“Me scared…” there was the sound of a muffled whimper and then the melodic sound of the musician’s voice.

“Aunt Brooke is right here, Julie. You know I wouldn’t let anything hurt my little princess, right?”

There was the sound of a faint sniff, then a very hesitant voice confided her fears. “I…I no like dis bed, Aunt Brooke. Too small and da…and da…monphers will find me.”

“Monphers?” Sam listened as the puzzled voice realized the meaning of the muffled word, “Ah…monsters.”

“Da one udder my bed.”

Sam heard the whimper but wasn’t quite sure whom it came from. After a moment of thinking about it, she giggled to herself figuring that it had to be Brooke.

“Dey reach up with dair arms and gwab me.”

“No, Baby…” Brooke sighed, “I won’t let them get you. Do you want me to stay in here with you for awhile?”

“You won’t let dem gwab me, will you?”

“No, Baby, I won’t let them grab you. Now how about if we lay down and try to go back to sleep?”

“Me no sweep here.”

The sound of rustling material interspersed with a stray squeak from the mattress told Sam that Julie was letting her aunt know, in no uncertain terms, that it wasn’t going to happen, at least not in that room on this night. Sam considered the alternatives. There was much left to consider, but her mind knew what her tall lover would say next as the blonde pondered it in her own mind. Hmm…I wonder if there’ll be time for a shower…a nice, cold shower? Then she turned her attention back to the monitor.

“Okay, Julie. You don’t have to sleep in here.” Brooke paused, then mumbled just barely loud enough for the transmitter to pick up, “Sam is gonna kill me.” She took in a very audible breath, showing her own frustration. “Okay, Munchkin, let’s grab Teddy and your blanket.”

The tiny voice crackled over the receiver, “Where…” she sniffed, “…me gonna sweep?”

“Where do you wanna sleep, Sweetheart?” There was a long pause filled only by a whimper or two, then Brooke spoke once more. “You wanna sleep with me in the big bed?”

The sound of raspy intakes of air into tiny lungs could be heard, then there was the sound of Julie’s voice, “Wif Sam.”

“With Sam,” she could hear Brooke sigh loudly, “Me, too. Okay, let’s see if we can go sleep with Sam.”

Julie’s voice took on a new enthusiasm, “Wif Sam and my baby.”

Sam tugged the covers up around her as she heard the voices coming out of the monitor fade. The sound from the hallway was becoming clearer until in the dim candlelight, she could see Brooke’s head entering the doorway as she held Julie in her arms.

“Hi, Darlin’, we’ve got company.” Brooke squinted to make sure that her lover’s tempting form was covered before entering with the child.

“Hi, Julie.” Sam spoke softly so as not to scare the child. “Couldn’t you sleep?” The small blonde sat up slightly, clutching the covers to her chest.

Trying to think of something to do with the small child until her lover could put on some bedclothes, Brooke thought of the only thing that came to her mind, a long cold shower. “Come on, Julie, let’s go get a drink of nice cold water.”

“God, Brooke, don’t give her water.” Green eyes flashed with alarm.

Catching Sam’s drift, Brooke mouthed ‘No water,’ then looked around the room for some other source of distraction.

“Before you come to bed Julie, maybe you and Aunt Brooke could go wish on a star.” Sam motioned with her head toward the French doors leading onto the small deck.

“The star…?” Brooke’s furrowed her brow. “Oh, the star…come on, Julie. Let’s see if that baby star is out tonight and make a wish on it.” The tall woman walked over to the French doors and pulled back the sheer curtains covering them. “Okay Munchkin,” she spoke to the child in her arms, “Let’s see if we can find that baby star.”

Julie looked out of the panes of glass, studying the night sky. Small brown eyes flickered from one point of light to the next until without warning, her tiny hand shot up to point out her choice. “Dat one. Dere.” She smiled, clapping joyously, “Dat’s the lil’ girl star.”

“That one over there?” Brooke found herself amused by her niece’s concentration. “So that’s the little girl star. Where’s the little boy star, Julie?” Brooke looked over her shoulder to see Sam pulling on a long night shirt from out of Brooke’s drawer and found herself smiling as she watched the material slide over the woman’s body.

“Aunt Brooke, you listening?” The small hand placed on Brooke’s face got her attention. “We don’t want to wish on dat one. Me no telling you.”

The older woman laughed, “Okay, well then, how about the surprise star?” Brooke saw the confusion in the child’s face. “You know…when you don’t want to know what your baby is and want to be surprised? When you just want to have a healthy little baby?”

