14.

Sharon found herself deep in thought as she waited on line to order something for the trio to eat inside LAX. A flight had just arrived a little further down the terminal, so despite the restaurant's closing time quickly approaching, there were many people ahead of her. They had eaten an early dinner because of a last minute meeting Sharon was told she needed to attend, and that had been hours ago. Rusty had mentioned wanting a cheeseburger, so Sharon had offered to go get something for all of them so she could also stretch her legs. From her spot on line she could see Rusty and Andrea tucked into their chairs, Rusty with his laptop open on his lap and Andrea deep in the book she had started when they arrived at the airport. She smiled fondly to herself, thinking about how lovely of a sight it was seeing the two of them together like that and having them waiting for her to return to the seat between them.

When Andrea had invited Sharon and Rusty to Thanksgiving with her family, she hadn't even considered turning down the offer. With everything that had been happening at that moment with figuring out her relationship with Andy and dealing with her feelings for Andrea, there was still no hesitation, no questioning whether she should go or not. One of Sharon's favorite parts of the holiday season was spending time with her family, and Andrea was her family. They'd spent every Thanksgiving with each other since they met, or at least spent part of it together when something prevented them from being together the whole day. Like she had told Andrea, she hadn't considered they wouldn't be spending this one together. It wasn't until Andrea brought him up that Andy even crossed her mind, and even after that she had no intention of spending the holiday with him if that meant she would not be able to be with Andrea, who had asked her to join her on her trip to her hometown for the holiday the next morning.

She hadn't told Andy about her Thanksgiving plans while they were dating since they weren't a sure thing until they day before their relationship came to an end. Sharon was not sure how he would have taken it, and a part of her had felt guilty for making the decision without first talking about it to him. However, Sharon knew that there was nothing he could have said that would have made her want any less to be with Andrea and Rusty on Thanksgiving. There was no going back now to talk to him about it before making a decision that could have potentially affected both of them, and there was honestly no reason to think about it now, not after the way things turned out. She hadn't wanted to believe it, despite there being signs she'd been aware of, but their relationship had stopped holding the level of importance to her that she thought it should have long before they ended it. Andrea would have always came first in the end, and there was no way a relationship with another person would have worked out in the long run for her because of that.

When Andy did find out that she and Rusty were traveling with Andrea to spend the time with her family, it was not as her significant other, or even really as her friend. He had found out with the rest of the team when she vaguely shared that she would be in New York. Andy had asked if it was just her and Rusty going, and there'd been something in his tone that gave away what he was truly asking. He wanted to know if Andrea was going, and he was probably curious about what was going on between them now that Sharon was no longer seeing Andy. Andrea and Sharon had decided together to keep their lunches and non-professional meetups outside of her office for his benefit. Andrea, ever-considerate, didn't want it to appear as though they were flaunting their relationship or anything of the sort, especially not so soon after Sharon and Andy had split. Despite their decision to continue on without any sorts of labels, it was clear to them both that what they were now was different from what they had been before her relationship with Andy started, and they were sure it was becoming obvious to those around them as well.

Andy and Sharon had spoken very little to each other on a personal level since that night in the diner, and all of those conversations had been short and hurried. Andy didn't even look at her most days. When he did, there was a look in his eyes that made her heart ache for him. She'd always thought he wore his feelings out plainly on his face, but when he was hurting and looking as if he'd just lost something he loved dearly, there was a deep sadness that spilled out of him that she wished she knew how to get rid of. It was never her intention to cause him any pain, but she was reminded on a daily basis that she had. When he didn't look at her, Sharon found it hurt her more. To think that he couldn't even look at her these days when she was so used to him barely being able to keep his eyes off of her... He needed time, she reminded herself. He wanted to find a way to be her friend again. She just needed to let him get to that place at his own pace.

Shaking her head to clear away the thoughts of Andy, Sharon pulled her knitted cardigan around her and then crossed her arms and stepped up in the line. She didn't want to think about that anymore. The next few days held promise for a good time, and she was looking forward to the change of scenery. It had been eight years since Andrea brought Sharon with her to New York to meet some of her family the first time, four since her last visit, but Sharon still thought about it – them – from time to time. They were a large but welcoming group of people, and they had treated Sharon as though she was one of them from the moment she entered Andrea's childhood home. Sharon's own family was a lot smaller and scattered across the states, so while she was close to all of them and stayed in contact, that sense of togetherness that Andrea's family had did not exist in her own. Sharon loved that about Andrea's family. Sharon was quite sure she actually enjoyed the family gatherings Andrea had brought her to more than Andrea did herself.

