Hey! Thank you for the continued love and support. Love waking up to notifications of reviews, or randomly when I'm not expecting it. I try to get quality chapters to you guys when I can. I hope you guys enjoy this one. Enjoy:)
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"Look!" Callie points out her window towards some horses.
"Grammy's horses!" Caleb cranes his neck as they drive past the horses and up the driveway to the massive house. Lena's parents retired to a two story farm house. It was less of a farm house and more of a mini mansion. 7 bedrooms, 6 and a half baths, in door and outdoor pool. Tennis and basketball courts, gym, and plenty of acres for the kids to run around.
"Alright kiddos." Stef pulls the car to a stop and places it in park. "Let's get this show moving." Stef unbuckles her seatbelt and climbs out the car. When she gets out she stretches and opens up the back seat to let Callie out.
"They're here!" Stef hears someone shout and when she looks over she sees Dana walking out of the house with Stuart close behind.
"Hi babies!" Dana greets and Lena sets Caleb down only to be swooped back up by Dana.
"Look at you! You've grown so much since I last saw you." Dana kisses Caleb's face all over before handing him to Stuart and picking up Callie.
"Hi mom." Lena smiles as she helps take bags out the SUV.
"Hello my lovely daughter." Dana side hugs Lena with Callie still tucked in her arms and looks over at Stuart who has set Caleb down and has a couple of bags in his hands.
"Well, let's get you guys inside." Dana smiles and reaches out to take Caleb's hand. She takes the twins inside and Stef shuts the trunk and looks at Lena.
"You ok, love?" Stef whispers in Lena's ear after wrapping her arms around her from behind.
"Yea, just.. I know what's behind those walls Stef." Stef just holds Lena and allows some of her tension to slide off her before pressing her lips to Lena's cheek and stepping away. Stef picks up a bag and offers her hand to Lena before walking towards the house.
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"Heyyyyy! Look who's here!" Matt, Lena's brother, stands up from his spot on a stool in the kitchen and opens his arms wide.
"Little sister!" Matt pulls Lena into a tight hug which Lena only half returns before pulling away.
"Hey Matt." Lena fakes a smile and Stef sets the bag down.
"Stef." Matt greets and Stef gives a half smile.
"Good to see you Matt." Stef looks at Lena who stands awkwardly in front of her brother.
"So, where are the kids?" Matt asks and before Lena could answer, Lena's sister and sister and law walk into the kitchen.
"Lena! Stef!" Matt's wife, Julie, walks over and pulls them both into a hug.
"How long has it been? You guys look.. Incredible!" Julie gushes and Stef and Lena share a look. Matt and Julie have been together since high school, and from the looks of it, not much has changed. Matt still believes and acts like he is the big time high school jock, and Julie, still acts like the annoyingly happy color guard dancer she was. Lena wasn't sure who they were posing for or why they were together, because if there was one thing she could count on was the big Matt and Julie fight. The would that would lead to the inevitable threats of divorce and taking of the children from which ever one was the most upset.
"It's good to see you too." Lena smiles and watches as the couple embrace in a side hug and smile cavity sweet at the two of them.
"Hi-ya!" Lena looks to the side of Julie where her little sister is residing. Maggie. Lena had a really good relationship with Maggie when they were younger. Essentially inseparable until-
"Hey." Stef's greeting cuts Lena's thoughts short as she hugs Maggie.
"Hey." Maggie hugs back before looking over at Lena.
"You look nice." Maggie compliments and Lena gives a weak smile.
"Where is Jason?" Jason, Lena's little brother. He was the rebel. The bad boy. The traveler. The one that would fly across the world for no reason at all. The one that Lena used to butt heads with as kids, but ironically talks to more than her own parents.
"I don't know, you are the only on who talks to him." Matt walks to the refrigerator and pulls out a beer. "Stef?" Matt offers a bottle to Stef to accepts and opens it.
"Thank you Matt." Lena starts to feel her frustration build already and it hasn't even been 30 minutes. Stef places a hand on Lena's arms as she drinks her beer.
"We should probably get settled in." Stef offers and looks around. "After we find our kids." Stef chuckles awkwardly before taking a long sip from her beer bottle. "Thanks for the beer." Stef sets the half empty bottle down and picks up the bag she set down earlier.
"We will see you in a minute." Lena leaves the kitchen with Stef following close behind her.
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"Ughhhhh! I can not believe them. Why? Why do they take stupid shots at me like that?" Lena paces the room as Stef unpacks their bags. It's been at least twenty minutes and Stef is running out of thing to unpack. Eventually they are going to have to leave their room, and go back out to her family.
"I mean seriously. Matt and his stupid ego, Julie and her stupid... Hair. And Maggie, God Maggie." Lena throws her hands up in frustration and Stef couldn't help but to hold back a laugh. Lena was so upset she couldn't come up with a credible insult.
