Love Will Keep Us - Book 5

Callie Faces Reality

"I hope you understand how stupid what you did was! I hope you get that and I hope you know you won't be going anywhere for a month! Actually two months for missing and breaking curfew! Your freedom is over, young lady! And I mean OVER!!!! How dare you! Just how dare you not only break the curfew Mama and Aunt Tess gave you, AND you get drunk on top of it!! Let me tell you, you're lucky Mama convinced me NOT to whip your ass, Callie! You are very lucky! We trusted you! YOU! Out of all the kids in this family, we seriously trusted you to do the right thing!!!!!" Stef's voice has raised several octaves now as tears run down Callie's face. Thankfully the worst of her hangover subsided but Stef yelling at her did not make matters better. Right now last night didn't seem worth it one bit. Not at all.

"I know and I'm very sorry. I really am Mama." Callie wipes her eyes, clearly remorseful as Stefanie sits beside her. Both Tess and Lena sit beside each other as well listening to Stef as they hear the disappointment in her voice.

"Yeah, well not as sorry as you are gonna be! Because expect your father to tear into you as well!! Big time and maybe worse than me. Now you get your little behind in your room and I don't want to see you. NOW!!" She yells pointing her finger towards the basement door.

They hear a sneeze as Stef squints and hollers out, "Get in your room! No one asked you, two, to spy! Now, Francesca and Corey before your asses burn tonight!"

"Yes, Mama Dukes," they say in unison as Callie stands to her feet and sniffles even more.

"Yes Mama." As Callie walks off, Stef turns to Stefanie as the girl swallows hard, her hands folded neatly in her lap as she sits on the edge of the couch.

"Godmom, I tried to stop her. I did and I'm sorry we missed curfew. I'm really sorry. I should have tried harder to get her to leave." Stefanie says as remorseful as possible for she did not want to end up on Stef's bad side again. No way in hell but she could see the anger radiating from her godmother as she sheepishly looks at Tess.

"Thank you for not drinking and for making sure she got home in one piece. But as your mother said you are grounded as well. For how long? That's up to her and your father, but you are not getting a pass whatsoever. So get."

"Yes, Godmom." Stefanie obeys as she heads to Callie's room rather swiftly. Sitting on the recliner and lighting a smoke, Stef lets out a sigh.

"They are good kids but kids aren't always wise." Tess says trying to ease the tension, for she really did feel badly that Callie did that. Yet a huge part of her was cheering inside as she was the proudest of Stefanie in a very long time. She didn't want to rub it into Stef's wounds though, and she would try to be careful.

"Yeah I know it," Stef puffs her smoke as Lena gets up.

"Anyone want anything to drink?"

"Water is fine, love," Stef winks as she smiles softly at her wife.

"Tess?"

"Water is good for me as well. Thanks, sweets."

"No problem."

Lena exits the room as Tess moves closer to Stef, sitting on the edge of the couch. "Callie is a good kid, Stef, but remember when you were her age?"

Stef frowns as she looks right at Tess. "I never dared to sneak booze. I learned from watching my brother's tales whipped for that garbage."

"Oh, c'mon. You were an angel the entire time you were a teen? You had to of done SOMEthing!" Tess laughs as she grabs one of Stef's smokes.

Stef laughs softly as she puffs away. "Well, there was ONE time that I actually stole one of Frank, Jr's cigarettes. He didn't know it, but I had proceeded to try and smoke it behind the garage. The only issue with that was, my mother also went back there to hide her smoking habits which none of us knew about...until that day."