Stef had a hard time explaining to Brandon why his grandfather left without saying goodbye and by the time she got him out the bath into his pyjamas and served him dinner she had lost her appetite. As she sat and watched him eat; her phone rang and a notification reminder popped up on the screen, 'Meeting with Richards and Associate Attorneys 10am'. Shit; she had completely forgotten that she had made an appointment to meet with lawyers to discuss her divorce. She rubbed her hands over her face and looked at her son. She hadn't arranged for Brandon to stay with her father, she wasn't about to ask him after he had implied she had a diseases, and the last thing she wanted was to take Brandon to a meeting where she would be discussing her divorce from his father.
When Stef stepped into the shower later that evening, it was the first time that day she had a moment to herself; she let the water cascade over her body, concealing the tears that streamed down her cheeks. As she stood in the middle of the shower, the sound of the water hitting her body and falling to the floor filled the room around her, it was loud enough to drown out the tiny sobs that escaped involuntarily. The cloud of steam that had foamed in the bathroom created a shield that allowed her to remove the steely armour she wore for the world.
It was 22:45 when Stef crawled into bed, she had hoped that the shower would help relax her muscles but she could still feel every knot in her shoulders. She looked at her phone to find a text message. 'I miss you' sent at 21:30. She looked at her watch and wandered if Lena might still be up, she pressed reply 'I miss you so much! You still awake?' It took less than a minute for the response to come through, the beeping sound making Stef's heart jump with delight. 'Still awake.' The sight of the message brought a smile to Stef's face, she exited the message section and immediately dialled Lena's number, the phone rang twice.
"Hey" a gentle voice came from the other side. Lena's voice reminded Stef of the soothing feeling one gets when they take a warm sip of hot coco on a cold winters day, the joyful warm sensations that run through your body.
"Hey" Stef sighed into the phone. For the first time that day, Stef felt the tension in her body ease. She rolled her head around her shoulders. "I'm sorry I didn't respond earlier, it's been a crazy day"
"Are you ok, do you want to talk about it?" Lena asked
Stef sighed "Not right now, I just need to think about something other than today. How was your day?"
"I'm sorry you had a tough day, when you are ready I'm here!"
"Thanks, tell me about your day" Stef smiled into the phone, straightening herself up in the bed.
"I'm not ready to talk about my day either; I get angry just thinking about it"
"Why what happened, are you ok?"
"I'm fine; I had a disagreement with Mrs Johnson and I hate to say it but I can't wait until she's retired"
Stef couldn't help but laugh "Aaahhh Mrs Johnson, she a delight, she has a wonderful way of making you feel..."
"Making you feel inadequate" Lena chipped in, with a hint of amusement in her voice.
"Yeah right, inadequate" Stef laughed a genuine laugh. "She's very old school isn't she, she has an amazing way of making me feel like I did when I was 10 and was called into the principal's office for climbing a tree at school"
Lena chuckled "You got into trouble for climbing a tree?"
"Yeah, we were playing with a Frisbee and someone accidently through it into a tree, and I decided to climb up and fetch it, but I got stuck"
Lena tried hard to contain her laugh "You got stuck in a tree?"
"Don't laugh at me" Stef tried to contain her own laughter "Getting up was easy, getting down was a much harder than I thought"
"I'm sorry, I'm not laughing I promise, what happened?" Lena tried to make her voice sound serious with concern.
"I got up the tree but then I couldn't exactly figure out how to get down, so they had to call the fire department to help me get down" Stef spoke sheepishly
Stef could hear Lena try to stifle her giggles on the other side of the phone, and even though she wanted to be mad at Lena for laughing at her, she couldn't bring herself to get mad the sound of Lena's laugh.
"Only you would need to be rescued out of a tree by firemen" Lena shook her head with amusement
"Well, none of the other boys where brave enough to climb up the tree"
"Stefanie Foster you are something else, and I love it"
"Well I'm glad I could make you laugh" Stef had a big grin on her face.
They continued to chat about the childhood shenanigans and childhood memories that made them laugh, or at least Stef did most of the talking and Lena did most of the laughing.
Before they knew it, it was 1:35am in the morning. Lena was the first to realise "It's almost 2am Stef"
"What" Stef looked over at her watch, she had to be up early to get Brandon ready and get to the lawyers. "Shit" she hadn't made arrangement for Brandon.
"What's wrong?" Lena reacted to the change in the tone of Stef's voice.
"Noting, sorry, I forgot I have to meet with the lawyers to discuss my divorce options tomorrow morning"
"Right, do you want me to come with you...you know for support?" Lena asked hesitantly
"It's ok I'll be fine, thank you" Stef thought for a second "Actually can I ask you a favour?" Stef's voice was soft.
"Of course, you can ask me anything" Lena response was immediate.
"You don't have to or anything, I'll understand if you are busy..." Stef stalled nervously as she tried to gather the courage to ask.
"Stef, what is it..." Lena could tell Stef was nervous.
"Um...would you mind looking after Brandon while I met with the lawyer's tomorrow morning" Stef voice was apologetic "I completely forgot about this meeting and I would ask my dad, but thing are difficult between us right now and...
"...Stef honey, I'd be happy to look after Brandon" Lena realised that Stef felt uncomfortable asking her but she was delighted that she had, she honestly didn't have anything planned other than her usual Saturday morning routine, but even if she did have something planned she would have cancelled it without a second thought. Lena wanted nothing more than to be a source of love and support to Stef during this period.
Stef swallowed hard, "Are you sure you don't mind?"
"Nothing would make me happier than to spend time with Brandon"
Relief and appreciation washed over Stef "Thank you!"
"You don't have to thank me...I love you"
Stef's heart swelled with emotion "I love you"
They let the comforting moment wash over them, the contentment and joy at finding each other filling the distance between them.
"We should..." They spoke at the same time, then stopped and laughed.
"We should get to bed it's late, what time is your meeting" Lena spoke first.
"10am" Stef responded
"Ok, I'll be there at 9?" Lena replied
"Perfect, now get some sleep, you"
"Good night"
"Night...don't let the bed bugs bite" Stef remarked her voice filled with playfulness that elicited a tinny giggle from Lena.
A/N: Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to read this story, an even bigger thank you to everyone that has taken the time to post a review.