“You could always bring Brooke with you. I’d love to meet her sometime.”

The urge to do just that started to take hold in Sam’s mind, then she thought about meeting her sister for the first time in four years. Fearing what Sarah’s reaction might be, Sam answered, “No, I’m not sure that would be the best time to spring Brooke on Sarah. I’d rather get a feel for what she’s thinking, first.”

Saddened by the reality of the matter, but delighted that her plan would be put into action, Sandy smiled. “Crystal said that she’d pick you up in the morning, right after her shift is done.”

The young blonde quickly reviewed her schedule for the weekend’s activities. “Oh, damn!”

“What’s wrong, Samantha?”

“I’m invited to dinner Sunday night at the Gordon’s. Can Crystal get me back for that?”

Searching her memory for a reason why not, Sandy finally answered, “I don’t think it would be a problem…”

“I’ll tell Brooke.” Sam had made her mind up. “Just have Crystal give me a call on my cell phone when she leaves work. That’ll give me enough time to get ready.”

“Okay, Dear,” Sandy smiled, “You have fun and I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye.”

“Thanks, Aunt Sandy. You’re the best.” Sam smiled as she thought of how supportive her aunt had been for her. “I love you. Bye.” Ending the call, she put the phone back into her pocket as she pushed off the piece of furniture that she had leaned against. Her aunt and cousin now seemed more like her family than her real ones were, always looking out for her in anyway that they could.

Sam made it as far as the elevator where she pushed the button and waited for the car to come for her. Now, how am I going to tell Brooke that I’m not going to be with her on Saturday and part of Sunday? I guess I’ll just have to think of something. God, I hope she understands. Sam patiently looked up at the displayed number locating the position of the car. “Well, at least I know that’s not her getting off on my floor.”

Done with her last class, C.C. had finally made it back to the dorm room, shut the door making sure to lock it, and then flopped down on her bed. “Sleep, I need just an hour of sleep,” she mumbled as she reached for the stray stuffed animal on her bed and curled up with it.

The sound of knocking came from the door, soft at first, then louder with each rapping routine. C.C. turned over to look at the time with one eyelid half-open. It wasn’t even ten minutes since she’d laid down and already she was being disturbed. “Okay…” she mumbled, thinking that it might be her roommate without her key, then the pounding got even louder. “Okay…alright.” C.C.’s voice was a little more forceful as she climbed off her bed and started toward the door. “Damn it Brooke,” the young woman unlocked the door and pulled it open. “I don’t know why we just don’t give you a k-ke…” C.C.’s eyes took in the view of her sister standing there, poised to knock again. “Ah…Hey, Randi.”

“Hey, baby Sis.” Randi studied C.C.’s face, seeing that she was shocked at her appearance. “Thought I’d finally stop in and see your new digs.” Randi craned her neck to see in the small opening of the door.

“Come on in. I hope you didn’t expect much.” The brunette pushed the door open for her sister to inspect the room. C.C. watched as her sister’s eyes started at one side of the room and then moved to the other, stopping short at the wall above Sam’s bed with the photo of Loran prominently displayed on it.

“So…” Randi slowly pulled her eyes off the almost life-size face of her sister. “Which one of these bunks is yours, C.C.?”

“Why?” The brunette looked cautiously at her sister. “You going to put itching powder in my sheets or something?” She watched Randi turn and give her the same look as her mother always did when she wanted to be taken seriously.

“And, why would I do that?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” C.C. looked innocent at first then became more serious as she looked her sister straight in the eye. “Maybe because you did it when I was younger…maybe?”

Randi cocked her head to one side as she shooed the younger woman away from the door so that she could enter the room. “You forget that I’m a mother too. I just like to watch out for people now.” The older woman walked in, turned around looking at both beds, then up to her sister. “Make sure you don’t disgrace the family by not making your bed.”

“How would that disgrace the family?” C.C.’s coy smile graced her face. “Speaking of disgrace, how is Brian anyway?”

Randi cleared her throat. “He’s good, actually. That’s part of the reason I stopped by. I’m meeting him for supper tonight and thought you might like to watch the kids for us.”

“Ah…you got a break in that case, huh?”

“Break?” Randi’s face went from deadly serious to one of elated. “Hell, I got them locked away tight.”

“Cool! That’s great, Randi.” C.C. was proud of her oldest sibling and it showed as she gave her a big hug. “Yeah, I’ll watch the kids. We’ll do videos or something. You lucked out, Sis. My Prof is out of town so I don’t have my class this evening.”

“Great, then we all come out winners. So, C.C. you never said,” Randi retracted from the hug. “Which one is your bunk?”

