Cherry Blossom

I Missed You

Stef's POV

A week passed since I grab my things, my daughter and get on a plan for San Diego. I clearly panicked and now I realize that what I did wasn't really right to Lena. And even to Frankie.

Arrived there, I went to see my former colleagues on the force and that's when I asked for a DNA test since I still had some friends there. In the planned to come to San Diego, I took a piece of Frankie's hair when she was asleep, for I didn't want her to notice and ask questions, then worry about something that us adult should handle.

I need time to process that Frankie's birth mother came back in her life, and that I have to deal with it, no matter how hard this is going to be. For Frankie, I have to. She has the right to know where she comes from if she has the possibility and she has, so I can't interfere with that. Besides, it could have been worse. Her mother is not a drug addict, a criminal or anything like that. Lena is a good person and I know that.

When my mom called to tell me that Lena was desperately looking for us, I felt both scared and guilty. Then, when she told me that Lena wanted me to know that she wouldn't try to take Frankie away, and that her mother was the one who forced her to abandon her baby when she was still a teenager... I felt for her. She told me a bit about how her parents were with her growing up, especially her mother, and it must have been very hard for her.

It took me a week to have the DNA test coming back, and I knew that the second I will see the result, that it would be real and that I have to be strong and act smart for Frankie, I have to try to put my own emotions and fears and insecurities aside so that Lena and Frankie can learn to know each other.

A part of me is terrified though. Terrified that Frankie would stop being my daughter. That Frankie would want to be only with Lena because those two get each other. They have this special bond that I saw forming from the beginning. They are so alike physically and in their personalities that sometimes I'm wondering how came I didn't notice that Lena and Frankie were related. Plus, Frankie already loves Lena. When she left, she asked me every day about her, it was almost like she knew that they had a connection together.

With all that, I admit that I feel a bit left on the side, but I know that I can't think like that. That's my fear talking, and I have to shut it down to do things right.

Now that I have the confirmation that Lena is indeed Frankie's birth mother, it's time that we go back to Charleston. It's time that I stop hiding from Lena and give her a chance to be with my... her baby.

I can't bear a day without my daughter, so I can't imagine five years. Besides, I just took one more week from her, and that wasn't right of me. I shouldn't have left like that; I should have handled things differently. Now, it's time to repair my mistake.

So, here we are, with Frankie, in a plane again.

She did ask me why we were going on vacation when school was just about to begin again, and I didn't really know what to say, but I just said that I wanted to spend time with her and show her the city where she was born.

"Hey, sweet, you know when we'll land, well... we are going to see someone right away." I said to Frankie that was peacefully playing with my fingers as she looked up at me.

"Are we going to see nana? I missed her." she said softly as I smiled and played with one of her soft curls.

"Well, we'll see nana right after. But no, we'll go see Lena first baby, would you like that?" I asked as her face light up instantly, and I knew this was the good thing to do, no matter how much it hurts.

"Oh yes! Did she come back mommy? Will she be my teacher again?!" she asked, suddenly excited as I smiled at her.

"Yes baby, she came back, and she would be your teacher again. Also... well, she's going to spend a bit more time with us... especially with you." I tried to explain. I don't want to tell her right away that Lena is her mother, I can't do this without Lena with me, and we do need to talk first, but I want to prepare Frankie a little bit, because our life is about to change, I don't know to what extent, but it will, and I rather have my baby ready, and not taken aback abruptly.