Fighting For Us - Book 4

New Years Eve

It had been a nice holiday break and as it neared closer to New Years Eve all members of the family began reflecting on the trials and tribulations of 1984. It had been a trying year for all of them filled with both happiness and joy but also filled with grief, sadness and death. That alone caused it to be a year with mixed emotions: some good and some very bad.

Stef found it to be a particularly troubling year on top of being one of the most beautiful since she and Lena were finally together and engaged. But in terms of pain not only had she lost Ryan who was just like a brother to her but she had also lost her biological brother, Frank Jr. which some days still hurt like a knife. Many nights she still cried and on many of those nights she let Lena hold her.

That was something she was very much grateful for for some days it could be too much for her heart to process. Aside from dealing with that she was also trying to help her goddaughter who had changed drastically within the last few months as well as sort through a very complicated situation with Tess.

Yes, both of these situations were very confusing not to mention troubling but on a good note she was so happy to have the entire family living together. Being close to Frankie and Corey really healed much of the pain she had been feeling and so had the mending of the relationship with her father.

But more than anything her relationship with Lena was something she was cherishing forever and she would never let anything ruin it again in life. Lena was her rock, her soulmate, her best friend, and having her to go through this hard time in life had been a life send.

Lena herself had been through a whirlwind the past year as well especially in terms of her children, moving, her relationship with Stef but as well as Tess. One thing she was happy about was that she and Frankie had finally gotten closer and it seemed she was really understanding her daughter now.

It may have taken years and years but she would not trade it for the world what the two now had: compassion and understanding for one another. And she felt as if she couldn't have done it alone. Stef has been that hand to help in mending that precious relationship with her little girl.

Of course Lena at times still struggled with the death of Will, speaking about it to her children, and her own personal struggles. She had loved Will since she was sixteen, and a love like that was something that would go with her to the grave. Even in the worst of times, she still felt a love for the man, and she knew that she needed to really push the pain aside to talk to her kids more...which she had begun doing.

Callie had been through one hell of a year as well, but she didn't want to trade any of it. For at the end of the day, she had the family she always wanted and could really see for the first time her mother was truly happy. She knew Stef had struggled so much when she was younger, and even when she was with Luisa, and it seemed all along the only person she ever wanted was Lena. 

Now that she had her, in her mind, her mom was complete. That along with her parents finally getting along for the first time in her life and being partners gave her some sense of peace for she finally felt like the two stopped fighting a war with each other. A war that had gone on for decades. 

Maybe she would never understand the complexity of adults but for right now she would take it and she would continue to be relieved that her Papa Frank apologized to her Mom. That too was not something she ever expected. But like everyone else she was still dealing with the painful loss of Uncle Ryan, and her Uncle Frank. Even if she barely knew him, just seeing how upset her mother was and knowing it was the only sibling that she was close to, hurt her heart as well. It really did but in terms of herself she was also grateful that  she had finally gotten across to her mom and dad her love for Antwon and why she was willing to risk getting into so much trouble for him.

Callie hurt in regards to Stefanie, for the girl had been her closest friend besides Mariana. She hurt to see that Stefanie was not the same girl she had known since they were little, and it hurt to see all of the pain behind the girl's eyes.

Of course, Stefanie wasn't sure what to think anymore, for she was still confused in regards to her mother's journal. She knew it was wrong to have read it, and she wished she never had. But ever since Lena, Frankie, and Corey moved to New York City, life for her changed and it was very unsettling.

Stefanie didn't realize how dependent she was on the way her life ran in California. Prior to Lena moving the girl had been used to riding the train down most weekends or even Frankie and Corey would ride to her to hang out in LA. But the loss of Ryan, the disappearance of Julius, the death of Frank Jr, the constant fighting between her parents, feeling like she had no place in Stef's life anymore, and the diary, had changed everything to the point burying herself in a boy who only used her felt better than the hollowness she had been feeling.

Frankie was grateful to finally have a family, much like Callie, and she knew that she had come a very long way. It was still hard for her to deal with the fact that she attended a Catholic school which frowned on girls dating girls, and she hoped with all of her heart she could attend LaGuardia in the fall.

The young girl still had the secret of smoking, one which no one knew but Stefanie. For the girl caught her little cousin smoking on the fire escape on Christmas night a couple of hours before Stef came home. And with the promise of never telling, the two had come to a sort of truce in their relationship.

Corey was extremely happy to be able to experience this new life in New York City, but deep down he was missing the beach. As much as he loved the snow and playing in it with his family on Christmas Day, he really missed his surfing classes. He had dreamed of being a professional surfer, and the ache would only grow stronger once the weather broke.

But for now, he tried his best to enjoy the moment even if he was continuing to get into trouble with Stef for his mouth. Lena had been a lot more lenient in terms of that, but Stef didn't bend at all. Corey was learning the hard way that his mouth wasn't getting him anywhere at all even if he sometimes didn't understand what he had said wrong. 

Tess after her phone call with Lena had really taken to being alone and thinking hard about how her life was going to be. She really, really wanted to try to make it work with Jerry even if she was still struggling terribly. She really wanted to make it work with Stefanie as well when she came back after the school year was over. How? She wasn't sure but she no longer would have any contact with Stef and would respect what Lena asked of her.

In all, the family was ready for the start of a new year, and they were ready to turn over new leaves and make their New Year's resolutions...even Stefanie who had decided to write hers in her new journal she had privately started to help work through her feelings. For her something had to give.

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"Come on! This movie isn't gonna watch itself, babies!" Stef called from the living room as she and Lena had just made two giant bowls of popcorn as well as a tray of hot cocoa. Stef had come home from work around 7, and the family had patiently waited to ring in the New Year together. Later on if the  kids lasted they would watch Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve , a tradition both she and Callie had started ages ago.

"We are coming!!" Frankie yells as she jumps on the couch in between the two women. Corey runs to the recliner as Callie holds Stefanie's hand, the two sitting on the floor beside each other as they snuggle together with a blanket.

"Okay! No talking during this movie! You talk, you get to go to bed! Got it?" Stef teases as the kids laugh, and say in unison.

"Yes, Mama."

Lena gets up and starts National Lampoon's Vacation as this was the movie everyone had agreed to rewatch on New Year's Eve. She turns all of the lights out before sitting back down on the couch and turns to smile at her fiance as she feels her fingers in her curls.

Smiling at the blonde who winks at her, she blushes shyly as the movie begins. The little family was content to spend the last moments of 1984 together, something they never dreamed would happen, for if any one had asked them a year ago if they envisioned this very thing, they probably would have not believed it. So much had changed for them in such a short amount of time, and yet even though their hearts still ached for various reason, they were also full of love.