“We figured that C.C. would be too drunk to go home…” Sam added.

“Didn’t think she should drive back so…we…uhm…” Brooke kept the story going.

Sam nodded in agreement picking up where her tall counterpart left off, “We figured that between the two of us, we could watch out for her tonight.”

“Yeah,” Blue eyes got bigger as the story went further.

“You know, if she gets sick and all,” Sam added.

“Hold her head up and all that. You understand, right Mom?” Brooke waited eagerly to see if the story was bought.

Mable studied the two schemers, first looking to one, then the other. Slowly she started to nod her head, “Well, that sounds like a good plan.”

Brooke cast her eyes to the heavens and mouthed a quick ‘Thank you’ in Sam’s direction when her Mother’s back was to her. “Yeah, we kind of thought we might all be too trashed to drive, that’s why all three of us will be staying here.”

“You know, Brooke,” Mable looked over to her daughter. “Sometimes I actually think that you love that sister of yours.” The matriarch pinched her second oldest daughter’s cheek.

“Well, of course I do, Mom.” Brooke smirked then hugged her Mother. “She may be a pain in the ass but I am kind of fond of her.”

Mable slapped her daughter’s arm, “Watch those words, young lady. You’re fond of her now, and to think you used to smack her on the head.”

“Hey, I dumped her on her head,” Brooke corrected the statement only to get a finger pointed directly at her face.

“You know what I mean.” The stern look was one that Sam had never seen on the woman. Mable looked over to Sam and handed her the utensil that she had been using, “Here, I think you can handle this one,” the matriarch took a quick glance at her daughter and then back at Sam. “Don’t you?” With that, she left the kitchen leaving two very relieved women in her wake.

The dark-haired woman let go of a huge breath as she watched her mother turn the corner into the living room. “Oh, my God. I didn’t know she was in here with you.”

Sam laughed as she held the utensil that she was presented, like some prize.

“What’s so funny?”

“I think she likes you, Brooke.”

“Who? Mom?”

“Even if she picks on you, she only has your best interest at heart.”

“I do hope so,” Brooke raised a eyebrow at that thought, “She is my Mother.”

“So, do you think she knows about us?” Sam raised her own golden eyebrow in question.

“I don’t think so,” Brooke shook her head. “She’d have said something.”

“Yeah, she is pretty outspoken. I guess not.”

“Hmmm…” Brooke thought for a moment. “You know, I need to get some more ice out of the freezer in the basement,” she motioned with her head toward the stairs and winked at Sam, “You wanna help?”

“Those ice cubes are tricky to carry,” Sam headed toward the door, “you might need some extra hands.”

Brooke smiled, “Yep, big bags.” The woman held her hands out as far as they would stretch, making the need for another person all the more evident.

“Oh, definitely a two person operation if I ever saw one.” Sam looked around to make sure the coast was clear then took Brooke’s hand in her own. “It might even take us a little time to get them all under control,” Sam giggled. “After you, please,” Sam watched as Brooke led the way down the stairs and began to wonder just how many ice cubes would be left by the time they were ready to come back up.

As was the Gordon family tradition, the end of the meal brought with it a time of family gathering and acknowledgements. C.C.’s birthday was no different. Henry waited until everyone was finished before calling the room to order, causing the scattered conversations to quickly be drawn to an end.

“Settle down,” Henry stood in the center of the room, holding his hands up as he asked for quiet. “It’s the time of the evening that we are all waiting for.”

“HIC!”

All eyes in the room turned from their father to C.C. who sat slightly tilted to one side with a surprised look on her face.

Henry looked down on his youngest child and made a very audible clearing of his throat. “Now as I was about to say…” he cast an arched eyebrow back at C.C. before looking out at the group. “Brooke,” he looked to find the woman in the gathering of people. “Will you do us the honor?”

“Uh…Yeah,” the second oldest daughter got up from her chair and came to stand next to her father. “I guess I can do that.”

Henry nodded and lifting his own glass to the room he asked, “Does everyone have a drink in their hand?” He watched as everyone reached for their beverage of choice, then turned to watch Brooke place one cold, frosty mug of beer into Sam’s hand with a wink.

“Okay,” Brooke turned to the rest of the room. She was purposefully standing so C.C. could be in view. “I guess I’ll start then.”

