Mama Tiger

Chapter 6.

Chapter 6.

Stef sat in the lobby of the counseling center where Callie's group was held, waiting for her daughter. Finally, kids began to filter out of Dr. Kodema's office. She looked around, trying to spot her's. Incidentally, Callie was the last one out the door.

"There you are, sweetheart," said Stef, grabbing her attention.

"Mom?" Callie hurried to her. "You didn't have to pick me up. I could've walked home if Lena couldn't come."

"It's nice to see you too," Stef teased, ruffling her hair.

"No," she sighed, thinking back to Lena's talk in the car that morning. "You know what I mean. I just don't want to bother you."

"I was happy to do it, and I have some errands to run anyway," Stef assured her. She smiled at Callie and held her arms out. "Now, are you just gonna stand there, or are you gonna give me loves?"

Callie smiled a little and walked into her mother's arms. Stef encircled her protectively and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "You know, baby," she laughed. "You're the only one of my kids that doesn't get mad when I kiss you in public."

Callie was still clinging to her, her arms draped around her shoulders. "I like when you kiss me."

"And I like to give you kisses," Stef told her, patting her daughter's back. She gave her one extra squeeze. "Ooh, I love you, kiddo."

"I love you too," her daughter replied. She reluctantly let go. "What kind of errands?"

"Some hardcore grocery shopping," Stef explained with a laugh. "Mama and I were talking today, and we decided we're gonna put together a bunch of casseroles and freeze them, so we'll have dinners already made when I'm, you know, not feeling well."

Callie nodded, her smile disappearing. "Oh."

"Anyway, it's a good excuse to spend time with my girl," she added, brushing Callie's hair back. "I know I don't look or feel sick now, but I will very soon. I want to spend all the time I can with you kids while I'm up to it."

"Can we go now?" Callie asked, scuffling her sneaker on the floor.

"Yup. Let's head out." She let Callie out the counseling center door, and followed her daughter across the parking lot.

Callie was silent in the car. She looked out the window, her head resting on the back of her seat, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"You seem quiet today, sweets," Stef told her, glancing over. "Do you feel okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Mama told me you had a rough day today," she went on.

Callie shrugged in her seat, becoming uncomfortable. "I don't want to talk about it."

Stef shook her head insistently. "I think you should, babe. It's not good to keep things bottled up."

"It was embarrassing," her daughter begrudgingly admitted. "She had us called down to the office and... I thought... I thought you were sick or something, and I got scared and cried." She said "cried" as if it were a dirty word. She looked down, her face burning with shame.

Stef felt a twinge of heartache as she listened to Callie. "Sweetheart" she sighed, reaching out to touch her hand. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about."

"Yes I do," she protested. "Even Mariana didn't cry."

"It's perfectly okay to cry," Stef gently reminded her. "I've been crying practically all day."