Unbroken

Carrie Ryan & K. Darblyne

ryan_n_darblyne@yahoo.com

"...I watch you... good times, I can't believe you're mine...You reach out to me, I'd give you all and everything..."

 

Installment Five— Reaping What You Sow

The red glow of her parent's taillight was just fading from view when Brooke finally came away from the door. After giving one final wave of her hand while she looked through the window at the side of the door, she stepped back and focused on her house.

"Clean up time," she mumbled as she surveyed what would be needed now that the dinner was over. Hmm…nothing broken or burned. That's not too bad for a Gordon Family dinner. The smile grew on Brooke's face as she thought back to her siblings and their childhood. Maybe we are growing up.

Brooke's musings stopped when she caught a glimpse of Sam passing by in the hallway. She could feel the subtle changes in her breathing and pulse as a tingle of excitement started racing through her body. Suddenly she had other things on her mind of the more mature nature. Oh yeah! Definitely growing up. Brooke felt the shiver as it started in her back and ended in her knees every time she thought of making love to Sam. She was used to it now. The subtle nod of her head and an unconscious purr that lingered in her throat signified that her libido was kicking into high gear. Not wanting to waste any of their time together, Brooke headed in her wife's direction.

Following Sam into the living room, Brooke stopped and leaned against the doorway with her shoulder. Blue eyes watched every move the young woman made in an effort to gather up the last remaining hints of their entertaining. Cleaning up now took on a whole new meaning to Brooke as she studied Sam’s body. The gentle roundness of curves as she bent over to retrieve a stray cup on the floor was more than enough to get Brooke’s mind in gear. Slowly the corners of her mouth turned upward into a grin until green eyes staring back at her stopped the progress.

Startled, Brooke’s first thought was to avert her gaze. She glanced away then quickly came back again after deciding that she had every right to look at her spouse. "What?"

"Hmm…and exactly what are you looking at?" Sam turned around, gazing at the furniture around her. "Did I miss something?"

"No," Brooke stood away from the wall, "but I was missing something…being near you."

"Oh, is that all?" Sam toyed with her wife as she looked away and headed toward the next snack bowl to gather in. "By that ‘caught with your hand in the cookie jar’ look on your face, I would assume that you were thinking of something else." Sam let go with a chuckle as she stole a glance over her shoulder at her wife. "I can’t believe that the night ended so early and that we’re alone now."

"Well, we’re almost alone." Brooke walked into the living room, "Eddie and Peter are still downstairs in the studio."

"I forgot about those two. I guess Petey’s making the best of it since Crystal had to work tonight." Sam placed the bowl in her other arm and turned back to Brooke. "Did it seem like everybody left right after dinner?"

"Well, except for our parents."

"I hadn’t really expected that."

"Me neither."

A look of horror came to Sam’s face. "You don’t think that it was the dinner?"

Brooke thought for a moment. "Ah…no Darlin’, the food was fine…great in fact. If anything, I think we surprised them at being so…so…" Brooke searched for a word to use.

"Accommodating?" Sam offered.

"Yeah, I guess we could say that." Brooke paused as she silently reviewed in her mind a small snippet of the evening causing a dark eyebrow to slowly rise on her forehead. "I think it kind of shocked your father when I picked up your mother and carried her down the stairs and to the car."

"I’ve never seen my mother drunk, Brooke. I wonder what’s up with that. When anything upsets her she usually would just go and pray or read the bible." Concern showed in Sam’s face. "I didn’t even think that she drank more than a sip or two for toasts at weddings when I was growing up."

"Your mother was uhm…not feeling too good." Brooke’s eyes took on a mischievous twinkle. "Maybe she’s trying to make up now for missing out on the toasts at our wedding?"

"NOT!" Sam glared at the brunette. "Besides, Brooke…we didn’t have any toasts at our wedding after that grandstanding interruption my mother pulled."

"Speaking of your mother," Brooke maneuvered the conversation back to a less hurtful time. "She even thanked me and said goodbye when I got her into the car." She smiled weakly and rolled her eyes. "Do you know that she actually woke up and hugged me when I picked her up out of our bed?"

"I bet that was a Kodak moment, if ever there was one."

Brooke flashed a toothy grin. "And we have C.C. to thank for it…along with that stain on the rug." Her grin turned momentarily to a grimace as she saw the off color markings next to the recliner. "Thank God she got it up right away." Brooke pulled the camera out of her pocket and turned it on. "You want to see?"

"Sure, it’s probably the only time my mother would let you into bed with her," Sam quipped, "Yeah, I want to see it."

Brooke rolled her eyes at the remark. "Smart ass." She reached over and pinched a bit of Sam’s butt between her fingers in a playful gesture.

"Hey!" Sam batted away the hand. "With my mother, it might never happen again. We better have taken full advantage of it." Sam moved closer to see the displayed image on the camera. "Not bad. I wonder if she would have mellowed out more if they had stayed?"

"I told your dad they were more than welcome to stay here tonight. They wouldn’t have to make such a long drive with your mother feeling…" Brooke cleared her throat, "so under the weather. He said that he promised Sarah that she could take advantage of that new license of hers."

"Yeah, the kid is growing up." Sam sighed as she watched Brooke cross over to the couch and stretch out on it. The slow beckoning of a finger pointed at her brought a smile to Sam’s face. She put down the party debris and moved closer to the reclining woman. "You have something in mind, my wife?"

A flash of white teeth in a smile added to the twinkle in crystal blue eyes as Brooke reached out to pull Sam down on top of her. Soft groans could now be heard as each kiss traced its way up Sam’s neck until two pairs of lips met in an ever-deepening kiss. Lost in the moment after parting, the two savored their building passions.

The open-handed slap to Brooke’s shoulder snapped her mind back from any amorous thoughts. "HUH?" She looked up into annoyed green eyes.

"And that," Sam pointed a finger at her wife, "was not nice."

"What wasn’t nice?" Brooke’s eyebrow arched in surprise, "You told me you liked my kisses last night."

Sam pushed her body up from Brooke’s, "Pinching my butt before and getting me all excited with Peter and Eddie still in the house."

"Darlin’, it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve done anything with Peter in the house." Long arms reached out to hasten Sam back into her embrace. "Come on, lay down here with me," she said, allowing her lower lip to jut out in a subtle pout.

A determined face looked down at Brooke as Sam stood her ground for a few seconds. Slowly the set of Sam’s mouth wavered and the next thing Brooke saw was her wife looking up and shaking her head.

