Just Let It Be

Forty Two

"I just...I just can't take your word for something like this," Stef said, speaking to the woman, Natalie, who appeared at their home's door. They stood outside with her, cautious about inviting her in. "You just don't show up to people's homes, claiming you're their mother. That's...that is certainly not how this works."

"Stef," Lena called out, trying to warn her lover to take it easy. She understood just how emotional this moment was for her.

"What?" The blonde replied, eyeing the mentor. "I'm serious." She then faced the visitor, pointing toward her. "The least you could do is provide some...some kind of proof. I mean, just showing up to our home doesn't prove anything."

Immediately, Natalie began to ramble through the purse she carried. "I do, I have proof. I have baby pictures of you and I in here somewhere." She took a minute to search through the bag, but showed nothing. "Listen, I'm gonna have to sit to really look through here. There's a lot in this purse."

Stef released short laughs, shaking her head from one side to the other. She could not believe what was happening right in front of her. "Oh, no. I'm sorry but we cannot afford to have strangers in our home right now."

"She does have a point," Lena added, stepping a bit closer to the visitor. "Is there another way you can prove you're her mother? I mean, there's gotta be something..."

Natalie held up the index finger of her right hand and replied with, "Yes, there is." She looked at Stef. "You're full name is Stefanie Marie Foster, your dad's was Frank Michael Foster. Your birthday is April fourteenth..."

The blonde threw her hands up, waving the woman off. "Okay so you know our names and my birthday. Isn't that kind of information easy to access on the internet nowadays?" She then crossed her arms just below her chest.

Lena laughed a bit, hoping her lover could keep her cool. She knew that sometimes Stef didn't exactly think things through before voicing her feelings.

"Do I really look like someone who knows how to work the internet?" Natalie pointed toward herself, eyeing the other two women sideways. "I mean, seriously, look at me."

"I don't know what you can do because I—" Stef fixed her mouth to respond, but before she could, the woman had cut her off.

"Stefanie, I know there's probably nothing I can say right now to convince you or to get you to believe me," the visitor spoke, speaking clearly. "But I am your mother and you are my daughter. When you...when you came to visit your Aunt Jodie a couple of weeks ago and you and Lena peeked in her room and saw—"

"Woah, wait a minute here," Lena impeded her words just as she had done to Stef's. "How do you know my name? We never mentioned it to you." She carried a concerned expression upon her face, curious.

Stef shook her head from side to side, in obvious disbelief. She wished she hadn't had to partake in this moment.

Natalie shrugged her shoulders, responding to Lena. "My point exactly." She then proceeded to give her focus to both women. "When you guys saw a woman in the room—it was me. I'm...I am that woman."

For a moment, Stef stood in complete shock. It hit her, and it hit her hard, that this woman probably was her mother. And she didn't know how to accept that, how to take it all in.
Instead of giving a response, she walked away from what was transpiring and stomped her way into the house. She just...she needed a minute to breathe.

"Stef, I—" the visitor tried to call out to her, not wanting her to leave, but Stef was already gone.

"I think you should just give her some time. Come back another day? This...this is a lot for anyone to deal with, really." Lena said to the woman, stepping closer to her. "Why don't you just leave me with your number and we'll reach out soon? Maybe have you over for dinner or something?"

Natalie moved her head up and down, accepting what was offered. "I understand. And...and I'd like that...a lot. I'm so very sorry, I just want to make things right." Her words were truthful. Though it took some time, Natalie really did want to correct her wrongdoings. She wished she could sit down with Stef to really acknowledge how she had failed as a mother.

Lena wished the woman a great night, then headed for her home's front door. Once inside, she traveled up the stairs and made her way into her and Stef's bedroom. There, she saw her lover seated upon the edge of their shared bed, holding her head in the palms of both her hands.

"Honey?" The mentor called out, taking a seat next to her. "You doing alright?"

Stef lifted her head, displaying a distressed expression upon her face. "I'm fine. I just...I mean, do you think she could be my mother?"

Lena sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "Not gonna lie, at first I thought the woman was insane. But, she did know about our recent trip to Aunt Jodie's and hell, she knows my name when we never even mentioned it." She looked at her lover closely. "I don't think a random person would just show up to our home with that kind of information, babe."

The blonde haired woman rose from the bed, beginning to pace back and forth. "So-so what am I supposed to do? She can't expect me to just jump right in her arms, y'know? I don't...I don't even know her, Lena."

"I think you should take a few days, think all of this over." The mentor too rose from the bed, hoping to get through to the other woman. "Figure out what you want to do. Then maybe you need to just sit down with this lady and hear her out..."

Stef stopped her pacing, standing just before her lover. "I guess I can do that. But, only if you are there with me?" She stepped closer to her. "I don't want to do this alone, love."

"Of course," Lena said back, reaching for the woman. "Whatever you need, I'll be here. I promise." She held onto Stef's waist, pulling her in. "You're never alone with me, never. We'll get through this, okay?"

She then placed soft, reassuring kisses upon the blonde's nearest cheek, making it clear that she was never going to leave her side. She'd be there for her, always.

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A|N:
thoughts?
my apologies for such a short chapter and taking forever to update. i try to write when i can, i promise! 🥺❤️.