“Sam?”

“Yes, Brooke?” Sam glanced back to view her lover as she crawled out of the bed.

“I love you.”

Sam closed her eyes and let the warmth fill her, savoring it. “I know, Hon, I know.”

The tall woman moved closer to the blonde then knelt down before her, placing a kiss on Sam’s stomach.

“What’s that…?”

Blue eyes glanced up to Sam as she kissed the woman’s stomach once more, then spoke softly to where her lips still were. “And I love you, Chastity Loran.” Brooke stood up and gazed down into Sam’s eyes, “Wherever you are.”

“Ohs…want ohs,” the tiny voice kept saying over and over again as she jumped from one leg to the other, trying to look up to the cabinet above the counter where Sam was hurriedly attempting to get the coffee ready for her friend.

Brooke stood at the doorway to the kitchen and watched the scene unfold with a smile on her face. “Hey, Sweetie Pie, can I get the Cheerios for you?” She offered, then swiftly moved across the floor and scooped the tot up in her arms, placing her on a chair at the table. “You just sit there for a second and I’ll get the ohs,” Brooke laughed. “God, I could get used to this,” she said under her breath as she turned back toward the counter and Sam. “Thanks, Darlin’.” She kissed the blonde on the cheek, reaching for the box of cereal at the same time.

“Ohs…want my ohs,” the child demanded, not letting Brooke forget what she was doing. As the tall woman turned with the box in her hands, Julie stood up on her chair and clapped. She watched as her aunt opened another door, retrieving a bowl, then pulled open a drawer, securing a spoon, before she made her way to the table. “Me…me…me pour. Me big girl,” Julie insisted, “Mommy says so.”

Sam grabbed the carton of milk from the refrigerator, then delivered it to the table as she watched the excitement in the young child’s face over something so simple as breakfast.

After placing the box of cereal on the table, Brooke sat the bowl and spoon down in front of the tyke, then attempted to have the child seated. “Come on, Julie.”

The child sat down quickly, then moved the bowl out of her way as she reached for the box. “Ohs, ohs,” she lamented as she grasped the box with her tiny hands.

“Wow, will you look at that,” Brooke glanced over to Sam and the two woman locked eyes for only a second or two before the sound of a high pitched scream jolted their beings. Brooke’s eyes riveted back to the table to see Cheerios cascading down to the floor from the box that was laying on its side on the table. She looked at her niece and saw the wide-eyed little girl with her hands up to her mouth.

Julie reached out into the moving mob of circles and picked one up, offering it to her aunt. “Uh ohs,” the meek voice said as she batted her eyes and smiled.

The older woman just shook her head and started to smile, cursing herself for not having a camera at her disposal that very instant. She reached out and took the offered piece of cereal in her mouth, then kissed the tot on her head.

“I wuv you,” the child cooed.

“Aw…Julie, I love you, too.” Brooke said as she righted the box and scooped some of the cereal out of the overflowing mound in the small bowl. The crunching sound under her feet assured her that not all of the spilled ohs had stayed on the table.

“Me pour milk, Aunt Brooke?” The eager eyes waited for an answer.

“Ah…how about we let Sam pour the milk, okay?” Blue eyes shifted to the woman still holding onto the container of milk.

“Otay,” the child crossed her arms and stuck out her lower lip.

Seeing the trademark Gordon pout coming on, Sam decided to keep the child’s spirits up. “How about I give you a little glass of milk and you can pour that, okay Julie?”

The child thought for a moment then nodded her head, as a huge grin lit up her face. “Otay.”

Sam crossed the kitchen to the sink and took a small plastic cup from the drain board. Turning back to the table, she spotted the husky sticking his nose in through the doggie door. “Hey Mario, you want to help your mommy get the ohs off the floor?” Sam let the dog in and moved toward Brooke before she crossed back to the table. “Okay Julie, here you go.” She gave her the cup and filled it with milk. “You just needed something that you can wrap your hands around, that’s all.”