"See, you can’t be mad at me…" Brooke enfolded her arms around the small body as it melded into hers. Long, sinewy fingers rubbed over Sam’s butt where she had been pinched earlier. "There, is that better?"

Sam nodded as she nestled into Brooke’s shoulder with her head. "Much better. You trying to get on my good side, Ms. Thing?"

"Oh, you know it," a laugh gurgled up in Brooke’s throat. "You’re going to have my baby."

"Hmm…" Sam’s nose wrinkled in thought. "And exactly where are you hiding that sperm?" A small hand started to tug at Brooke’s jeans, "Is it in there or do you have it stored somewhere else until you need it?"

"I know, I know." Brooke sighed, "We still have to figure out who the donor is going to be."

"Donors, Hun. This is going to be a family that resembles both of us. I have one…" Sam tapped lightly on Brooke’s chest, "…you have one."

"Well, the first one should be easy…" Brooke beamed. "It will be my egg so the first donor needs to resemble you." She paused in thought for a moment then continued. "I was just thinking Darlin’, we definitely need the donor to be someone we know and trust. I’m not looking for any legal hassles down the road."

"Yeah, we’ve got to get your eggs first. You’re not a spring chicken anymore," Sam slid down the long body under her until her head was on Brooke’s abdomen. "Tick, tock. Oh, listen…I hear that biological clock just ticking away." She looked up and winked at her wife. "Maybe you should have the first two or three," Sam gave Brooke an evil smile.

"My biological clock is just fine, Mrs. Moleson-Gordon. It’s not going anywhere." Brooke grinned as she gazed down at the blonde resting atop her. "Okay, you come up with someone who resembles me and I’ll have your baby."

"Yeah?" Sam smirked, "I thought we were going to be the Gordon’s in this house. You can drop that hyphenated form of our name out the door for good."

"You’re really sure about that, Sam?"

"Yes, I’m sure." Sam tightened her embrace on Brooke. "There is never going to be a question as to who is a Gordon in our house. We’ll all just be plain old Gordon."

"Gee, if I move in can I be a Gordon too?" The smart aleck comment came from Eddie as he stood in the doorway of the living room.

"Nope! No way," Peter pushed past the shorn blonde blocking his entrance. "I’ve been Brooke’s friend longer. I get to be a Gordon first."

Eddie watched as Peter lifted Brooke’s feet off of the couch and slid under them taking a seat. He hurriedly surveyed the possibilities on the sofa and took a seat on the arm by the women’s heads. "Yeah?" He tried to raise the stakes in one-upmanship with his friend. "Who says that I can’t be a Gordon?" He looked down at Brooke and asked in a serious tone.

"Hey Brooke, can I have the cute room on the second floor next to yours?" Peter looked thoughtful as he waited for an answer.

"Huh? Uh, no." Brooke started to get up. "You could have the one on the other side of the house though." She paused allowing Sam to get off of her before sitting upright on the sofa. "Come here, Darlin’," she winked at Sam and patted the cushion next to her.

"Spoil sport," came Peter’s sharp reply. "I won’t hear anything over there." He kicked at the carpeting under his feet.

"Exactly," Brooke smiled at him. "You haven’t even slept with Crystal yet and I don’t want you getting your freak on listening to Sam and me."

"I wouldn’t do that. Crystal would kill me," Peter said defiantly. "Besides, I have kissed her once or twice." He looked at his friends seeing confusion in their eyes. "Crystal that is."

Eddie watched the exchange patiently for a moment then reached out and tapped Sam on the shoulder. "So, is someone donating blood or something? What’s all this talk about donors?" He laughed self-consciously, "Does one of you need a kidney or something?"

"We…ah…" Sam looked over to her wife. Seeing the subtle nod of the dark head, she turned back toward Eddie. "We are thinking about having kids."

"Yeah?" Eddie looked surprised. "That’s great. I think you two would make wonderful parents."

"Me too, once Brooke grows up," Peter laughed as he gave Brooke’s shoulder a jab. The jolt from Brooke’s elbow caused him to wince as a pillow was stuffed into his midsection. "Hey!"

"So what’s stopping you two?" Eddie’s question took on a more serious tone.

Peter grabbed the pillow and recoiled his arm to throw it back. Seeing Sam’s challenging glare toward his antics he stopped and fluffed it before setting it down next to himself on the couch, nudging his friend with it as he did so. "Yeah, what’s stopping you, Brooke?"

An eyebrow rose on the woman’s forehead. "You mean, besides the fact that I wasn’t born with an extra appendage?" She thought for a moment then qualified her statement further, "And if I had been, I’m sure that Sam wouldn’t be attracted to me?" Brooke looked at Sam and wiggled her eyebrows, "Right, Darlin’?"

"You got that right." Sam graced her wife’s cheek with her lips and nestled closer, wrapping her arm around Brooke’s waist. "Although…I would have been attracted to your soul," Sam said with a coy smile.

The concept was thought provoking to Peter as he meditated on it, scratching his head. After a few seconds he smiled. "Oh, that. Well if it’s any consolation Brooke, I always thought of you as one of the guys."

"Well, Peter, this time being like one of the guys is just not going to be enough." Sam patted her wife’s hand, "If we want kids, we need to find a sperm donor."

"At least we have time to look around for one," Brooke kissed Sam’s ear. "We have to see what the doctor is going to say about timing things right at our appointment tomorrow."

"Eww…" Peter shuddered visibly. "I hate doctors. They’re always poking and prodding you. I’m glad it’s not me going."

"Well, I’m the first one going to get poked and prodded," Brooke muttered with a not so happy face.

Sam quickly tried to alleviate her mate’s anxiousness. "Doctors aren’t so bad, Brooke."

"You…" Peter looked at his long time friend, somewhat stunned. "You’re the one?" Suddenly he howled with laughter, "Sorry, Brooke. I just never thought of you as motherhood personified."

Blue eyes glared at the man seated on the opposite end of the couch. "So now I know what you really think of me, eh buddy?" She took a playful jab at his shoulder then brought her hand back over Sam’s torso. "She’s having our baby. Aren’t you, Sam."

"Whoa, that’s a real commitment there," Eddie nodded his head, "on both your parts."

"Well, I’m not looking forward to it for my part, with the doctor that is, but if Sam’s willing to have the baby, I’ll do anything in the world to make it happen."

Eddie’s brow furrowed in thought as he looked over to Peter. "Sam’s having the baby but you’re getting poked? What am I missing here?"