Sharon's phone vibrated in the back pocket of her pants, a pair of comfortable and loose-fitting jeans. It was a text message notification from Andrea. Sharon glanced up and looked across to the other side of the terminal. Andrea was peeking over the edge of her book, watching her. Sharon's eyes dropped back down to her phone and she unlocked it and opened the text message.

You look so serious over there. Hurry back or I might have to get up and go over there and do something to bring a smile back to your face.

Sharon's lips automatically curved upward in response to the message. Before she could send a message of her own, another one from Andrea appeared on the screen.

Damn that's a beautiful sight.

Sharon softly laughed, and then covered her mouth with her hand as she looked around her to make sure she hadn't brought any unwanted attention to herself. Then, Sharon's eyes moved over to Andrea and her hand moved from in front of her face. Andrea was smiling at her, and Sharon felt unbelievably giddy from just that, just having Andrea smiling at her. Her stomach flipped, dipped, and somersaulted.

It was ridiculous, wasn't it, the affect Andrea had on her? To be so completely drawn to someone that it made her feel like she was falling in love with them for the first time every day – it felt too good to be true, like a dream, a wish she dared not actually make but received in the form of an incredible woman who cherished her and made her feel special and adored.

Long ago she had been convinced that she wouldn't have that in her life. After pouring so much of herself and her love and hopes into her marriage with Jack and losing all of it at the end, Sharon hadn't allowed herself to believe that there was a chance to feel the way she once had with Jackson again. The head over heels, butterflies in the stomach, deep in love feeling was for people who didn't know what it was like spending all night waiting for their husband to come home and having him finally stumble in just before the sun came up, smelling like booze and having no explanation for where he had been or why he'd missed family dinner the night before. She hadn't believed she would ever experience that intense, mind-jumbling kind of love that made you weak in the knees – not because she didn't think it was possible, but because she didn't think she would ever be able to trust another person enough to give them access to the parts of her that Jack had taken advantage of and left broken and bruised. She had built walls around her fragile parts and made herself stronger, but she had never thought there would be a day that she would willingly let anyone see what was behind those walls.

Sharon's phone vibrated in her hand again, and it took her a moment to realize she'd let her thoughts get away from her but she was still staring at Andrea.

I love you.

Sharon looked over to Andrea and mouthed, "I love you, too."

. . .

"Why are you not sleeping?"

Andrea looked up from her phone at the sound of Rusty's sleep-heavy voice. He was raised up and looking over the top of his seat, his hair matted down on one side and sticking up on the other. Andrea grinned a little at the sight of him and then glanced over to see if Sharon was still asleep beside her, the brunette's head on her shoulder, her hair cascading down over her face a little.

"I've never been able to sleep on airplanes," Andrea said with a slight one-shoulder shrug. "What about you? Why are you awake?"

Rusty pointed down the aisle. "Bathroom. But somebody had just gone in when I was about to get up, so I'm waiting."

Andrea nodded her head and carefully shifted in her seat, getting more comfortable but making sure not to disturb the sleeping woman leaning against her. Rusty was watching her with curiosity in his eyes, so Andrea raised her brow.

"She told me, you know, that she and Andy aren't dating anymore," Rusty said, glancing over to his mother and then looking at Andrea with a serious expression on his face. "She was worried about how I would take it. I don't know why. I know it always came across as a joke when I said it, but I thought she knew I was cool with the two of you being together."

Andrea acknowledged what he said with a hum in her throat, but she didn't say anything immediately. He sat there quietly, though, like he was comfortable in the silence and didn't necessarily need any type of response. When Andrea did speak, it was in a soft voice and with the hope that she was giving him the proper response to his comment.

"Perhaps what she was worried about was not our relationship but how the one she had with Andy might affect you. You know that providing you with as much stability as possible has always been important to Sharon. I imagine that any mother would be wary of introducing their children to a new romantic interest. I know it's not exactly the same since you and the lieutenant already knew each other, but–"

"Yeah, I get it," Rusty said with a shrug. Andrea offered him a small smile. "I just don't want her to think she needs to worry about stuff like that. Trust me, this is the most stable my life has ever been."

Andrea forced her smile not to falter when she thought about his past. He was always so resigned when he spoke about his life before Sharon, and while she figured it helped him move forward, she sometimes had a harder time brushing over the bad parenting and neglect he had had to endure. Instead of focusing on that, she chose to respond to the other part of what he said, knowing Rusty actually preferred not talking about the past even if he would bring it up from time to time.