“Dank you, Sam.” The child smiled and then turned her attention back to her cereal.

Brooke stood up and kissed Sam’s cheek. “Thanks, Baby.”

“Don’t mention it.” Sam winked, looking up to the tall woman. “Even I get into trouble with my little hands.” Sam watched the mouthed words of ‘Oh yeah,’ come from her lover as the woman’s head nodded eagerly. The blonde then reached up, returning the kiss and whispered in Brooke’s ear, then moved off toward the counter.

“Really?” Brooke’s voiced cracked like that of a teenager starting puberty. She looked down to her hands, then turned and smiled naughtily.

“Doggie…Sam look at Mawio.”

There, slowly moving across the floor as he ate his way one Cheerio at a time, was the husky, lapping up the cereal and barking his ‘thank you.’

“Yes Julie, the doggie will eat your ohs that fell.” Sam turned toward the animal and praised him. “Good doggie.”

The closer the animal came to Julie, the more her giggles mounted into full out laughter.

“Julie, eat some more ohs and then you can play with the doggie,” Brooke promptly told her niece.

Sam turned to her lover with a smile of approval. “Coffee, Brooke?”

“Please, Darlin’, thank you.”

Sam turned to the counter. “Hey, Brooke, I can’t reach where you put the new can of coffee. Could you get it down for me? We’re almost out.”

Brooke stood up, walking over to the cabinet. She reached up, pulled down the new can and handed it to Sam. “Sorry, I’ll leave it on the counter next time.”

“You’d better or I won’t be able to surprise you with it in the morning.”

“Mmm…I love surprises.” Brooke grinned and wiggled her eyebrows.

“Doesn’t coffee go with dessert?” Sam teased, smiling at Brooke’s antics.

“I do believe it does.” The tall woman grinned and leaned in for a kiss. The sound of a dulled thud caught her attention. She turned to see the bowl rocking on the floor, milk and ohs spattering across the kitchen as Julie and Mario took off running through the house. The sound of a dog howling and a screeching baby chasing merrily after him resounded in her ears.

“Oh, shit…” Brooke saw the raised eyebrow that Sam was showing her and quickly changed her verbiage. “…er…shoot.” The tall woman buckled under the glaring eye of the blonde and cringed, “Sorry.”

Long legs and arms just didn’t seem to be enough to curtail the wild ramblings of the four-footed animal or the erratic maneuverings of a three year old. Even the addition of Sam’s mind and body didn’t seem to be enough until they pitted their wits together, trapping Julie and Mario in the living room. Now, all they had to do was wait for them to make a rush on one of the blocked doorways. Allowing the husky the good graces to flee the arm waving, screeching, laughter emitting child, Brooke guarded her doorway with her feet spread wide apart.

Seeing an opening for escape, Mario charged, jumping up and over the couch, and then scurrying towards the doorway. Four paws dug into the deep pile carpet as the dog pushed off quickly, running through his mistress’ legs, heading for the hallway and endless places to hide if given the chance.

Brooke watched as Julie tried to follow the dog’s path while cushions flew off the couch and throw pillows landed in places that they were never meant to be. Undaunted by the large obstacle, the child quickly spun around and jumped from the arm of the couch, hitting the carpet with feet that never stopped. Her momentum carried her in the direction of the doorway and toward her aunt before she could change her path. Within seconds, she was just in front of the tall woman, whose legs closed, gently trapping Julie in between them. Brooke then leaned over to pick up her niece.

“Gottcha.” Brooke hoisted her niece up into the air. “Where are you going?”

“Doggie…play.” Small hands were still clutching for a chance to latch onto the dog as the laughter continued.

“That’s why he’s running,” Brooke chuckled. “Julie, we can play with the doggie later.”

The child squinted and puffed up her cheeks, letting her mouth open and close like a fish.