"Hey, I’m a virgin in this realm, Eddie." Peter raised his hands, feigning any idea of the concept. "Ask me about basses or groupies, I’m the expert there."

The sound of soft laughter filled the air as Sam looked over to Peter. "Well, I’m no expert but I have been reading up on the subject." She looked over to Brooke, "We want our children to be from the both of us." She swallowed hard trying to calm her fears as to the reason why. Offering up a weak smile for Brooke’s behalf, she continued on, "The only way we can do that is if one of us is the biological mother and the other is…"

"The surrogate mother. Holy shit!" Peter smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand. "That’s always been one hell of a court battle when they each want the kid."

"Well, let me tell you Peter, we both want this child." Sam glanced over to Brooke and smiled, "There will be no court battle where we’re concerned."

"We just wanted the child to know that we both had a hand in bringing them into the world." Brooke gently gave Sam’s shoulder a squeeze. "That’s why I have to get poked and prodded. It’s so that they can…" she winced, "you know, ‘do their thing’ where I’m concerned so that Sam can carry our child. That’s why we want to find a donor that resembles her."

Peter sighed disgustedly and glanced over to Brooke. "So you’re not going to be the one to get as big as a whale, huh?"

"NO!" Brooke quirked a nervous grin in her friend’s direction then quickly squelched his imagination. "And don’t go getting any ideas about seeing me out to there," she used her hands to give a fully developed maternal idea to her figure, "sitting behind my drum kit…or my desk for that matter."

"Not this time…but who knows in the future." Sam winked at Brooke, then grinned eagerly. She caught the disbelief on Eddie’s face as he looked at Brooke. "I’ll carry Brooke’s fertilized egg to term and deliver our baby, Eddie. We’ve got it all worked out except for that one tiny detail."

"Da tail is what it’s all about, eh?" Peter tried his hand at an awful joke.

"Damn, Petey. It’s too bad you don’t look like Sam," Brooke said without thinking.

"Lucky me," Peter flashed a smile. "James would kill to be the one to impregnate your egg." The words came out before he could stop them.

"THAT, will never happen," Brooke’s voice came out in a low growl.

"Sorry, I didn’t mean to say that. I’ll…I’ll shut up now," Peter muttered, looking for a rock to hide under.

Brooke took in a breath and let it slowly out as she regained her composure. "No, it’s okay, Peter. I’d just like to forget about that whole segment of my life but it keeps popping up from time to time." She drew comfort in the sympathetic patting of Sam’s hand on her thigh.

"But James doesn’t look anything like Sam," Eddie let go of a giggle. "Heck, I look more like Sam." The young man grinned as he looked over to Sam. "Besides, James is a loser. You wouldn’t want him to donate anything to a kid."

"You can say that again. Look, Eddie’s even got the blonde hair. Well, had the blonde hair," Peter smirked.

The words ignited a spark in Brooke’s mind. Pulling back to look at Sam, a dark eyebrow raised slowly on Brooke’s forehead. "Eddie, do me a favor."

"Sure," Eddie answered, adjusting the hat on his head. "What is it?"

"Stand up." Brooke nudged her wife, "Sam, Darlin’, stand next to him for me, please."

"What? We having some kind of contest to see who is the shortest here?" Sam asked as she got up and moved over next to Eddie. She watched as Brooke slowly stood up and walked around the pair. "Brooke, what are you…" Sam followed her wife’s eyes over to Eddie.

"Oh my God," Brooke finally whispered. "I thought it was just a fluke of the camera angle but Sam…you two are only about an inch or two apart in height."

"Well, that’s a real revelation," Sam muttered under her breath. "Is there anything else that you’d like us to know?"

"Eddie, take off your hat, please."

"Yeah, show everyone the great job I did," Peter grinned viciously. He watched as Eddie snarled at him like a predatory dog. "So I need more practice with the shears. It will grow in."

Brooke waited as he did so and studied him carefully. She came closer, touching Sam’s hair and smiling broadly. "You two have just about the same color of hair." She stooped down and peered into Sam’s face and eyes then moved over to Eddie. "Your eyes are a little brighter than his but your facial features are similar…very similar. Well, except for that broken nose look that Eddie has."

Spooked, Eddie quickly stepped away from Sam. "Hey, wait dude. I’m not being in a three way with you two." The color drained from his face. "Hey, you’re my idol and all for a drummer Brooke, but I can barely get it on with one chick let alone two hot babes." He smiled nervously at Sam, "Sorry."

Blue eyes focused on Sam. "No Eddie, we’re not conceiving our child the old-fashioned way."

"Huh?" The young man looked frantically over to Peter for help. "I’m not giving away any body parts," Eddie grabbed his crotch and sat down on the couch.

"Hold onto that thought, Eddie." Brooke grinned evilly at first then settled into a friendlier smile at her wife’s shocked look. "I mean…stay there for a moment, Eddie. We’ll be right back." Brooke took Sam’s hand in hers and headed toward the hall with her wife in tow. Glancing over her shoulder at the still confused man she called back to him, "This won’t take long."

Brooke stared into Sam’s face when they came to look at one another in the hallway. The corners of her mouth tugged upward into a subtle smile. "Sam, are you thinking what I’m thinking?"

Weary green eyes shifted back into the living room and settled on the fidgeting young man. "He’s…close enough." Her smile began to broaden, "We’d see what the outcome of looks would be." Suddenly the smile turned to a frown. "That is if he’ll donate the sperm."

"We won’t know that until we ask." Brooke studied her wife. "Baby, it’ll be alright. Come on." Their eyes met and the decision was made.

"Eddie, can we have a word with you?" Brooke’s eyes twinkled as she wrapped her arm around Sam’s shoulders.

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For the tenth time in under two minutes the sound of a creaking chair could be heard resounding through the silent waiting room. Stark faces with penetrating eyes glanced over their dog-eared magazines at the new arrival each time she tried to get comfortable.

Self-conscious to a degree, Brooke would feign an apologetic smile, then pick up a magazine, open it and try to look settled as she grumbled silently to herself. After a few seconds passed by, it started all over as the tall woman shifted her body into yet another position. First leg up, then leg down. The orchestration of body movements was more in tune with eclectic new wave then any composer of note as she showed signs of growing restlessness. Next, the sound of tapping could be heard as rhythmic fingers sent a percussion solo to the forefront of the symphony.

Lowering her magazine, Sam slowly looked over to the musician beside her. "Brooke," she whispered, trying to draw as little attention as possible. "It’s not that bad. I know that you’ve had the yearly exams before." She glanced at the women around her then centered her attention once more on her wife. "She’s just going to check a little more, this time."

