Sam woke to an impact and sharp prickling sensation hitting her foot. Before her eyes were even fully open, she'd thrashed the offended leg and made a wordless startled vocalization. As she sat up, she heard a thud and little fuzzy paws trotting out of the door and swore under her breath. She was just laying here sleeping, minding her own business! Was Sue personally offended by snoring humans or something?

She let her head land back on the pillow and sighed. At least she felt a hell of a lot better. Straight spine, clearer head. As she took stock of her current state, she realized the towels that had been lain across her back were now stacked in a sloppy pile on the table. Rebecca must have stealthily removed them once she was asleep so she didn't end up with a lump under her.

Speak of the cute girlfriend, quick familiar footsteps sounded in the hallway, and then Rebecca appeared.

"Hey babe, are you okay?"

Sam groaned and rolled onto her side to face the door. "I think Sue tried to fucking eat my foot."

"Ohhh..." Rebecca glanced at the door self-consciously as she sat sideways on the bed. "Sorry. He, uh, never was quite clear on the concept of feet, and always did his best to protect us from the elusive 'bed mice' that lurked under the covers."

Sam gave her a skeptical look. "And I'm sure nobody ever played with him by moving their hands or toes around, giggling hysterically."

"Not ever." Rebecca bent down to kiss her for a moment, then straightened, leaving her hand on Sam's hip.

"Terrible. Distracting me with smooches."

"I mean, it usually works. How're you feeling?"

"Better. What time is it?"

"I haven't turned anything on to check, but at least eleven."

"Jeez." Sam groaned and shifted so she could put her head in Rebecca's lap. The hint worked, and Rebecca started running fingers through Sam's hair again, prompting her to hum happily.

"We all kinda foraged and did our own thing for breakfast. I've been keeping the last of that coffee on the stove for you."

Ugh. And I was managing to not think about that. She's sweet though.

"Thanks, sugar. I don't think I'm up for coffee after last night."

"I'm sorry. And you don't get to call me out on saying that."

"Okay, but only some of it was you, I mean it." Sam nuzzled Rebecca's leg, really hoping she wouldn't dig into that.

"Alright, deal. And, if you can't handle coffee right now, then I guess it's a good thing I also kept a pot of hot water ready. Want to come look through the supplies for brunch?"

Sam put her free arm around Rebecca's waist and squeezed. "You spoil me."

Rebecca replied with a chuckle and an arm across Sam's upper back, then disentangled herself to get out of the way. "Learned from the best. You, Jaime, n' Mom."

Not long after, they leaned against the kitchen island, taking turns plunging spoons into a packet of rehydrated food.

Sam washed her latest scoop down with a swig of just-the-right-temperature tea. "I'm still boggled by the whole 'add water to a foil pouch of funny-looking chunks, get granola with bananas or blueberries, almonds, and milk' sorcery. I mean, I understand how the food turns out better than MRE's, not sitting in goo for three years. But still. Astronaut food, literal rocket science I guess." As Rebecca finished her turn and Sam prepared to dive back in, she glanced at the stacked plastic totes behind the front door. "How much do we have left?"

Rebecca finished swallowing, then licked her spoon. "Three or four days worth. With all the fresh stuff we brought gone, I'm glad we haven't been hitting it so hard the last two nights. I might get a fricking kidney stone from all the salt at this rate."

"Mmm. Your mom definitely won me over fast, feeding us so well."

Laura interjected from the couch, where she was peering at Rebecca's knitting through her glasses. "I heard that, Sam!"

"Oh, Mrs. C, my stomach has no shame. I sure hope Rebecca and I work out long term, but if not, can I still come visit when you're baking?"

Rebecca glared at her and made a point of cheating and taking another scoop out-of-turn, filling the spoon to its limit and locking eyes with Sam — who simply giggled. While Rebecca was chewing, Laura got a zing in on her behalf.

"As long as she's the one who dumps you, sweetheart. No more broken hearts for my baby girl."

Rebecca smirked at Sam, who returned a lopsided grin. "Yeah, okay. Fair."

Licking her spoon clean again, then twirling it in her fingers, Rebecca handed the pouch back over. "You can actually finish it, since I had some stuff earlier."

Sam bumped up against her affectionately with a smile. "Mkay. Like I just said, no shame."