“Oh, come on, Angel. Don’t make faces at your aunt.” Brooke watched as the tot took in a deep breath and the face seemed to grow more strained looking. “Hey Julie, how about we see what toys Mommy packed for you? How’s that?”

“No.” She shook her head and gritted her teeth as all of Julie’s muscles tightened.

“Do you want to play on the swing?” Brooke asked, wondering what the child wanted to do next as she pulled the child in against her body.

“Ah…Brooke.” Sam attempted to get the older woman’s attention. “I think that’s not the problem.” She looked at the raised eyebrow on the woman and knew that her mind was not on the obvious. “I…I think she has to go potty, Brooke.”

“Do you have to go potty, Julie?” Brooke looked down at the child in her arms.

“No…’cause I already did.” Big brown eyes looked up at Brooke. “Sorry, Aunt Brooke. I member next time.”

The tall woman sniffed once and then made a face, feeling the wetness slowly oozing down her shirt. She lowered her eyes as she pulled the baby from her body, holding her out at almost arms length. Brooke rolled her eyes when the sight of her soiled white shirt came into view.

“I wuv you.”

“I love you too, Julie.” Brooke assured the tot. “Come on, it’s okay. We’ll get you all cleaned up.” She caught the sight of Sam coming over to her as she turned around in the room with the child held out like some toxic waste contamination.

“You say it, you get it,” Sam whispered as she caught up to Brooke tugging at the soiled shirt. “Did you ever consider brown to be your color?” She moved back when the woman turned to offer the child to her. “Oh shi…ah…ah…” Sam laughed, shaking a finger at Brooke. “You thought I’d say it. Nope. No way, it’s all yours.”

The dark-haired woman shot a smile back at Sam, “Oh yeah? Well, I hope when you have a child she acts just like you.”

Sam stopped short and put her hands on her hips. “And why would you say that?”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged, “aren’t parents supposed to say that kind of stuff to their kids? I was just practicing.”

“Okay…practice all you want, but I’m still not changing that diaper…” Sam looked her lover over, then commented, “…or your shirt.”

“Okay, I’ll do it.” Brooke turned and headed toward the stairs only to hear the words come tumbling out of the blonde’s mouth before she could stop them.

“Damn right.” Green eyes grew wide as she quickly realized what she’d said. Biting back on her lip, she responded with a soft sounding, “Oops.”

After a quick clean up and diaper change, Brooke cautioned her niece. “Okay, now remember to tell Aunt Brooke or Sam when you have to go potty.”

The small innocent voice answered back as Julie lay there on the carpeted floor, looking up at her aunt. “Otay.”

“You’re still my lil’ JuJubee, aren’t you?” Brooke leaned over the child and lightly tickled her stomach.

“You make me laf,” Julie giggled out as she nodded her head to her pet name.

“Make you laugh, huh?” Blue eyes glistened at the challenge and soon the child’s stomach was the site of Brooke’s next attack as she blew noisy, wet raspberries on Julie’s skin. “Thherhhht,” then did it again and again.

“You…” Julie pointed her finger to Brooke as the woman’s head rose off of Julie’s belly. “You make me laf. Me dirsty.”

“You’re thirsty, huh JuJubee?” Brooke winked, then called out over her shoulder to Sam in the kitchen. “Hey, Sam.” She plopped another raspberry down on the child’s stomach and smiled. “What do we have for a thirsty lil’ JuJubee?” Brooke waited for a reply as she turned her attentions back to Julie. “I make you laugh, don’t I?”

The tot nodded. “You tickle…” Julie screeched out another round of laughter as her Aunt Brooke blew against the little belly once more, “…You tickle my belly. You make me happy.”

Brooke nuzzled into the child’s little neck, “Well, you make me happy, little bit…” she rocked back onto her haunches, “…you and Sam.”

“And you make me happy, both of you.” Sam walked into the living room and held out the juice box, offering it to the child, “Here you go, Sweetie. Now, drink up like a big girl.”