Gazing to her left, Brooke released a long sigh as she shifted once again and started to nervously chew on her fingernails. "Yeah," Brooke whispered rather loudly back at her. "Well, I don’t like anybody checking that area but you now."

Sam smiled sweetly. She glanced around the room to see if anyone heard the comment as she slowly leaned over toward Brooke. "Shhhh!" Sam brought her finger to her mouth, speaking barely above a whisper, "I thought you weren’t into publicizing everything about yourself."

Blue eyes widened in surprise. "I can’t believe you’re that calm." Brooke looked away as she shifted once more in the chair causing it to creak.

The subtle upturn of Sam’s mouth came only a second before she leaned closer to whisper directly into Brooke’s ear. "Well, I don’t think she’s going to take my word for your exam. There are just some things that doctors need to do and see for themselves."

"Then maybe we could wait until you finish medical school." Brooke shot her quick thinking reply back in a rather loud whisper. The annoyed looks she was getting from the other occupants of the small room suddenly made her even more self-conscious than before. Her shyness was revealed in the pathetic look she gave Sam.

"Brooke, there’s nothing to be nervous about. Nothing at all," Sam thought for a moment. "Well, except that we’re about to change our whole lives." Sam stared straight ahead as she talked of what was to come. "We’re going to bring children into the world, be parents," Sam’s eyes widened as her color began to pale, "…love them, care for them, and be responsible for their every need until the day we die." She swallowed hard. "Brooke?"

"Yeah…?" Brooke’s voice sounded more like a scared child than the C.E.O. that she was, her color draining to a pasty white as well.

"If it makes you feel any better…" Sam hesitated for a few seconds as she worked up the courage to admit what she was feeling, "I’m nervous now, too." Instinctively their hands reached out to each other’s and held on tightly as each woman realized the responsibility that they were considering to undertake…for the rest of their lives.

"Gordon."

The sound of their name being called sent a distinct chill down both of them. First one, then the other slid their gaze to their spouse before looking over to the woman dressed in white.

"Gordon," the name was said a little louder this time and with authority as the Nurse glanced over the group and settled on the sickly looking pair by the door. "Gordon?" She asked in their direction and watched as two heads slowly nodded in unison. Not letting a smile break her rather stern face, she pointed a finger toward the blonde and beckoned her to follow. "You can come with me now."

Sam’s small hand gripped her wife’s hand even tighter and she leaned in toward Brooke. "That’s what she thinks. I don’t come with anybody but you."

The biggest smile ever came to Brooke’s face as she squared her shoulders and got up from the chair. "You coming…" she gave her wife’s hand a little nudge and winked down at her, "…with me, Sam?"

"Oh yeah!" Sam beamed back a smile. "With you…anywhere."

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Brooke sat in her chair a little more at ease now that the examination was over. It felt damn good to be back in her jeans after wearing the drafty paper gown which barely covered what it was intended to. Oh well, better get used to it. This is only the beginning. She looked over to Sam and studied the woman for a moment. Just think about having a family of your own…you, Sam, and all the little ones that come your way. It won’t be so bad if you just keep thinking about the goal. Brooke reached over and covered Sam’s hand with her own. God, she’s going to be such a wonderful mom. In a reflexive urge, she guided the smaller hand to her lips and kissed it gently.

Green eyes dazzled with the spontaneous show of affection. "I take it you’re feeling better now?"

"Yeah," Brooke sighed softly. She looked around the small office and then back to Sam. "I’m warmer too," she said with a chuckle.

"Come on, Brooke. It wasn’t that bad." Sam gave her hand a shake. "I had the same exam that you did."

"Yeah, but I bet that paper gown covered more of you than it did of me." Blue eyes quickly surveyed Sam’s smaller stature. "Besides, I think that nurse liked you better." A tinge of jealousy came to her voice. "I bet she made sure that the instruments were warmed before the doctor used them on you."

"And yours were what," Sam cocked her head to the side, "…out of the refrigerator?"

Brooke pondered that thought for a second, "Well, not exactly. But they weren’t warm, that’s for sure." A visible shiver ran down the woman’s back. "I don’t even want to think about it."

Sam held in a grin as she leaned in to brush her lips on Brooke’s cheek. "Maybe I’ll have to check you out for frostbite when we get home?" She whispered into her wife’s ear. "Or should I wait until I’m done with medical school?" Sam pulled away as she tweaked Brooke.

"Smart Ass," Brooke grumbled out as she let go of Sam’s hand to the sound of her wife’s soft laughter. She shifted in her chair until the sound of the door opening into the office drew her attention.

"Everybody dressed and ready for me in here?" The sound of playfulness filled the woman’s voice. She watched as the taller woman of the two cringed. "Ah, sorry. I guess I should change that to a different opening line for the office consultation part."

The woman in her late forties entered the room and closed the door behind her. She moved around the office with ease as she pulled the charts from the holder on the wall and carried them over to the desk. "Well, I see that you both made it through all my poking and prodding," she looked directly at Brooke and smiled.

Sam studied the doctor now that she could see more than a glimpse or two of the bobbing head at the other end of the exam table. She admired the short but professional looking coiffure the doctor sported, noting that the tinges of gray at the temples added to her knowledgeable image. The warm, friendly brown eyes that met hers assured Sam even more as they quickly turned to look at the charts.

"I’d like to thank you for treating us, Dr. Dennison. I’m glad that I found your name on the gay-friendly medical search engine," Sam spoke from her heart. "Not too many would have given us full consideration, being a lesbian couple."

"My philosophy is that anyone who chooses to bring a new life into this world knowing full well what the downfalls are, is a better prepared parent than most who can just do it the old fashioned way. It’s not up to me to say yea or nay as to whether you conceive or not. I leave that ultimate decision to God…" the ends of the gynecologist’s mouth edged upward into a smile, "and She can make things happen any way She wants to." Her smile now tempered the rest of the consultation. "Now let’s get down to the two of you."

In a well-rehearsed move she picked up the pair of bifocals hanging around her neck on a chain and placed them on her face. As soon as she was seated both charts were opened and she began looking over her notations. In an effortless manner, the gynecologist’s hand moved toward the silvery metal paperweight on her desk and absent-mindedly fingered it drawing Sam’s attention to the reality of what it was.

