Love Will Keep Us - Book 5

Making Her Confess

As the family was enjoying their day together Stef had no intentions of telling Callie that she knew she was pretty hungover from the night before. Was she pissed? Of course she was for Callie had never been so irresponsible before in regards to drinking or breaking curfew. Yes she had lost her mind one or two times in the last 16 years, a few of the times heading into the South Bronx, but overall she had been very well behaved and responsible.

Stef was disappointed big time though as they were all hanging out on the sand with the kids playing cards. Julius was grabbing more drinks as Callie was still feeling very sick as she was leaning against Stefanie trying so hard to fake it. But it wasn't going over very well as Stef could see how the girl was dying but she didn't give a crap. This was her own fault and she would damn sure make sure Callie knew that.

"God I'm starved! Are we gonna eat anything else besides sandwiches?" Corey whines as both Stef and Lena along with Tess can only laugh.

"Honey how can you be hungry? You nearly ate five sandwiches!" Lena says sipping her lemonade.

"The tapeworm. I remember my brothers ate my parents out of a house and home." Stef said shuffling her cards. "My mother couldn't keep up with them. It was no wonder I got any food to be honest."

"How did that work with such a big family?" Tess asks for she only had one sister whom she never spoke with or even mentioned. In fact only Stef knew that she even had a sister and it was something Lena had no clue about.

"MM, they made it work but you had to be quick getting your food. But I rarely got seconds. They just ate too damn fast." Stef admits for it was rare she spoke of her brothers since the estrangement.

"You have seven brothers right, Mama Dukes? I mean six now since Frank Jr. bit the dust." Corey sits forward, eager to hear more.

"Corey." Lena warns as Frankie slaps his arm.

"Shut up, dummy! Be considerate. God!"

"I'm sorry. I meant since he you...passed," he corrects as he blushes.

"It's ok babe. Yeah just six now." Stef shuffles her cards again, and Lena can see the sadness take over her wife's face as she gently places her hand on her leg. Tess can see it too as Julius returns with an armful of drinks.

"Lemonades for ALL, biotches!!!!!!!!"

"Julius!" Lena frowns as she stands to help him pass them out. "We have kids!" She hisses as she nears him.

"Oh, puh-leasssseee! These are not kids any longer! I'm sure they've heard worse," he rolls his eyes as he tosses a lemonade to Tess.

"Oh my god! Can you be anymore uncivilized?" Tess teases as everyone laughs.

"Did you like growing up with all those brothers?" Corey comes back to the earlier conversation as everyone is now quiet and looks at Stef.

"What did Uncle Julius miss?" He looks around as Frankie scowls at Corey.

"Stop asking this stuff, idiot. It's painful!" She yells again.

"Frankie. Be nice to your brother. Please." Lena says. "And honey maybe another time ok? You can ask Mom..."

"It's ok love." Stef gently places her hand on Lena's thigh. "I mean they want to know about my life, and I can tell them. Umm, it was interesting being the only girl, Corey, as I'm sure it's interesting being the only boy. There were advantages. They taught me how to fight, and if someone did pick on me it never happened again. I mean they had their days when they pushed me around, and were a pain in the butt making stupid women jokes but for the most part it had it's days."