Finding Home (The Affair Series Book 3)

Ketchup

"You are quiet. Everything ok Cal?" Grace asked as the two decided to grab a bite to eat at Wendy's. Not even realizing it Callie had almost forgotten it was the same one she use to go to as kid with her mom and Diane. Sure it had been renovated a bit since that time but it was essentially still the same.

"Yeah. I'm ok. Just a little tired." She said dunking her fries in ketchup.

"You sure? You seem off." Extending her hand across the table Grace gently grabbed the girls hand rubbing it.

"Yeah I'm ok love. Don't worry. Just a few things on my mind."

"Ok like? Come on don't be a closed book. I know how you get. You put all your walls up and shut everyone out."

"Do not." Callie laughed.

"Do so. Gosh you are notorious for it. But come on we have known each other since we were 7. What's up C?"

Wiggling her nose a bit and puffing on her cigarette Callie grabbed another fry slowly eating it as she looked around and her mind wandered. It always wandered nowadays for therapy was doing a good job of making her face her past and her feelings. If she was honest it sucked but she knew it was necessary. All of it. Both the bad and good memories.

FLASHBACK

Sitting in the Wendy's booth Callie watched her mother walk over with her baby brother in her hands carrying  kids meals and placing them on the table. It had been a long day, long and emotional for Stef and Diane had broken up and the blonde rented a small home for her and the  kids. It was the first of many times they would break up and Callie was devastated because by this time she was very close to Diane. Both her and Jude.

"Eat up. We need to head home soon so I can finish unpacking." Stef said placing Jude on her lap and feeding him a chicken nugget.

"I don't like cheese on my burgers." Callie said looking at it with a frowned face. "And I don't like onions."

"Callie eat the food. It won't kill you."

"But I don't like cheese I....." She started once again as Stef roughly grabbed it from taking the cheese off along with the onions and handing it back to her.

"There no cheese or onions. Now eat." Frowning at her mother's bad mood which she had been in since they let Diane's a few days ago the girl bit her burger hating it and also seeing no ketchup for the fries.

"Can we have ketchup?"

"Callie you are getting on my last nerves. Eat the food and stop being so damm picky."

"But I always eat my fries with ketchup. That's how me and mommy eat it."

"Well mommy is not here! And you are stuck with me and if I hear one more damm complaint out of you I'm going to spank your behind! I told you I'm not in the mood so eat the food and shut up."

"You are so mean! I want to go home to mommy! I hate you I hate you so much and I wish you weren't my mommy! I wish Diane was!" Callie yelled getting up from the booth as Stef quickly got up holding Jude and yanking Callie's arm soon spanking the girl.

"Don't you ever say that to me! Don't you ever and don't you ever run off! I'm your mother so you deal with it! You hear me! You will dam sure deal with it!" She yelled continuing to spank the girls legs as Callie was crying her eyes out.

"You are hurting me! Leave me alone!"

"You ever talk that way to me again or run off like that again I will spank you worse! Way worse!" With everyone staring at Stef in the Wendy's she grabbed both her kids and walked out as baby Jude was crying himself.

Callie being only seven at the time and Jude only she really thought her mother didn't care as she layed on the couch still somewhat sobbing. Stef did care as she came inside from smoking her cigarette and sat beside Callie on the couch rubbing the girls back. She could hear her sniffling and knew she was too rough with her in the restaurant. She knew it as she placed a new happy meal on the little beat up coffee table. In her mind she sucked at this. She really did and didn't realize it until her and Diane broke up. The woman was alot better with her kids and would probably never forget her daughter hated cheese and onions and loved ketchup. Maybe it wasn't a big deal but it really was for it was something Stef should have known.

"Hey babygirl.  Look I'm sorry mama lost patience. I am. I forgot you hate cheese. I really did and I wasn't thinking when I ordered it.I um got you a new one." She said softly as Callie turned around seeing the new happy meal on the table. "It doesn't excuse how you spoke to me at all. You don't scream in a restaurant like that ever and you know it. I don't care how damm pissed off you are at me. You understand me?"

"I'm sorry." She said sitting up and wiping her tears as Stef soon wiped them herself.

"Yeah I'm sorry too babygirl. Look, how about we eat together? Yeah?"

"I don't think Jude can chew fries."

"A little he can. Still love me?"

"Yes." Callie said moving closer to her mother and sitting on her lap. "I miss mommy."

"Yeah I know baby. Me too. Maybe you can see her in few days ok?"

"Ok."

"Alright give me a kiss."

Callie could only giggle as she poked her lips out and Stef smiled wide.

"You silly girl. Mama loves you."

"I love you too."

FLASHBACK ENDS

"Cal? Did you hear me?"

"What? I'm sorry."

"I said I'll miss you when you move to Boston."

"I'll miss you too." Sliding her hand inside her girlfriends they held them tight across the table.

"But Boston will be great and you will get to live with Diane. I know you always wanted that."

"Yeah I have. You can visit anytime. I'll get a job and try to fly you out." Callie said as the young girl smiled wide at her.

"I'd like that."

"Me too. Want more fries?"

"No I'm ok. So um are you gonna see Stef before you leave?" 

"Not if I can help it. She already keeps calling and writing letters. Called me this morning."

"Is that what's bothering you?"

"No I don't really care."Callie laughed awkwardly knowing she actually really did care.

"Cal maybe she is sorry and cares. I know your hurt but she is really trying it seems. Don't you want to at least hear her out?"

"Love, can we talk about something else? We just don't have many days left together here and I just I don't want to spend them talking about my mother."

"Sure. I'm sorry."

"Its ok. Want to head to the pier after?"

"Sure. Sounds fun."