Fosters: A New Beginning
by Kenny Wohl and Molly Lea
One June afternoon, Stef Adams Foster and her wife, Lena, were getting ready to go baby shopping.
"Okay, let's see here. B is working on his current composition, Jude is with Connor, Callie is hanging out with Daphne, Mariana is at the mall…where's Sophia?" asked Lena.
"Outside playing basketball with Jesus."
"Glad to see at least one of your children picked up on your athletic side."
"It's as if they were mine biologically."
Lena laughed as they walked downstairs.
Sophia came inside. "Man, Jesus can make a girl hungry," she said.
It was a known fact in the Adams Foster house that when Sophia wasn't in the yard playing basketball, she could be found in the kitchen, digging around the refrigerator and making sandwiches.
"Sophia, I swear it's like you think me and Mama don't give you three meals."
"Hey, everyone needs a hobby, and making sandwiches just happens to be mine."
Stef smiled at her adopted daughter. She hadn't planned on having children until she met the Jacob children after responding to the scene of their parents' accident. Then she met Brandon Adams one day shortly after the kids' adoption had become final, when he was looking for his mother.
"Hi, buddy, what's your name?" Stef said as she crouched down in the mall breezeway wearing her uniform, having noticed the young dark-skinned boy a few minutes earlier.
"Brandon," He said with a sniffle.
"Hi, I'm Stef. Where's your mom?"
"I don't know. I turned around, and she was gone."
"Well, let me help you find her."
Just then, they saw a African American woman come up. Well, ran up was more accurate as she dropped to her knees and embraced him. Stef correctly surmised this was the young boy's mother.
"There you are, Brandon. I was worried sick!"
"Hi Mama, I got lost looking at the music store."
She stood up. "Well, thank you for finding my son. I'm Lena Adams."
"Stef Foster."
The women shook hands, not realizing that years later, they'd be married.
They had started as a blended family ten years earlier-Lena with her biological son Brandon, and Stef with her three adopted children Callie, Sophia, and Jude. Five years ago, they had adopted twins Jesus and Mariana, for a total of six kids, three boys and three girls. But Stef had always wanted to carry a child of her own. She loved all her children but had always wondered what it would be like to carry a child who would resemble her. After considering all the options, they tried and succeeded in getting pregnant shortly after their wedding, with Stef's police partner, Lena's ex, and Brandon's father Mike offering to be a sperm donor. So here they were- two weeks from welcoming their seventh child, a fourth daughter they had yet to name.
"Sophia, where did you learn to make so many different kinds of sandwiches?" Stef asked.
"The sandwich master himself."
"Grandpa Frank," said Stef and Sophia at the same time. It was a fact that between 16-year-old Callie, 14-year-old Sophia, and 13-year-old Jude. Sophia was the closest to Frank until he passed away a few months ago.
"Hey, Sophia, me and Mama are going to go baby shopping. Do you and Mariana want to come with?"
"Sure!"
Stef, Lena, and Sophia went to the baby store at the local mall.
"Wow, they have a lot of baby stuff here," said Sophia.
"Yes, they do. Do you know that this mall is where I first met Mama and Brandon?" Stef told her.
"Wow!"
"Yeah. The best day of my life."
"Mine too," Lena agreed. Stef felt the baby kicking.
"Frankie is kicking you, Mom?" asked Sophia.
Stef and Lena looked at her.
"Frankie?" Stef asked.
"Yeah, after Grandpa. I thought maybe you could name her Francesca but call her Frankie."
"That's perfect, Soph," Stef said with tears in her eyes. "Don't tell the rest, but you're the true genius."
Just then, they saw Mariana with her arms full of bags.
"Don't tell me you bought all this stuff for you," said Sophia.
"Not all for me. Some of it is for the baby."
"Yeah? How much?" Lena asked.
"Um…."
Lena and Stef looked at each other and chuckled.
Meanwhile, the boys were putting together the crib for the baby.
"When did Mom buy this?" said Jesus.
"This morning," said Sophia, walking by.
"Let's see here, you connect this here and this here," said Brandon, "but this stupid crib doesn't want to connect!"
Sophia rolled her eyes. "Here's the problem. You're reading the instructions upside down."
Brandon looked. "Oh."
They assembled the crib and painted the nursery.
"Okay, what's next?" asked Brandon.
Sophia was in her, Callie, and Mariana's room when Callie walked in.
