Love Will Keep Us - Book 5

Parental Doubts

STEF POV

I am so furious at Lena, more than I can ever imagine, as I smoke half a pack of Newport's on our front steps. She had alot of nerve. God, did she ever telling me I police the kids and that I'm a parole officer.

That isn't true at all. I love our babies, but I am NOT going to back down from any of them. Corey's mouth is out of control and because Lena babies him, she can't seem to take it if I go too far in her book. Too bad, it's just too bad because I am his mother too, and he is going to straighten up.

"Ma?" I suddenly hear seeing Callie walk out onto the pouch. Smiling at her, she takes a seat beside me.

"Hey, sweets. You okay?" I take her hand in mine.

"Yeah. You and Mama didn't finish dinner so I wrapped yours and hers."

"Oh thanks, babe. That was nice of you." Looking at her, she smiles at me as I gently tuck her hair behind her ear. "How you doing? California treating you ok? MM?"

"Yeah. I like it. I mean there's part of New York I miss but I like San Diego. The weather."

"Ahh yeah. The weather is amazing. The beach too, mm?" I brush my fingers down her face as she smiles.

"Yeah. Plus Dad likes it too. He's gonna take me, Stefanie and Frankie to the amusement park they have on the beach here."

"Is he? That's fun. Ya'll love that, babe." I say puffing my smoke as I feel her grab my hand again, holding it.

Looking back at her I smile once again seeing a certain look on her face. "What's wrong? MM? I can tell by your face, sweetheart."

"Just making sure you're ok. We kinda all heard your fight." She says hesitantly as I put my smoke out and wrap my arm around her.

"I am fine, love. It happens, ya know, but Mama and I bump heads sometimes and in the end we see eye to eye. Ok?"

"Yeah." She lays her head on my shoulder as I kiss the top of her head. We sit here in silence for a bit before I pull back so I can look at her.

"Cals, can I ask you something, babe?"

"Sure anything, Mom," she looks at me eagerly.

"Are you afriad of me?"

"What? Why would you tihnk that?" She laughs as she scoots to sit sideways, her one leg tucked underneath her.

"Do you think I'm too harsh or mean or do you think I police you. Interrogate?"

"If you're asking if I think you're tough, yes. I mean I'm not scared of you and I don't think any of us are. We know not to mess around with you. I mean we all learned that lesson. Frankie loves you, Mama, and Stefanie well, you know how she feels about you even if she had that weird time. Corey, too, even if he's being a total dufus. You discipline hard but you love hard too. And as I recall all of us feel okay coming to you. We come to you and Mom for different things." She folds her hands in her lap as I stare at her.

"Like?"

"Well, let me think on that." She laughs as I smile.

"I just hope you know I love you, all of you." I sigh as I look back over the yard, on to the ocean.

"We know, Mama. You're super easy to love too. Just so you know. And you do spoil us."

"Ha. I think Mama spoils you all way more than me." I look back at her.

"Umm, differently. You're both different." She admits.

I reach over and pat her knee as I smile softly. "Well, I just hope you know you can always come to me to matter what and that I love you...always," I reassure, and she leans in to hug me tightly before jumping up.

"Of course I know that."

"Good."

"I better go shower. We work tomorrow. And I love you too Mama. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, babe," I wink at her as she runs back inside and I pull out another cigarette. What the hell am I going to do with Corey?

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As I head back into the home, the kids are already in their rooms, and I grab a cup of water feeling exhausted. Corey was making me damn ass insane and having a fight with Lena was not a joy either. Never as I finish my water and pass Corey's room seeing him lying on the bed and looking at the ceiling.

He was now my height and the way he was trying to assert his manhood was not going to work with me. I don't give a fuck about his hormones and Lena babying him doesn't help matters either. It really doesn't as I head into our bedroom seeing her change into her pajamas.

Changing into my own, I get my clothing ready for the next day as I slide into bed. But seeing her grab her pillow, I now sit up.

"Where are you going?" I ask annoyed as she stops and turns to look at me.

"I'm not sleeping with you. I'll be on the couch." She hisses barely above a whisper as I am taken back.

"No way. No couch, Lena, regardless of how pissed we are at each other! We have four teenagers and the last thing we need is for them to be freaked out that we are getting divorced. Now get your ass back here."

"You don't talk to me that way! I'm not a child!" Lena glares as I scoff.

"I never said you were a child. I just said get back here."

"I don't know who you think you are talking to. But not me! I do whatever the hell I want!" She lays her hand on the door knob as I jump out of bed.

"Oh Jesus Christ, woman! What other way do you want me to say it huh? Delicately? Kindly? What other way?" I throw my hands in the air.

"God, you are an ass!" She stomps back towards the bed and flings her pillow and blankets on the floor.

"I'm an ass? Ok. I'm the ass! I'm the ass, everyone! I! Am! An! Ass!" I laugh now as she pulls her hair up, angrier than ever.

"Yeah you are! An ass! Like asshole!" She seethes as I throw my hands up in defeat.

"Yeah, ok. At least I don't baby the shit out of our son to the point that he will need you to wipe his ass when he's 25." I walk back over to the bed as she turns to look at me.

"Oh! Wow! Seriously?! Good one, Stefanie!" She leans over to grab her other pillow.

"Yeah! Seriously! You think it's fun? You think it's fun disciplining all these kids alone?"

"Alone! Really! I discipline too!" She slings her pillow on the floor with the other bedding.

"Oh Lena, please. They would walk all over you if you let them!"

"Oh man. You are really something tonight! What, because your not a cop, now you have to take out on all of us!! Screw you!"

"Oh right. Because I like to scare my family, I like our children being afraid of me like you claim they are. Definitely, so because I'm a lame ass security guard right now I need to get my rocks off by being a hard ass on all of our kids! Which by the way you didn't have a problem when it wasn't Corey! You didn't act this way with Francesca and Stefanie!"

"Because! I don't want to treat my son that way! I told you! He's...he's sensitive! He's NOT like Frankie or Stefanie! We...we have to handle him differently!"

"Oh your son! We're doing this again?"

"That's not what I mean and you know it!"

"I know what you meant. AND I wash my hands!! You think I'm too harsh, you think I get off by yelling and spanking and being a hard ass because I can't be a cop right now? Well than its all yours, honey! Have a go at it!"

"What in the hell is that supposed to mean? Huh? I can't with you!"

"Whatever you want it to!" I scream now climbing back in the bed.

"There is no way in hell I'm sharing a bed with you. I wouldn't even share a cup of coffee with you right now!"

"Oh big loss!"

"Jackass." I hear her yell as she grabs all the covers and pillows before laying down on the floor, leaving me with one pillow and a sheet.