AN- Wow chapter 37?! How did that happen? Seriously! Well this was just a filler fluffy chapter... I've got a few more up my sleeve for this story! Again Thank you for the reviews! You guys are just awesome! I am heading out of town on Thursday and will be gone until Monday so there probably won't be another update of this unless I can get it done before Thur. I am trying to update Innocent before I got out of town too. Enjoy...
The Fosters
The family had decided that starting Sunday morning early would be the best. Normally Sunday's were sleep in days for this house hold. However with all the cooking that needed to be done and with having to go back to a normal routine the next day, Lena wanted the kids up early so they would go to bed easier.
The kids had easily agreed to this as they had a full day worth of movies to watch. Lena had pulled out a couple of surprise boxes of sugary cereal for the kids the night before with bowls and spoons. She decided it would be a nice treat for them and would be easy with not dirtying many dishes. They would be needing most of theirs to cook all day long and she really didn't want to have to do more dishes then needed.
So now it was seven am, and every member in the Adams-Foster house hold was awake. Stuart was in the living room camping out. He said his job was crowd control, but they all knew being in the kitchen with three different sets of mother daughter teams cooking one big meal sounded a little too risky for his liking.
Callie had just put a towel over a bowl that had the dough, she had helped Sharon make for the rolls. Now she set it aside so it could rise. She was just moving back to her spot when she saw a coffee cup being slid in front of her. She looked up to see Stef pushing it in front of her. Their eyes met and Stef gave her a wink and a smile.
"Special treat" She smiled
"Really?" Callie's eyes lit up for a second before they darted over to Lena who was grading cheese "Really mama?"
Lena smiled "Really, slug a bug"
Callie picked up the cup excitedly holding it in her hands taking the warmth of it. "Thank you, but why? After I was a complete butt to mom yesterday?"
"That's forgiven and gone" Stef said running her fingers through her daughter's dark curly waves. "We just thought it would be a nice treat for you. All your siblings are out there watching movies and you are in here with us. I thought about lifting the mama grounding for a day, " Stef said honestly "But I decided against that. It sends the wrong signal to all of you kids. We have to stick to our word. However mom and I wanted to do something nice for you too." She tapped the cup "And we thought you'd appreciate this gesture!"
Callie's eyes lit up and she nodded "I do mom! I do" She climbed off her stool and hugged Stef. "Thank you!"
"Oh I love my Callie Q hugs" Stef smiled as she wrapped the girl in her own arms tightly kissing her cheek.
Callie smiled and broke away from Stef picking up her cup of coffee and moving over to where Lena was standing. "Mama, can I help you make the pies?"
Lena nodded as she finished grading cheese. "Sure, sweetheart" She smiled "Can you help me bag up this cheese. I'll need it this afternoon when I make my special Mac and Cheese."
Callie grabbed a ziplock and helped Lena dump the cheese in.
"You've got a good one" Sharon smiled as she began to help Dana peel potatoes "She was so helpful making the dough for the rolls and that is a pain in the bottom."
"She's good in the kitchen just like her mama" Stef said smiling at Callie "We're pretty proud of her."
Mariana came into the kitchen seconds later and instantly went to Lena and wrapped her arms tightly around her burying her face in her side.
"Mariana?" Stef asked as Lena stopped spreading more flour on the counter. "Callie hand me that towel" She asked so she could wipe her hands. "Mariana you are shaking" Lena's voice alarmed as Stef moved over to her daughter so Lena could wipe her hands.
"No, I want mama" She whimpered as Stef tried to lead her away. Lena quickly wiped her hands and tossed the towel to Callie as she was able to wrap her arms fully around Mariana. Swaying her slightly. "Honey, what is wrong? Why are you shaking?"
"The news…" Brandon said entering the kitchen a few seconds later "We were getting ready to put a movie in and the news came up reporting about Anchor Beach. They were talking about the blood bath that happened in the hall ways of a well-known school! They showed some pretty graphic pictures of all the blood in mama's office."
