0.5 Early Morning Cartoons
x-o- Stef x-o
I woke up early out of habit from when I was in jail and noticed Lena was still asleep. I looked over at her alarm clock and saw it was six thirty on a Saturday. "Maybe it is a little early to make breakfast but coffee sounds so good right now." I whispered remembering the bitter taste from 10 years ago. You were never allowed any hot drinks in Jail. It was water or terrible tasting milk that I swear was served on it's expiry date. I got up and stretched my body, then walked to the bathroom to do my business. I then went down stairs and heard the T.V. quietly on. I walked in and saw Jude watching quite contently at the T.V.
"Oh, hey." I smiled as he greeted me with a small smile. "Did I wake you?"
"No. Not at all, sweets." I replied with a small smile and a shake of my head. "What are you watching?" I whispered coming in more and took a seat on the edge of the couch.
"Just some random morning cartoons.." He replied as he turned his attention back to the T.V. "I love waking up before everybody else to watch the cartoons." I nodded.
"Callie used to love to watch these when she was younger." I whispered softly as I grabbed the T.V. Guide and flipped through it slowly. "She would have to wake up one of us first because I hid the remote from her thinking then she would just go back to bed but I quickly learnt that she was going to get her way anyway." He laughed softly and looked at me again.
"She used to watch these with me but then stopped because school was getting too hard and she is always up late finishing everything." Jude replied back with a small frown. "She wants to be perfect.. A's are what she wants. Nothing below that is good enough for her to relax." I nodded.
"She is a hardworking girl." I said with a smile on my face touching his shoulder gently. "Just like her Mama." He turned his attention back to the T.V. and I walked into the kitchen with a sigh. I saw the coffee maker and made myself a coffee as Jude walked in. "Are you alright?" I asked and he looked up.
"Yeah.. I am just a little thirsty." He whispered grabbing a glass and the orange juice from the fridge. He placed the cup down and poured the orange juice half way up his glass. I looked at him with a worried look. I shouldn't of said like her Mama. I should of just stopped before I went too far.
"I am sorry, Jude." I said with a sad smile and he looked up at me again with his brown, innocent eyes. "I didn't mean to make things awkward. That is the last thing I wanted."
"It's fine, Stef." He replied back as he returned the orange juice to the fridge and turned back around. "It's just strange for me to hear someone else say that their my Sister's Mama." He admitted softly taking a seat on the table in the kitchen. "And it is awkward but you can't help that. No one really knows much about you besides the fact you are Callie's Mama and you were sent to jail for a murder that you may or may have committed." I looked away sadly and sighed. "And then, there is the fact that Callie won't talk to anyone about anything that revolves around you because she doesn't want to burden us.. Not even to Mum or to a counsellor. She is my Sister and I hate seeing how much you effect her in a negative way. I am trying to understand, Stef. I am trying to be nice to you because you do seem like a great person but I can't push aside what you have done to my big sister." He looked down again at his glass. "..No one wanted you to be here living in this house because we all knew what it would do to Callie. We were all right and Mum didn't listen."
"Jude, I want to make things right with my daughter and I can't just run away from what has happened in the past. I can't change it either." I whispered realising he is upset and I know I am to blame. "I would go somewhere else but I have no where else to go." He looked up at me and nodded.
"I am sorry for having it out with you." He replied softly as he put his glass in the sink once finishing the rest of the drink off. "It is just a really serious and complication situation for everybody.."
"I know." I replied back with a nod and looked at him with a smile. "There is one thing that we can do to make it a lot more less complicated.."
"Yeah?" He replied back softly looking a little happier than before. I smiled at him.
"Let's start off with making some chocolate chip pan cakes for everybody." I announced to him gently with a clap of my hands but he looked at me strangely. "What?"
"Callie used to love them." He hinted knowing what I was doing and he came over to me. "I don't think we should make them because last time she threw them in the bin because Mum made them." I sighed.