C.C. took the step toward her bunk, scooped up the stuffed animal that she’d been hugging and sat down on the bed. “This one. Why?”

“No reason, I just didn’t want to mess up anything of Sam’s.

“Nah, don’t worry about it. She doesn’t have much and I’m sure she won’t mind you being here.”

“God, you’re living Spartan-like in this tiny room. I bet you can almost hear each other think in your dreams.” Randi motioned for her sister to move down and she sat on the bed next to C.C.

C.C. smiled at the thought, “Pretty much.”

“Hear any good ones lately?” Randi leaned into C.C.’s shoulder and bumped it with her own.

“Good ones?” The young woman looked perplexed.

The lawyer rolled her eyes, “Forget it, C.C. It’s over your head.”

“Oh…dreams?” The light bulb finally came on for the brunette.

Randi smiled, wiggling her eyebrows. “Got any?”

“Mine…or Sam’s?” C.C. looked off to the side of her sister without turning toward her and grinned.

The older woman picked up a pillow from the bed and tossed it at her sister. “I know all about yours, you smart shit. How about Sam’s?”

“Why…” the younger woman looked strangely at her sister, “…you doing research on what young unattached women dream about these days?” She paused for a second, then C.C. looked off and started mumbling, “Well, if you must know…it was something about a kangaroo and a parrot eating tapioca pudding.”

The lawyer’s eyes roamed to the other side of the room as she tried to analyze what C.C. was saying. Her gaze stopped at the face of her sister, Brooke. “What the hell is that about?”

“What…” the brunette’s eyes followed the direction her sister was looking, “the photograph?” C.C. shrugged. “Sam’s an Anti-Zero fan, her and her cousin, Crystal, both. No biggie.”

“No,” she smacked C.C. on the leg, “the goddamn animals and the pudding?”

“Ouch!” The young woman rubbed her leg. “I don’t know. She mumbled something in her sleep about that.”

“Anti-Zero! That’s why Brooke did that for Sam’s birthday.” Randi’s eyes lit up as if she’d just found the missing piece of evidence in a complicated case.

“Yeah, no biggie.” C.C. leaned back on her bed. “She…ah…I asked her if she could have anything for her birthday, what would she want. She never got to see A-Z play so…” the woman shrugged, “Then I mentioned it to Brooke.”

Letting one eye squint shut, Randi looked at C.C. “Is she into anything else…drugs or anything?”

“Who, Sam?” C.C.’s voice cracked with surprise. “Nope, the girl won’t even take an aspirin tablet.”

Seeing the look of suspicion in her younger sibling’s eyes, Randi backed off. “Sorry, I’ve been a prosecutor too long. My mind just thinks like that all the time now.”

“Anything else you’d like to know?” C.C. teased her sister.

“Sam seeing anybody? Does she have any other friends?” Randi fired the questions like she was interrogating a witness on the stand.

“I…uh…” C.C. felt like she was just accused of murder. “I think she’s seeing someone.” The brunette sat up on the bed, more defiant then ever. “And yes, she has friends…me.”

“I just wondered. I mean…the family has kind of adopted her.” Randi looked at her sister. “Don’t give me that look.”

“What look?” C.C. rolled her eyes and stared back at her sister. “I just don’t understand what’s up with the interrogation. Sam’s a good kid.” The sound of the door flying open and quick footsteps drew the brunette’s attention as she watched Sam enter the room. Shocked, C.C. tried not to show it. “Hey, Roomie!”

Sam’s head turned to see the women on C.C.’s bed. “Oh, hi C.C., Randi. Sorry if I’m interrupting. I just need to freshen up and I’m on my way right back out again.”

“No problem, Sam. You’re not interrupting a thing,” Randi watched the woman.

“I’m leaving early tonight, C.C.” Sam grabbed a clean T-shirt and dashed into the bathroom.

“Okay, no problem.” C.C. yelled out as Sam reached for the doorknob. “My class was cancelled tonight, so I’m going over to watch Randi’s kids.”

Randi waited until the bathroom door closed then looked at C.C. “Is she always like that?”

“Like what?” C.C. looked wide-eyed and innocent.

“Ah…in and out like that.” The lawyer raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“Nah,” C.C. shook her head. “She just tells me so I won’t worry. She is my roommate, you know.”

Just then the bathroom door opened and Sam emerged from it, headed toward her bed and the overnight bag sitting next to it. “Hey, C.C. I’ll try to make it back for Sunday’s dinner. Don’t go missing me,” Sam threw a smile in the brunette’s direction. “If anything comes up, I’ve got my cell phone with me.”