Lena groaned that was exactly what they hadn't wanted Mariana to see. This is why they had Mike carry her out, with a coat over her face.
"I was in there mama!" She whimpered "I heard it all! Now I know what it looks like! Everytime I close my eyes I see it."
"I am sorry mom, I didn't know the news would do that while we were setting our DVD. They were talking about us going back to school a week after… And then bam images!...I am so sorry"
"Don't worry about it B" Stef ran her hand over his head "It's not your fault baby" She brought him for a hug and then kissed his temple. "Why don't you go call your dad invite him over today? Tell him we'll eat at about two thirty and appetizers will start at noon."
Brandon looked back to Mariana then up to Stef
"She'll be okay" She promised her son "She's got mama."
He smiled at the thought. "Yeah."
Callie at this point had moved in front of Lena and Mariana and had wrapped her arms around her sister making a sandwich.
"Go call dad" Stef pointed to her son "And watch movies with your brothers. No worrying okay?"
Brandon nodded and left the room while Stef moved to her girls. She wrapped her arms around Callie creating a big mama sandwich as they held onto Mariana for a few moments before she pulled away on her own. Wiping her face and blushing slightly "I am sorry, I didn't mean to be such a baby."
"You're not being a baby" Lena said grabbing her daughter's face in her hands using her thumbs to wipe away a few lone falling tears. "Honey, that was scary for you! Seeing it makes it even more real. I didn't want you to see that baby."
"Why did they post it on the news?" Mariana asked as Dana handed Mariana up a cup of tea. "Here you go baby girl, this will help sooth you. It was your mama's favorite as a kiddo"
"Thanks Gram" She said softly holding the cup in her hands. Just holding the warm cup made her feel better.
"They shouldn't put such graphic things on the news" Callie agreed "Why do they do that mom?" She asked looking to Stef "Why?"
"It has gotten worse over the years" Dana agreed "I refuse to watch it."
Mariana had moved back to be as close to Lena as she could be while Stef came up behind Callie and pulled her into her arms.
"Over the years the more media does the more desensitized people get" Stef explained "So they push the envelope to grab your attention. Shock value to keep your attention."
"It's disgusting" Lena shook her head as she kissed her daughter's cheek "And they can be the ones that stay up all night with my baby who has those images flashing through her head. Thanks to them!" She shook her head "We worked so hard to make sure she didn't see that."
"Lena" Stef said calmly as she rocked Callie in her arms "Baby, you're the one that says we can't protect our kids from everything."
"But I wanted to protect her from that! It should be my choice. Not theirs! Don't they even think?" Lena threw up her arms "Several kids lived through that hell as well as adults. No one needs it slammed down their throats more."
Stef nodded in agreement "I know baby, I agree with you but we don't have any control over what they put out there. All we can do is monitor what our kids see to the best that we can and be there to talk with them when they have concerns."
"I am okay mama" Mariana said after a moment "I just wasn't prepared for that."
"No one is prepared for that" Lena whispered to her as she pulled the tea cup from her daughter's hand setting it on the counter before wrapping her up in her arms tightly. "I am sorry baby. I am so sorry you saw that. I am sorry you lived through it. I am just so desperately sorry that I couldn't protect you from the cruelness of this world"
"Mama, you can't promise yourself that you can protect us from the world" Callie said as she leaned further back into Stef's arm feeling her mother put her chin on her shoulder. "Because if you do, when something happens to us you're going to be devastated and we're going to need you at that time. So you can't promise to protect us from the evil of the world or you're always going to feel like you failed. What you can do for us. Is what you do already? Prepare us to be strong people, who know how to think for ourselves, to warn us, to teach us to be smart when we are out of the home and to love us and to be there when we need you."
Stef kissed Callie's cheek "Love you baby bug"
"Love you too, mom"
Lena kissed Mariana's forehead "I know, I really know I can't protect you from the world logically, but my heart doesn't believe in logic. I just need big bubbles for all of you"
Stef laughed "That would be fun, but it wouldn't challenge our kids to grow into the amazing adults I know they are going to be."
