Finding Home (The Affair Series Book 3)

Long Overdue

As Callie and Stef sat beside each other the blonde wasn't even sure what to say. She really didn't and neither did her daughter if she was honest. The cop just knew she was happy to see her and she couldn't get over how beautiful and happy Callie looked. Long gone were the dark clothes, angry face and confusion. Stef also didn't smell any cigarettes on her, marijuana, or booze and noticed the girls engagement ring on her finger.  The cop could only smile at the site of her daughter and at how healthy and more mature she looked. Diane was right she was doing well and it showed.

Yes it was evident that Callie had made a tremendous amount of progress but there was one thing she still felt she had to do. She had to forgive her mother if she was going to continue to live a healthy life and her daughter deserved to know her grandmother no matter the mistakes Stef had made in the past.  Had it been hard to get to this place?  Very, as the last five years  she remembered more happy things about her childhood then bad. No Stef had not always been mean, no she had not always spanked the crap out of her. Sometimes she did try and more and more Callie was remembering that. Glancing to her mother she could see she had changed. Stef was older in Callies eyes, more mature and not entirely the person she remembered when she left California or years prior. No longer did she villainize her for if anything she tried to see her in a different light. The same one she saw her as when she was little.

"So um, how have you been Cal?" The blonde asked breaking the ice and treading lightly for she wasn't sure when she would ever get another moment like this ever.

"Good. Um you?"

"Good. Not bad. Retiring soon."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah. In a few years. Maybe next year."

"You have been a cop for 30 years already?" The girl asked rather interested as Stef turned to look at her and smiled.

"Yup. Time flies. Huh?"

"Wow it does. What will you do when you retire?"

"MM enjoy normal life. Enjoy normal people hours. Something you don't get as a cop. Ya know?"

"Yeah."

"How's um being a Vet? Do you like it?"

"Yeah. It's good. Um challenging but  good."

"Do you work with all kinds of animals or just a certain kind?"

"Um dogs and cats. Birds, sometimes pigs."

"Pigs really? That's funny. You beg me for a pig when you were little."

"Yeah not surprising." Callie said actually laughing and Stef nearly fainted when she saw it. Not wanting to cause too much attention she laughed along with her. "I guess I liked all animals."

"Yup. Mice, you had a few, turtles, you wanted a squirrel. Hamsters, fish. Rabbits. It would have been like a barn had I let you get all the ones you wanted. Tell me do you have all those at home?"

"No. Actually we don't have any pets yet. But maybe we will get one dog and one cat."

"That sounds good. Manageable."

"Yeah." Callie said as she began to play with her fingers wanting to tell her mother so much but was still so unsure. It was still difficult it really was as the blonde looked down to her noticing how nervous she was.

"You know Cal it's been a long time since we talked. Civically.  A really long time and I know why and I get it. I know you needed time and still do probably need time. But I want you to know that I'm really happy to see you sweetheart. There's no pressure to talk to me you can just hang out with Diane and you can just be here. Just um, it's nice to have you around especially today. But you can tell me what you need. If you need to get something or anything off of your chest you tell me."