“I’m worn out,” Sam raised her head to look up at Brooke. “…how about you?”

Brooke dropped to her knees and then sat on the floor next to Sam. “I’ll admit it, I’m wiped.” The woman shook her head. “And to think, we were actually considering having one of our own?” The tall woman’s shoulders slumped, “Maybe not, Sam.”

“I was just thinking the same thing.” Sam leaned her head into Brooke’s shoulder, “Maybe we need to really think about it some more.”

The dark-haired woman left out a long sigh. “Better yet…how about we don’t think about it?”

Sam glanced up at her lover. “You serious about that?”

“I don’t know.” Brooke made a face, “What do you think about it? I keep thinking that this was one day. We’re talking about the rest of our lives.”

The blonde took in a deep breath and gave it a thought. “I…I think you’re right.” Sam left out a long sigh. “Maybe we’re just not cut out to be parents.”

“Maybe.” Brooke offered a weak smile and sighed.

“I’m okay with it if you are.” Sam patted Brooke’s hand, then rubbed it trying to soothe any hurt the woman was feeling. “We can always be great aunts.”

“That sounds like a good enough plan.”

“Okay,” green eyes looked up into blue. “Then we agree to not think about it for a long time…right?”

“Yeah,” Brooke nodded her head.

C.C. watched the two women in her life that she wanted nothing but happiness for, sink into the valley of a depression. The brunette whispered softly into Julie’s ear, then squatted down to the floor, letting Julie easily wiggle out of her arms.

Silently, the three year old moved across the hallway and climbed into Sam’s lap. “Sam?” Big brown eyes looked up to the blonde.

“Yeah, Munchkin?”

“I sweepy,” the tiny voice said, “Can I take a nap with you and da baby?”

Sam looked over to Brooke as she bit on her lip.

“Sam, da baby can be my new Teddy,” Julie continued to explain.

“What happened to your old teddy bear?” Sam asked softly, trying to understand.

“E dook a baf.”

“A bath…” she looked puzzled at the tyke. “Where? He wasn’t in the tub with you.”

“I pud him in da big square tub downstairs.”

From across the hallway, C.C. offered her expertise. “Ah…I think I can answer that one.”

“I do good londwy.” Julie proclaimed. “Teddy dake a baf.”

Sam sat upright now, looking intently at the child in her lap, “Jeez, don’t tell me you put that bear in with Aunt Brooke’s spread.”

Julie smiled radiantly and laughed out, “I wuv you, Sam.”

Sam closed her eyes and imagined the red teddy bear in the washer with the white comforter, then sank back against the wall, feeling a little nauseous.

Brooke glanced first at Sam and her niece, then over at C.C. Seeing her sister lean forward in a manner that suggested that the woman had something she wanted to ask, Brooke simply challenged her with, “Yes?”

Trying hard not to laugh, C.C. fought the smile that was tugging at her lips. “Ah…Brooke?” The brunette watched as two blue eyes raised to her brown. “Since when do you have pink spreads on your bed?” C.C. watched as her sister just slowly bounced her own head off the wall.

Brooke came back in from the driveway, closing the door behind her.

She stood looking in at the little family grouping on the couch. Warm feelings enveloped her and she couldn’t help but smile, although deep in her heart she felt a real sadness that it might never be hers to have. Crossing the room, she agilely stepped over the sleeping dog, ran her hand through Julie’s brown hair as she sat mesmerized by the T.V., then sat down on the couch next to Sam.

“So, C.C.’s not going to stick around for the pizza?” Sam asked softly.

“No, she said that she had had enough excitement for one day. Remind me to thank her for watching Julie so that we could get out of those wet clothes and take a shower before Randi comes.”

“Hmm…” Sam looked at the tot as she still clutched onto the teddy bear that was now slightly faded but at least clean. “Julie, can I get you something to drink?”

“Hey,” Brooke grabbed the blonde’s arm. “You’re not leaving me to suffer this purple beast by myself,” referring to the popular children’s programming that was on. “I’m almost praying for the commercials to start.”

“At least she’s quiet.” Sam looked down to Julie, “although…mesmerized is more like it.

“Hmm…” Brooke eyed the T.V. suspiciously. “Do you think they’re running subliminal programming? I swear… Barney must be the spawn of Satan. It’s like a mass cult.”

“I wonder why they picked purple for him?” Sam’s face took on a devilish appearance. “I wonder if he likes Kool-Aid,” the blonde winked at Brooke.

