ALTERNATE ENDING 1, CHAPTER 17

Once more with Timothy's help, Stef got her stuff and Brandon's all squared away. Callie's room was big enough to be divided into two sections where each child had their own space.

That left Stef plenty of time to spend with the family. Stef had always been an extrovert but her jokes and banter were usually to keep people at an arm's length rather than close to her. She had always been scared that people would see that there was something wrong with her and run away. With her new family, in her new home, she was able to be more open to just being herself.

Sharon was pleased seeing this side of her daughter. She was just sorry that Frank was such an ass and who couldn't get over himself to enjoy it also.

She waited until she and Stef were alone in the dining room to ask her about the situation. "Have you spoken to your Father lately?"

Stef looked at her Mother with dismay and then looked away, "No. He hasn't tried to reach me since I told him about Lena. I told him that if he wanted me and Brandon to be a part of his life, he was going to have to accept me and Lena." She hadn't talked to her Dad since coming out to him. She wanted to give him time to process through what she had said to him. She had known since she accepted the truth to herself that he would have a hard time working through it. Her Father was a proud and stubborn man and he would see this as a failure on his part and hers. Admitting he was wrong and recovering from his wounded pride was not something he'd be able to do quickly or easily. She knew it went deeper than that. She was also hurt that he hadn't reached out to her or Brandon since then either.

Sharon nodded her understanding of the situation. "Well, you have a few new incentives to give him." Sharon looked pointedly at Callie sitting on her Mama on the sofa. "He has a new granddaughter. "

Sharon had noticed a long time ago that although Callie looked like her Mama, she had a lot of Stef's behaviors and mannerisms. Sharon got daily reports of his best friend from Brandon. And she had witnessed the little girl on more than one occasion standing up for him and her cousin Jaleyn when some other boys were picking on them for playing with a girl. Watching Callie meet those boys head on until they were the ones backing away from a girl brought back memories of Stef as a child. She knew that Stef was worried about her relationship with the child. She wondered if Stef was aware of how much the two of them actually had in common.

"You think I'd take Callie over there to see him? You know what he's like Mom. Especially when he gets in one of his moods. He's not even fond of Brandon as his grandson." Stef couldn't believe her mother would even suggest such madness. From some of the subtle and not so subtle comments Frank made about Brandon, she wasn't even sure if he liked him at all. Brandon wasn't into sports and this worried Frank. Brandon's interest in music didn't help make things better between the two of them either.

"Kids change people. I think giving your father the chance to meet his new granddaughter would be a great conversation starter. Let me tell ya, I've spent a lot more time with that child than you have. She might look like her Mama, but there's a lot of you in there."

Stef threw back her head and let out a short laugh, "You think Callie's like me? She doesn't even seem to like me. This morning she ran out of the shower so fast she still had suds in her hair. I had to chase her down twice to get her to finish her shower."

"Callie's had a lot to deal with lately. You should just be glad that Brandon isn't aware of what's going on. But, Callie had to live it. She watched her Mama in the hospital and she understands that she's sick now because of something that's happened. "

Stef was a little stunned at her Mother's insight. She had never really put herself into Callie's shoes. It made her behavior a lot more understandable.

She was still waiting to bring up her and Mike's conversation with Lena. Lena's parents were taking the kids for the week and she figured that it could wait until they left. She knew that Callie was aware of her mama being hurt but wasn't sure what details Lena had filled in for her.

Callie took that moment to look over at the two of them. She was sitting perched on her Mama's outstretched legs. Stef gave her a small encouraging smile. She had Lena's eyes. Stef felt like they could cut right through to her soul. Right there in that moment, Stef claimed her. Her heart swelled with the love she carried for her. She knew she would die trying to protect that little girl. Callie looked away quickly.

"I'll have to think about it. Lena and I have a lot to talk about anyway."

"Oh?"

Stef ran her hands through her hair and blew out a deep breath. "Mike stopped by the house. He and his lawyer are working on a deal where he'd only do like ten to 13 years. That way, Brandon will be in his teens. He wants to just say, he was on business or something like that."

"For ten to 13 years?" Sharon's voice was starting to rise and get that sharpness that made Stef cringe as a child. Her southern roots always come out strong, the more that she was agitated. "So, he wants his son to think he's a hero while Lena and her kids have to bear the burden of the truth. What an ass!" Sharon practically spat the last words out.

Stef was starting to shift from leg to leg now. "So, you think it's better that his son knows that he's a murderer? How does that help Brandon?"

"How does it help Callie to worry about her Mama? You think it's fair to ask Lena to sacrifice her children and their mental health so the man that created this mess can come back in and tell tales about what a hero he was being this entire time!? And what if those babies don't make it? Have you thought about what ya'll are going to do then?!"

Stef blew out a breath. She rolled her head on her neck and straightened her back out. "No we don't think about that because I don't think it will happen." Stef's voice had lowered to an angry whisper. "Lena goes to the doctor weekly and she's had no more pain or bleeding or anything. She's close enough that they have a fighting chance if they come early. And I'm not sacrificing Callie nor the babies for Brandon. I just don't see the point in having a boy be ashamed of his Father."

Sharon shook her head at her daughter. "I raised you better than this Stefanie. For what it's worth, I'm definitely on Lena's side." Stef watched her walk away with her mouth agape.