Mama Tiger

Chapter 5.

"Good," she nodded. "You finish getting dressed, and I'll make breakfast." She held her face between her hands and kissed her. "I love you."

She nodded. "I love you too," and watched Lena leave the room.

Stef was dressed and brushing her hair, when Mariana came into the room. "Hey, Miss Thing," she smiled, as her daughter came to stand behind her. "Did you sleep okay."

"I guess so," Mariana replied, wrapping her arms around her from behind. "Can I do your hair for you?" she asked.

"Sure," Stef nodded, handing her daughter the hairbrush and card of bobby pins.

She had forgotten how soothing it was to have someone else run a brush through her hair. Mariana worked carefully, untangling the knots and smoothing it out. "I'm gonna miss your hair," she confided, pulling it into a ponytail.

"Me too," Stef admitted. She wondered what it was going to be like to have nothing to untangle each morning.

"Remember when you used to let me play beauty shop with it?" Mariana went on. "That was so much fun."

Stef laughed at the memory. "You used to put every barrette you owned in my hair at once."

"Too bad Callie wasn't here back then," her daughter sighed. "We would have had so much fun together." She was now twisting the ponytail into a tight bun, and pinning it in place.

"I know," Stef nodded. "I sometimes wish she and Jude had come to us when they were younger. They had to grow up so fast." She was grateful that the twins had come into their life before the system stole their innocence, like it had for their newest additions. But seeing the differences between Mariana and Jesus's experience, and Callie and Jude's, made it all to more sadder.

"There," Mariana announced. "Done."

Stef looked at herself in the mirror, admiring her daughter's work. "You did a nice job, love. You might have a future in this." She gave her daughter a hug and kiss. "Speaking of Callie, where is she?"

"She was still in bed," Mariana replied. "She's probably up by now."

Stef glanced at the clock, and saw that it was getting late. She quickly tucked the last bobby pin in her bun. "I guess I should go check on her."

She went to the girls' room, but Callie wasn't in there. She turned away and went downstairs.

"I'm not hungry," she heard Jude protest, as she entered the kitchen. In front of him sat a half-eaten omelet.

"Callie," said Lena, sternly. "He's fine. He's eaten enough of his breakfast."

"He knows how I feel about wasting food," Callie insisted, seemingly on the verge of tears. "He shouldn't have taken so much if he wasn't going to eat it."

"I'm full," Jude complained.

Lena nodded to him. "You don't have to eat any more, sweetie. Go ahead and put your dish in the sink."

"Uh oh," said Stef, sitting down at the table. "What did I walk in on?"

"Nothing," Lena sighed. "I've got it under control." She turned to Callie, who was scowling. "Honey, I know you mean well, but you're not his mother. You don't have to be. We are. We'll take care of him."

"Fine. Whatever," Callie shrugged, leaving the table.

"She's been like this all morning," Lena groaned, pressing her fingers to her forehead.

"She's hurting," Stef sighed, once again feeling guilty that her daughter was in pain because of her. She knew she had no control over it, but it was hard not to blame herself just a little. "Let me talk to her." She got up and went after Callie. She found her daughter in the bathroom, holding her toothbrush. Tears were drying on her face.