Chapter 22.
"Hey, babe!"
"Brandon!" Callie cried, clutching her phone. "It's so good to hear your voice. Why haven't you called me before?"
"Honestly," he admitted. "I've been kind of depressed. I'm sorry, Cal. I just really miss you."
"I miss you, too," Callie told him. "I wish I could see you." She felt her eyes tear up as she spoke, but she held back from crying, not wanting to upset him.
"Listen," he told her. "I have the best news. Do you want to hear it?" He'd been dying to tell Callie about his conversation with his mom, and he hoped it would cheer her up.
"Of course I want to hear it," Callie laughed. It was the first time she'd laughed since before leaving home. Brandon never failed to make her smile.
"So," he began impatiently. "Mom and I talked earlier, and she's okay with us being together. So, we don't have to hide our relationship anymore!"
"No way," Callie gasped. "Tell me what she said, exactly." She was almost inclined to believe he'd heard Stef wrong or misunderstood. Things never worked out the way she wanted them to, so it was understandable that Brandon's news seemed too good to be true.
"She said," Brandon told her. "That if you and I love each other and want to be together, they'd turn a blind eye to it, as long as we're careful and responsible. So... what do you say?"
"That's amazing!" said Callie. "Oh, this is so great." Involuntarily, she burst into tears.
"Whoa.. don't cry, Cal." He worried for a moment that he said something to upset her.
"No," she laughed. "I'm okay. I'm just happy. It feels good to smile again. I kind of wish I could kiss you, though. I miss that."
"Well," he replied. "When you get home, we'll make up for lost time, because I'm going to kiss every last inch of you."
Callie blushed. "That sounds good to me. But, Brandon... I don't think I'll be coming home anytime soon."
"Yes you will," he told her. "Mom promised. And my lips will be waiting for you."
"You're sweet," she sighed. "Just... don't get your hopes up too high, okay? I don't want you to be hurt if things don't work out for me."
"They will work out," Brandon told her firmly. "I have a good feeling about this."
Just then, Callie heard a tone come over the group home's speaker system, signaling five minutes until lights out. She groaned, annoyed. "I've gotta go soon, Brandon. It's almost time for lights out. I wish I could talk longer, but I don't want to get my phone taken away."
"Okay," he said. "Goodnight, Cal. I love you."
"I love you, too," she replied. "Goodnight."
They stayed on the phone for several moments, neither one speaking. "You hang up first," said Brandon, listening to her breathe.
"No," she answered softly. "You hang up first."
"No... you hang up first, Cal."
"Okay," said Callie hesitantly. She poised her finger over the button, and ended the call. Afterward, Brandon kept the phone to his ear, listening to the silence on the other end.
While Brandon and Callie were talking, Stef and Lena sat at the kitchen table, already working on Bill's idea. It was simple in theory. Callie and Jude's biological father, though he was incarcerated, still had rights to his children that their foster parents didn't. Stef and Lena had no legal right to remove Callie from the group home. But her father did. However, Bill had warned them that Mr. Jacob was a very difficult and bitter man, especially where his children were concerned. They were to write a letter explaining Callie's situation, and include a form from the group home, consenting to her release, which they'd ask him to sign. After that, the ball was in his corner. If he chose not to sign the form, then that was that. And it would be very much like him to wad up the letter and throw it away, simply for spite. If he did sign the form, however, it would be an immediate solution to their problem. All they could do was write an honest and persuasive letter, and have faith that Callie's estranged father would put the best interests of his daughter first.
"I think you should write the letter," said Stef. "You're better at that touchy-feely stuff than I am."
Bill had given them specific instructions on how to appeal to Mr. Jacob's better nature. The main one was that they should emphasize Callie's separation from Jude. Secondly, they should downplay their maternal feelings for the children. They had to let him know that while they cared deeply for the kids, he was still their parent, and that his signing the form was Callie's only hope. And lastly, they had to make it obvious that they thought Child Services was the bad guy. It was ironic that a CPS worker would ask this of them, but Bill explained that Mr. Jacob intensely disliked the organization due to some past investigations on his family. He might consider his signing of the form a big "screw you!" to the people he so despised, whether he was thinking about Callie or not. Writing the letter was a daunting task, but they were willing to do whatever it took to bring Callie home.
"We'll write it together," Lena replied. "You love Callie, maybe more than anyone. You've got this, Hon."
Stef nodded. "So, where should we start? I think we should definitely mention school." Stef was devastated to learn that Callie would be working toward a high school equivalency diploma in the group home, rather than attending traditional high school. She only had two years to go, and Stef wanted her to finish them out at Anchor Beach, then graduate with Brandon.
Lena jotted that down. "Yes... definitely."
Soon, they had a letter, and it was pretty convincing if they did say so themselves.
Dear Mr. Jacob,
We are writing because we have been fostering Callie and Jude for several weeks, and it's been a joy getting to know them. Unfortunately, Child Services has, we believe, wrongfully placed Callie in a group home. We think you'll agree that this was a harmful and unfair decision on their part. As a result, Callie and Jude have been separated, which, as you can imagine, has been very difficult on both children. They're so close, and now they're lost without each other.
Another concern about this arrangement is Callie's education. She's been attending an excellent school along with our own children, and doing quite well. But in her current placement, she's no longer able to attend regular high school. This saddens us, because she's a smart girl with a lot of potential, and she is so close to graduating, an experience we don't want her to be denied of. If you allow permission to release her back into our care, she'll be able to return to school.
We respect your role as parent to Callie and Jude, and assure you that we understand your reasons for choosing not to relinquish your parental rights. Please know that there are no hard feelings on our part. Callie needs her father right now, Mr. Jacob. As foster parents, we don't have the authority to remove her from the group home, though we want to. You're the only person who can do that. You're daughter is very unhappy, and misses her brother and foster siblings terribly. Please help her. All you have to do is sign the enclosed form and mail it in the envelope provided. We ask that you do so as soon as possible for Callie's well-being. By giving your consent to release her, you will be reuniting her with Jude and providing her with a safe home with us for as long as necessary.
Thank you for entrusting your precious children to us.
Respectfully,
Lena Adams and Stefanie Foster
Lena smiled as she went over the letter. "I like it."
"Me too," Stef agreed. "I just hope it works... if he signs it, it may be the only decent thing he's ever done for his daughter."
The next morning, Bill dropped off the consent form and a stamped envelope addressed to the group home. "Good luck," he said, watching Stef tuck the paperwork and letter into an envelope, then seal it. "I will let you know the minute we receive as response."
After he left, both women drove to the post office. The letter's delivery was so important, they refused to drop it in the letter box outside, even though they knew it would be perfectly safe. Each of them held a corner of the envelope, holding it above the slot on the post office wall. "On the count of three," said Lena, taking a deep breath.
"One-," Stef began slowly. "Two- three." Together, they released the fateful envelope, sending it out into the world.
To Be Continued