Mama Tiger

Chapter 1.

"I love you too, mom," said Mariana. "Night."

Mariana switched off her lamp and rolled over, and Stef moved on to Callie. "What's new with you, sweetheart?"

Callie shrugged. "Nothing much."

"Did you have a good day?" Sometimes, getting a more than one word response out of Callie was like trying to get blood out of a turnip.

She shrugged again. "Yeah, I guess so. School, work, home. The usual."

Stef reached down and ran her fingers through Callie's soft hair, looking into her big brown eyes. "I love you, Slug-a-Bug. You know that, right?"

Callie nodded, giving her a genuine smile. "I love you too."

"Can I get a hug?" she pressed. "I could really use one."

Sitting up, Callie waited until Stef embraced her. When she did, Stef felt her arms circle her body. She squeezed Callie tight, burying her nose in her hair, in no hurry to let go.

"Stef?" said Callie, in a whisper-like voice.

"What, my baby?" she asked, patting her hand.

"Never mind," she sighed, her cheeks reddening. "It's silly."

"Hey..." said Stef. "Whatever it is, you can tell me. That's what mother's are for."

Callie looked down sheepishly. "I was just wondering if you could, um, tuck me in. Like you do for Mariana sometimes." She gave her an intent look. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

"Don't want to?" Stef asked, her heart aching. Callie was mature and independent for her sixteen years, but once in a while, she showed a more childlike side. And when Callie seemed to be in need of a little extra nurtuting, Stef was happy to give it to her; she thought of it as making up for lost time. She loved that girl more than she had the words to describe. "I would love to tuck you in," she told her. She lifted up the edge of the bedspread. "Get comfy."

Callie wriggled a little, and Stef brought the comforter up to her shoulders, tucking it around her body. "There." She leaned down and kissed the tip of her daughter's nose. "Goodnight. Sleep tight. Don't let the bedbugs bite."

"Goodnight," Callie yawned. "See you in the morning." For some reason, she phrased her words like a question rather than a statement, which struck Stef as odd.

She brushed her thumb across Callie's cheek and gave her an extra kiss before leaving the room and going on to bed.

When she reached her own room, she felt exhausted. Lena was propped up against the pillows, reading a magazine. She crawled into bed and kissed her cheek. "Hey, hon."

Lena turned to her, her dark eyes troubled. "Hi sweetie. You okay?"

Stef slowly nodded. "Yeah." She closed her eyes for a moment. "I felt for the lump, but I couldn't find it."

Lena creased her brow with concern, and she raised her hand a few inches. "May I?"

"Go for it," Stef laughed. "You know these things better than I do." She lifted up her pajama top, exposing her breasts to her wife.

Hesitantly, Lena took Stef's right breast in her hand, gently squeezing and rolling it, pressing around the nipple.

"If you didn't look so serious this would be hot," Stef joked.

"It is serious," Lena replied without laughing. "I wish you'd take it a little more seriously." Her fingers stopped at an area just under the nipple. "I found it."

Stef let her fingers hover near Lena's, and her wife guided them to the spot. "Feel right here."

Pressing down, deep into the tissue, Stef felt the small lump. It felt like a tiny marble. She felt her blood run cold through her veins as she touched it. "It's probably nothing. I don't know why we're getting so worked up."

"Honey-" Lena began, but she stopped before she finished.

Stef sighed, nodding with understanding. "You know, I think Callie senses that something's up?"

"What makes you think that?" Lena asked.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "She looks at me like she thinks I'm going to disappear into thin air." The bizarre way she'd said 'see you in the morning,' came back to her. It was almost as if Callie needed confirmation that she really would be there when she woke up.

"Could be," said Lena. "Callie's a perceptive girl. Don't underestimate her."

"I didn't tell her anything though," Stef mussed. "I don't want to scare the kids over nothing." She leaned over and clicked off her lamp. "Goodnight. Love you."

Lena nodded in the glow of her bedside lamp. "I love you too." She switched off the light, and the room was filled with darkness.

For a while, Stef lay there, unable to close her eyes. Then Lena moved closer to her, taking her in her arms, and for a moment, she felt that everything might truly be alright.