"Where are our kids?" Lena asks, suddenly stopping her rant and pacing.
"With your parents." Stef folds up the last bag and looks at Lena.
"Great, just great." Lena storms out the room leaving Stef to watch her with a raised eyebrow. Oh how much fun this week is going to be.
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"So anyways, Danny flies down the stairs on this blanket and crashes into the large Lego wall the built, and Matt unknowingly walks into the living room and steps bare foot on a pile of Legos." Julie tries to keep from laughing as she tells her story. The table erupts into laughter and Lena couldn't help but to laugh. Her brother, crying after stepping on Legos. Parenting can do that to a man.
Julie and Matt had three boys. Danny, 4, Nick, 7, and Kevin, 3. Every time Lena came to visit, there was some sort of misadventure Matt has gotten into with his three boys. Matt was a terrible brother, but he was a good father. He loved his boys.
"Callie and Caleb ever do something like that?" Matt asks after recovering from his fit of laughter. Lena and her family might have a terrible relationship but it warms her heart that they want to get to know her kids.
"No, not yet. They've done their fair share of craziness though." Stef answers and the family sits up a little straighter, and obvious tell that they are expecting a story.
"Any good stories to tell?" Stuart asks and Lena is hit with a wave of guilt. Her dad is a good dad, and seeing her kids with her dad the few times they've spent time together has proven to Lena that he is also a good grandfather.
"Mama?" Caleb walks over to the grownup table and everyone looks to him.
"Yes my love?" Stef picks him up and sets him on her lap and Lena wipes his face.
"All done." Caleb waves both his hands in the air as he talks and Lena smiles.
"Ok. Please bring me your plate." Lena instructs and Stef sets him down. Caleb returns to the table a few short moments later and Lena stacks his plate on to hers.
"Thank you." Lena runs her hand through his long soft hair and watches him run off to play with his cousins.
"Is it hard? Being a parent to twins?" Maggie asks and both Lena and Stef look at her.
"It can be a challenge sometimes, but it's always worth it." Stef smiles and Lena nods her head but avoiding eye contact with her sister.
"Anyone want coffee?" Dana asks after a pregnant, and very awkward pause.
"Yes, please." Matt says standing up and gathering plates.
"I will help you mom." Matt walks to the kitchen and Dana follows him leaving Stuart, Lena, Stef, Maggie, and Julie at the table.
"So, um, any word on Jason?" Julie asks and Maggie snaps her head up and Stef grabs Lena's hand under the table.
"No, I uhh, I think he's going to miss this vacation. Maybe the next one." Stuart answers looking to both of his daughters.
"I haven't heard from him lately." Lena says.
"Last I heard his was wake boarding his way to Guam." Stuart shakes his head and laughs. "Boy, that kid is something else. I love him to death, but I wish he didn't act like he's running from something all the time." The table stays silent and Lena stands up shortly after.
"I'm going to check on Callie." Lena walks away from the table. Stef watches her and looks at her sisters in law and father in law.
"I should probably go with her." Stef stands up and places her napkin on the table before following her wife to check on their daughter.
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Lena steps into the backyard to find both her kinds on the trampoline. As she steps inside a wave of wind hits her in the face and she stops walking and just watched as her children jump. Their giggles fill the air and Lena couldn't help but to flash back.
Flashback.
Giggles. There is giggling. A lot of it. Lena, her brother and her sister are all on the trampoline. Lena sits with Maggie in her lap as Matt jumps around them in a circle. Lena turns her head to see her parents several yards away. Their arms waving around and there is a lot of pointing. Lena tries to shut her memory off but it only causes another memory to fill her head. A very unwelcome memory. Tired squealing, metal crunching against metal, and a crying baby.
Lena is able to shake the memory and is brought back to reality, where her children are jumping up and down on the trampoline, her wife is standing next to her, snapping pictures of her children who are blissfully enjoying the moment. There is no stress, there is no anger, or resentment, it's just child like happiness.
"I love them so much." Lena whispers and Stef turns her head to Lena who hasn't moved her eyes from their babies. Stef smiles and looks back at them. Caleb stops jumping when he sees his moms.
"Mommy! Mama!" Caleb beckons them with his hand and Lena watches as Stef takes off running towards him in what felt like in that moment slow motion. Lena watches Stef take her shoes off and climb in, only to swoop up their son and start jumping. Lena smiles and makes her way over to the trampoline and sits with Callie in her lap as Stef chases Caleb in a circle around Lena and Callie. Lena turns her head and couldn't help but to flash back to her parents arguing. But when she turns it isn't her brother jumping, it's her son. Her beautiful son, laughing while her beautiful partner chases him. Lena snuggles Callie closer and just for that moment forgets the world.
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So some obvious family tension, drama, and secrets. What do you guys think? What happened between Lena and her sister? Lena and her brother? Lena's brother Jason, what's the story there? Will Lena and her kids bond with her family? Review!