Almost Five Years-Part 1

                                    

                                          
NOTE: This is the third book in a series of three. I highly suggest you read, Hard Time first and then ,A Life Beyond, before you read this one or you will be lost! Thanks and enjoy!
                          
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It had been almost five years since Stef and Lena Adams Foster had been released from Chowchilla along with their daughter Callie Adams Foster. Life had surely taken them for a ride and changed since then. Most changes were for the better and some for the worst as life would sometimes go. Their family, however, was still very much intact, very close and happy as both Stef and Lena were even more in love then ever. If that was at all possible.
                          
Their jobs had been going very well and Stef had made an impact on almost 100 girls already during her four years at the facility as well as Lena. The two were an amazing duo and even if the girls were tougher, tougher then some of the ones in Chowchilla neither Stef or Lena ever batted an eyelash. During the blondes time many girls tried to jump her, some spit in her face, tried to tackle her, mug her, stab her even and she handled it all. She handled every bit of it and earned their respect in the end.  However in the coming months Stef would meet one girl that would challenge her far more than anyone in her life ever had.  Ever and she would go by the name of, Alice Jacobs.  Callie's little sister. Sure Lena had her own challenges with the mothers, and kids she worked with but for the most part they really did want to learn even if she had to teach them all in different ways. Once she got passed the tough exterior and they realized she was someone who cared it made the teaching more enjoyable on both sides. In the end she was still living her dream and that was more rewarding than anything.
                          
Callie had also gotten a job at the facility as a secretary and volunteered with with some of the pregnant teens. Now that her little girl was in kindergarden the hours at the faculty worked in her favor for Miss Rose watched her daughter along with Noah and Frankie when school was out. In her eyes she couldn't believe how big baby Stef had gotten for the five years had flown by and she would soon be turning six. Thankfully the little girl had left some of her naughty behavior behind. Regardless she still had a very strong personality, was very stubborn and extremely persistent. Much like her grandmother whom she adored more than anything and constantly wanted to be with no matter what.
                          
By this time Callie and Pete were engaged and once they were married would look for a little place of their own. Sure it was hard for Stef to let go but she was happy for her daughter and wished her and Pete the absolute best. But once Callie would move out it would be a challenge for everyone especially baby Stef for she had no intentions of leaving her grandmother. None whatsoever.
                          
With Jude in college and turning 19 soon it was another adjustment for the blonde for during the last five years they had really bonded. He had also bonded with Lena as well which the slim woman really took to heart. Sure he had his phases of back talk, experimenting with alcohol, and smoking pot once but he had grown out of it after getting his ass kicked by both Stef, Lena and his uncle. It had been a rough  time for everyone when he was 15 and 16 but he went back on track and was now studying criminal psychology while living with Mike. Being he was 19 the house was a little crowded for him and he needed the quietness and space his uncle's two bedroom apartment provided. Stef understood and Jude was grateful that she did and their relationship remained strong. They went out often, he came over to the home almost every night for dinner and spent as much time as he could with his siblings and moms. Both women were happy and could really see he was turning into the young man they always hoped for.
                          
Frankie was now almost 12 years old and was still as sweet as ever.  Her endless questions still persisted, her fun personality was still prevalent and believe it or not she still insisted on wearing shorts with leggings. Her growing older not to mention taller for she almost her mother's height scared the shit out of Stef. It wasn't that she was a bad girl the blonde just hoped she stayed that way so she kept in the choir with Mama Rose and away from anything that could knock her off course. Maybe it was impossible to shelter her completely and Lena warned her not to hold on too tight. But the slim woman saw this coming ages ago, she saw how hard it would be for her wife in regards to Frankie getting older. And it would only get worse the older she got.