Great! A speculum, I wonder if… Sam looked over to her wife. Yeah, she knows what it is, too. She watched as Brooke crossed her legs and held her knees together in an unconscious move. My poor baby, Sam cleared her throat. "So, what are our options, Doctor Dennison? Can we conceive?"

Stopping her reading, the doctor looked at the pair over the top of her half glasses. "No." Dr. Dennison watched the shocked look come to the faces of the women before her. She waited only a second and then elaborated on the single word that she had uttered. "But one of you with the right donor could." The doctor looked from one woman to the other seeing the relief in their faces. "Sorry," she chuckled, "that was a little Gynie humor there." She waited for the nervous giggle from her patients before clearing her throat. "Okay, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of the whole conception," she smiled politely at her choice of words.

Not able to wait, Brooke blurted out what was on her mind, "Can Sam carry my child…our child?"

The outburst from the stoic woman brought a smile to the doctor’s face. "Ah, just what I like…a woman of few words," she chuckled.

"Doctor," Sam leaned forward in her chair, "We’d both like to be a part of this whole process. I was doing some research and we thought that…"

"I was going to go over all the different ways to bring a child into this world with you both, but I see that you have already looked into the matter. Maybe even made your minds up already, have you?" Dennison looked from one woman to the other, noting the subtle nod that each gave her.

"We have," Sam said assuredly. "We both want to be as real a mother as we possibly can to our children."

"Good, I like that."

"We want you to fertilize my egg and impregnate Sam with it." Brooke locked gazes with Sam for a moment then looked back to the woman across the desk from them. "We can do that, right? I mean…with your help."

The doctor held back a chuckle. "Well…I can help you bring the forces to create life together." She looked at the women and smiled. "I suppose you already have a donor in mind?" Dennison paused for only a second to take a breath, then offered, "You could use an anonymous donor, no strings attached. Of course, that would be frozen sperm," she grimaced slightly. "Although…fresh sperm would be a better choice. It would help increase your chances of a more viable embryo to implant."

"No," Brooke shifted to the edge of her seat. "We want the donor to be someone we know. Someone who resembles Sam, actually." She looked over and patted Sam’s hand. "We…ah…we already have someone in mind."

"Hmm…you do have this all worked out I see." Dennison turned to look directly at Sam. "So, you’ve already asked your brother?"

Sam shook her head slightly and gulped. "I don’t have any brothers, Doc." Her shoulders slumped with the disheartened look on the gynecologist’s face.

Hearing the admission of her wife and seeing her defeated posturing, Brooke bit at her lower lip.

"We do have a friend, though. He is similar in height with blonde hair and green eyes." Sam perked up slightly, "Brooke seems to think that at least." She glanced over to see the contemplative look on her wife’s face. "Don’t you, Hun?"

"Huh?" Blues eyes flickered between the doctor and Sam. "Yeah, they are…" she hesitated, choosing her words carefully, "quite similar in a few ways." Brooke shifted in her chair. "We were talking with him last night about possibly being our donor." Brooke took Sam’s hand into hers and gave it a squeeze. "That would work, right?" She took her eyes off of Sam and looked to the doctor for reassurance. "Close enough, right?"

The pair watched as the Doctor’s face took on a more pleased appearance. "That will work. But we’ll still have to put him through the same testing as any other. He’ll have to pass a few tests before he can qualify. She looked up to see their confused faces. "STD’s, motility…his count will have to be checked." She slowed her speech, then amended her intentions. "I meant his sperm, ladies. His sperm will have to be tested."

"Oh…right." Sam rolled her eyes. "I knew that," she muttered.

Brooke breathed a sigh of relief. "So what’s the next step? Where do we go from here?"

"The next step is to get you ovulating," Dennison looked directly at Brooke, "so we can harvest those eggs of yours."

"Harvest?" Brooke blinked in surprise.

"That’s what I said, harvest."

"Great," Brooke rolled her eyes and looked away, "I really feel like a farm crop now." She looked over to Sam and gave her a weak smile.

The doctor looked on quite amused before continuing with her explanation. "Once we have your eggs harvested, we’ll be ready for the introduction of the sperm." She smiled coyly seeing the weary look on Brooke’s face. "That will take place in a petri dish, Brooke. There will be no more pokes or prodding for you."

"See Brooke," Sam tried to ease her mate’s mind. "Your part of the whole process is over then. That’s where I come in."

"Yeah right," Brooke muttered out of the side of her mouth, her mind obviously thinking of something else. "How do you…uhm…ah…harvest my eggs?" Blue eyes stared at the doctor’s amused expression.

"Don’t tell her, Doc. She’ll want to back out," Sam whispered loud enough for Brooke to hear her.

"No, I won’t." Brooke squeezed Sam’s hand that she was holding onto, giving her a glare. "I promise." She turned back to Dr. Dennison as a worried eyebrow raised slowly on her forehead, "How?"

"You’ve heard of the lesbian’s best friend…the turkey baster." The doctor let go of a chuckle and then smiled reassuringly at Brooke. "You let me take care of getting those eggs, alright? I promise you it will be the last time I’ll be doing any poking." She closed the charts in front of her and sat back in her chair. "It won’t even hurt…" Dennison paused until the timing was right for the delivery of her next thought centering her gaze on Brooke, "that much."

The very audible gulp on Brooke’s part only caused the woman to chuckle more. "Go home, Brooke, rest and relax. Don’t think about it." She pushed her chair back from the desk. "Well, that is except for a few minutes every morning."

"What do I do then…meditate on it…project good vibes for the egg growth?"

"No," the doctor shook her head trying not to laugh. "You’ll need to take your temperature and to plot it out on a graph for me. We’ll need that to see when you start to ovulate."

"I was always good with graphs, Brooke. I can do that part of this," Sam volunteered.

"That’s not so bad," Brooke’s mood was beginning to lighten.

"I’ll be giving you some hormones to increase your fertility. That will give us the best shot at capturing enough eggs." She grabbed her prescription pad and scrawled out the order. "Here," she ripped the sheet off and held it out. "That should do you for a month or so.

"Pills?"

"Hormones, Brooke." Sam corrected her then looked over to the doctor. "Is there anything that I can do to help…besides make sure she takes them?" Green eyes glanced over to the pouting woman beside her.

"Just keep an eye on that graph. Here, I’ll give you a script for the BBT thermometer kit." She scribbled more on another sheet from the pad. "I’m not sure which manufacturer that your pharmacy will carry so just follow the instructions that come with it. They all have a plotting chart and recommendations of their own." Dennison ripped the sheet from the pad and handed it to Sam.

