Home For the Holidays

Don't You Dare

As Lena dropped of Callie at rehearsal she wasn't able to stay for she had an emergency at the General Store. Warning her daughter to be nice Callie promised she would jumping out the truck and heading into the town church were rehearsal took place. Her family didn't practice   and neither did she but the beautiful building had the best sound.

"Look there seem to be a good amount of people here sweets." Stef said as her and Frankie walked into the church. Of course her eyes scanned for Lena but she didn't see the beautiful woman thinking she had not gotten there yet. Her eyes however did fall on Callie whose glare was just as unfriendly as earlier. Regardless Stef smiled at the young teen one Callie tried her hardest to return but it was like pulling teeth as she walked toward the two with sheet music in her hand.

"Hey Frankie glad you could come. We will put you with the other kids your age. Is that ok?" Callie said rather kindly as the young girl tugged her mother's hand tight glancing up at her.

"Well that sounds fun. Right babe?" She said winking at her little girl.

"Yeah."

"Why don't you follow Callie and I'll be right here. Promise baby." Gently stroking the girl's long waves Frankie looked hesitant as her eyes stared into Callie's.

"It's totally ok Frankie. There are a few kids your age and it's alot of fun. Honest." Callie reassured her.

"Ok."

"I'll be right here babygirl." Watching her little girl walk off with Callie who seemed to be much nicer than earlier the cop took a seat in the front pew. She had been hoping Lena would show up soon as many of the people she saw who had been old friends began to small talk asking her how LA was which she really wasn't interested answering. LA wasn't that great and she knew it and so did Frankie.  Regardless Stef had never been popular or a big talker and stuck close to family or Lena when she lived here. Her brother Mike had been the popular one and knew pretty much every single person in town and beyond.

 As the choir took their places she could only smile at Frankie who looked so happy and excited to be on stage already being fully immersed in the music. It was times like these that Stef was grateful she chose to have her as they beautifully sang, Silent Night. 

When the cop thought back to when she first had Frankie Stef had no idea what in the heck to do with her. Yes she was a very good baby and slept very often but she didn't really know much about parenting. Most of the time she would wing it and hope for the best which she still did at times. Sometimes she wondered what it would have been like if Lena had been around helping her raise her little girl. Or what would have happened if she never left and ran off that night. Maybe Lena would have been her girlfriend, maybe they would have gotten married. Maybe she would have been a cop here like Mike and worked at the General store with Lena. Maybe all of that could have happened but what about Frankie?  She wouldn't trade that sweetheart for anything in the world no matter how pain she caused everyone. Being so involved in her thoughts she failed to see that Callie had taken a seat beside her on the pew while the chorus had broken up into mini groups to practice.

"My mom is at the general store. She had to work." She blurted out rather harshly and staring right into the cops eyes.

"Oh, well I want to thank you for welcoming Frankie. That was nice of you Callie."

"I can be nice. But what are you intentions toward my mother Stef?"

"Um I'm sorry Callie?"

"I asked you what your intentions are toward my mother? Because she is in a good place. A really good one and she doesn't need you coming back and making her feel bad again. I don't know what happened back then but you hurt her really bad and if you plan on doing that again you should just pick up, leave now and go back to LA. No one needs that and she doesn't need you. And if you do hurt her again you will have me to answer to. I don't care if you're a cop or whatever she's my mother and I don't want anyone hurting her." Before Stef even had time to comprehend Callie's words the girl had walked off back to the choir leaving the cop blindsided.

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LENA POV

"Great just great." I said seeing that one of the pipes exploded in the basement of the General store cellar. IT was just what I needed and I would have to call a plumber to fix it and throw out a ton of inventory and stock. The timing for this was terrible considering the party was only a few days away, and that stupid mall company planned to knock on all our doors once again after the new year insisting we sell. Mopping up the water I was tempted to call my daughter but I wanted her to enjoy rehearsals soon remembering Stef was most likely there with Frankie. I was hoping Callie was on her best behavior and part of me had wanted to talk to Stef tonight. Even if it wasn't anything deep I really  wanted to see how she was and how she had been. Maybe it would break the ice, or maybe  I should call her over for coffee? Or maybe I was crazy. Maybe I was insane but maybe I wasn't for it was right in the cellar that she had almost kissed me. She had and our lips had almost pressed together and would have if my mother had not come down interrupting us. They almost had and I wanted them too. How could I not at the time realize what the issue had been? Was I really that dumb. Was I really that blind to see that Stef liked me.  That she liked me in a romantic way and I liked her in the same way which was why I couldn't marry Jerry. I couldn't marry anyone to be honest because I had been waiting all this damm time for her to come back. But it was too late. Much too late to do anything about our past feelings.

Coming back into reality I picked up the heavy bucket heading upstairs to empty it out as I heard a quiet knock at the door.  Thinking maybe it was my mother or Callie I headed to the front of the store but when I lifted up the shade a smile could only form across my face after seeing who it was.