Rebecca ducked in for a carefully aimed peck on the cheek just as Christine and Patrick emerged from their room, day packs on and boots laced tight. She leaned back to see them better around Sam. "Hey, going for a walk?"

"Yeah," Chrissie said. "Thought we'd check out the view from that trail y'all were on yesterday."

Rebecca moved their way to look at the map they were borrowing, giving them tips about how to get there. The three of them ended up drifting out the front door and down the steps as they talked, so Sam followed, sitting on the porch rail while they moseyed towards the edge of the driveway clearing.

She glanced up when Laura leaned against the pillar at the top of the stairs and they smiled at each other. Laura's didn't seem as cheerful as Sam expected, though. Maybe stuff with Rebecca's nightmare was still weighing on her?

"You okay, Mrs. C?"

Laura had turned her eyes towards Rebecca and her friends, but looked back and met Sam's gaze. "I suppose." She sighed, and lowered her voice significantly. "I'm deeply sorry you had to hear that last night, Sam."

"Hmm?" That caught her by surprise, mid mouthful, which she hastily got out of the way. "I don't..."

Laura smirked, but it was still kindly. "You might say we both have exemplary hearing, dear."

"When—" Sam tried to figure out how she'd given it away, then vaguely remembered some of the conversation right before she'd dozed off. "Ah, stupid half-asleep me. I wasn't trying to make a thing out of it, I swear."

"I know. Don't worry about it, I'm the one apologizing here." Laura took a deep breath. "Does she know?"

Sam shook her head. "No, she was out like a light. I couldn't sleep and came out for a drink and a quick stretch, hoping to find Sue. I didn't mean to eavesdrop. But.... I heard you stand up for me, and it really means a lot. I don't know that my parents would've." She looked out over the trees at nothing in particular. "Probably give me some shit about keeping a low profile, not making a scene, try to get along."

Laura's somewhat ashamed face flashed to disapproval, then sympathy. It seemed that earlier offer about giving Joel what-for was still open. "I'm sorry to hear that. I don't know much about them, but you turned out well, so they must have done something right."

Sam blinked a few times and was suddenly very preoccupied with her spoon, not sure if she was sad, touched, embarrassed, or... whatever. Maybe there were trace amounts of onion in the cereal that made her eyes burn but her tastebuds couldn't sense. Right, that's it. Or lurking ninjas chopping them.

"Thanks, Laura." She dropped the utensil in the now-empty pouch and looked down at the driveway. She couldn't help a little stink-eye at Walt where he was working on the stupid truck again with Epstein, but then focused on Rebecca, standing at the top of the path and talking to the others. "Listen, if you're worried about making things awkward for me, my vote is hoping you'll come. And, I'm not out to keep secrets from Rebecca, but... I wasn't going to bring up last night if I don't have to. She's got enough going on."

Laura nodded. "Same, about the secrets, so do what you feel you need to. I wouldn't want to seem like I'm pressuring you. Even if I did, I suspect it would backfire on me."

Sam glanced back at her. "Yeah, you're probably not wrong. Y'know, you're alright, Mrs. C."

Laura was looking at Rebecca. "Mmm, now I am." She met Sam's eyes again. "And hey, I always did want to be the 'cool' mom. I'll just stay away from suggesting booze choices."

"Heh. Most of the hard stuff is better saved as disinfectant anyway. Our girl seems to appreciate a nice red though."

Sam must have been losing her touch at the verbal sparring, because Laura took the opportunity to give her hair a pointed look. "Yeah, I noticed."

"Oh jeez." Her cheeks flushed with an uncharacteristic blush. "I meant wine."

**

It had been a cheap rosé that led to Sam discovering semi-rural Virginia was not a kind place to grow up bi. A few of her acquaintances knew she discreetly admired wavy-haired Marissa, and one tried to toss her a bone during a pool party's game of truth-or-dare. The way the hot blooded — but apparently cold hearted — beauty responded to the challenge of kissing Sam left her short of breath with her heart racing.

Tragically, Sam's alcohol-clouded judgment led her to optimistically mistake that enthusiasm for reciprocal interest, and her later followup was an explosive catastrophe. It had been an act on Marissa's part, a ploy to taunt a boy. Her rejection of Sam was both shocked and scathing, making it acutely clear she didn't want word of the misunderstanding getting around.

