Fighting For Us - Book 4

After Dinner Special

"Picture time, pictures!!" Julius announces dramatically as he waves a photo album in the air for all to see. He had been collecting his photos for years that he had been taking since he first met Stef, Lena and Tess on the army base. Photography had really been a hobby of his, one he never told anyone about.

"Pictures? You're a fucking photographer now?" Cinnamon laughs as she puffs on her cigarette, Frankie sitting close by her for she hadn't left her side since the older girl walked in the door.

Tess was also sitting with the family as Corey had passed out on his bed after eating himself half to death. Callie was in her room with Mike showing him some of her latest photos as the two had been chatting the entire night. Truth was she was really happy he came and they made plans to go to the movies, the arcade and shoot some photography together. Jerry had taken Stefanie out for a walk to talk about how things would go once they got back to California.

"Language! Geez, little hippy!" Julius laughs as he squeezes between Stef and Lena chiming in before Lena could reprimand the girl for her language.

"Well, now, excuse you!" Stef laughs as she loses contact with Lena who is now giggling at their friend and making space for his tiny butt to squeeze in between them.

"You need to see these treasures! Oh my god do you ever!!!! All of us do! Now, would you look at this one right here! Amish Stefanie Foster! Remember! You didn't wear anything that was above your ankles!" He giggles as Stef puts out her cigarette and snatches the album from him.

"Let me see that. Oh Jesus! God, I forgot all about this! It's horrible!" She laughs as Lena gets up to kneel on the floor beside her. "Why on earth did you ever take this picture? Or better yet bring it! Must you ALWAYS embarrass me?"

"Yes!"

"Look! It's your paisley dress!" Lena points as Julius plugs his nose in a rather dramatic way.

"Oh my god, you, all, this child dressed like the base bag lady! Let me tell you all! And her dad came to visit, and she let him buy her four more fugly outfits!"

"Thanks, love, for reminding me!"

"And your hair! God I couldn't wait to get a pair of scissors in it and just cut of the oppression."

"Wow could you be anymore dramatic!" Stef rolls her eyes playfully.

"Let me see! I wanna see!" Frankie jumps up to squeeze beside her mom. "You look goofy, Mom! You don't even look like that anymore! Is that what you had to wear?"

"God yes. I wore that shit...stuff my entire life."

"Yup she did and we tossed it all in the dumpster!" Frankie giggles as Stef flips the page to show Gary, Marty, Julius, Ryan, Jillian, Sandra, Stef and Lena all lined up for the Creedance Clearwater concert. God that day brought back memories as the two women looked at each other and the cop could only wink at Lena."Look at you, guys! You were so young!" Frankie squeals as Tess comes over to see as well. "Like super young. How old were you?"

"MM let me think, God, 20? I don't remember 22." Something like that the blonde says as Frankie can't take her eyes off any of the old photos being so excited to see them.

"This was before I had any clue you, two, were even into each other!" Tess teases taking a seat beside Lena on the floor as Frankie frowns.

"Weren't you their best friend, Aunt Tess?"

"I was your Mama's best friend first, yes. We knew each other for years on that base. Stef and I, I mean your Mom and I, weren't even really talking much before...I mean not for a bit. I wasn't too nice to her at first," she admits as she laughs softly as she looks to Stef who smiles at her.