Brallie Metropolis AU | In This Together

Chapter 76 | NO

"Babe, come here!" Callie shouted from the kitchen, feeding Em and Colleen mini spoonfuls of pear baby food in their high chairs. "Brandon!"

"I'm here!" He told as he flew into the kitchen to grab something to eat before getting to Juilliard.

"First, you're gonna be late."

"I know, I know. What is it? What was so urgent?" He asked, taking a big bite of a bagel.

"Look," she began, wiping away the pear sauce from Em's face, then laughing with Brandon about it. She gently pulled back her bottom lip, revealing a white stone laying in her gums. "She has a tooth." They both had goofy smiles on their faces, but then his grin subsided. "What? You don't seem surprised?"

"I am. I'm really happy. It's just," he spoke hesitantly, pulling back Colleen's upper lip, revealing another white crevice. "She popped a tooth a week ago. Old news."

"A week ago? And you didn't tell me? What the hell?!" She smacked his arm playfully. "We can't let that happen again."

"Let what happen?" Brandon wondered, hunched over the chair Callie was sitting in.

"Being overshadowed by one of them doing something first. For example, it will be equally exciting when they first talk and walk, even if it isn't at the same time."

"Okay." He placed a kiss on top of the girls' head.

"Okay, now go. You're really gonna be late," Callie said through her puckered lips, waiting for a kiss goodbye, but was ultimately left hanging when he scurried to the door.

"Bye, Cal. Love you. I'll see you later!" He hollered through the hallway. Callie took a deep breath, then looked back at her daughters in front of her.

"Daddy went bye-bye," she spoke a baby voice, shaking her head. "Daddy didn't give me a kiss. Do you know what that means?" Callie asked rhetorically, obviously understanding that single digit month olds would not talk back. "Daddy doesn't get kissed later."

Callie finished feeding Em and Colleen, set up the portable crib by the desk in their bedroom so they could play while Callie worked, then she sat at the laptop, going through her classes for the day.

Around 11 a.m., Callie went to the kitchen to get a snack, and came back to the sound of the laptop making a notification sound. This usually happened when one of their emails were still open and it just got a new one. She searched the windows, finding the correct tab fairly quickly. There was the number 'one' by the word 'inbox.' She saw the email was from Mariana and had the subject of 'website.' Callie clicked on the message and was confused once she continued clicking the link. The tab was then redirected to a platform that had the title, Fost & Found. By now, her head was spinning. That was her idea. She was perplexed and quickly went back to the email window, searching the screen, and realizing the computer was still logged into Brandon's address. But she had to explore Mariana's, or her, creation.

As she clicked on the different menu options, she went through listings of organizations she had found that do things for free, such a store that gives out free prom dresses. She also came across the chat room, where people were free to speak there mind, post their thoughts or feelings, and/or call out the injustice. She put two and two together, getting five. She figured Brandon had given Mariana all of the papers that had research on it, even though Callie swore she had thrown them all away, and the genius that she is, made something incredible.

At first though, she was really upset. Callie was always independent and didn't like needing or getting help, nor did often. Foster care is important to Callie ever since she survived the neglectfulness and unfairness it can sometimes bring. She felt like she needed to work for her success, as many should and do. She wanted Fost & Found to be a thing, but not this way. She wanted to do it herself. However, her grudge was overshadowed by both Em and Colleen's abrupt fussiness.