AN- Well well well you guys got lucky and got an update before I snuck out of town.. :-) Enjoy my fluff and stuff chapter! See ya next week! Sorry if the editing is off.. I tried!
Bed time on a Sunday night was normally one of Stef's favorite times. Getting the kids to bed and then crawling into bed with Lena. It was always like the calm before the storm of whatever the week brought. However tonight. She was dreading bedtime. She was dreading saying goodnight to her kids. She was dreading crawling into bed and going to sleep. It all meant that the morning would be coming quickly and she'd have to send her wife and kids off to school without her.
Their family mini day of Thanksgiving had gone by so fast. The boys had a great time rotting their brains out watching movie after movie. Mike had showed up around noon and joined the men for movie watching. Which turned into wrestling on the floor. Burping contest and one very strange session of sing out loud cheesy love songs in high pitched voices. She wasn't sure what they were doing or how it got started but hearing the laughter of the boys had warmed her and Lena's hearts so much. Especially when Jude lost and was laughing so hard he was crying. Lena thought for sure he was going to wet his pants. Or pass out from lack of oxygen.
Mariana and Callie soaked up every second with their grandmother's and mothers. Learning new things about their family history, traditions and how to make secret family recipes. Not to mention the pies the girls made with Lena were probably the biggest hit of the evening. Mariana was beaming every time someone ooohed or yummmed over the pie.
After dinner the boys volunteered to clean up giving the girls a chance to sit around and watch movies with fully bellies. Callie had curled up with Stef putting her head on her mother's lap and allowed Stef to play with her hair. Stef had smiled down at her at one point feeling Callie's on her and the girl simply mouthed I love you mom. Hearing Callie openly freely calling her mom melted her heart. They had watched a few more movies together as family before it became time to start showers and start unwinding from the day. Dana and Sharon excused themselves and made lunches for everyone while Sturat napped on the couch. The grandparents announced they'd be staying until Wednesday which was well received by every family member in the house. Especially Stef and Lena. They didn't know how the week was going to look. However they did know it was full of appointments and emotions and having extra adults around for moral support was not a bad thing.
Stef had said good night to the boy already, sat witch each one of them for a few minutes. The three were pretty quiet. She could tell they were worried about going back to school but not wanting to talk about it. So she left them reminding them how much she loved them.
Still dreading bedtime she entered her own room. Mariana was curled up on the air bed her night night clutched in her hands. Her eyes wide open.
"Where did mama go?" Stef asked as she crawled onto the air bed with with Mariana.
"In the bathroom with Callie. Callie slipped in the shower and hit her arm on the shower rack and it started bleeding and she was crying. Mama is trying to decide what needs to be done. Stitches are supposed to come out tomorrow."
Stef cringed the thought of hitting Callie's arm on something sounded painful. It was still pretty red and angry. Stef was about to go in there and check on them when a look in Mariana's eyes stopped her. She crawled onto the bed and lay next to her daughter. If it was an emergency with Callie's arm Lena would come get her.
"Talk to me, baby girl" Stef said softly running her fingers through Mariana's dark hair.
"My stomach hurts" Mariana whimpered as her eyes filled with tears "Really bad mommy."
Stef lifted Mariana's shirt and placed her hand on her daughter's stomach. She began to rub small circles as she looked into Mariana's eyes. "It's not because you ate too much. It's because you're nervous huh?"
Mariana bit her lip and nodded as tears began to fall. "My backpack with all my stuff is in mama's office." She said quietly
"With Callie's too." Stef nodded "But you don't want to get it tomorrow do you?"
Mariana shook her head "I don't ever want to go back into mama's office" She whispered "And if I don't want to, I can't imagine mama wanting to. How is she supposed to work in that office knowing kids died in there?"
Stef didn't have the answers for these tough questions. She wished her kids were little again and were asking questions she could answer. Like how crayons were made.
"Do you think they got all the blood out of mama's office?" Mariana asked.
Stef shook her head "I am not sure, they are probably going to replace the carpet. So mama's office might really not be open right now. I am sure we can get your bags. I just think they'll have mama working in a different office for now.
Stef watched as Mariana let out a visible sigh of relief at the thought.
"If I need to check on mama, I can" She said wiping at her eyes.
Stef leaned over and kissed the girls forehead. "Are you worried, you won't be able to see mama tomorrow?"
Mariana shrugged then nodded "A little bit. I didn't like the thought of her sitting all alone in that creepy office, and I didn't like the thought that I was too big of chicken to go check on her. Pretty selfish huh?"
