An Imperfect Love Story - Book 8

The Fourth Cookout (Part Two)

STEF POV

Sitting at one of the tables now that my mother had pulled me over to after I nearly ripped into Frankie and was ready to bite Lena's head off as well, I light a smoke to calm my rather frazzled nerves.

Today was supposed to be fun, but it had been giving me a headache since I woke up that's for damn sure, and I honestly wanted to jump in the bed and go to sleep forever. That sounded really nice if I was honest as my eyes scan the backyard seeing my kids with Lena who wanted to spend some time with them, as Tess had taken Stefanie a bit ago so they could chat.

I really had no issue whatsoever in Tess spending time with Stefanie, for she was her mother. What I did have an issue with was how she was doing it, how inconsistent she was, and her showing up here with what was her girlfriend now. Stefanie was a sensitive girl, and she was still struggling with lingering issues, and this, this was not something you could just spring on her. Maybe I did baby her in a sense like Frankie had so damm bodly accused me of doing, but if I did it was because she was different then my other kids. She in some sense was a tad fragile.

Puffing my smoke I run my fingers through my blonde hair as I see Jude running over to me  in his little blue swim trunks and lathered skin from sunscreen as he is now soaking wet.

"Looks like you got caught, huh?" I smile at him putting my smoke down as he grins at me and I lean in and kiss his forehead. "You having fun, baby? With your siblings?"

"Yes." He says quietly as he steps closer to me and wraps his arms around my neck.

"Aww, baby. I love you too. I love you too my boy." I kiss his wet cheek for Jude was such a sweet boy and he had randomly been hugging me the last few weeks almost as if he knew. Almost as if he knew my heart was sad but that's not what I wanted. I didn't want him to soak up how I was feeling at all as he gently rubs my back, and I kiss the side of his face again as he soon pulls away.

"Go have fun. I'm okay, sweet boy." I wink at him as he nods his head and runs back over to Corey who tosses another balloon at him. I smile wide at their exchange and was grateful Corey seemed to tone it down a bit the last few days. But he was very much still on punishment for his antics as I grab my smoke again and tap my hands to the music.

 "You doing okay, baby girl? I know today is a lot." My mother says taking a seat beside me as she had gotten us some food and made me promise I'd sit here to cool off.

"I'm okay, Ma. Kids are having fun it seems. That's all that matters." I puff my smoke and see Stefanie eating with Tess and Jillian at another table.

"Mm mm. But Lena is here, and Tess has shown up." She says lighting her own smoke as I look over at her and shrug.

"Ma, I'm happy we all get to celebrate Lena's birthday together. I mean that the kids do. Even if her birthday is the 7th, and she's got other plans that she just told me about conveniently." I say rather sarcastically, for I was still very much annoyed by it all.

"I see. I assume plans with this girlfriend you say she has?" My mother takes a bite of her hotdog as I grab a chip and sigh.

"Ma, I don't know. She said it was a gallery trip for work, and she leaves tomorrow for LA so she asked me to keep the kids. I didn't get much more information in typical Lena fashion telling me the day before. I'm surprised she didn't tell me when she was in the car driving up there." I laugh, taking another puff of my smoke. "I just don't get why that woman can't talk to me. STILL."

"Maybe she's worried how you will react if she admits it's not for work, babylove." My mother looks right at me as she puffs her smoke then takes another bite of her hot dog. Even if it was still rather hard for me to fully trust her  I found myself talking to her far more then I ever have in my life. My children really taken to her, and if I was honest it was sweet and I was grateful.