2.5 Stronger in time
x-o- Callie -x-o
I stared at Mama from across the table hoping she wouldn't catch me but I felt she knew I was staring but I couldn't help it. I still shocked from a few days ago when it was made for everybody know that my father lied and my mama spent 10 years in jail for nothing. Everybody silently ate then cleaned up after themselves and I finally let my eyes gaze to my hands that were shaking non-stop. "Baby?" I looked up slowly as I let my eyes have contact with my Mama's worried eyes. "Did you hear what I just said?" I slowly shook my head and Mum sighed as she rested a hand on top of my Mama's. "He isn't going to get away with this.. I will be filing for a lawsuit for whatever he had caused."
"Okay." I simply replied then I stood up and placed my dishes in the sink. I walked away from them silently without putting my input out there.
"Cal?" I stopped in my tracks as Mariana walked up to me as I got to the staircase and she embraced me into a hug. "It will be okay, sis." I sighed I let her hold me for a few seconds then she pulled away with a sad smile.
"I know I will be okay.." I whispered as I tried to sound convincing but then shook my head as I turned away from Mariana and ran up the stairs fast. I ran into Mama and Mum's room then let myself bundled up into their doona on the bed. I cried hard..
-x-o Stef -x-o-
I cleaned up the breakfast dishes with Lena silently then she suddenly grabbed my hand. "Stop." She whispered as she grabbed the dish I was washing and turned off the water. "That water is way to hot." I looked at her with confusion as she sat me on the bench and sat on the chair next to me.
"I must of been too numb to feel it." I whispered as I looked down at my red hands with a sigh and Lena shook her head with sadness. "My poor baby.."
"There is so much pain in both of you but you are both going to be stronger in time."
"God, Lena." I looked into her brown concern eyes and sighed. "How does he live with himself?"
"He probably doesn't." I heard a voice from the doorway and we both saw Annie May standing there awkwardly. "He is a real jerk and deserves to die in a hole."
"Annie May." Lena scowled Annie May as she let herself take a plate of the leftovers and started to eat it.
"Annie May, why are you here?" I whispered with a sigh as I gave her a glare. "And why do you think you can just waltz into here like you live here?"
"Stef-" Lena warned gently next to me as Annie May looked down awkwardly.
"I am your sister and Jude let me in this time." Annie May explained gently and I took her plate of left overs with a sigh. "I was eating that!"
"I don't need your attitude and you didn't ask or maybe I would of given you some." I explained as I put clad wrap around the plate and put it in the fridge.
"I just don't think its fair that I have to live at Girls United when you have this hou-"
"Excuse me Annie May but we do have 5 other children in this house and you are lucky you are even there." Lena stood up with an upset look. "We aren't ready to take you too.."
"Thanks.." Annie May whispered with sadness and she looked over at me with a sigh. "It's just.. You are my only family and I want to know my family.. And be apart of it." I looked at her with a sigh and realized she needs us.
"Take a seat." I pointed to the bench and we both sat next to her. I placed my hand on top of Annie May's and sighed softly. "It has been quite busy around here.. With Callie and..."
"Mike." Annie May whispered and I nodded at her with a sigh. "It's okay.. I just didn't want you to forget me."
"We could never forget about you." Lena explained to Annie May with a sad smile. "But you are being looked after by Rita for the time being whilst we figure out how to work this out.. We have a lot going on as Stef as mentioned so it won't be for a while." I saw the pained look on Annie May's face and I felt sadden by it but we aren't ready to take on another kid with what we need to go through now.
"But what we can do is have you over for dinners and maybe we can have a day where the whole family can do something." I explained gently as I smiled at Annie May. "How's that?"
"It's better than never being around you." She whispered to me as she looked at me with sadness and I nodded. "I just want to know who you are and the family I never got."
"That's what we want too." Lena smiled as she patted Annie May's shoulder and stood up. "But we got to do this the right way and in a way where everybody is comfortable."
"Agreed." I whispered and Annie May stood up as I stood up. "I think I need to drive you back to Girl's United." I whispered as I grab my wallet and keys then kissed Lena's cheek. I slowly took Annie May to my car with a sad smile and she let herself fall in the passengers seat as I took the drivers seat. "You are apart of this family, Annie May but it is up to you if you want that."
"I-I know." She replied back as I pulled out of the curb and drove slowly to Girl's United in silence.
-x-o Callie -x-o
"Cal?" My body weaken as Mum embraced me into a warm side hug on the bed. I whimpered like a puppy and tried to keep the tears from falling but it was near to impossible. "Oh love, cry it out." I cried as I turned my body around and cried into her chest as she rubbed my back. It took a long time to calm down as I felt my hair was damp from tears and I closed my tired eyes from exhaustion.
-x-o Lena -x-o
She was in emotional pain.. The roller coaster this kid has gone though has finally caught up to her and now all we can do is to let her release this. My eyes gazed to a figure near the door and I could see it was Stef then I offered a sad smile as she walked over to us. "She is asleep." I whispered softly as Stef took a seat on the other side of Callie who was sound asleep by my side. "She cried her heart out.. I never seen her like that before."
"There is no way Mike is going to ever see my daughter again." She whispered as she stroked Callie's dampen hair with a sigh and I sighed too as I let my hair fall back. "He let this happen, Lena."
"I know.. I know." I whispered sadly as I kept rubbing Callie's back gently.
"Nothing will make up for this.. Money won't do jack when it comes to our emotional sake." I looked at Stef with a worried look as she spoke softly but angrily. "Time will only tell how much this has screwed my baby up." Tears filled the eyes of the both of us and I quickly wiped mine away. "I don't know what to do.. For the second time in my life, I really feel stuck and also baffled in how this even happened to us. I thought this happened in movies only but I guess I was terribly wrong." She got up and walked to the bathroom in a rush then I heard her gagging. I looked down at Callie who was still sound asleep and I decided to go to the bathroom. I held Stef's hair back as she gagged and sobbed..
"You need to calm down, baby." I whispered as I kneed down to a sobbing Stef. I placed her hand on my chest and hoped she would follow my breathing. Slowly she calmed down enough to stop gagging and then soon after that she stopped crying to sniffled. I finally embraced her into a hug and she let herself fall down letting her head rest on my lap afterwards. "There we go, you are okay and we will be okay."