Strings

The Cabin

"Can I call my sister?"

"Sure honey. Let me go change and I'll come get you after you're call ok?"

"Whatever."

Nodding my head I walked out realizing this might be even harder then I realized.

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After Callie and I went into town we grabbed a few groceries and she was actually pretty well behaved. Quiet but not disrespectful which I really wasn't expecting but I took what I could get.  Wanting to buy a bit of junk food it was hard for she gave me no indication of what she liked or disliked so I had to go with memory and gut. 

"How about Oreo's? Or chocolate chip cookies?" I asked her holding up both boxes as she gave me a shrug. "Alright we'll get both." I said throwing them in the kart. "MM and definitely some black liquorice. These are my favorite? Do you like em?"

"I never had them." She mumbled.

"Ha! Missing out. Here let's open em up."

"We can't in the store." She said looking somewhat shocked.

"Says who? Remember I'm a cop I can get away with shit." Still looking shocked  at me I opened the package taking one out and eating it. "Here have one."

"No way."

"Why? I'm paying for them don't worry."

"It looks like your eating death."

"Drama queen. Just try it or I'll keep bugging you and believe me I can be a pest."

Rolling her eyes she took it from me and hesitantly bit it.

"Oh come on can you even taste with that small ass bite."

Looking even more shocked at me at my choice of language she took a bigger bite as I waited for her face to be grossed out. There weren't many people that liked black liquorice that I knew of besides me and Mike. Lena hated it.

"Well?"

"It's ok I guess." She admitted eating the entire stick as I took another one out and handed it to her. Surprisingly she took it and inhaled it and it confirmed even more that she was my daughter.

"That a girl." I winked at her and almost fainted when she cracked what seemed to be a very, very small smile as she took another stick and we finished off half the bag.

As we headed back to the cabin I cooked up some breakfast as the radio played quietly in the background. Not hearing from Callie for a bit I turned around to see her touching the piano as a smile formed on my face.

"Do you want to play? It probably needs tuning but you can give it a try."

"No. I was just looking." She shrugged as her fingers remained touching the keys. Walking to her and smiling softly I played a note seeing it wasn't actually in bad shape. 

"MM it's not too bad. I didn't really play it the last time I came up so I'm surprised."

"You play the piano?"

"Yeah I do. Not as much as the guitar but some. Honestly I haven't played in years so I'm probably a little rusty." Taking a seat on the piano bench I placed my fingers on the keys somehow remembering each and every note. "Mmm let's see what I remember playing." As I moved my fingers the familiar feeling of calmness came over me as I  heard, Candle In The Wind,  by Elton John starting to play on the radio. Remembering the chords to that song and one that hit my heart like no other  I sucked up the unbearable pain as I played along  my fingers moving faster then ever. Sensing my daughter moving closer to me she surprisingly sat next to me on the bench watching my fingers and I could swear I heard her singing.

"Do you want to try?" I asked her as I continued to play and she looked deep in my eyes.

"No." she said as she continued to watch my fingers and I started to sing remembering the day we buried Sharon and they played this same song at her funeral. But I couldn't think about that right now, however it was really getting to me and I stopped playing. Not even realizing tears were falling down my eyes I felt Callie looking to me and I couldn't bring myself to look in her young eyes. This wasn't about me this was about her and I needed to get myself together. Letting out  a sigh and trying to continue I soon felt her place her hand on mine and it was then I made eye contact with her and she let out a small smile.

Pulling her hand away she rested her fingers on the keys and started to play where I left off. Not believing my eyes or ears I wiped my tears and it was then her voice grew louder and it was the sweetest singing I ever heard. Watching her in the utmost admiration and not wanting to draw to much attention to it I could only smile at her as her voice healed whatever pain I was feeling more then anything ever had. Soon chiming in myself I helped her along as we finished out the song together and for that moment our issues and past seemed to no longer be an issue.

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Callie :( She has a soft spot for Stef even if she is angry at her.