"Sharon? Not worry about one of her children? Have you actually met her?" she said, and it earned her a knowing smirk that eased her own worried mind.

He snorted. "Yeah. I guess you've got a point. And I guess it's not that bad, you know." Rusty brushed his hands through his hair and made a mess of it before he combed it down with his fingers.

Andrea looked at him thoughtfully. "I know Sharon's already spoken to you about us, but I want you to know that if you had any questions or concerns that you might not have spoken to her about, you can talk to me."

"Yeah, I know that," he said so simply, like she should already know that Rusty knew he could go to her just like he could Sharon. "There's not really anything to talk about, is there? You've practically been together longer than I've known the two of you. I may not get what's taken you so long to make it official, but, if you're looking for me to be okay with it, I've always been."

Andrea smiled warmly at him. "That means a lot to me, and I'm sure even more to Sharon."

Two hours and a long walk down the terminal later, they found themselves exiting the airport and stepping out into the morning New York City air. To avoid the rush and chaos at the arrivals level, David had told Andrea to meet him upstairs at departures instead. He was just pulling up to the curb as they walked through the doors with their luggage, so Andrea hung up the phone and pointed her brother's SUV out to Rusty and Sharon while waving him down. His horn blew and Andrea could see the wide smile growing on his face through the window. She gave him a much smaller one, but it held the same joy that his did as she guided the other two to the automobile that David was stepping out of.

"Andrea," her brother greeted as he simultaneously opened the liftgate and tried pulling her into a bear hug. It would be the first hug of many, she knew, and she ought to get used to the constant hugging her family was best at before she was surrounded by people who hadn't seen her in years.

"Not so tight," she did complain, however, releasing the handle of her small rolling bag to hug him back. "I'd like to keep all my bones in their proper places if you don't mind."

David released her and ruffled her hair, which she responded to by punching his shoulder. They grinned at each other, years older but still very much the same brother and sister that had caused hell together growing up instead of being at each other's throats all the time.

"Damn I've missed you. Learn to pick up a phone from time to time, why don't you." He turned to Rusty and Sharon, and then Sharon was pulled into an equally tight hug. "And look at you, looking better than ever. It's been a while. We've missed you around here."

Andrea smiled as she watched them embrace. It was all genuine love and emotion that washed over Sharon's face as she returned David's sentiments. It hadn't surprised her that Sharon got along so wonderfully with her family, but it still amazed her how much she looked like she belonged when she was with them. They had accepted Sharon in a way they had never accepted anyone else Andrea had brought home for them to meet – the two or three times she had actually done so – and it warmed her heart. Sharon was a woman Andrea had loved beyond words for years, and it pleased her immensely whenever someone else saw how incredible of a person she was and wanted to be around her.

"And who have we here?" David asked when their hug ended, his crinkled smile not leaving his face.

"Oh," Sharon said, putting a light hand on Rusty's arm, who had just closed the liftgate after putting in their last bag. "That's right, you haven't met him yet. Rusty, this is David, Andrea's brother. David, this is my son."

"Hey," Rusty said, waving a bit awkwardly, sticking by Sharon's side as he eyed the unfamiliar man as though trying to figure out already if he liked him or not.

Andrea grinned a little and walked over behind the two she had traveled with, giving both of them shoulder squeezes. "David's a photojournalist and human rights activist," she said to Rusty. "He's the one who sent me all the information I passed on to you for the report you were working on earlier in the semester."

Rusty's wary, judging eyes softened to something more curious as he starting questioning David on his opinions on current events and the four of them piled into the car. Sharon bumped her shoulder and smiled at her softly before she got in and whispered a soft thanks, most likely having picked up on Rusty's slight discomfort even before Andrea had swooped in and found a way for Rusty to connect with her brother. Andrea simply shrugged and shut Sharon's door for her and took the front seat next to David.

Andrea always wished that she enjoyed these visits to her old home more than she did. It wasn't that she didn't miss her family, or that she didn't love getting to spend time with them after being away for such long periods of times. It was the house itself that she didn't enjoy going back to, the town that she had grown up in and had so many memories of. Entering Nassau County and driving down familiar streets, passing stores that had been around for as long as she had and newer ones that had replaced the ones from her memories, she couldn't stop thinking about her mother and their time together. She never expected that decades would pass and she'd still ache from the loss of her the same way she had when it was fresh and new and she was only a young teenager. But she did, and as much as she could enjoy being surrounded by her family again, it never hurt her any less returning and being faced with memories of a mother who had been taken away from her at too young of an age.