"I don't want to talk about this anymore" Mariana said after a second as she pulled out of Lena's arms rubbing her eyes before she picked up her cup of tea. "I want to focus on making this meal with my family. Mama how can I help?"
Stef raised an eyebrow as she let go of Callie and patted her behind while looking Mariana "Are you volunteering for kitchen work Miss Thing?"
Mariana took a sip of the tea before setting the cup on the counter. She grabbed a rubber band off her wrist and quickly pulled her hair up into a messy bun. "I can watch movies any day" She looked around the kitchen "But I can't honestly know how many times I will have a chance to spend a day in the kitchen with my grandmother's my mother's and my sister. Maybe someday I'll be telling my little girl about this day while we make something. She'll ask how I learned to make it. I'll be able to think back on this day. A Sunday after a long emotional scary week. I got to spend the day with the most important ladies in my life. Kind of makes the bad week not as bad. I just realized exactly how blessed I am."
"My baby girl, you never cease to amaze me" Stef smiled as she walked up behind her kissing her cheek."
"Mama, was going to let me help make pies" Callie told her sister as she sipped on her coffee "Maybe you could help?"
Lena put her hand over her chest "Teaching my girls to make pies. Now that's my blessing. My mom taught me."
"And my mother taught me" Dana said wiping a tear away "And her mother taught her."
Callie's eyes got wide for a second before she set her own mug down and went over to Lena as she threw her arms around her.
"Are you okay baby?" She asked running her fingers through Callie's hair. Mariana had just calmed down she wasn't sure she was ready for another shaking teenager.
Callie nodded against Lena for a moment before pulling away. "If you hadn't have agreed to take me in when Bill asked. If you would have said no…. Jude and I wouldn't… We wouldn't have a family. I wouldn't have a mother who tried to shield me from gun fire, or have a mother who wants to teach me to make pie because her mother taught her…. I wouldn't…."
Lena kissed Callie's temple and held her for a few moments knowing the girl didn't need words at this moment. She just was seeking comfort, touch, love. Only the way a mother could provide.
Callie stayed still for another few seconds before pulling away "Alright mama.. What do we do first?"
"How can I help you mom?" Stef asked her own mother taking a note from her kids.
Sharon patted Stef's hand "I am helping Dana peel the potatoes, while my dough rises."
"Good thing Lena has three potato peelers" Stef grinned "My wife the queen of the gadgets."
"We have five children to feed! I need three potato peelers"
Stef raised her eyebrow at Lena's logic but didn't say anything but smile.
She started to peel a potato and listened around as Dana and Sharon compared notes on how they did potatoes. She listened to Lena giggling with the girls as they flicked flour at each other. Lena rubbing some on both Callie's and Mariana's noses claiming it was the only way to make pie.
She head the boys in the other room burst into laughter followed by cheering. The sound of laughter was back in her house. Tuesday her house had been eerily quiet, to it was loud and busy. She recalled days where she wished the kids would be a little less busy a little less loud so she could relax. She could honestly say she would never wish for that again. She didn't realize how much she'd missed the noise and business of her house hold.
Lena looked across the kitchen their eyes meeting for a moment as they had the same thoughts. This was good. Life had thrown them something bad. Something that could have maybe destroyed their family. Yet here they were a week later, and no things weren't perfect but really who wants perfect? The family was stronger and more connected. Bonded.
"Love you" They mouthed to each other at the same time before laughing at their timing.
The Foster
FB
"Did you enjoy your nap today?" Lena asked softly as she dropped to the porch swing next to her wife.
Stef took the blanket that she had wrapped around her shoulders and held it open inviting Lena to curl in next to her. Once Lena was snuggled in and the blanket wrapped around the two of them Stef started to swing slightly. "That nap was probably the best nap I've ever had. I can't believe I slept three hours and honestly I could fall asleep right here. I didn't know I was that tired!"
