Author's Note: I don't own The Fosters or any of the characters. This is a sequel to one of my other stories, In A Perfect World. If you read that story, you know that Stef found Callie before she got herself arrested, and brought her home. Because of this, a chain of events never played out: Callie never went back to juvie, never ended up at Girls United, and never heard of the Independent Living Program. Because of this, Brandon never had a reason to hold back his piano money, and never got mixed up with Vico. However, in this story, Vico will still find a way to wreak havoc on the Adams-Foster family.

Chapter 1.

Stef carried a basket of laundry, still warm from the dryer, into her bedroom. She dumped the contents on her bed, and began folding each garment, sorting them by which child they belonged to as she worked.

As she picked up one of Callie's shirts, her finger went through a hole in the shoulder. She wiggled her finger through the tear and smiled for a moment, thinking about the day Lena brought their eldest daughter into their home. Folding laundry always reminded her of the day they met Callie.

Callie was angry, scared, and alone that day, with not much more than the clothes on her back, and a cocky attitude that couldn't hide the desperation in her eyes as hard as she tried. Stef had given Callie a pair of her own pajamas that evening, so she'd have something to wear to bed. Then, she had taken the young girl's bundle of raggedy clothes to wash. She remembered folding them that night, as she and Lena wrestled with the decision of whether or not they should keep the troubled teen

Now, two years later, she thankful they did. Callie, with her sad brown eyes and wisdom beyond her years, had won her heart. She couldn't imagine their lives without Callie and Jude. Looking back on that day, it was amazing how far their daughter had come. She was now a high school senior, just shy of her eighteenth birthday, about to graduate. Stef often wondered what would have become of Callie if she hadn't found a permanent home with them. Although, she didn't really need to bother wondering; she knew. As a cop, she'd seen it all.

Stef's eyes grew misty as she carried the stack of clean laundry to Callie's room. The door was open, and she went inside, where she found her daughter sitting on her bed, her homework spread around her.

"Hi, cutie pie," she smiled, setting the clothes at the foot of the bed.

"Hi," Callie replied, looking up from her textbook. "Hey- have you been crying?" she asked, her brow furrowed.

"Maybe," Stef sighed. "But I'm fine. I was just thinking... about you." She sat down next to Callie and patted her hand, wondering when she'd become so sentimental.

"What about me?" he daughter asked.

"Just, you know," Stef replied. "How grown up you're getting. Brandon, too. I can't believe my babies are turning eighteen."

Callie's face went blank as Stef spoke, and for a split second, she resembled the old Callie again. Stef had noticed that whenever someone mentioned Callie's birthday, or graduation, or college, her daughter's dark eyes got a faraway look in them.

"I'm proud of you, slug-a-bug," Stef told her, giving her a hug. "You're a beautiful young woman, inside and out. And I love you very much."

Callie wrapped her arms around her mother, giving her another hug. "I love you too, mama."

Stef tilted her head down and kissed Callie's soft chestnut hair. "Have you decided anything about prom?" she asked. "It's not to late, you know." Callie had told her she didn't want to go, but Stef was hoping she'd change her mind.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I don't have a date."

"Well, you don't necessarily need one," Stef reminded her. "But if you want a date, I'm sure lots of guys would love to take you."

"I don't know," Callie said again, wistfully. "The only guy I wanted to go with already has a date. I don't want to go with anyone else."

"Do I know this guy?" Stef teased.

"Maybe," said Callie, her playful smirk carrying a hint of sadness.

Stef squeezed Callie's shoulder, then stood up. "Well, do me a favor and try to keep an open mind about this, honey. It's your senior prom. I just don't want you to regret not going."

"Okay," Callie nodded. "I'll think about it."

"That's all I ask."

To Be Continued

One More Note: I'm dealing with a family emergency right now that needs to be my top priority, so there's no way I'll be able to update this story every day, as I usually do with my stories, but I'll try to update at least once a week. Thanks for understanding!