Despite that message, Sam was driving her mother's Camry to school the next week, and the slur carved into the door effectively outed her to her parents. Mike had known for a year and change, being quietly supportive. Mom's reaction had pretty much been the equivalent of those people who say they're "colorblind" about racial issues, followed by telling Sam to make an appointment with a body shop. That could have been a lot better, but also a lot worse.

Dad... in his unparalleled class and dignity, simply said he was glad to only worry half as much about her getting pregnant in college.

It was actually his crass comment that started her looking at college as an escape. She wasn't ready to swap coasts like Mike had, but while researching her options, she learned Massachusetts had anti discrimination laws and marriage equality long before her home state. And, oh look, multiple top-ranked engineering universities.

She always did like clam chowder.

**

Rebecca was welcomed back to the porch with warm smiles from two of the three most important women in her life. Sam had the leftover packaging from breakfast in one hand, but reached for Rebecca with the other. "Hey doll."

"Hi Rosie. Missed me already in just five minutes?"

"Oh, stop. You'll make your mother think we're joined at the hip." 

Rebecca slid her arm around Sam, well aware of the irony, and kissed her temple. She briefly remembered Jaime doing that, and contemplated the circuitous paths of fate.

She must have succeeded at preventing any disturbance to her expression, because Laura simply chuckled. "I say again, you two are precious. What were you thinking of doing with the day?"

Rebecca was at something of a loss. "Relax, not get shot at, not have any panic attacks? Those seem like good goals to me."

She could feel Sam's nod of endorsement under her cheek. "Plus one. Did you need more of a hand with the garden, Mrs. C?"

"Well." Laura took the glasses off the top of her head and folded them. "I certainly wouldn't say no. Sweetheart?"

Rebecca shrugged agreeably. "Sure, why not."

Sam's feet were still only in socks, so they passed through the house for shoes. Rebecca shed her fleece meanwhile, anticipating working up a sweat. The tank top underneath might be a little cool in the shade, but would probably be just right once the exertion got her blood flowing. She left the surplus outerwear lazily folded on the kitchen island  — only to watch with amusement as Sam scooped it up moments later to don over her existing light pullover.

Rebecca feigned indignance. "Hey, go get your own from the bedroom!"

"No!" Sam zipped the neck up and held the collar over the lower half of her face — though not before Rebecca saw her lower lip protrude in a small pout. "This one smells like you when you're nice and clean, and it's warm already!"

Okay, that was adorable, but... "Sue could fit in there with you! You'll get the sleeves all dirty because they're too long."

"Oh please. I'll roll them up, silly."

Laura had turned around from filling a bottle at the sink and was beginning to laugh at them. Rebecca spared her a glance, then gave up. When Sam got like this... okay, first off, she was arguably the one being silly, but it was clearly something that would make her happy. Rebecca shook her head in mild dismay, which prompted Sam to gloat over her gleeful victory.

Her mother lingered with an entertained smirk as Sam preceded them out the side door. "I bet you never thought you'd be the one whose shirts got stolen by the girlfriend, huh?"

Rebecca sighed, but it was a pleasantly nostalgic sound. "I guess I never really knew what I was putting poor Jaime through. Or how cute it apparently was." She ran one fingertip along the more exposed chain and felt the lump of the amulet through her top with another.

Laura laid a warm hand on her upper arm. "Rebecca, you don't, like... blame yourself for what happened to him, do you?"

This time, Rebecca's sigh was shorter and her eyes were briefly distant. "Not anymore, beyond vanilla survivor's guilt. Ronnie and Sam worked hard to steer me away. Allie would've too, but I was still in the sheer anguish stage when I moved. Not even functional enough to think of that."

Laura nodded and patted her arm. "Sweetheart, that sounds more familiar than either of us would like."

**

Laura followed Rebecca down the stairs, pulling the door closed behind them. Losing a loved one as a grownup was not a way she had ever anticipated Rebecca would need her, nor a reason she expected to search for meaning in the loss of her late husband. But, she could sense hurt still lingering.

It wasn't festering, thank goodness — and thanks to her friends. But Laura knew firsthand the kind of time a deep hidden wound like that took to heal. She was starting to suspect and hope she might have an important part to play supporting her daughter, as adult to adult. Maybe Sam too, though Laura knew she had to be delicate, to not overstep. She wasn't quite sure what to do there beyond generally being kind and pointedly approving of her love for Rebecca.

Come to think of it, based on her comment on the porch... that last one actually sounded pretty important.