AN- Thank you for the welcoming support back to the writing world!

"You've been quiet, all morning my love" Stef noted to Callie as she watched the girl picking off all the yellow sprinkles from her donut. "Are you feeling okay, or are you offended that they put yellow sprinkles on your donut?"

Callie looked up "Oh, huh. I am fine" She dropped the donut "Oh, yeah I am fine. Just not very hungry."

"Not hungry, for a donut?" Stef mocked gasped "I thought you were a child? Children love donuts!" She paused "But you're my child, would a coffee make you happy?"

Callie shook her head "No, I don't want a coffee, I am fine."

Stef put her coffee down. "Alright, Callie what's wrong? Did you and Mariana get into a fight?"

"No" Callie answered. "Mariana and I are fine."

"Do you not want to have breakfast with me?" Stef asked "Did I upset you?"

Callie shook her head quickly "No, of course not mom. I am fine. I promise." She picked up her donut taking a bite of it with a smile "Sorry, just tired"

"Are you sure nothing is bothering you?" Stef asked as she watched her daughter forcefully make herself swallow the bite of the donut she just shoved into her mouth.

Callie sighed "Mom, please?"

"Okay, okay" Stef held up her hands "I'll chalk your mood up, to moody teenager. It happens."

"I am sorry, I am ruining your morning" Callie's face fell as she went back down to looking at her donut, trying her hardest to not to cry,"

Stef's eyebrow shot up as she put her coffee cup down and got up. She moved over to Callie and knelt down in front of her. Grabbing her hands.

"Callie, baby what is going on with you today, you're not ruining my morning. I am happy to be here with you."

"I know" Callie said without looking up "And I am being quiet and as you said moody. It's not fair you had this fun morning planned out, and I am not being thankful enough."

Stef squeezed Callie's finger's in her own. "Love, just your time is all I need. If we just sit here quietly and people watch, I am okay with that. If we sit here and you pour out your soul I am okay with that too."

"But, you planned this, and..."

"Callie" Stef cleared her throat "Your self abuse has got to stop, baby. Mama and I want you to work really hard, at not being so hard on yourself."

Callie swallowed hard "I just don't want to hurt your feelings."

"My feelings are fine, Callie" Stef promised "But something is going on inside your head, and if you can't tell me about it, maybe mama?"

Callie sighed loudly "I am fine, I promise just tired. I think she's right my sunburn bothered me. Didn't sleep well, but I don't want to complain and ruin our vacation. We only have four days of it."

Stef leaned up and kissed Callie's forehead "Finish your donut, we'll go home and take a nap. Mariana wants to hang out by the pool. Today is going to be another scorcher. Good pool, water day. Tomorrow we're going to go site seeing."

"See the space needle?" Callie asked perking up for the first time all morning.

"Of course, and Pike's Place Market" Stef added "Can't leave Seattle without watching some fish fly!"

"Cool" Callie grinned "That'll be fun."

"There's my girl" Stef smiled "Lets get going, I've got to stop at Walgreen's and get sunscreen, or mama will have my head, and then you can take a nap."

"Okay" Callie agreed

"So the yellow sprinkles?" Stef asked pointing to the pile "Do you want to take those home and eat them later?" She teased "And remind me to never get you a sprinkled donut again"

Callie blushed and crumbled them up in her napkin "Sorry... I've always pulled them off my donuts, ever since I was little... They" She paused and looked down at her hands.

"They were what, honey?" Stef encouraged.

"My mom's favorite color." Callie's voice cracked "When I was little, before Jude was born my mom would take me on donut dates, like this and I would always pull the yellow ones off my donut, and she'd eat them to humor me... I guess it's a habit."

"Oh, baby girl" Stef wasted no time at wrapping Callie into her arms holding her tight. "My sweet girl. I am so sorry, I never would have gotten you a sprinkled donut had I known. No wonder your quiet." She pulled back "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

Callie looked down at the sprinkle pile and nodded "Yeah, just out of sorts this morning I guess" She said honestly "And missing my mom, I am sorry."