"Hey, Cal," Sophia said, digging around the closet.
"What are you looking for?"
"The blanket our birth mom got me when I was born." When she was a newborn, Colleen gave her middle child a blue blanket.
"Why are you looking for your baby blanket?"
"I'm giving it to Frankie," said Sophia.
"That's sweet!"
"I found it!" Sophia said, pulling out the blanket.
"I remember that. You used to carry that everywhere we went. Wait, who's Frankie?" Callie asked, going after her sister.
"Our new sister," said Sophia.
Meanwhile, Brandon walked into the living room. Stef and Lena were watching an episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
"Ah, just the person I wanted to see," said Lena.
"Would you please go get your grandparents from the airport?" asked Stef.
"No problem," said Brandon.
"I'll go with you to help," said Jude, who came into the room with Sophia and Mariana.
Suddenly, Stef had a pained expression on her face.
"You okay, honey?" Lena asked.
"Lena, I think I'm in labor."
"Are you sure?"
"I haven't felt pain like this before."
Lena, Sophia, and Mariana looked at each other.
"Okay," Lena said. "Okay, let's stay calm. Mariana, go get her bag."
"On it!"
Callie came into the room. "What's going on?"
"Mom's in labor!" said Sophia.
"Okay, okay, we need to get you to the hospital," said Callie.
"Okay," said Stef.
"Come on, honey. I got you," Lena said gently, helping Stef off the couch, and off they went.
Brandon and Jude were waiting at the airport for their grandparents when Callie texted Brandon, "Meet us at the hospital."
Just then, Stef's mom Sharon, Lena's mom Dana, and Lena's dad Stuart came into the baggage claim. Hugs were exchanged.
Dana noticed a panicked expression on her grandson's face. "Brandon, is everything alright?"
"Mom's in labor," said Jude.
"Let's get moving!" Sharon exclaimed. They got their bags, and the five sped off to the hospital.
"Brandon, you might want to slow down," said Sharon.
"Why, Grandma?" Brandon asked as he heard sirens.
"Does that answer your question?" said Jude.
A familiar cop knocked on the window.
Brandon rolled down the window and swallowed deeply. "Hi, Dad."
"Umm…B? Where are you going so fast?"
"Mom's in labor."
"Already? Let's go!"
Just then, Jude got a message from Jesus. "It was a false alarm."
Stef, Lena, Callie, Sophia, Mariana, and Jesus returned home.
"That was embarrassing," said Stef. "You'd think I'd be able to tell the difference between labor and indigestion."
"No more Chinese takeout for you," said Lena.
Just then, Jude, Sharon, Dana, and Stuart came into the house.
"Where's B?" asked Stef as she greeted her mother.
"I'm not sure," Lena replied.
"Dad pulled me over," Brandon said as he came in.
Stef looked at her stepson sympathetically.
"He what?!" said Lena.
"Yeah, he said I have until next week to pay for this," Brandon replied, handing Lena a piece of paper.
"$150.00?!"
"Yeah, he pulled me over by the hospital."
"Don't worry, I'll pay for it," said Stef.
"Stef…"
"Lena, I'm the reason he was speeding in the first place."
"Fine. But B, you're grounded from using the car for two weeks."
"Fair enough," Brandon replied.
Meanwhile, Sharon wandered into the kitchen.
"I knew I'd find you here," Sharon said, finding Sophia making a "Sophia special": a sandwich that consisted of half Swiss, half cheddar, and half Monterey Jack with pepperoni, bacon, and BBQ sauce.
"Wow, you've made some impressive sandwiches before, but this one is your best yet."
"Thanks, Grandma," said Sophia while cutting her sandwich in half.
"You ready to be a big sister again?"
"Yeah! Yeah, I am."
"Your Mom has always wanted this, you know."
"Kids with her DNA?"
"Yeah. Don't get me wrong, she loves you guys, but…I think Stef's always wanted what Lena has with B."
"I know. I love her too, and I'm looking forward to seeing Frankie for the first time."
"Who's Frankie?"
"The baby. I suggested we name her after Grandpa."
"Oh, what a nice idea!"
"I agree."
Meanwhile, Callie was spending time with Stef doing what the two enjoyed most of all: watching The Young and the Restless.
"I don't know how you can watch this stuff," said Jesus, walking into the room.
"It's fun," Callie smiled.
