Eight
"Alright so let me get this straight. Instead of calling me, you thought it would be better to run away from your foster home to stay with your boyfriend's family?" Bill, the social worker on Callie and Jude's case, said while sitting across from the young woman at the kitchen table. Jude sat to Callie's left while the moms sat on her right, Lena gripping onto her hand for support. Brandon and the twins were told to go upstairs when Bill arrived twenty minutes ago, which the older teen didn't like one bit. He sat on the top of the stairs waiting for any sign of trouble so he could bolt down to protect the two people this situation involved.
"Well can you blame me. The last six homes you put us in have abused us in some way! At least I knew coming here would result in some food and a warm bed!!"
Everything about that statement made everyone in the house pause for a breath except for Bill and Callie. Instead the two of them were locked in a stare down, neither one willing to lose first.
Eventually Bill glanced down at his papers and cleared his throat. "Well this is what is going to happen. I have a nice couple across town willing to take Jude. Now Callie...."
"No." The youngest at the table states right away. Anxiety was apparent in his voice about being taken away from his sister. "No. I'm staying with Callie. Don't make me go somewhere without her."
"Jude." The older sister turned to her brother. "If this means you're safe..."
"But what about you!" Callie turned away from her brother ashamed that his point wasn't important to her currently. Jude was desperate at this point. He was wondering why Callie was being so easy this time around with being separated.
"Is there any options where they stay together?" Lena, the calm voice of reason, asked from her end of the table.
Bill quickly looked through his mass of papers, trying to find any way he didn't need to separate them. He knew if he kept them together it would make his job easier. Finally, he spoke. "I'm afraid not. Unfortunately most couples don't want to take two children, let alone two older children. Plus the homes that do, don't have the best track record. I want to try and prevent replacement this time around."
"What if we had them stay here? We don't mind having them." Stef piped up, hoping this would be an easy solution. Both siblings held their breath waiting for the enviable no coming. Nothing ever went the way they wanted.
"Stef, Lena as capable as I know the two of you are in taking care of children, I can't allow Callie to stay with her boyfriend. It's against CPS regulations."
Defeated, Callie turned to Jude. She took his face in her hands to look him dead in the eye. "Jude. It will be fine. I just want you to be safe, that's all at matter."
"No! Callie I won't let you leave me again!" Jude's shout was heard all the way up the stairs. It triggered a pair of feet running down the stairs and into the kitchen. All parties turned to look at Brandon as he entered and went straight to the pair of siblings. Noting the distress, he placed on hand on the small of Callie's back and turned to the adults in the room.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
Nobody spoke, Callie knew this was a bad sign. So she turned back to her brother and all but whispered her words to him. "You are going to stay here and be completely safe and happy. It's going to be all right." She then turned to Brandon, placing her head in the crook of his neck. She placed a delicate kiss before whispering her wish for him to watch out for Jude.
His other hand went to cradle her head to him as he once again turned to the stranger in the room. "You have got to be kidding me you don't think this is the best place for her here. She has been through hell and back and deserves to live in our home. She deserves a place she can feel safe and she does here. What kind of person would that make you to take that away from her?"
The room for yet another time was silent. The adults stared at the boy who seemed to become a young man in front of their eyes. After a moment Bill was able to speak.
"Your right. What kind of person would I be to rip her away from all of you. Callie, you may stay." Surprisingly to Bill, Callie let out a sob into Brandon's chest. Not once in the history of his entire relationship with the siblings did he ever witness such emotion from Callie. The moment further validated his choice.
In victory, Brandon held Callie just a little bit tighter. Once the room had cleared out, he brought her into the living room and onto the couch. The rest of the afternoon he held her and whispered words of love and safety, finally knowing she was going to be given the chance to relax and live.