“Well, I could handle watching the Smurfs, even though Smurfette was a hussy.”

“Hussy?” Sam looked at Brooke strangely. “She was cute… the only woman, but cute.” Sam giggled, “Guess we knew her orientation.”

Brooke chuckled, “Who else was there?”

“Shh…” Sam laughed at Brooke’s observation, noticing the gentle rocking motion of Julie in time to the irritating music on the screen. Sam looked to see the older woman cringing.

Just then, Julie turned from the T.V. and asked, “Aunt Bwooke can you sing me that song next time I go potty?” She looked up and batted her big, brown eyes.

Stifling a snarl, Brooke mustered out a very definite, “Uh…we’ll see, maybe.”

Sam laughed as she watched the tyke go from asking the question to staring back at the screen, within seconds, with a nod of her head. “Well, at least we know she’s still in there.”

“God, think about it Sam, if we were to have kids, this is what we’d have to deal with.”

The young woman laughed, “Julie do you want some more juice?” Sam watched as the tiny head bobbed up and down. “Okay, I’ll get you a nice big glass of it.”

“Sam…” Brooke looked over to her lover, “That was mean.” Brooke hid her head in her hands, “Oh God, that means she’ll have to…”

“I know,” the blonde smiled cutely, then stuck out her tongue at the older woman.

“Hey you…”

“Yes?”

The dark-haired woman pulled Sam closer to her and whispered, “Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to stick out your tongue, unless you plan to use it?”

The feisty blonde wet her lips seductively and smiled, “Oh, but I do,” she winked, “…only later. I’m just getting it limbered up now.”

Brooke gazed in a trance-like state as Sam walked out of the room. Slowly, she was able to shake the images from her head and called out to the woman in the kitchen. “Don’t give her any grape. I’ve got white carpeting in this room and I want to keep it that way.”

The most dreaded time of any child’s programming was happening now, the commercials. Dreaded for the adults, that is. Turning her attention back to the small child viewing the show, Brooke either nodded unknowingly or shook her head out of sheer shock at what Julie was asking for.

“I need dat…Aunt Bwooke,” the tyke blurted out with every commercial that came on. “Me want…” she nodded her head expressing her desire with each new toy that was shown, whether she knew what it was or not.

In Brooke’s ancient mind, the child’s voice sounded almost like an antique stuck record, playing over and over again, the same piece of recorded verbiage and never moving on. I need dat…I need dat…I need dat…I need dat.

The dark-haired woman looked down at her watch. “Hmm…only five minutes and I think we’ve seen just about twenty commercials. That man who thought up these quick clips must have been a marketing genius,” she muttered under her breath as Sam walked back into the room.

The blonde took note of what was transpiring after only two or three different commercials. “Here you go Julie, a nice cup of water for you.” She looked over to Brooke and received a smile as she sat down next to the woman. “My mind would be mush by the time the kid hits three or four if I was listening to all that,” she pointed to the commercial and the behavior that it elicited. “How do parents do it?”

“I don’t know.” Brooke shook her head, “God, I have so much more respect for Mom and Dad now.”

Sam sank into the couch and leaned her head on Brooke’s shoulder. “You wonder why they need vitamins now.”

“That’s because the kids need them,” she smirked, “Then parents need them to keep up.” Brooke kissed the top of Sam’s head as she wrapped her arm around the woman’s shoulders.

“No, silly, I mean your mom and dad. What is that stuff they take?”

Sam paused as she gave Brooke’s thigh a playful slap.

“I don’t know? Why did you smack me?” Brooke poked out her lower lip.

“Sorry Hon, I guess I’m just a little overwhelmed at the prospects of parenthood.” Sam sighed, “Maybe even a little bummed at not having a family with you. It was kind of nice thinking about having kids with you.”

Brooke looked over at the woman next to her, “Sam…do you really want a baby?” She gazed lovingly into sad, green eyes and the answer was there for her to see. Each woman wanted to voice their thoughts but content to let the silent communication say what was in their hearts. The pull of their love was more than either could resist and before either knew it they were headed for a kiss.

“Aunt Bwooke…I need…” the little voice grew louder as the small hands started to pat on the older woman’s leg. “Aunt Bwooooooke…I need da go potty…NOW.”

Blue eyes shot open as she quickly dissolved the brief moment of bliss. Brooke turned to see her niece dancing and making faces as she patted at the jean covered leg.

“Me got da go.”