“But me wants girls.” Julie was insistent, “I wanna be just wike my mommy and aunts.” The child stuck out her lip in a pouting manner. “I just got brothers.”

“Okay, then, you’re going to wish on the little girl star for when you get big?” Brooke watched as little eyes lit up. “What about Aunt Terri’s baby?

The tot’s small finger pointed up to the same sparkling star, another little girl was her silent prediction as the smile crossed her face, the little hands clapping as they did before.

Brooke glanced over in the direction of the bed to see the soft glowing figure of the blonde walking toward her, letting the expression of love come to her face. In that moment of time, Julie’s finger had again taken the same direction and pointed out the lil’ girl star.

“What? Who’s that for, Julie?” Brooke spoke softly, asking her niece.

Small hands pulled the adult’s face closer and cupped around the woman’s ear as Julie whispered her secret to her aunt. “A girl for Sam’s baby, too.” Then she leaned back to see Brooke’s face.

“Oh,” the woman let the corners of her mouth turn upward as she looked at the tot who was slowly nodding her head in confirmation. She winked at her niece then called out to Sam, “Are you going to come wish on the baby star too, Sam?”

“Sure, what can it hurt?” Sam made her way over to the door, then wrapped her arm around Brooke’s waist, while she reached out and touched Julie’s nose with her finger. “Now, show me which one I need to wish on.”

Both relatives pointed up to the same star. Brooke watched Sam’s face, then leaned over to whisper in the blonde’s ear. “You’re having a girl,” she informed her lover, then pulled back to see the smile come to Sam’s face.

“Okay…I can deal with that.” Sam raised her arm and pointed in the same direction along with them as she stole a glance at the tall woman next to her. Like a well rehearsed scene from some yet to be written story, they both moved their hands closer together and turned their faces to look at the star as each made their own silent wish.

“I love you.” The softly whispered words from Brooke brought a smile to Sam’s face as they turned to wink at one another, then leaned in, placing a kiss on Julie’s cheeks.

The events of the last few minutes had finally tired the child out and sleep was coming around to her tiny body once more as she yawned, clapping her small hands together as her head started to lean against Brooke’s shoulder.

“Come on Sweetheart, let’s get you in bed.” Brooke slowly moved toward the bed, waiting for Sam to get in first.

“Me seepy, mommy.” Julie nuzzled into Brooke’s shoulder as the tall woman leaned down to hand off the child. Julie quickly moved into Sam’s hands as they wrapped around her small body.

“Shhh…you sleep now, Julie.” Sam cuddled the child next to her in the middle of the bed, then gently kissed her forehead.

Brooke stood there for a few seconds, drinking in the scene with a warm sensation washing over her, bringing a smile to her face as she looked to Sam for guidance.

“Wherever you’re comfortable, Love.” Sam motioned with her eyes for Brooke to come into the bed. “I’ve got her.”

The tall woman took one of her pillows and laid it next to Julie. Walking to the other side of the bed, Brooke crawled in behind the blonde, wrapping a strong arm around her, as she rested her head against Sam’s stomach.

Green eyes looked down to her lover as she whispered, “You listening to see if the wish took?”

The older woman reached up and brushed some hair away from Julie’s eyes. “Something like that.” Brooke grinned, “Julie said she wanted to sleep with you and her baby…you know, the one you were going to let her play with next year.”

“Hmmm…I thought so. Don’t worry Brooke, it’s there, just waiting.” Sam winked, then touched her lover’s hand with her own.

Brooke stretched along side of Sam’s body and nestled closer to her, “Wouldn’t it be great if you and I could have a baby together?”

“That one…and a few more even. What do you say?” Sam spoke softly.

Hope-filled blue eyes grew bigger realizing that they both wanted the same thing. “I say, when do we start.”

The blonde glanced over at the sleeping three year old in her arm, then smiled coyly as she whispered, “Not tonight, Dear…” Sam smiled at her lover adding, “…maybe tomorrow.”

The advent of daylight streaming in through the French doors caused the small brown eyes to flicker open as Julie roused from sleep. The night had seemed to pass quickly and the sleep had been undisturbed in the very large bed of her aunt’s. No monster had dared to come anywhere near the child with both Sam and Brooke guarding her as they slept.

The tot knelt in the bed and watched as the two slumbering forms continued in their dream world, each one touching the other physically in some small way as their bodies rested. Julie moved closer to Sam as she tried to lift the blonde’s eyelid to see if she was there. “Are you home, Sam?” The tiny voice whispered, then waited for a reply.