“Ooooh, wait for me…” Mable ran into the room from the kitchen, and grabbing her drink off the end table, she raised it to her youngest daughter. “Okay, Brooke, I’m ready,” she smiled, then motioned her child to continue on.

The rest of the group watched as Brooke walked around to the back of C.C. seated in a folding chair and eyed the coffee table in the center of the room. The tall woman took a few steps in that direction then stopped, then turned back looking at the guest of honor, smiling devilishly.

C.C. followed her sister’s path and grew paler as Brooke neared the coffee table. “No…not that…I’ll be good. Honest I will, I’m an adult now.” The brunette got up to run but Brooke’s strong steady hand held her in the chair.

“I guess you didn’t hit her hard enough back when she was a kid,” Terri spoke up. “Hey, Brooke, doesn’t she get twenty-one this time around?”

Brooke turned, smiling to the room. “Don’t worry, C.C., I only use Mom’s coffee table.” She chuckled at the relieved look on her sister’s face, as did the rest of the room.

Brooke’s constant observation of Sam continued even as she was thrust into the center of the room’s attention. The mistress of ceremonies seemed very pleased when the young blonde positioned herself across the table nestled shoulder to shoulder with Brooke’s siblings.

When the room settled down once more, Brooke shook her head in disbelief as she began to speak. “Well, I never thought this day would come when the brat here,” she turned and bowed to C.C., “would turn twenty-one.”

“Yeah, you got that right,” Randi raised her glass, voicing her own opinion.

Smiling at Randi’s words, Brooke kept right on going, “All of the trouble she caused with her blunders made us all want to put her six feet under…”

C.C. stuck her tongue out at the idea and made sure that each of her siblings saw it.

“But here she stands before us today, her head’s starting to spin, she’s starting to sway…” Brooke continued watching C.C. as she began to do the very thing that Brooke had mentioned, reaching out to steady her sister back into her chair.

“Hey, you got that one right, Sis,” C.C. laughed, then winked at her sister.

Brooke laughed with her, continuing on, “Even though she’s such a pain in the ass, I’m glad we’ve all been here to see her years pass…” Brooke looked out to her other sisters standing on either side of Sam. “A baby no more, she’s finally grown and yet there’s only one toast she should know…”

“Jeez, Brooke,” Randi called out. “I’m going to be a grandmother soon if you don’t hurry.”

One dark eyebrow arched as Brooke looked over at Randi before gathering up two beers in her hands and giving them to C.C. who smiled, eyeing the alcohol to be consumed.

“Ah, gee Sis, for me?” C.C. accepted them eagerly.

Raising her own glass, Brooke finished the toast, “Remember as you reach and soar to new heights, Sam Adams forever,” she reached out and clinked the first of the beers she had handed C.C., ” but Molson for life.” After taking the time to clink the other, Brooke downed her beer as the room mimicked her in the last part of the toast.

“Sam Adams forever, but Molson for life,” the chorus of unsynchronized voices repeated before the clinking began.

The blonde stood dumbfounded by the events of the last few minutes. Her wide-eyed stare caused Terri a little concern as she turned to clink her glass with Sam’s.

“Come on Sam, drink up. We won’t tell anyone that you’re not legal.” Terri watched as Sam slowly nodded and started to sip at her mug of beer.

Brooke made her way over to Terri, clinking their glasses together, and taking a sip, “Damn, I hate it when Dad puts me on the spot to come up with something like that.”

“Glad it wasn’t me.” Terri motioned her head toward Sam, “I don’t think Sam was ready for that long of a toast, Brooke.”

Noticing the far off look in Sam’s green eyes, Brooke tried to get her attention, “You okay?”

Vacant looking eyes turned toward Brooke, “How…How did you know…” Sam searched the older woman’s face, “That toast…”

Shrugging, Brooke laughed, “What do you mean? I made it up.”

“When?” Sam smiled slightly, wondering if Brooke even knew what she had said.

“The whole thing?” Brooke asked watching Sam nod her head. “Just now. Well, except for the part at the end.”

“The end part? Where did that come from?” The blonde was intent on finding out.

“Sam Adams forever, but Molson for life? I’ve been saying that since my twenty-first birthday.”

“Hey, Sam, don’t believe her. She’s said that all her life,” Terri smirked. “At least that’s what it seems like.”

Brooke offered in passing, “Those were my two favorite beers.”

“Ah, Sis,” Randi corrected her, “You had those two as favorites before you were legal.”