They were passing a Dunkin' Donuts when Andrea interrupted the conversation that had been no more than white noise to her as she recalled long drives with her mother when she was about seven years old when they used to drive around until her baby brother would stop crying and tire himself out until he was sleeping. Her memories came and went sometimes, but she could still vividly remember the tired look in her mother's eyes even as she tried telling soothing stories to calm down the baby with the healthiest pair of lungs Andrea had ever known. That was how she remembered her mother, kind and loving and always one to put the needs of Andrea and her siblings before her own.

"You think we could stop somewhere and get some coffee before we get to the house?" Andrea asked. "I'm beyond exhausted."

David eyed her knowingly and switched lanes to make a U-turn. "You got it, little sis."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head, gazing out of the window once again. They weren't even a full year apart, only eleven months separating their births. It used to annoy her like nothing else when she was a kid, and he had always known that but continued reminding her all the time that he was the oldest. She always brought home better grades than he did, so she would make sure he always knew that while he may have been older, there was no questioning which of the two of them was the smarter one. Now it just made her roll her eyes at him, both of them in their forties and accomplished with lives that made them happy.

Andrea glanced back behind her to the two people who were a big part of what made her happy and gave them both a smile which was returned just as quickly. "Coffee?"

"Oh yeah," Rusty said, sounding very much like the permanently sleep-deprived college student he had become.

"Sharon?"

Sharon nodded and said, as David parked the car. "I'll go in with you. David would you like something?"

He lifted up a traveler's mug and shook the empty cup. "Had some on the way. I'm good. Not all of us can guzzle it down like my sister can."

"I can't even do it. Sharon has been slowly trying to lower my coffee intake."

"I have not," Sharon said, sounding affronted and guilty all at once.

"Sure you haven't. My coffee has a way of disappearing if I put it down and leave it unattended for even a moment lately."

"You really do drink too much of it. All that caffeine isn't good for you," David said. Andrea turned and glared at him, but he only shrugged his shoulders. "Susan had me on a liquid diet for a whole month. Your woman's worried about your health, welcome to the club."

Andrea rolled her eyes, not bothering to comment on David's way of labeling Sharon. Her family had automatically assumed she was dating Sharon when she brought her home to meet them years ago, and none of them had stopped referring to Sharon as Andrea's partner since then. She had a family who accepted her for who she was and was extremely grateful for it after spending years worrying about how they would take her coming out to them. So, she allowed the titling that she knew was their way of teasing her about how obvious she was about how she felt about Sharon. And Sharon had never been bothered by it, had accepted it before Andrea did herself.

"Exactly. I'm just worrying about your health," Sharon said with an audible smirk as she rubbed her hand down Andrea's arm.

Andrea stubbornly tried to at least pretend she was upset, but she was a virtual puddle of happiness and love and extreme positive emotions because of Sharon, and there was no hiding it. Instead, Andrea felt her body sag and her lips spreading into a pleased smile as Sharon leaned forward and kissed her cheek.

. . .

Sharon knocked softly on the bedroom door before peeking her head in. It was hours after they had arrived and got settled in. Andrea propped her head up from the bed and then waved her in while rolling over onto her side. "How are you feeling?" Sharon asked as she entered Andrea's bedroom and quietly shut the door behind her, blocking out the sound of the loud voices floating up from downstairs. After noticing that Andrea was nowhere to be found on the lower level of the house, Sharon had excused herself from the kitchen to go find her. Matthew, one of David's sons, had pointed her towards the stairs and informed her that she would be able to find Andrea in her old bedroom.

Andrea yawned widely and then turned her head into the pillow, mumbling, "Sleepy, very, very sleepy. I'm having a hard time falling asleep, though."

Sharon hummed and walked over to the full sized bed. The room had been transformed into a guest room, but it still held a lot of the belongings Andrea left behind when she moved out. Showcased on the built-in shelving unit there were trophies and ribbons that Sharon had heard all the stories behind during past visits – most of them from track and field and the debate team she was a part of in high school. Below that top shelf were books, books upon books, neatly organized, unlike the piles of books that could be found around Andrea's current home. Sharon's eyes slid across the room briefly before she brought her attention back to the reason she had left the kitchen in the first place.

"Slide over and make some room for me," Sharon said as she gently nudged Andrea's shoulder. "Let me keep you company until you fall asleep."

