Out

                                    

                                          
STEF POV
"You okay?" I hear Mike ask as we were headed back to the trailer park after I had been given the all clear at the hospital.
None of this was an ideal situation, and I was hesitant to press charges against my mother. For more than one reason because at the end of the day, she was my mother, and I knew she'd almost certainly try to get my kids taken away from me if I did such a thing. 
That was who she was, and I knew that, Lena knew that, and I was pretty sure Mike was getting the same impression.  I still had not gone in great detail with him about all that happened in my childhood, because even I didn't want to relieve that fucking nightmare.
"Yeah." I say, lighting a smoke as my arm is still in a swing and my head is still hurting a tad. It was one of the reasons they had kept me for two extra days since I continued to complain about my head throbbing. "Just hate they kept me for two extra days, Mike. Plus you gotta get back to St. Louis too. Don't you?"
"Kids are okay. They really are, Stef. But the doctors just wanted to make sure you were okay. A concussion is nothing to play with."
"It's not like it's the first one I've gotten. I'm sure I've had many in my life." I puff my smoke as he is quiet and he now pulls off to the side of the road, turning the car off as I turn to look at him. "Why did you stop?"
"Stef look, I know you are hesitant to press charges, I get it because even if she's not a nice person, she is still your mother. But, she tried to kill you."
"She was just angry. That's just how she is, Mike." I shrug and glance out the window at the dry ass Nevada landscape that made my stomach all but turn.
"That's not okay. Look, I know a great deal happened to you growing up with her that you aren't comfortable sharing with me, I understand that, I just don't want her to hurt you again. I want you to be safe, I want the kids to be safe and I can't tell you what to do, sweetheart, I just um..."
"I'll think on it, okay. But I'd rather just go on with my life. Let my babies, our babies finish camp and hopefully my hearing goes well." I say looking at him as his soft brown eyes meet mine. " Um, I think we should tell Callie maybe take her out in the morning? Especially since the court date is in a few days and I need to explain that to them. I hate blindsiding my kids like this, but she deserves to know and you deserve to have her know. So, I think we should tell her as soon as possible like we planned before this happened."
"Listen, I don't want you to worry. I'm here for you, like always, and for all those kids. And I took some extra time off. Don't worry about that either, Stef. You have my support, always."
 I nod my head as I puff my smoke again as Mike pulls back onto the road and we continue on our way back for in reality I didn't really deserve Mike's kindness considering what I did to him.
 I didn't deserve one bit of it as I feel my stomach turning when we enter the trailer park and pass my mothers trailer as I see my car is gone. I also see the broken screen door is gone along with her old station wagon as it looks as if someone has cleaned it up. Who I wasn't sure as we pull into Lena's little driveway and she opens the front door.
"Mama!! Mama you're back! You're back and okay!!!" Callie yells as her and Frankie along with Jude come running down Lena's small steps as Mike helps me out the car and I open my arms for them. 
It felt like forever since I had seen them even if they had visited me on both days I was in the hospital but I missed them a great deal and I was grateful for Lena and both Mike for helping me with them.
"Babies! Hi my loves! Hi my sweethearts!!" Callie is the first to get to me as she wraps her arms around my waist along with Frankie as I kiss both their foreheads repeatedly. Jude finally makes his way over to me giggling and smiling as Lena picks him up and kisses his cheek.