“Hey, what are you doing?”

“Oh, hi C.C.,” Sam motioned with her head as she lowered her load to the bed. “What’s it look like?” She put her hands on her hips as she turned to look at her roommate. “I’m packing.”

The brunette took a step or two around the boxes, noticing the neatly labeled tags on each one. “Yeah, but why are you packing everything?”

“School policy, my dear.” Sam cocked her head at C.C. “Did you forget about moving out, only to move back in three weeks later when the new semester starts?” Sam paused, then added, ” Besides, I…I got my assignment this week. It looks like I may not be your Roomie after the Holidays.” Sam stole a glance to see what effect her words would have on C.C.

“WHAT?” The young woman’s voice raised an octave in surprise. C.C. looked at the stack of boxes and sat down on her bed, pouting.

“They, ah…I got sent…ah…C.C.,” Sam turned, picking up the manila envelope from the nightstand, then looked at it before handing it to C.C. “Cheer up, will you. It’s not like we won’t see each other.”

“But you won’t be here,” the brunette sighed. “I thought roomies were supposed to stick together?”

“True, but I think you won’t mind once you see where they sent me.” Sam pushed the envelope toward C.C.’s hand, making the logo in the upper left hand corner almost impossible for her to miss.

“HOLYSHITNOWAY!” The woman jumped up off the bed and grabbed the small blonde in a bear hug as Sam nodded.

“Can you believe that?” Sam smiled like there was no tomorrow.

“TOO COOL!” C.C. spun her Roomie around once then stopped to ask. “Does she know yet?”

The blonde slowly shook her head. “I…I haven’t told her yet. I thought it would make a nice Christmas present.”

C.C. turned around and sat down on her bed, and then she fell back into it. “OHMYGOD, she is going to be ECSTATIC!”

“Well, you know that she’s tried to get me to agree to her getting an apartment close to the dorm, right?”

“Uh, yeah. I knew about that.”

“Well, this way, I’ll be moving closer to her, down toward the beach.”

“Whoa, wait a minute.” C.C. sat and looked Sam in the eye. “Closer to her?”

“Well C.C., I can’t expect her to let me live with her. I mean…I am, but… just ’til after the Holidays. I’ll look for something…”

“You know she won’t go for that, right?” C.C. followed the blonde with her eyes as Sam started back over to her bed and the boxes waiting to be packed. “Sam, she is so gaga over you, she’s going to want you to stay with her.”

“Let’s just say that I don’t want to force her into anything she’s not ready for, okay?” Sam’s brow furrowed as she bit her lip trying to figure out why the brunette was giggling. “Besides, this next couple of weeks will tell us if we could even think of living together someday in the future. Who knows, maybe I won’t like how she butters her toast or leaves dirty towels on the floor.” Sam giggled. She knew that would never be enough to not want to live with Brooke. “Hey, maybe your next roomie will have some older brothers, huh?”

“Oh, so you are dumping me then. Damn women,” C.C. grinned. “You know, Sam, you think that you’re really that fickle to leave one sister and then go shacking up with another sister?” The brunette joked, “I don’t think so.” C.C.’s eyebrows wrinkled in thought. “Oh…did you say something about older brothers?” The brunette’s eyes opened wide. “Do you know who will be my next roommate?”

“Huh?” Sam thought back to her side of the conversation. “Now that’s the C.C. I’ve come to know and love.” She giggled, “No, I don’t know who they’ll give you for a roommate, C.C. I just thought it might be a possibility.”

“I know…” C.C. sighed as her face took on an impish look. “So, what can I do to help?”

“Nothing much, except to give me a hug and tell me that you’ll miss me when I’m gone.” Sam winked and held her arms out as she watched C.C. wipe a single tear from her eye.

“I will miss you, Sam. I liked all those late nights that I spent in the library while you were here with my sister.” C.C. embraced the blonde and choked out her words, “It won’t be the same without you.” She laughed, “My grades will probably drop, too.”

“Well, you won’t miss me for long. I’m still going to see you. I mean…I’m still a part of your sister’s life, aren’t I?” Sam gave her taller roomie a tight squeeze before releasing her.

“Brooke’s and mine, Sam. You’re part of our family now.”

The blonde closed her eyes and grinned from ear to ear. “Now, that’s the best thing of all. Stop it C.C., before you make me cry. You know how I get when I talk about being a part of a family. I never thought I’d ever be a part of anyone’s family when I came here, now look at me. I’ve got sisters galore.”