"What is her favourite breakfast meal now?" I questioned and he smiled widely at me as he went to the cabinets pulling out a few things. "Jude?"
"Biscuits and gravy." He replied back as he turned around after grabbing what we need with a big grin on his face. "That is everybody's favourite breakfast plus comfort food."
"Perfect but I have no clue in how to make these.." I replied back tying my blond wavy hair into a loose bun. He laughed as he washed his hands.
"Good thing I do." He replied back with a wink as he dried his hands and I washed mine. "Let's do this." I nodded and there we went making breakfast for everybody and small talk between us two. My plan was to get closer with each kid especially Callie so then Lena and I can announce to them that were indeed getting married.
x-o- Callie -x-o
I woke up with the scent of my favourite breakfast and saw Mariana was moving a little which meant she was about to wake up too. I got up and walked out my room seeing Mum coming out with laundry. "Morning sweets." I nodded to acknowledge her and looked at her with confusion. "What's wrong?"
"Can you smell breakfast?" I whispered softly and Mum smiled widely with a nod.
"Jude is helping Stef make biscuits and gravy." Mum answered and then pointed to the stairs. "Go. I will wake up the rest." I didn't move until Mum came over and kissed my cheek. "You will be alright. Jude is down there and looks like Mariana will be behind you." I turned to look into my bed seeing Mariana sitting up and stretching. I nodded and slowly made my way down the stairs hearing laughter. I walked into the kitchen but stopped at the entrance. I watched the two interact. Stef was treating Jude like her son and for some stupid reason I felt jealous but for one second until my anger filled my insides.
"Callie!" Jude yelled in excitement with flour in his hands. I walked over and embraced him.
"Morning Judicorn." I whispered and pulled apart realising that I have a little flour on my PJ's but I laughed a little seeing his cheeky grin. I then looked up to see Stef's blue eyes staring back at me but I quickly stopped.
"We made biscuits and gravy, Cal." Jude announced pointing to the dishes of our favourite breakfast. I looked at him with a fake smile and nodded. "Nothing like comfort food, is there?"
"Nup." I replied back tucking some of his short strains of hair behind his ear. "I am not that hungry though but I will have one or two just for you." He nodded then he turned around to face Stef who was standing there stirring the gravy.
"Cal and I will set the the table." He told Stef then went to grab the plates after she nodded. I looked down and went over to Jude to help set the table as Mariana and Brandon came in.
"Morning you sleepy heads!" I greeted them and they looked like a mess which is always the case on a weekend. "What bit you in the butts this Saturday morning?" I joked and Mariana gave me a deathly stare as Brandon grabbed a glass of orange juice. Mum walked in and greeted us all with a kiss.
"Jesus is not coming down for breakfast because he has a pizza coma." Mum explained taking a seat once Stef put the gravy in the meal and Jude put the biscuits next to it.
"Pizza coma is what we are feeling too." Brandon muttered under his breath and Mariana nodded grabbing a biscuit like everybody else did.
"But, please save him one or two." Mum ordered softly and we all laughed but Stef because she doesn't get how much this breakfast is loved. "So, what is everybody's plans?"
"I have a lot of work to finish plus to play on my guitar a little." I announced getting some gravy on my biscuits as everybody nodded.
"I want to head to the beach and do some swimming with my friends." Mariana whispered softly looking at Mum for permission who nodded.
"I was going to clean my side of the room." Jude answered with a smile and turned to Mum. "It would be good too if you could get Jesus to clean his mess so it looks good." Mum again nodded.
"I was going to head to school for piano practice and help Callie with her home work like I promised." I smiled at him and Mum nodded once again. Then, Mum looked at Stef who looked at Mum.
"What did you want to do?" Mum questioned to Stef who looked a little nervous.
"I want to go over to the police station and go through some paperwork." Mum smiled and clapped her hands.
"Okay. Well. Have a great day if I don't see you and please remember to your chores." Mum ordered softly and everybody finished, chucked their plates in the sink and went their separate ways.