Hope Here

Miss Callie Daddario

Callie's PoV
I won. I won? Me? Were they aware of the other extremely talented and gifted artists and photographers sat in this room? Had they all been counted?
Oh god, what if it's a set up? What if I get up there, everyone starts to laugh and it turns out I wasn't even nominated!
I felt a comforting squeeze of my hand by the man beside me. I looked at him, and he could clearly see how nervous I was. He smiled warmly at me, and uttered the words "You won, darling. You won, and I couldn't be prouder."
Those words were the words I needed to hear to give me the confidence boost I so desperately wanted.
Suddenly I felt the bright light shine on me, and instantly knew it was the spotlight. People had begun to applaud. I took a deep breath and stood up. My legs threatened to give away, but I forced them to stay upright. I forced them to move towards the stage. I forced them to climb the steps. I forced them over to the podium. And I found, as I saw the glittering award, I hadn't had to force my legs any more.

Brandon's PoV
Oh. My. God. I can see her. She's stood up by the podium, her glowing face lighting up the screen she was on on either side of the stage.
She was beautiful. So stunning. There were no words to describe how utterly and incredible she looked. Her chestnut hair had grown out, and was sculpted perfectly. Her skin had become more tanned, and her face was radiating. Oh, her face. I couldn't stop staring. She looked perfectly perfect. She was beaming, and it caused me to beam. Her magnificent dress was the luckiest thing in the world to be so close to her body like that.
I thought seeing her was the best thing since sliced bread. However, when she begun to speak, I swear to God my heart leaped out of my chest.
"Words just don't describe how . . . thrilled and terrified I am right now!" she laughed. "It's such a crazy feeling! My heart is pounding and honest to God this award may just slip out of my hands because they're so sweaty!" Many people laughed, including my family. I looked across to my moms. They had tears in their eyes, streaming down their faces. They were so proud, bless them. We all were.
"When I heard my name called out, I thought it was a joke! I know it's such a typical thing to say, but I really was waiting for all of you to start laughing and shout 'only joking, your pictures are crap!'" The audience began to laugh again, and I could see Callie easing off.
"But truly, I'm glad somebody liked them, let alone all the people who thought they were good enough to win. Visiting Kenya was one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever done, and I could name quite a few, but one of the most amazing experiences. Just to meet the incredible kids out there was a blessing. I captured them how they've never really been portrayed - happy and hopeful - and that was shocking to say the least. These kids are some of the most hard-working and inspirational people I have ever come by - they make the kids I grew up with in foster homes look like royals!"
I knew Callie wasn't directing this to Mariana and Jesus, and even if she was, she meant it all in good spirit.
"They were my pictures, yes. But I would never have had the courage to take them, or even come up here if it wasn't for someone incredibly important to me."
My breath hitched in my throat. I was hanging on to every word Callie spoke, however this one caught me off guard. Who could she mean? Jude perhaps? Or was it someone different . . . .
"He grabbed my hand and said 'You won, darling. You won and I'm proud.' In that moment, I've never been more in love with someone in my entire life."
Oh God. Oh dear God. No, tell me this isn't happening, tell me it's Robert or someone. Tell me it's anyone but . . .
"So I'm dedicating this award to the best photography partner, and even more amazing boyfriend, Joey Lennox. I love you, darling, more than you'll ever know."
Everyone stood up and applauded. Some were even whistling. I, however, had lost all function in my legs. I couldn't stand up. I didn't want to stand up.
She's moved on. She's so obviously moved on. How could I be so stupid? How could I have thought that after three years Callie would be willing to just drop everything - including a boyfriend - to start (or resume) a relationship with me? I had never even considered the fact that she had founded herself someone new. All I knew was all this time spent apart was enough to show me that I did truly love Callie, and that I'd been a fool to let her go.
And now, she has a boyfriend. Who she just admitted publicly; that she loved him.
And Daddario? I only just then registered her new name. Where did that come from? It can't be her married name (I swear I had some kind of mini heart attack even thinking about that possibility) since her boyfriend's last name is Lennox.
I felt sick.

Joey's PoV
Watching her up there was the best feeling ever. I was pretty sure I was applauding the loudest, cheering the loudest, smiling the widest. However, there appeared to be a group of people in the middle trying just as hard as I was to be supportive. Interesting.
Callie looked so beautiful, and that dress was incredibly sexy. And her speech, it was so her! I simply adore the fact that she had squeezed me in there somehow, when we both know she won that award independently. When she left the stage, I enveloped her in a huge huge, lifting her off the floor, spinning her around.
"Have I ever told you how proud I am of you? And how much I love you?" I inquired, holding her close to me.
She beamed, then bit her lip.
"Maybe once or twice" she joked. I leant down to kiss her, her gorgeous vanilla scent pulling me in, but she held a finger up to stop me.
"But say it again. I like hearing it."
God she drove me insane, she was so incredibly sexy.
"Callie Daddario, I am immensely proud of you, and am so madly and deeply in love with you" I replied, honestly. She smiled, and held my face in her hands.
"I love you too, Joey Lennox. And I always will do."
I dove in for the kiss, and boy was it worth it. My hands crept up to her cheeks, and hers were in my hair. It felt like just the two of us, ensnared in each other.
Suddenly, a cough broke us apart. We turned to the side. I saw that everyone was leaving, and that the awards show was finished. The family that had been cheering for Callie just as enthusiastically as I was now stood before us, eagerly.
I furrowed my eyebrows, wondering why there were there, when I heard Callie beside me break down into tears. I immediately looked at her, and watched as she went for the blonde woman and the dark-skinned one, caught between their hug.
And then, did I understand that these were the famous Adams Fosters. The family I owed a lot too.