"Thanks, Doc." Sam looked it over as she waited for more instructions.

"When her basal body temperature is indicative of her impending ovulation, then you can call the office and let us know. We’ll get you in the next day for an ultrasound. I’ll want to capture those eggs at their prime and as many as we can. It may take you a few trips until we can time it right." She saw the contemplative look on Brooke’s face. "The hormones will really help us get a good crop," the doctor looked over to Brooke as she feigned a smile.

"Hormones," Brooke moaned under her breath again.

"She’ll be a little moodier than normal," Dennison directed her comment to Sam, then turned to look at the other woman. "It will only last until we harvest, Brooke. By your next cycle afterward, you won’t even remember the raging woman that you became. Although, she might," the doctor looked over to Sam.

"So, I’ll be a little moody," Brooke shrugged her shoulders. "Any other side effects I should watch out for?" She watched as a knowing grin came to the doctor’s face.

"I’ll let you tell me," the doctored grinned back at Brooke. "I’m not planting any seeds in your mind." She looked over to Sam and winked, "That’s my contribution to your sanity."

The expression on the doctor’s face started to worry Sam. "Is there anything that I can do to help with that?"

The contemplative look on the doctor’s face lasted only a few seconds before she cleared her throat and assumed her professional demur. Dennison stood up and moved toward the door to her office. "Be very supportive, Sam." She held her hand out to touch the woman’s shoulder sympathetically. "Just try to be…supportive and understanding."

"Hmmph!" Brooke stood up quickly and headed toward the door, "Thanks a lot, Doc." Brooke’s lip curled into a snarl. She grabbed the prescription out of her hand and shoved it into her pocket. "I’m in control. No little hormone thing is going to make me a raging maniac," she muttered under her breath as she stepped into the hallway.

"Now go and have a good time." Dennison stood at the doorway holding the door open. "What little time you have left alone," she muttered in a teasing manner as Sam passed by her.

"Thanks, Doc…" Sam wrinkled her nose as she looked over her shoulder at the woman, hesitating for a moment. "I think."

"Come on Sam, all this talk of harvesting has made me hungry." Brooke reached for Sam’s hand and gave it a tug. "Let’s go get some dinner, Darlin’."

Focusing now on her wife, Sam nodded in agreement. "I’m right with you, Brooke." She reached out and grabbed at the paper sticking out of Brooke’s back pocket. "Only first," Sam tugged it out and held it in her hands, "we get this filled." She then took the lead and pulled a rather sulky Brooke after her.

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Walking through the doors of the restaurant Sam’s heart became discouraged. "Brooke, they’re so crowded. We’ll never get a table without waiting. Maybe we should go somewhere else."

Brooke looked around for a moment then smiled. "No way, Darlin’," she turned to the podium off to the side and ushered Sam toward it.

"May I help you, madam?" The hostess turned a doubtful gaze in Brooke’s direction.

"Hello, I have a reservation under the name of Gordon." Brooke arched an eyebrow challenging the woman to defy it. "It was for three," she held up the appropriate number of fingers, wiggling them for the hostess to see, "at five thirty."

"Gordon," the hostess looked to her reservation book and studied it. "Gordon, yes." A rather fixed smile came to her face. "Your guest has already arrived and is waiting for you at the bar."

"Who are we meeting, C.C.?" Sam’s expression showed her puzzlement.

"Nope," Brooke glanced over only long enough to wink at her wife before turning her attention back to the hostess.

"Would you like to be seated at your table now or would you care to meet your guest for a drink at the bar?" The hostess readied herself to direct them.

A mischievous twinkle came to Brooke’s eye. "Bar?" She looked over to Sam. "We won’t be able to for a while after tonight."

Sam smiled her approval, "You’re right on that subject." She put her hand into Brooke’s and tugged at it. "So who are we meeting?"

"Follow me and you’ll find out." The hostess led the way over to the bar. "I believe you might know each other," she tapped the shoulder of the young blonde man at the bar.

"Hey!" Eddie turned slightly and slid off the stool. "Sam," he reached out and gave her a hug. "How’d everything go?"

"Fine," Sam answered back. "Brooke even survived," she gazed up to see her wife’s face changing colors with a blush. "Now all we need is the donor. Well, that and a few eggs from the harvest," she chuckled at the inside joke. Her mood turned serious as she brought her eyes to his. "Have you given it any more thought, Eddie?"

Waffling under the pressure, the young man shifted uneasily from one foot to the other, averting his gaze from hers. He turned toward the bar and nodded. "Yeah…" he drew out the word as he made eye contact with the bartender.

The two women held their breath feeling as though their world was coming to an end before it even had a chance to start. Their bodies came closer together and Brooke’s arm encircled Sam’s waist. Neither one wanting to hear the word no, they braced themselves for the worst.

"And…" Sam finally mustered out hesitantly watching as Eddie shrugged his shoulders and tapped his foot off the bar rail.

He held out making any indication of his answer until the bartender placed three glasses in front of him. With a sly smile he turned to view his friends. "I hope you don’t mind but I think this calls for a drink." He picked up a glass and placed it into each of their hands, then took one for himself.

Brooke looked into her glass and smiled seeing the tiny bubbles effervescing along the sides of the glass. "It must have been a pretty weighty decision, Eddie. This isn’t cheap beer."

"Champagne actually." He nodded, satisfied with his decision. "It was and well, I have something that I’d like to say." Eddie looked first to Sam, then Brooke. "I’d like to make a toast if that’s alright with the two of you?" He saw the spark of recognition in their eyes as they looked from one to the other.

"Okay Eddie," Sam said cautiously, "but what are we toasting?"

"Hey, I thought toasts were my department?" Brooke quipped teasingly.

"Shhh! Let him speak, Brooke." Sam hipped her wife mockingly.

"Please?" Eddie turned his gaze toward the taller woman. "Just this once, Brooke?" He watched as Brooke tentatively closed her eyes and bowed her head toward him. Eagerly Eddie held up his glass and motioned for them to do the same. He watched their expectant gazes as they looked to each other then two pairs of eyes settled on him.

Knowing that the time was right, Eddie took in a breath and started. "First of all, I’d like to say thank you." He turned to gaze into each of their eyes and smiled. "I’m very flattered and honored that you would even consider asking me for something so…so special." He looked down at his own drink in thought. "I have to say that I never expected to be a part of your families as you’ve made me feel this weekend." He smiled sweetly and blushed. "Both of your families…" he shrugged searching for the right words. "I don’t know…they made me feel like I belonged."

