A Chosen Life (Hard Time Series Book 4)

A Prison Meeting

Stef never kept secrets from her wife. Ever and she didn't want to start but in regards to this one thing she had no choice.  Even with Roxy telling her to stay out of it and to let Mike handle it she could not. She just couldn't for Callie was her daughter and what Sheila did to her had her enraged. Without her brothers help and even without Roxy's help Stef had her way of getting information.  She always had and the blonde had connections using them occasionally to gather information that normal people would not be privy to.

Making a trip up to Chowchilla  was always a challenge especially since she was keeping this particular visit from her wife. Being that she could drive now it made it much easier but the timing  and how to schedule it so her wife wasn't suspicious was the real issue. However the blonde managed to make the trip up as she entered the familiar building that still made her stomach turn.  This prison would always have this affect on her even if it had been more then a decade that she had been locked up as she walked into the visitors room. This room alone brought back so many memories as she remembered her kids coming and Frankie being so small with her giant pink glasses along with her brother who had cried a handful of times. Sometimes she could still kick herself for missing so much of their lives but there was nothing she could do. Nothing at all as she soon looked up seeing Violet walking over with a big smile on her face and taking a seat.

" Well now, what do I owe this visit mama? Finally come to ya senses and want ta marry me?" She teased as Stef let out a laugh.

"Afraid not love."

"Ah I know. Just teasin' ya. I know you and Lena are the real thing. But in all seriousness how you feelin? And why didn't ya reach out to me and tell me what happened to ya? Ya have a stroke and don't tell me? I have to find out on ma own." The darker skinned woman said as Stef let out a small smile. "I know we not together but I think we know each other long enough you could at least tell me."

"Wasn't personal Vi. You know that and it wasn't exactly some shit I wanted to tell. But I'm doing ok. Better."

"I told ya even when we were together to watch ya temper and that pressure. Will take ya out."

"Yeah I know Vi. Stubborn me what can I say." The blonde said smiling as Violet returned it. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. You know I'm always fine in here. Got no problems and if I do they don't last too long ya know."

"Oh I'm pretty sure of that. You always  knew how to run shit."

"MM that's why you and me got along baby. Two alphas who respected each others space. But I know ya didn't come up here ta make small talk.  What can I help ya with?" Looking around carefully and back at her ex girlfriend Stef glanced into her eyes with a look Violet knew the meaning of boy did she ever and it had been awhile since she had seen that expression.  "MM I see who hurt someone ya love?"

"Ever hear the name Lou?"

"MM mm.  A few times her name has floated round here. Into a few things. Girls."

"Yeah? Meaning?"

"Dollars baby.  Loyal in here. Some. Out there definitively has her way of money. Selling girls."

"Yeah I heard."

 "Roxanne?"

"She's straight."

"MM. She told ya how she got out?"

"Yeah she did.  Lou's help. I found out a few things. Things that make me angry Vi. Things that affect my family and have affected my family and daughter. And this Lou she's not just that. She's my mother."

"Lordy. How did I miss that. I don't know." She said laughing.

"We all did. I found out she had my daughter workin. Cal. She's fucked, messed up. Doing better now but not the same. She had Callie's birth mother and brother working for her."

"Well now that's not nice at all. Playin wit fire. SHe knew who Callie was ya?"

"Oh she did. Yeah."

 "You want pain for that MM?" Stef could only continue to stare at the woman  saying a good amount with her eyes. "Listen here,  I respect ya staying outta this life. With ya family and wife. But it never leaves you. The life you lead it's still inside mmm?"

"Hard to sit back and do nothing. She's been sitting on the sidelines. Watching my family like a fucking hawk. For whatever reasons Vi. Angry is an understatement based on what I found out and I can't do nothing. How can I not do anything. Where we come from we handle it and not the police. So what the fuck am I supposed to do?"

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"He's so big. I mean when they showed me the picture it was so hard to believe." Tracey said to the blonde as she showed her the picture of Nathan who was now a teenager. Fortunately the boy was doing pretty well in his home but knew nothing about who his birth mother was.  Nothing and that partly made Tracey both sad and happy."Apparently he lives in some ritzy area with well to do parents.  I'm happy he won't grow up to be some tailor trash like me."

"Hey. You watch how you talk about yourself. Don't you dare put yourself down like that Trac. You aren't trash by any means. I won't tolerate you talking about yourself like that you fucking hearing me? Life handed you fucking lemons and you did the best you could."

"Yeah. I know. I'm sorry ma sometimes I guess certain things get to me."

"I know it love. But don't down yourself. So, do you want to see your son? MM?"

"I don't know ma. Part of me does but part of me doesn't want to interfere. He's got a good thing going. They want to adopt him."

"I see. How do you feel about that?"

"I don't know. But who would I be to suddenly step in and want him back? I can't give him what they have. I have a record ,  I'm an addict and I have HIV. The most I can give him is a pullout couch. He deserve what I didn't get and if he can break this cycle I want that for him."

"Baby even if certain things are factual it doesn't mean you can't love him or that he shouldn't know who you are. If you want him we will help you. We will because at the end of the day you are his mother and you have the right to raise him if you want. None of those make you any less of a mother to him. None."

"Ma at the end of the day I want whats best for him and that's a life without me." Glancing at the girl she could see the pain in Tracey's face as Stef gently grabbed her hand holding it. She knew it was painful for her but Stef also realized it was a sacrifice she was making for her son thinking it was the only way to give him the life he deserved. 

Thinking hard images of all her kids flashed through the blondes mind as she thought more and more about the conversation she had with Violet and the information she found out concerning Sheila and Lou. Something she had not even told her wife yet.