Stef kept rubbing circles on her daughter's stomach as she shook her head. "No, I don't think that's selfish at all."
"You don't?" Mariana sniffed as she brought her night night up to her face for a moment before pushing it away to look at Stef. "Mom, I am scared"
"I know love" Stef said softly "So am I"
Mariana raised an eyebrow "You are? I thought you didn't scared much?"
"I get scared for you guys" Stef said softly "When, I know you guys are hurting or scared it scares me that I can't fix it. Leaving you all tomorrow at school and going to work scares me, because I can't be there for you."
"Are you worried about copy cats?"
Stef nodded "A little, I think everyone has that fear baby girl. However copy cats usually do it at schools nearby. Not the same school. But I will not lie to you. It's a fear in the back of my mind."
Mariana nodded and was thankful to hear Stef's honest thoughts. "Yeah, mom do you think mama will be okay tomorrow?"
"She'll be nervous, just like you. But she knows all her babies are there and that will give her the courage she needs. She's going to be so busy tomorrow honey. She'll be okay"
"Can we see her?" Mariana asked "If.."
"Or course you can see me" Lena said coming out of the bathroom. Callie following behind her eyes and nose red and puffy indicating she had a good cry. Stef instantly wondered if the tears were more than just her arm.
Lena dropped to her knees by the air bed while Stef made room for Callie on the bed. "Here ya go love" She said handing Callie her bear which she wrapped up in her arm as she rubbed the bridge of her nose with her finger.
"Honey, tomorrow isn't going to look like a normal school day. I mean some parts will be normal but others won't. Teachers are going to be really flexiable" Lena said softly to Mariana "And if at any point you just need to see me you text me? I'll come. I'll wave at you. Or I'll sit with you for a minute. Give you a hug. Take you for a walk. Whatever you need. I'll make it happen. We're just easing back in."
"I can have my phone?" Marina asked with a surprised look.
"At the assembly tomorrow morning, we'll go into more detail about that" Lena explained "But yes for this week and probably next week the ban on having your cell phone on will be lifted. We want kids to be able to be connected to their parents or whomever makes them feel safe. We're going to ask that it not be abused, and hope kids are respectful enough to follow through. I know my children will be."
Mariana nodded "Right, no texting for fun, keep it silenced and only text you if I need something?"
"Exactly" Lena said leaning onto the air bed to lean over Mariana so she could give her a kiss "I am here for you baby, my job doesn't come before you ever, you understand?"
Mariana nodded as she reached her arm up and wrapped it around Lena's neck bringing her in for a hug. "I love you too mama."
Stef used the moment while Lena and Mariana were talking to roll over and look at Callie.
"Hey bug, how's your arm?"
Callie took her arm out of her sweater to show Stef.
Stef took the girls arm gently in her hands turning it. She could see where Callie had hit it on the shower rack. There was scabbing at the bottom of the stitches. Her arm was still red patchy as it was healing from infection. In honesty it looked awful and must have felt just as awful. Though Callie was not one to complain. "Oh baby, that looks like it hurts."
She nodded "It does, mama put the pain medicine on it, and gave me pain medicine. I kind of cried it hurt."
Stef nodded as she looked over to see Lena watching their interaction. "I decided for the night to air dry it, I put all the medication it needed. Gave her something that should dull the pain. We have our appointment right after school tomorrow. It should be fine until then."
Stef nodded as she looked at, tracing her finger along the outer area. "I just hope it doesn't get infected again. Lena hand me a pen please"
Lena got up off the ground and went to her night stand pulled a pen off and brought it over to Stef.
"I don't like the redness it's getting again" She drew a circle around the wound. "Cal's if you wake up tomorrow and you notice red outside of this mark. You tell me right away."
Callie nodded "Yeah, but I know you're going to check it yourself as soon as you wake up" She said with a small smirk as Stef nodded "Yeah, can't argue that." She ran her fingers through Callie's hair. "You okay?"
Lena crawled back onto the air bed next to Mariana taking her hand "She's got a nervous gut."
"Yeah" Stef nodded "So does sister" She said as she rubbed Callie's stomach the same as she had been rubbing Mariana's.