“Yeah, I know,” the brunette wiggled her eyebrows, then turned to look at the unpacked boxes. “Well, let’s finish getting you packed so you’re ready when Brooke gets here.”

“Thanks, C.C.” Sam started to gather the things from her nightstand when her gaze fell on the clock. “Damn, she should be here any minute. Could you go downstairs and stall her?” Green eyes pleaded unmercifully. “I promised her I’d be ready when she got here.”

“Sure. Consider it my last official duty as your roomie.” C.C. winked then headed for the door.

The sleek, black Sequoia drove up to the main entrance of the dorm and parked. Within seconds, a very spry looking woman got out of the vehicle and came bounding toward the door. She came up to the door with her hands braced, and easily pushed it open as she started to run through the lobby.

“Hey, hold up. Don’t you even say ‘Hi!’ to your own sister?” C.C. stepped forward, attempting to delay the woman.

Long, dark hair swung with momentum, as Brooke stopped her forward motion long enough to see who was calling out to her. “Hey, C.C. What’s up?”

“Nice truck, Sis,” the brunette motioned with her thumb to the truck right outside the door, then C.C. asked innocently, “Did it come with a hitch for the U-haul?”

Brooke looked at her sister, slightly puzzled. “U-haul? What U-Haul?”

The brunette sighed as she lifted her face towards the heavens and rolled her eyes. “Why would I not think she’s slow? Twenty years and I should know by now.” C.C. turned to look at her still confused older sister. “Never mind, Brooke, you’ll get it in due time.”

The older woman eyed her sister suspiciously, then looked around the lobby for any sign of Sam. “So, where’s my girl?”

“Ah…your girl?” C.C. teased her sister before motioning with her head. “She’s upstairs, finishing her packing.” The brunette reached out to grab her sister’s hand before she could go running off. “So, she’s moving in with you for the Holidays, huh?”

“Yes, she is.” Brooke nodded, her blue eyes filled with excitement. “I’ve taken the next few weeks off so I can spend it with her.”

“Whoa, hold those horses. You took time off of work? You must be serious here.” C.C. couldn’t believe her ears. “You mean there’s more to life than work?”

“Of course, I am. You know what I’m planning.” Brooke looked very seriously into C.C.’s eyes, “Yes, there is more to life than work. Sam…well, she’s…” the dark-haired woman looked around the lobby before settling back on her sister. “She’s everything to me. Besides, who knows if she’ll ever have this much time off again? I want to spend it with her.”

C.C. couldn’t help but smile at her sister’s excitement. “Then I take it you’re going to pop the question soon?”

Blue eyes began to twinkle and a smile engulfed Brooke’s face. “Yes, before the end of the break.”

C.C. rubbed her hands eagerly together. “Oh…scoop, scoop. When’re you gonna to do it?” She looked at her sister for a brief moment before her excitement carried her away. “Christmas, right? Is that what you’re getting her? Oh, how I love secrets.”

“I’m not telling. I want it to be a big surprise. I already have a few things in mind though.” Brooke teased her sister, then just as easily confided, “You’ll just have to wait and see.” Brooke started for the stairs but after a step or two, she turned back to C.C. “And no, that’s not her present.” Brooke thought for a moment then added, “Although, if she said yes, it would be mine.” She emphasized the words with a wiggle of her eyebrows before turning back toward the stairs.

“Well, if you need any help,” C.C. rubbed her hands together, “You know, I’m always around…”

Brooke shook her head, “Yeah, I know C.C., but this is something I need to do on my own.”

“I know, Sis, but I’m still here for you, any way that I can be.” C.C. waved to her sister. “Well, I have to get going. I’ve got lots of thing to do before Christmas.”

“Okay, I’ll see you soon, C.C. Merry Christmas.” Brooke called out as she headed for the stairs.

“Merry Christmas, Brooke.”

The woman turned halfway up the stairs to wave at her sister, as she muttered under her breath, “I hope so.”

Brooke wiped the small beads of perspiration from her forehead as she climbed into the driver’s seat of the truck. She glanced into the rearview mirror, then over to the self-absorbed blonde next to her. “Damn Darlin’, are you sure you didn’t pack some of C.C.’s things back there?”

There was a pause before Sam spoke. “Hon, did you get that last little box that I had by the desk?”

The dark-haired woman nodded as she put the key into the ignition and started the engine. “Yes, Darlin’, it’s back there,” she smiled as she motioned with her head, “…somewhere.”

“I keep thinking that I forgot something,” Sam wrinkled her brow even more, “…and no, I didn’t take anything of C.C.’s”