A Chosen Life (Hard Time Series Book 4)

What?

"I don't know where they could be! Mike, I have no idea and neither are answering their phones.  I'm so worried." Lena said as she came home to find both Stef and Frankie missing along with their second car.  The slim woman instantly called Mike in a panic as he tried to help the best he could. "Stef is not allowed to drive she knows that."

"Listen I want you to try and calm down ok? We will find them. I put an alert out and I'll go around looking myself. You call the rest of the family?"

"No. Only you. Sometimes it's too much."

"Understand. I will help and..." Mike began as Lena soon heard the front door open and both Stef and Frankie walked in to her relief.

"That was so crazy mama. Like really crazy but awesome!"

"I'm glad and I told you, you are a good driver and would be."

"Driver?" Lena asked walking over to them not sure if she heard her wife correctly. Did she say driver. No way she did not say that as Stef glanced to her as well as Frankie who had a look of guilt on her face for she knew. Frankie knew well enough she was not supposed to be driving. 

"Hey Lena. Yeah I um took Frankie for a drive."

"A drive? You let her drive?"

"Yes. Why?" The blonde asked as Lena looked right into Frankie's eyes.

"You know better. And you also know I forbid you to drive and you are not allowed to get your permit until you are 18. Did you not tell you mother that?"

"She, she told me Lena. But I didn't think around the block would hurt. Frankie, she was very honest with me."

"I see. Frankie go to your room please."

"Yes Mama Lion." Seeing the girl walk off Stef looked right into Lena's eyes who appeared frustrated.

"I guess I'm in trouble huh?"

"Stef you aren't even approved to drive much less drive with someone who has no experience. None. Not to mention she is still on punishment."

"Yeah she talked to me about everything, and I think, I think we should give her a break."

"What?"

"I think we should give her a break. She doesn't want to go to college so we should not make her and  she was acting out because I wasn't listening and she's confused about things. I think we should give her more, um freedom."

"Stef, you aren't fully ready to parent. Or to make these decisions without me."

"What? I am her mother too Lena." Stef said feeling a tad angry and upset. "Just because I had a stroke doesn't mean I can't be a parent. I know I can't do alot of things like button my shirt but I thought being a mother was one thing I could do."

"I didn't mean it that way. I just meant we have to do this as part of a team Stef. Especially now and you can't make these kinds of decisions without me."

"Like everything else right?"

"What?"

"I can't can't do anything without asking you Lena. Nothing." The blonde accused growing frustrated.

"That is not true. You can so Stef. I don't have control over you. I am trying to help. That is all and...

"And hover and control. I need more freedom. I don't want to be locked down."

"Locked down? Stef you have all the freedom in the world. I am in no way trying to constrict you or lock you down. Ever.  But we need to make decisions together as parents for our kids. I can't say something and then you go off and say something different. It can't be like that. It won't help us or our kids. And yes I should have communicated with you that Frankie was prohibited from driving and getting her permit."

"You don't see me as a parent anyway Lena. And before you said I was too strict. You always said I was too strict and needed to be more open with Frankie."

"What?" The slim woman asked as Stef seemed to remember something without even noticing.

"I said you always got on me about Frankie. About being too strict with her and Tracey. Tracey messed up and got herself into shit. How could I not scream at her."

"Stef. You remember that?"

"What?" The blonde asked now looking even more confused.

"You remember yelling at Tracey? You remember me being on you about being strict with Frankie too?"

"I don't know. I, remember something.  A warden?"

At this comment Lena looked right into the blondes eyes for the therapist warned this would happen. That her memory would continue to come back in fragments.

"Come sit baby." Lena said grabbing her wife's hand as the two sat on the couch. "What do you remember? No matter how it sounds in your head. What do you remember?"

"I don't know it's all mixed in my head babe." She said letting the affectionate term slip as Lena continued to hold her hand. Running her fingers through her blonde hair she was trying so hard to remember. So hard. "Tracey. I remember yelling at her and screaming about Callie and a program. It doesn't make sense in my head. A warden. I don't  know and I don't understand what I'm thinking. It doesn't make sense Lena. None of it really."

"It does. Because that happened."

"What happened?"

"In prison you were trying to get Callie into the prison program for new mothers. Her and baby Stef.  It was hard to get into so you exchanged favors with the Warden. And...

"Tracey killed him."

"Yes. You remember that conversation?"

"Some of it. I remember somethings about jail but I can never tell if they are real or not."

"You can ask me. Some I might be able to answer, some not. Is there something in particular?"

"Lena, what did I do? What did I do to end up in jail? I don't remember."

Sitting closer beside her wife it was never an easy story to tell. Not in the least as Stef listened intently to every word Lena said. Yes it was hard to hear and as each day passed bits and pieces of her life started to resurface. Especially jail and those memories were difficult to face.