"Yeah, maybe for girls."
"Brandon used to watch with me when he was sick, and I would stay home with him," Stef said.
"Oh."
That afternoon, Sharon came into the living room to find Stef watching The Flintstones.
"Hey, this is the episode where Wilma has Pebbles. You used to watch the Flintstones every day."
"I still do with Callie."
Sharon smiled. "You doing okay?"
"I'm excited to meet her. But I want this to be over. I'm exhausted, and my back and feet ache."
"Don't worry, doll, it'll be over soon. Besides, the kids have been a big help."
"Yes, they have." Stef put a hand on her stomach.
"You alright?"
"Yeah. She's kicking. Do you want to feel it?"
Sharon put her hand on Stef's stomach. "Wow, that's my granddaughter."
Stef smiled. "Yeah."
After Lena's parents had arrived from their hotel, everyone sat down for dinner.
"So," Dana started, "what is everyone working on in school?"
"I joined Robotics," Mariana offered.
"I want to join the school's football team," said Callie.
Stef looked surprised. "You? Play football?"
"Yeah. I figured it'd be a good way to get Sanchez off my case," said Callie.
"What position do you want to play?" asked Stuart.
"Either quarterback or receiver," said Callie.
"Impressive."
"I might be from San Diego, but my heart and support will always be with the Dallas Cowboys," said Callie.
"Oh, boy," said Stef. "Fine. Just be careful, okay, love?"
"I will, Mom. Promise."
"So, Stef, you must be getting anxious," Stuart said.
"Yeah, I am," Stef said. "I can't wait to meet her, but I also want to get this over with."
"I can't wait to show my love for sandwiches," said Sophia.
"I can't wait to show her how to play video games," Jude said.
"If it was up to our boys, she'd have a controller in her hand before she was an hour old," Lena smiled.
"Well, I need to give her some sort of fashion sense," Mariana replied.
"I can't wait to get her a Dallas Cowboys jersey," said Callie.
"And every baby needs to know who Ludwig van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are," said Brandon.
"Yeah, so they can fall asleep," Jesus whispered to Jude.
"I heard that!" Brandon said.
They laughed.
"Okay, guys," Lena said as they finished. "Dishes."
After the grandparents were in bed for the night, Lena helped Stef into the bedroom.
"I'm not an invalid," Stef sighed.
"I know. But you look exhausted."
"I am not."
"Okay, okay."
Stef was quiet as they got into bed.
"You okay?" Lena asked. "Are you having contractions?"
"No, she's just kicking a lot." Stef started to stroke her belly and hum a familiar tune.
Baby mine, don't you cry
Baby mine, dry your eyes
Rest your head close to my heart
Never to part, baby of mine
Little one when you play
Don't you mind what you say
Let those eyes sparkle and shine
Never a tear, baby of mine
If they knew sweet little you
They'd end up loving you too
All those same people who scold you
What they'd give just for
The right to hold you
From your head to your toes
You're not much, goodness knows
But you're so precious to me
Cute as can be, baby of mine
Lena smiled in reflection. "I used to sing that every night when Brandon was little."
"Umm…Lena, Brandon is 16. You still sing it to him."
"Hey, whatever is necessary to help our kids sleep at night," said Lena.
"What are you thinking about?" Stef asked.
"What she's going to be like."
"Me too."
"I think she'll be like her mommy," said Lena.
"Nope, she'll be like her mama."
"Her mom."
"Her mama."
Stef and Lena spent the rest of the evening playfully bantering back and forth.
The next morning, Callie walked into Brandon's room, where he was playing with his headphones on.
She tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey."
He turned around. "Hey."
"What are you playing?"
"Um….'Forever' by The Beach Boys. It's something I learned from Mom when I was little. I thought I'd learn it as a lullaby. For the baby."
Callie grinned. "I love that."
"Want some guitar on it?"
"Sure."
Callie ran and got her guitar. "Do you remember when we were little, and we used to play together all the time?"
"Yeah. Those were some good times."
Callie strummed her guitar to the tune they had heard on Full House a million years earlier.
Soon, Brandon and Callie saw Jesus, Jude, and Sophia playing basketball and went out to join them. Callie stole the ball from Jude.
"Hey, that's my ball!"
"Gotta catch me first," Callie said. Jude laughed, chasing his sister.
Mariana came outside.
"Mariana, give me some backup," Callie called.