"You do Eddie," Sam reached out to the man and touched his arm, "and we’re glad that you know it."

"Thanks, Sam." He met her eyes and saw her concern. "That means a lot to me." He looked away and swallowed nervously, "Sooo…uhm…I’d like to say that I’ve given it a lot of thought and…" Eddie turned his gaze toward the couple before him, "I would be honored to help you conceive the child that the two of you want to have."

Brooke didn’t hear another word that the man said. The shock of his consent took her completely by surprise and she stood staring at Eddie as the emotions welled up inside her. It was nearly a full minute before the gentle rolling tear from her eyelash struck her cheek and brought her out of her speechless state.

"You’ll do it?" Blue eyes blinked back another tear as she strained to hear his answer.

"Yes," Eddie nodded, "but only if you let me be a part of the family." He looked at the couple and smiled. "I’d like to be…" he paused for a moment then sighed, "Uncle Eddie."

Sam released the breath that she was holding and looked up to the heavens. "Uncle Eddie…" she stole a glance at Brooke. "I think we might be able to arrange an Uncle Eddie in our family. What do you think, Brooke?"

"DEFINITELY," Brooke beamed taking her arm from around Sam’s waist and enveloping the small blonde man in a hug. "Thank you," she whispered into Eddie’s ear as she raised the man up on his toes in her embrace. The only acknowledgement that he had heard her was the warmth coming to his face as his color deepened with a blush.

Choked with emotions of her own, Sam waited patiently for Brooke to relinquish her hold on Eddie. Okay, at least we’ll know the donor. She thought about the adventure that they were embarking on. I’ll be having a family of my own…she let a euphoric smile come to her face. No…it will be our own. Sam felt giddy with the thought until a menacing idea grew out of the shadow of her mind. Like a giant question mark, it loomed over her. Sighing, she allowed the words to form on her lips in a soft mutter. The only question is how are you going to ruin this for us, Mother? Sam shook the thought from her head and stepped up to the place that Brooke had just vacated. "Thanks, Eddie. I’m glad that it’s you that will be helping us." Sam reciprocated his hug and added a soft kiss to his cheek before stepping back next to Brooke’s side.

"So, what do you say?" Eddie raised his glass up in toast fashion. "Here’s hoping for a successful fertilization."

"And harvest," Sam added, smiling over at her wife.

Brooke rolled her eyes and moaned, "You can stop with the farm humor any time, Sam."

Eddie looked from woman to woman. Neither gave him a clue. He then let his confused but questioning eyes settle on Sam. "I don’t get it?"

"Inside joke, Eddie." Sam smiled and turned her attention to Brooke before sipping at the glass. "Very inside joke." She watched as Brooke hung her head trying to hide the deepening shade of red.

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The events of last evening still weighed heavily on Samuel’s disposition even after a long day at the office. His usual tiredness at the end of the day seemed as though it was multiplied by three as he opened the door to his home. Looking around at the familiar objects, he snorted and muttered under his breath, "Nothing is the same any more. It can’t be."

"What’s that, Daddy?"

Samuel cleared his throat as he looked up to see a youthful face staring back at him. "Sarah," his eyes brightened, "How was your day, princess?"

"My day was good," she beamed. "But my weekend was even better."

"Huh?" Samuel cocked his head to the side as Sarah wrapped her arms around his middle. "What did I do to deserve this?" He teased her.

"Thanks Daddy, for letting me go over to Sam’s this weekend."

"You like being with your sister, don’t you?"

Sarah nodded readily, "Brooke’s family and friends aren’t bad either. Eddie was a blast to be with. He’s so…so…" she paused, looking for the right word to use.

"So friendly…so nice…" he began to tease his daughter, "so much older than you." He leaned back and looked Sarah in the eye. "I think you’d do better to keep friends who are more your own age, princess. At least for now."

"But Sam…"

"Your sister isn’t a teenager, Sarah. She’s an adult and living on her own." He gave his daughter a bear hug. "You’re…you’re my little girl and I’m not going to let you grow up any faster than you have to." The words reverberated in his ears, causing his thoughts to drift from the matter at hand. "Not like we had to," he said under his breath.

Her father’s hug seemed to calm Sarah into an easy compliance. "Okay, Daddy."

"That’s my girl," he smiled and kissed her forehead. "So…why don’t we celebrate your being a driver tonight and let you go get us some take out for dinner?"

"Really?" The excitement was evident in the teen’s voice. "By myself?"

Samuel nodded with a smile. "Yes, and you can even take my car. You drove it quite nicely last night on the way home. Thanks, Sarah, for doing that."

"I was worried about Mother."

"So was I," he said letting a serious expression come to his face. "Where is your Mother, by the way?" He looked into the living room and then into the hall, all of which were devoid of any signs of life.

"She’s upstairs. The best that I can figure is that she hasn’t come down all day." Sarah looked to her father with hopeful eyes. "You don’t think she’s sick or something, do you?"

"Hmm…" Samuel cleared his throat. "I...ah…I think she just needs some time to reflect on all the things taking place around her." He averted his eyes from Sarah’s gaze, half-afraid that she could see what his real concern might be.

"So…are you going to get dinner for us or what?" He reached into his pants pocket and then proceeded to dangle the car keys in front of her. "Last chance for takers," he teased, laughing when she reached out and grabbed them.

"Thanks, Daddy." Sarah flashed back a smile. "What will it be?"

The man pulled out his wallet and thought for a moment. "I think..." he looked over to his daughter as he handed her a twenty dollar bill. "I think I’m in the mood for…"

"Chinese?" Sarah beat him to the punch with her answer. She grinned when he nodded. "Wow, I’ll be driving all the way to the other side of town."

"Be careful, princess. I don’t ever want to lose you." Green eyes filled with love as he watched her reach for her coat and start out the door. "You’re the only one that I can honestly say I’ve known all of his or her life," his words trailed off as he watched her get into his car and pull out of the driveway. Samuel then turned and headed for the stairs.

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The worried furrows never left her brow as Elaine stared into the blackness of the silent room. Between the direction that her eldest daughter’s life was taking, the resurgence of things from her past, and the whopper of a headache that nagged at her all day, she didn’t know which one was causing her more pain.

"Elaine…"

She heard her husband’s voice as it filtered down the hall and through the bedroom door. Elaine pulled her body up from the reclined position and propped herself on the edge of the bed, ready for the assault that she knew was headed her way.