"You're allowed to miss your mom" Stef promised "It doesn't hurt my feelings, that you miss her. She gave birth to you, she created this perfect little girl in front of me, and I know you, and I know your heart. I know you love me. Even when you are missing her."

Callie swallowed hard and nodded "I love you and mama both...but sometimes..."

"You wish you were still with Colleen?" She asked

"Yeah" Callie admitted a lone tear broke free and rolled down Callie's cheek.

Stef wiped it away with the pad of her thumb "I'd be worried if you didn't miss her, and wish you were still with her" She said honestly "She's your mom, Callie. SHe's never going to stop being your mom. She's very much apart of you, and mama and I are not in competition with her, or take her place. What mama and I want to do is pick up where, she sadly had to leave off, and love you and your brother in the way I'd want you kids loved if something happened to me. To guide you, to hold your hand, and to chase shadows away. You baby girl, just got 3 mommies in your life, who all love you to the moon and back, and forever."

Another tear rolled down Callie's cheek before she leaned in and hugged Stef tightly.

Stef rubbed her back. "You know what might help sometime?" She asked

Callie shrugged against her not saying anything.

"When you're missing her, why don't you talk to us about her. Share some of those memories you have made with her. Make them real again. Voice them loudly and let us share in, on the greatest woman of your past."

"You want to hear about her?"

"I'd love to" Stef smiled "You don't talk about her much at all, unless I pry it from you. It doesn't hurt my feelings if you talk about her. In fact I think it will bring us closer together."

"You think so?" Callie asked with a smile.

"Of course" Stef nodded "She's very much part of this family. She's a part of you and Jude both."

Callie stood up with the napkin with yellow sprinkles crumpled in her hands "Lets head out, and maybe on the way home I can tell you about the time my mom made a yellow birthday cake for the grouchy old man across the street."

"Now that sounds like a good story" Stef smiled as she patted Callie's bottom playfully "To the car, my baby!"

"Do you want cheese?" Lena asked Mariana as she began pulling out things out to make an omelet for herself. Mariana didn't eat eggs, but she loved it when Lena would give her shredded cheese on a plate to eat, while she made it for everyone else."

"I hope, mom brings me a donut." She said as she nodded to Lena's question about the cheese.

Lena handed her a paper plate with some cheese on it, as well as a banana. "I am sure she will."

"I wish I could have gone with them" Mariana said with a huff "I like the place mom took her too, its the best donut place around."

"You spent the last few days with mom" Lena reminded her "It was my turn to get a little one on one time with my sweet Miss thing."

"I did miss you, mama" Mariana smiled "And the sunrise, was pretty."

"How do you know?" Lena teased "You slept on my shoulder."

"It was early, and we're on vacation, mama" Mariana whined "I am tired."

"Its a beautiful experience, I didn't want you to miss it, honey." Lena smiled "But I understand, tomorrow I promise I will not pull you out of bed at 4:45 am"

"Thank you mama!" Mariana squealed "I love you, I do, and I love bonding with you. Especially when we hang out on the beach, and you teach me your mad skills on knee boarding or whatever. I just like sleeping in on vacation. If that's okay."

"Of course baby" Lena promised "But thank you for getting up with me, and at least sleeping on my shoulder. Its been years since I held you while I slept."

"Yeah, I was nine the last time" She smiled at the memory "And I had the stomach flu, I was so afraid of laying down, and you just held me against your chest all night long. Even at the risk of being puked on. You're a brave woman, mama"

Lena laughed "Puke doesn't bother me. Having a sick kid is the worst. You'd do anything to make them feel better"

"You're an awesome mom, if I don't say that enough, you are" Mariana smiled as she shoved some cheese into her mouth. "But do you mind if I go lay down until Mom and Callie get back?"

"Not outside, not until we get sunscreen" She warned "You may not burn, but you could get still get skin cancer."

"Yes, mama" Mariana nodded "I was thinking about in the living room, where all of Gran's movies are."She's a cheesy romance movie lover like me."

Lena rolled her eyes but laughed "Go ahead baby, and I'll send mom a message to make sure she brings you home a donut."

Mariana squealed "Best mama ever!"