"Me too" Lena admitted as Stef tilted her head to the side "I need more hands" She mumbled as she pulled Lena closer onto the bed so she was lying next to Mariana. She stretched a little and rubbed Lena's stomach as well. "I know tomorrow is scary" She said softly "But I do know we are going to get through this"
Lena closed her eyes resting her head on the back of her arm as she closed her eyes. "We will. Mom's right and we'll do it together."
Stef glanced at the clock as she went back to rubbing Callie's stomach. "Alright my ladies, it is time for us to settle in and get some sleep. Yes?"
Lena sat up and nodded she leaned over Mariana and kissed her again. "Love you."
Stef patted Callie's stomach before leaning down and kissing her forehead "You need anything at all tonight. Wake me up."
Callie nodded
"I mean it Cal's."
She nodded again.
"If your arm is hurting you.. What do you do?" Stef asked tilting her head.
"Wake you up?"
"Good girl" Stef patted her stomach while Lena and Stef switched kids.
Lena rested her hand on Callie's forehead for a moment and locked eyes with her. "You doing a little bit better now?" When Callie had hurt her arm again she had pretty much lost it when she saw the blood and felt the pain, but Lena had known from the moment she'd gone in to help her daughter the tears were so much more then surface pain.
Callie nodded her finger curled around her nose. "You made it better" She whispered.
Lena had done what any good mother would have done. She went in calm. Cleaned up the wound. Wiped the tears away. Said soothing things and just held her close until she calmed down. "I am glad I was there for you, thank you for getting me when it happened and not trying to handle it all on your own."
"I wanted you" She whispered looking slight embarrassed "I know it was three year oldish."
Lena brushed her hand over Callie's cheek "No, wanting your mom is never three year oldish" She leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight baby"
"Night mama" Callie smiled "I am glad, that when we go tomorrow we get to go together."
"Me too." Lena agreed
Stef patted Mariana's stomach one last time "Goodnight Miss Thing, if you need me.. "
"Wake you" Mariana smirked "I know mom."
Stef rolled her eyes "Sassy"
Mariana smiled "I learned from the best."
"Oh, did you hear that mama" Stef said looking at Lena as she tickled Mariana's side getting a giggle. "Miss Thing says she learned how to be sassy from you!"
Callie out a little snort of laughter as Lena shook her head "Yes, that's exactly who she learned it from."
"Night babies" Stef said tickling Mariana one more time before she climbed into her own bed waiting for Lena to join her. Once in she covered them both with the blankets and held Lena close. "You text or call me at any point tomorrow." She whispered "I will be there for you."
"I know you will" Lena whispered back as her fingers interwined with Stef's, I know I can always count on you.
The Fosters
FB
"How are you doing here Callie?" Lena said walking the halls with Callie on her fifth she'd been to this school. "I know this school can seem overwhelming, but the opportunities you have here are great" She smiled "And the location is awesome, but I want to know how you are doing?"
Callie shrugged "Fine, I guess. The kids here don't like me."
Lena stopped and turned Callie to look at her "Their jealous."
"Of what?" Callie gasped "Of me being a foster kid? Of wandering my whole life? Of not belonging anywhere?" She rolled her eyes "Lena, that is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. No offense"
Lena placed her hands on Callie's shoulders "Honey, you belong here. You belong"
Things had been going well with the Fosters but she knew they weren't going to keep her. So she didn't belong. She just shrugged.
"You belong. You have to trust me. You belong."
"Callie!" Mariana came running down the halls "Callie! I am so glad to see you!"
"Mariana, no running" Lena shook her head as she watched a small smile form on Callie's face.
"Mama, I need Callie" Mariana said quickly "I have to tell her something!"
Callie shook her head Anchor Beach was full of idiots, and she wouldn't ever admit this to anyone but she loved having Brandon, Jesus, Jude and Mariana with her all day. She loved the way Lena would wink at her passing a hall making her feel as if she mattered.
"You belong" Lena repeated "And slug a bug, the kids here are jealous because you are beautiful and you are smart and you are put together. Despite your circumstances. They know you are going places in life."
Callie shrugged "Maybe, but I am doing good here Lena" She answered her question "I do like this school, even if the kids don't like me."
"I like you" Mariana said gripping her arm. "Alot. Now come on" She said pulling her "I've got something I want to share. Bye mama' She pulled Callie with her.
Callie turned back and locked eyes with Lena who winked at her.
"I like anchor beach, because you're here" Callie called to her. "You're the best VP. I've ever had" she walked away and said quietly and "the best foster mom"
Lena had to strain but she heard it. She watched the girls rush off with a huge grin on her face.