"Elaine…"

Samuel’s voice sounded clearer to her and she imagined him right outside of the door. The soft knock that came next told her she was right. The woman closed her eyes and readied herself for the pain.

"I’m coming in Elaine." Samuel turned the doorknob and pushed on the door. The dim light of the hallway shown in streaks around his figure as it rushed into the blackened room. After a moment of silence he could just barely make out the soft sound of her breathing. By the rhythm of it, he knew she was not asleep. Lifting his hand to the light switch on the wall he flicked it and the room was filled with what seemed to be the light of a thousand suns. There would be no shadow after today, for either one of them.

Elaine couldn’t remember the light to ever be as bright as it was now. She turned her head and squinted to protect her eyes.

"There’s no hiding now, Elaine. I want the truth and I won’t settle for less." Samuel’s voice had an edge to it as he tried to keep his emotions in check.

She looked up to see green eyes bearing down on her in anticipation. Her mouth was suddenly dry and she could feel her heart begin to race. She was losing her battle, not only with herself, but also with that of the world around her. With a single nod of her head, she resigned herself to the hands of fate. "Ask me anything," she gulped out, "I’ll tell you all that I know." She looked up, locked gazes with her husband and waited.

Samuel struggled at first over what he wanted to know and in what order he wanted it told to him. He didn’t move. He just stared at his wife until, on their own accord, the words tumbled out of his mouth. "You saw him, Elaine. You saw our son alive and you lied to me."

"I wasn’t supposed to see the baby. My father said it would be a sin if I did. The nurse didn’t think so. She’s the one who brought him to me." Helpless to do anything but sit there, she stared off into space.

"I suppose that she named our son also," came back the fiery retort.

"I knew that I shouldn’t…" she lifted her eyes to the ceiling and blinked back the tears. "I just wanted…I wanted so desperately to give him something to remember us by. Something that would tie him to us, even if we could never see him again." Lackluster eyes looked over to Samuel. "I loved you and I loved him. I loved the both of you more than anything I’d ever loved in this world. I didn’t know what to do. I just knew that we couldn’t take care of him the way he needed to be taken care of. Not at that point in our lives…" her words trailed off as her gaze went back to the floor.

Samuel felt the weight of the world resting on his shoulders as they slowly slumped. "I’m sorry, Elaine, for not being there. But you never told me. You never said a word about the pregnancy until years later. Even then you only told me that the baby was gone an hour or two afterward. What was I supposed to do then?"

"I never had the chance." She turned to look directly at him. "I was young, unwed and a disgrace to my parents. I didn’t know what to do or what to think. I hung onto the idea that this way…our child would at least have a better life than we could give him." The tears came readily now, rolling down her face. "I gave him the only thing that I could as a legacy. I gave him a name made out of both of ours."

"Why didn’t you tell me after we were married?"

"I lost contact when the professor resigned her post at the college and moved away. How could I have told you then and have you feel the loss too?" Elaine turned to look at the quiet man in the doorway. "I did the next best thing for all of us, Samuel…or at least I thought I did," she muttered under her breath. "We conceived Samantha on our honeymoon."

The stark reality of it all was settling into his mind. "You traded one child for another, didn’t you?" He closed his eyes to the pain. "Then you sent that one away from me also." He bit his lip trying to calm the fury in his soul. "Mark my words, woman. I’ve reclaimed one, I’ll reclaim the other."

"You can’t." Elaine’s words rushed out in desperation.

"I can’t?" The set of Samuel’s jaw proclaimed his certainty. "Watch me." He turned to leave the room, then reversed his position in a defiant maneuver. "You know something Elaine…I think the best thing that ever happened to this family is Sammi being a lesbian. Without her falling in love with Brooke, I may never have found my son." He cleared his throat and continued, "Family is what it’s all about Elaine and I intend to enjoy all of mine." He started to leave but then stopped and looked her right in the eye. "Oh, and Elaine…was that story of Eddie’s biological mother’s concern for him really yours or was it just a fairy tale of the professor’s?"

Dazed eyes stared back at him but no words came from Elaine’s mouth as she sat helpless on the bed.

"Thanks Elaine," Samuel felt the twitch in his cheek as he frowned. "That’s what I thought."

"I didn’t mean for all of this to happen, Samuel." She cast her gaze down to the rug beneath her feet.

"Well you’d better think about what you’re going to do about it now. I’m sure that after last night, someone will put it all together." He shook his head, "You know, the Gordons aren’t the kind of people who just fell off the turnip truck. Sooner or later, one of them will figure it out, so you’d better be ready. I’d hate for your daughters to find out from someone other than you that they have a brother."

"I should be ready? Why me? We’re both in this together."

"We were together the night Eddie was conceived and we were together last night when I first met him. Those are the only things I know about my son."

"What are we going to do?" Her voice sounded frail.

"You’ve always seemed to think for the both of us, Elaine. I’ll let you figure that one out all by yourself." Samuel took in a calming breath. "As for me…I’ll be the one getting acquainted with my son even if he doesn’t know I’m his father."

"But I…how can I…" Elaine’s mind was as jumbled as her speech.

"I don’t care, Elaine," he said as he walked away. "But I suggest that you hurry. I think Sarah already has a crush on her brother."

Frozen in shock, Elaine sat there breathless and vulnerable. After a long moment of contemplation, she turned her thoughts to a subject that was easier to deal with. "Hmph! Crushes are nothing. I can put a stop to that easily enough." Elaine lay back down on the bed and pulled the covers up around her. In a moment of self-righteousness she snickered, "Well, at least I don’t have a baby issue to deal with."

In an effort of comfort, she reached for her bible on the nightstand and held it close to her heart for a long moment. "It’s time to see what words of wisdom you can offer me," she mumbled out as she pushed herself up on one elbow and turned on the small table lamp. Holding the book in one hand, she allowed it to open of its own accord. Her other hand quickly pinpointed the message that she was to receive.

Her eyes glanced to the heading. "Galatians 6," she read the heading first then shifted her gaze to where her finger held its place. The words came out in a reverent whisper, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

The biblical words stopped her short. Suddenly Samuel’s declaration took on a new meaning. "Family is what it’s all about Elaine and I intend to enjoy all of mine."

She closed the book and placed it back on the nightstand before cuddling up to Samuel’s pillow. "Maybe you’re right, Samuel. Family is what it’s all about," Elaine whispered softly as she drifted off to sleep.

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Song Lyrics from this week's installment by Steve Brown.
Buh-Bye!!!!