Lynx Book 3: A Callie Torres Story

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Callie was hanging out on the couch catching up on one of her favorite tv shows while Sofia played on the floor. Everyone was beat except for little Sofia who, in her words, had the best day of her life yesterday.

Jada and Arizona were still out in their respective beds as it neared noon. Michelle had some running around to do, leaving Callie to be the lucky one to wake up early and play with her now four year old.

The couple, Arizona, and Michelle hosted Sofia's fourth birthday party yesterday. It was the little girl's actual birthday which made it all the more exciting for her. Jada and Arizona had done most of the planning and executing while Callie ran around and picked up the stuff before the party. And having all those kids over wiped everybody out.

"Momma?" Sofia called from the floor.

Hearing her daughters voice, Callie's eyes immediately shifted from the tv down to the floor where her little girl was staring up at her expectantly.

"Yeah sweetie?"

"Where's Mommy?"

"Mommy is still sleeping, sweetheart," Callie answered softly. "She's really tired."

"Why is Mommy tired?"

"Mommy, Aunt Arizona, and I planned your birthday party and had everybody over. Mommy being pregnant makes her get tired a lot faster."

"When is Mommy going to have my baby sister?" Sofia asked curiously.

"Mommy has about two months before she's due," Callie explained. "That means she has about two months before her body is ready to have the baby." They were in the middle of September and Jada's due date was in the middle of November.

"I want to big a big sister," Sofia said adamantly.

Callie smiled and pushed herself off the couch where she moved onto the floor to sit beside her daughter and her toys. "You're going to be a great big sister, Sofia."

Sofia scurried over and helped herself right into Callie's lap. "Am I going to be a big sister again after Mommy has the baby?"

"That's going to be something Mommy and I are going to have to talk about," Callie answered her daughter. As Sofia leaned back into her mommy's chest, Callie wrapped her arms around the little girl and rested her chin lightly onto Sofia's dark hair.

Fighting back the tears dotting her vision, Callie cleared her throat and continued. "I can't have kids," Callie explained quietly. "Only Mommy can."

"Why?" Sofia's alarmed expression quickly softened when she saw Callie's face. Turning around, she hugged Callie tightly.

"Somebody hurt me when I was younger," Callie explained. "They took away my ability to have kids. So, only Mommy is able to have more kids unless we decide to adopt." Callie caught herself from referring to an additional adoption. Sofia still hadn't been told she was adopted.

"What's adopt mean?" the little girl asked.

"Not every kid is lucky to have two mommies, or two daddies, or a mommy and a daddy," she began. "Some kids only have one parent and some don't have any. Things happen and sometimes parents aren't able to see their kids and the kids get put into the foster system. Then, people can adopt them and become their parents."