"You weren't paying attention to your body Stef" Lena said quietly "Honey, we talk about that all the time. It's great you love me, it's great you love the kids. It's great you want to take us all on and take care of us! Sometimes baby, you have to slow down for a minute. Take care of your needs."
Stef laced her fingers in Lena's and squeezed "I know, I don't always know how to do that. Until I get to the exploding point. Like today" She leaned into Lena "Thank you love, for making me walk away from Callie at that moment."
"You were about to kill her, I could see it in your eyes" She chuckled "She pushed you further than any of children ever have."
"I wasn't going to kill her" Stef emphasizedthe words kill "Shake her maybe! I like her too much to kill her. I was in shock when she pushed me that far. I don't think it would have bothered me so much if my head hadn't been pounding or I was as tired as I was."
"I know honey" Lena said softly squeezing Stef's fingers "You were at your breaking point, and.."
"She really is the most like me out of all of the kids? Isn't she? The things that get to me are things I do myself aren't they?"
Lena nodded "Yes, you two are very similar. We're going to need to work with her on listening to her body and knowing when to walk away. You're walking away was good today. I am proud of you."
"I didn't realize how much I was holding on to" Stef said softly "Until my mother pointed out how this didn't just happen to you girls. It happened to all of us including me. We've all got things we are going to have to work through now. Things to process."
Lena leaned her head on Stef's shoulder "We don't have to do it alone. That's the beautiful thing about this family. We do it together. Stef, I want to hear your thoughts. I want to hear what scares you about all of this. For you to take care of me, I need to be able to know what's going through your mind. I need that more than anything. Please don't be so tough all the time."
"I am sorry, my love" Stef whispered to her "Seeing you in so much emotional pain the other day…Lena that broke my heart."
Lena nodded against her. "I know, I remember seeing and feeling the same after you were shot. It was horrible. I couldn't fix it."
Stef nodded "Exactly, and to have the girls in equally as much pain. My heart.. I just needed to take care of my angels. I thought being strong was the best way."
"You're the one that told me it's good to let the girls see me cry" She whispered "Take your own advice sweetheart."
"I am learning" She smiled "I am trying. I am going to try and do better."
"Me too" Lena promised.
"And thank you for letting Callie come to me this afternoon."
Lena chuckled "I almost didn't." She said honestly "But the look in her eyes. The need to make things right with you. The fear that she couldn't was written all over face. I want you and Callie to both learn to express your thoughts when you're feeling them. I couldn't tell her no. I knew she needed that as much as you did."
"I did, and she needed that nap too." Stef smiled
"Yeah" Lena laughed "I should have seen the signs you were both displaying. You two were exhausted."
"Speaking of? Where is my doodle bug?"
Lena smiled "Her and Mariana are up in our room on the air bed. Giggling like crazy over something. It's adorable. It's fun to see their sisterly relationship form They couldn't stand each other at one point. Now they can make the other laugh like no one else can. I know she's supposed to be with us but she's in our room with Mariana and I just came out to check on you. Little bend to the mama grounding? Well and your mom is right there too mostly she's in our bathroom doing laundry. So someone's mom is in there. "
Stef waved her hand at Lena "She's in our room, and it will be less then ten minutes. My mom is close by. No big deal" She then turned to Lena thinking about her kids and their interactions a big proud smile forming "Jesus and Jude too. As much as they bicker, they laugh. Like brothers. It warms my heart every time. Lena, I realized this week how quickly I could have lost members of this family and it scared me to death. I didn't realize how blessed we were until this week. I am always so busy worrying about work stuff, and what kind of trouble the kids are getting into that I don't take the time to enjoy these moments. I can't picture our family with out those five little faces, or having you beside me."
"That's how I felt when you got shot" Lena said softly "I couldn't picture, not having you right next to me. Holding my hand, cracking jokes and loving on us."
"Thank you Lena, for loving me through all my many moods, and for giving me this beautiful family."
"Thank you for being my rock" She whispered "And giving me this beautiful family."