Mariana chuckled. "I don't think so."
"Besides, she's too much of a wimp," said Jesus.
Mariana took the ball and shot it.
Jesus's jaw dropped. "Wow."
"Still think I'm a wimp?"
"Not a chance."
The kids laughed. "Hey, I just realized something. Moms are at Lamaze class. Let's watch a movie."
"Okay," Everyone agreed. Soon, the kids got ready to watch the original Friday the 13th.
Jude paled as he watched the camp counselors getting killed onscreen. "Okay, now I'm scared."
"Me too," Sophia said, hiding in Callie's arms.
"You don't have to watch," Brandon said.
Just then, Brandon felt someone tapping on his shoulder and jumped behind the couch. When he looked up, Stef and Lena were staring at him amusedly.
"Hi, Moms."
"How was Lamaze class?" said Jesus.
"Short," said Stef.
"Friday the 13th?" Lena asked.
"Yeah."
"Can we join?" Stef wanted to know.
"Sure."
"By the way, where's Sophia and Jude?"
"Behind the couch," Callie said.
Soon, Friday the 13th was over. The family gathered together to watch the Rhoda episode on TV Land where Rhoda got married.
"I like Rhoda, but Mary Tyler Moore is better," said Callie.
"Rhoda is better," said Mariana.
The sisters debated for the rest of the afternoon.
The next day, Callie and Jesus were in the living room. Jude was at Connor's, Brandon was working on his and Callie's version of "Forever", and Mariana and Sophia were soaking in the family's hot tub.
"This feels good," said Sophia, wearing a pink one-piece swimsuit.
"Agreed," said Mariana, wearing a white one-piece swimsuit.
Meanwhile, in the living room, Jesus said, "Hey, Cal, do you want to play a game of Mario Party 8?"
"Sure thing!"
They started to play and had been going for a while when they heard Stef groan from the kitchen.
"You okay, Mom?" Callie called as she came in.
"No. I have a problem. We're out of potato chips."
Callie smiled. "I'll go grab you some."
Half an hour later, Callie came home. Sophia ran out to meet her.
"Forget the chips. The baby's coming!"
"What?"
"She keeps saying she wants to wait until Mama gets home to go to the hospital."
"Okay. By the way, Sophia, you're still wearing your swimsuit."
Sophia went off to change while Callie ran inside. She saw her mom on the couch, breathing through a contraction.
"How far apart are they?" Callie asked when she relaxed.
"Five, seven minutes."
"Okay, we should go to the hospital."
"No. I want to wait for Mama."
"Mom, the baby might be coming sooner than you think."
"I still would rather wait. I don't feel that uncomfortable yet."
"Okay."
Sophia ran down and, unprompted, handed Callie the stopwatch.
For the next hour, while they frantically tried to reach Lena, Callie and Sophia timed Stef's contractions.
"Okay, that's it. We can't wait anymore," Callie said as Stef groaned and doubled over in pain less than a minute after the last one. "Jesus, Mariana, go get Mama. We need to get to the hospital now."
"It's too late," Stef said, shaking her head.
"What do you mean, too late?" Callie asked.
"She's coming. I can feel her coming."
Jesus and Mariana ran outside.
"I have an idea," Jesus said. "We can use my skateboard to get to the school."
"No way I'm using your skateboard," said Mariana.
Jesus shoved a helmet into his twin's hands. "Come on!"
It wouldn't have been so bad if Mariana had just stopped talking.
"Jesus, look out for that hill! Watch out for that fire hydrant!"
"Mariana, stop backseat skateboarding!"
They got to the school and ran into Lena's office.
"Mom's in labor!"
"WHAT?!" Lena ran off.
"Wait for us!" The twins ran after her on Jesus's skateboard
Meanwhile, at the house, Sophia and Brandon were helping Callie. Stef had started pushing 10 minutes prior, and Callie had covered her mother's lower half with a sheet. They had gotten her on the floor so the couch wouldn't be ruined. Sophia ran in with supplies. Brandon had called an ambulance, but they were delayed.
"Brandon, don't look past the sheet."
"Why?" Brandon looked over, passing out.
"That's why. Soph, would you please take care of him while I help Mom?"
"Okay, Dr Bailey," said Sophia. It was a known fact that Callie planned her week exactly to not miss the new Grey's Anatomy, and Miranda Bailey was her favorite character.
