Chapter 8- Porch-swing Wisdom

Hey guys! Just wanted to let you know that I am nearing the end of the story and won't be dragging it out, maybe one or two chapters more. You'll get a lot of the answers you've been wanting, like Callie's chest pains, and when/how Callie will open up to the moms.

Soon after Callie and Stef finished eating their pizza, the rest of the kids got home. Stef was catching Lena up on the events of their day while Lena was preparing dinner. Everyone in the house was doing their own thing, from homework to practice and video games.

Jude had finished his homework and made his way downstairs to grab a snack. He slowed his pace down and stood at the edge of the stairs quiet when he heard Stef talking about Callie.

"You should've seen her Lena… she had just fallen and nearly got plummeted by that car, yet when I tried to help her she was fighting back and trying to run off again"

Lena shook her head in disbelief. "Really? Oh my gosh I know that must've been tough for you" she replied.

"Yeah, but of course I wasn't going to let her run off. She was pushing against me and yelling 'Stop, I don't need you' over and over again" Stef explained. "I think whatever is bothering her has something to do with that as well as issues from the past"

"I know…" Lena replied. "She would feel so much better if she just opened up".

Jude sighed, worrying about his sister. He turned to go back upstairs and saw Callie sitting on the porch swing on the front porch. He tip toed over to not draw attention to himself, and quietly stepped outside. Callie looked up and greeted her brother.

"Hey" she said. She was sitting with legs criss crossed, messing with a small stick. Jude looked at her, and then looked down at the ground. Callie pat the spot next to her, and Jude followed through with her invitation. The two sat there quiet for a while until Jude broke the silence.

"I heard what happened today…" Callie glanced at him, worried if he knew the whole story, a bit embarrassed. "I don't know why you are acting like you did this morning at breakfast and in the car, because you really aren't fine" he continued.

Callie continued to mess with the stick in her hands and sighed before answering. "I… I guess it's complicated" she replied.

"Well anything that's complicated can't be dealt with alone, and I know that's what you're trying to do, because that's what you've always done. You would hate it if there was something big bothering me and I didn't tell you…" Callie nodded her head slowly, thinking about how protective she was of her little brother.

"Well yeah, you're my little brother. I always want to know that you're okay, and if you're not I would want to try and help you out. That's my job" Callie explained.

"Exactly. Moms are thinking the same thing" he stated. Callie looked at Jude, trying to follow. "You look out for me all the time, and that's great, but when it comes to yourself, you need someone to look out for you. That's what moms are doing; that's their job for all of us, and they even have people that look out for them. They're trying to help you, and you're leaving them feeling like they haven't done their job, just like if I was really bothered about something and I didn't tell you; you would feel like you weren't doing a good job and probably feel bad."

Callie sat there, slowly nodding her head before turning back towards her stick. "I guess you're right… You know, you don't seem like the little brother I know!" Callie joked. "When did you become so wise?" she asked smiling, placing her arm around his shoulder.

Jude chuckled and responded, "I learned exactly what not to do from you" he joked.

Callie playfully nudged him away, replying "Oh shut up! You know you learned the best things from me".

Jude stood up laughing and stated "Oh, you're right. Now I've learned that I can say 'shut up' to anyone I want!"

Callie dropped her jaw pretending to be offended, and threw her stick at Jude, who tried to dodge it and rushed inside, shouting back "I'm learning to do that too!"

Callie couldn't help but laugh at Jude's jokes. She really did want to be a good example to him for what to do in different situations. She looked at the front yard remembering her dream yet again, feeling a headache come on. She thought about Jude and decided that it was time to tell Stef and Lena what had been bothering her. "I won't let the night get past me without talking to them" she promised herself.

After dinner Callie finished helping Jude with the dishes. They both headed upstairs and Jude saw Callie pause once they got to the top of the staircase. He could tell that she was contemplating something, and she looked nervous. He reached over and grabbed her hand to show that he was supporting her. She looked down at him and smiled, hugging him. They were about to walk separate ways when Jude called Callie.

"Hey"

Callie turned to look at him, trying to figure out what other wisdom would come out of his mouth.

"Once you get it out, it'll be like the feeling we had at the playground: freedom and not a care in the world" he explained. Callie smiled and nodded her head, remembering how much fun Sunday was for everyone. She gave him a thumbs up as he walked to his room.

Callie walked up to the master bedroom door that was slightly open, but cracked just enough to where Stef and Lena couldn't see if someone was outside their door. She lifted her hand up to knock, but pulled it back quickly. Her headache intensified, and she took a deep breath before finally knocking.

"Come in" Lena's voice rang as Callie hesitantly opened the door…

Callie walked in, surprising Lena and Stef. They smiled at Callie inviting her further into the room.

"What's up Bug" Stef asked, hoping that Callie would reveal something; anything that was trapped in her mind the past couple of days. Callie sighed. She placed her foot on the edge of the bed, looking towards Stef and Lena. They both looked back at her, puzzled with what she was doing. Callie grabbed the bottom of her pant leg and pulled it up hesitantly, revealing the giant bruise that had formed from her fall earlier that day. Lena gasped, observing the blue and purple tint.

"Oh man, that's a big one. Let me get some ice to help stop the swelling" Stef stated as she moved to get the ice pack from the fridge. She returned quickly and instructed Callie to sit on the edge of the bed. She placed the ice pack softly on Callie's knee, and Callie jerked back squinting her face.

"Oh, I know it hurts love, but this will help" Stef explained. Stef waved Lena over, and they sat on both sides of Callie.

"We appreciate you sharing this with us Callie" Lena complimented, rubbing Callie's back softly.

"Yes, like mama and I have said before, we are here for you anytime for whatever you need" Stef reminded her.

Callie looked between the both of them and took a deep breath. She knew it was time to share what was on her heart…

Aaaaand we'll pick up on the next chapter :) I'm glad everyone is enjoying this story, and it's about time Callie opens up! Also (on a side note) Merry Christmas!