Andrea shuffled to the other side of the bed and made room for Sharon behind her. Sharon lifted the comforter up and slid underneath, laying on her side and sinking into the warmth that spilled from Andrea's curled up body. She pressed a kiss to the top of her head and wrapped an around Andrea's middle, bringing their bodies as close to each other as they could be, holding Andrea against her.

"How's that?" she whispered.

"Mmm. Nice." Andrea wiggled her fingers beneath Sharon's, and smiling, Sharon laced their fingers together and sighed contently along with her sleepy bedmate. "I'm sorry for leaving you down there with all of them. They're my family, and I just disappeared without saying anything."

Sharon shook her head, brushing off Andrea's apology. "You didn't get any sleep on the plane, and we had an early start to our day yesterday. I'm surprised you didn't fall asleep as soon as you laid down," Sharon said with a soft laugh. "Besides, I was having a good time with your sister and sister-in-laws in the kitchen."

"As long as you're enjoying yourself," Andrea said, squeezing Sharon's hand. "And I'm sure they're happy to have a more willing person to help them prepare dinner. Joseph's the only husband that even steps foot into the kitchen during the holidays while we're cooking, and I usually rather hang out with my nieces and nephews and catch up with them. Don't tell Laurel, but she sucks all the fun out of cooking with her exact measurements and order and... It's more like working in a science lab than a kitchen when she tries to take charge, so I rather not join in most of the time."

Sharon nodded in understanding. As much as Andrea loved cooking, Sharon knew that it was something she did to wind down. Cooking with Laurel could be stressful for someone like Andrea. Sharon didn't mind the structure, the scheduling and list-making with precise numbers and detailed instructions – those were things Sharon loved as well. She also enjoyed when she and Andrea took recipes and used them as bases for better creations than what they would have made if they followed the recipe word for word. Cooking with Andrea was more about the pleasure of enjoying the moment and, Sharon figured, for Andrea, making a bit of a mess in the process. It was Andrea who reminded Sharon that sometimes it was all right to forget about order, and it was usually with Andrea that Sharon actually did.

After a moment of silence, in a soft tone, Sharon said, "I've been thinking." Andrea raised her brow and made the lines grooved into her skin deepen. Sharon shifted and brought her left hand to Andrea's forehead. As she spoke, her fingertips rubbed Andrea's skin with long strokes that made the blonde groan, sounding awfully satisfied. "How would you like to spend Saturday in the city, away from here? Hmm? Central Park, a little sightseeing since it's Rusty's first visit here, maybe some shopping, and then we can have dinner wherever the two of you want to go."

Andrea turned her head and opened her eyes and searched Sharon's for something without saying a word. Sharon only looked back with an open expression and a gentle smile. A few seconds of silence went by, and then Andrea nodded her head and tilted it back as her gaze fell to Sharon's lips. Sharon swept her tongue across them, and Andrea took it as an invitation to reacquaint herself with the curve of Sharon's lower lip. Her lips were as gentle as ever, and Sharon smiled into the kiss with unadulterated joy.

These kisses were becoming more and more frequent, and Sharon happily accepted each and every one of them. Every time Andrea pulled her closer or held her lips against Sharon's, Sharon could feel the simple desire Andrea had to be nearer, to be connected to her in every way possible. Now that Sharon knew how strongly Andrea wanted her, Sharon found herself wondering how they had gone so long without sharing how they truly felt about each other. Andrea poured so much love into every intimate touch they shared, and Sharon wished that she had known sooner that Andrea wanted more out of their relationship than Sharon had been giving her before. She wished that they hadn't wasted so much time – "We didn't waste any time," Andrea had said when Sharon told her that very thing a week ago. "We may have not been upfront about everything we were feeling, but we always knew we were loved by the other. These last year's with you have been the happiest of my life, so none of it has been wasted."

Andrea separated their lips and hummed throatily. "That sounds perfect," she said, flicking her eyes back up to Sharon's, dazzling blue glittering as Andrea reached around her and caressed Sharon's face. "I'd like to make one change to that plan, though."

"Something specific you want to do?"

Sharon was open to adjustments in her loose plans. It was mostly for Andrea that she wanted to get out of the house with just Rusty for a day. She knew Andrea would appreciate it, was well aware of the reasons why Andrea didn't like flying back home. Andrea had taken it the hardest of her siblings when their mother passed, and being in the house reminded her of both the good times she had growing up with her mother and the bad she had afterwards.

"Yes, but I'll tell you about it at another time," Andrea said, hiding a large yawn behind her hand.