"Oh, my God," Stef groaned. "Here we go. I gotta push again."
"It's okay, Mom," Callie said calmly. "We're right here. Just push."
Sharon and Dana walked in just as Lena ran through the front door. Stef's groans reached a fever pitch.
"Stef, I'm here!" Lena said, feeling the same way she did when she ran into the ER the night Stef was shot. She crouched by her wife's side on the floor. "I'm right here, honey."
Stef slipped her hand into Lena's, squeezing tightly. Lena kissed her temple.
Sharon also ran over. "You kids never do anything the easy way, do you?" She joked.
"Not now, Mom." Just then, Stef squeezed Lena's hand tight. "She's coming."
"I can see her, Mom!" Callie said. "Keep pushing!"
"Come on, honey," Lena whispered gently, letting Stef's head fall back on her shoulder. "She's almost here."
Sharon brushed the sweat from her daughter's forehead and kissed it. "You got this. One more time."
Stef pushed, and suddenly, the tense atmosphere in the room was replaced by jubilation as a life-affirming cry pierced the room. They heard shrieks of delight from the others, who had retreated upstairs.
"She's here!" said Callie. "Soph, give me that towel."
Sophia handed Callie the towel, and Callie wrapped up her new sister and placed her in her mom's arms.
Stef was crying as she cradled her daughter, who had light tufts of brown hair. "I know, that was intense, huh? It's okay, Frankie. You're okay."
Lena smiled, brushing tears from her own eyes as she cried happily. "Oh, Stef…she looks just like you."
Stef turned her head, pressing her forehead against Lena's. "I love you so much."
"I love you too," Lena replied.
Brandon sat up woozily. "What-what happened?"
Later, after the EMTS showed up and Stef was taken to the hospital, everyone was in Stef's room. Mariana had a bandage on her cheek after riding on Jesus's skateboard, and Lena insisted Brandon get an MRI after he passed out. Mike was holding the baby.
"She's beautiful," Mike said to Stef and Lena. "You guys are going to be great parents to her."
"You'll always be part of her life, Mike," Stef replied. "It's unfair of us to deny you the same relationship you had with Brandon."
"This experience has made me think," said Callie. "After high school, I'm going to get a job at the hospital while attending medical school.""I think that's a great idea, Cal," Stef replied.
"Yes," Lena agreed.
Brandon rolled in and looked at his biological half-sister. "She looks a lot better cleaned up."
"How's the other patient?" joked Callie. Brandon stuck his tongue out at Callie. Everyone laughed.
"This is the perfect family," said Stef.
"Yes, it is," Lena said, kissing Frankie.
…
The next day, Stef and Frankie were released from the hospital. Sharon held her as Lena helped Stef get settled on the couch.
"She looks just like your baby pictures," Sharon said.
"I thought so," Stef replied.
Brandon walked in. "Mom, we have a gift for the baby."
"It's a song we learned for Frankie," Callie explained. "Wait, where's Sophia?"
"Take a guess. In the kitchen, making a sandwich," said Lena.
Sophia walked in. "Yes, I was, Mama. Did Callie and Brandon start yet?"
"Not yet."
"What's the song, you two?" Stef asked as Callie picked up her guitar.
"Just something I learned from your old albums," Brandon replied.
Brandon pounded out the first chords of the song as Callie strummed along. After a few bars, he began to sing.
If every word I said could make you laugh
I'd talk forever
I asked the sky just what we had
Mmm, it shone forever
Stef looked at Lena. She had loved the song since she was a kid, growing up with the Beach Boys. She had sung it to Brandon whenever he was sick or scared at night when he was younger.
If the song I sing to you
Could fill your heart with joy
I'd sing forever
Forever
Forever
I've been so happy loving you
Let the love I have for you
Live in your heart
And beat forever
Forever
Forever
I've been so happy loving you
Baby, just let me sing it my baby
I wanna be singin' my baby
Baby, baby, baby, my baby (I wanna be singin')
Baby, baby, baby, my baby (I wanna be singin')
Oh, oh, oh, oh
My, my, my, my, my, my
So I'm goin' away
Mmm, but not forever
I'm gonna love you in your way
Forever
When the song finished, Stef handed Frankie to her mother, got up, and hugged Brandon, then Callie.
"That was beautiful," She whispered.
"We just wanted to welcome Frankie into the family properly," Callie said, smiling at her new sister.
Their family was complete.