Sharon pressed a kiss to the top of Andrea's head and whispered, "Okay. After your nap we can talk more about it."

"I'll sleep after you give me another one of those kisses," Andrea told her with a raised eyebrow and a twinkle in her eyes that made Sharon laugh before bringing her mouth to Andrea's.

When she kissed her next, ardent and with more energy than Sharon thought Andrea had, Sharon had to physically put some space between them before the balloon of heat blowing up inside of her burst and she couldn't get control of the arousal claiming her body. Andrea chased after her mouth and captured her lip between her teeth and groaned while she nibbled, and that was it, that was absolutely all Sharon could handle. Andrea making noises when they kissed undid Sharon quite quickly, and in the middle of the morning with Andrea's family right downstairs was not the time for Sharon to be sinking into the tempting desire Andrea so proudly made her feel.

Andrea was all knowing eyes and a wicked grin when Sharon pulled back with her breath heavy and her lips tingling. Sharon's cheeks felt warm, and so she ducked her head down into the crook of Andrea's neck and buried her face there. Andrea ran her hand down Sharon's thigh underneath the comforter and pulled Sharon's leg to hook over Andrea's. And Sharon sighed hotly against Andrea's skin before kissing her neck and shutting her eyes, wanting nothing more than to enjoy the scent of Andrea's skin and the inviting warmth that wrapped around their bodies.

"Thank you," Andrea whispered sleepily.

Sharon wasn't sure what she was thanking her for, but she pressed another kiss to Andrea's neck and held her tight until the younger woman was sleeping peacefully in her arms.

Later, after untangling herself from Andrea and traveling back downstairs, Sharon sat watching Andrea's nine nieces and nephews and her own son as they took up the living room. The men, who had been parked in front of the TV before the kids took over the space, grumbled as they left the house and crossed the street to Laurel's house. Avraham caught her eye and nodded for her to join them – they had bonded over football during her first visit, and ever since he had had a soft spot for her – but Sharon silently declined the offer with a polite smile and a shake of her head. Susan had brought over apple cider and sat down with her for a little while, and she was expecting the woman back soon.

"Hey, Sharon," Joseph said, tapping her on the shoulder and surprising her. "You up for a quick trip to the market with me? I tried to bring Erica, but–"

"I'm finally on break. There's no way I'm giving up my turn on Mario Kart to go buy rutabaga with my dad," one of the cousins said from where the group of young adults were spread around the living room with the game system one of Laurel's girls had brought over.

Joseph made a 'what can I do?' gesture, and Sharon smiled and glanced over to Rusty. He was as focused on the screen as the rest of them, finding an easy connection with them like she couldn't remember ever witnessing him have with anyone else in such a short time. She turned back to Joseph and said, "Sure. Let me just grab my jacket and let my son know I'll be stepping out."

"Great. I'll meet you out front," he said, clapping her on the back before heading off to the kitchen to his wife.

Sharon looked towards the stairs and then crossed the living room to Rusty. "I'm going with Andrea's brother to the grocery store. Do you need anything while I'm out?"

"No, I'm good. I'll let Andrea know if she comes down before you're back."

Sharon hesitated for a moment, but then she laid a hand on his shoulder and gave him a parting smile and left him.

. . .

"Wake up. Up, up, up."

Andrea groaned and pulled the comforter over her head, being reminded of her younger sister jumping on her bed to wake her up when she was trying to sleep in. And then the bed bounced and she peeked out of one eye and pulled the cover down just enough to check if her mind was playing games with her or if her sister, her forty-three year old sister, was really bouncing up and down on the bed to wake her up.

"Sharon left, and we have less than forty minutes to get where we have to go and get back here. Let's go," Laurel said, the petite brunette demanded as she hopped off the bed.

"It's one o'clock already?" Andrea asked miserably. "I don't feel like I even slept any."

Laurel shook out the pants Andrea had laid over the back of the armchair and started folding them neatly. "You'll have plenty of time to sleep later. If you want to be back before Sharon, we have to leave right now."

Andrea rubbed her hands over her face and yawned. "All right. Give me a minute to wake up completely, and then I'll be ready to go. Do me a favor and ask Rusty is he wants to come along? He knows the plan already."

"Okay, but I expect you downstairs and ready to go in under five minutes. Don't fall back to sleep."

Andrea sat up in the bed and reached for her phone. "I'm up, promise. Let me just make sure she's not running late. I missed a phone call while I was sleeping."

"Sure thing," Laurel said as she exited, gently closing the door and leaving Andrea alone in the bedroom.

to be continued...