A year and a half later, the Bolton family had gone through ups and downs. Blake, Rachel and Ben's son was one and a half. He had started walking with the help of his parents. Blake had dark brown hair and big blue eyes. Ben and Rachel couldn't believe how big Blake was getting. Like her brother, Sam was doing well. She went back to school and is currently working on getting her degree. Brie was two years old and looked exactly like Sam. She saw her father, Bryan, every other weekend. Brie was walking and started to talk and was able to say simple words. Ben, Rachel, and Blake were going over to Sam's for dinner.
"Brie, what are you doing?" Sam asked the toddler.
"Coloring" Brie said as she looked at her coloring book.
"Uncle Ben and Aunt Rachel are going to come over soon" Sam said.
"BENNY!" Brie yelled.
Sam laughed and kissed her daughter's cheek.
"He will be here soon" Sam said.
A few minutes later, the doorbell rang. Sam walked to the front door and opened it.
"Hi Benny" Sam said as she hugged her brother.
"Hi Sammy" Ben said.
Rachel, Ben, Blake, and Sam came into the house.
"Uncle Benny!" Brie said happily.
"Hey pretty girl, come give me a hug" Ben said as he kneeled to Brie's level.
Brie ran into her uncle's arms. Ben picked his niece up and kissed her cheek.
"Can I have a kiss?" Ben asked.
"No" Brie said.
"Please? I really need one" Ben said as he frowned.
Brie kissed her uncle's lips sweetly and giggled.
"Thank you. Are you helping your mom out?" Ben asked.
Brie nodded.
"Mommy has a boyfriend" Brie told her uncle.
"She does?" Ben asked.
Brie nodded. Sam poked her head out of the kitchen and looked at her brother and daughter.
"She's lying Benny" Sam said.
Ben looked at his sister and smiled.
"I thought she never lies? That's what you told me" Ben said.
Sam looked at her brother. Ben raised his eyebrow.
"Okay, fine. I went out on a date. But, he's not my boyfriend. He was a j-e-r-k" Sam spelled so that Brie wouldn't understand.
"Oh. So no second date?" Ben asked.
"No, how are you guys?" Sam asked the couple.
"We are fine. Blake's almost walking by himself. How's school going?" Ben asked.
"It's going well. I am almost done, thankfully. I just want to finish so I can spend more time with Brie on the weekdays. I feel horrible when I leave her with mom and dad" Sam said.
"I know, has she been asking?" Ben asked.
"Yeah, she's been asking mom where I am. Mom says that Brie cries because she wants me with her" Sam said.
"Did you talk to Brie about it?" Ben asked.
"No, I don't know how to explain something like that to a two year old. I don't want her to think that I am abandoning her" Sam said.
"She's two Sam. She wants her mommy around. That's normal" Ben said.
"I know, it just sucks sometimes" Sam said.
"Just talk to her" Ben said.
"I will, thanks Benny" Sam said.
Later that night, Ben, Rachel, and Blake left Sam's and went home. Sam closed the door and saw Brie sitting on the couch, looking through her coloring book. Sam sat next to Brie and kissed her head.
"How's the coloring going?" Sam asked her daughter.
"Good. Look mommy" Brie said as she held up a picture that she drew.
Sam took the picture out of Brie's hand.
"I love it baby. Who are the people?" Sam asked as she looked at the three figures that she assumed were people.
"That's you, me, and my daddy" Brie said.
"It's beautiful, Brie. Hey, I am going to stay home tomorrow so we can have a mommy and Brie day. Does that sound good?" Sam asked.
Brie looked at her mother and her eyes lit up.
"Yeah" Brie said.
"Okay" Sam said.
An hour later, Sam carried a sleeping Brie upstairs. She put Brie on her bed and put the covers over her. Sam kissed Brie's head.
"I love you baby" Sam said.
Sam left the room and walked into her bedroom and fell asleep. The next morning, Sam woke up to Brie jumping on her bed.
"Mommy, time to get up" Brie said.
Sam looked at her daughter and smiled. Brie jumped and Sam caught her in her arms. She kissed Brie's cheek.
"I love you" Sam said.
"I love you too mommy" Brie said.
"How much do you love me?" Sam asked the toddler.
"This much" Brie said as she moved her hands apart.
"So are you ready to have a mommy and Brie day?" Sam asked.
"Yeah" Brie said.
"What do you want to do today baby?" Sam asked.
"Cuddle and color" Brie said.
"I think we can do that. Maybe later we can go visit grandma and grandpa" Sam said.
Brie smiled widely.
"Yeah" Brie said.
Sam got out of bed and picked Brie up and set her daughter on her hip.
"Come on bug, let's go eat" Sam said.
Sam carried Brie downstairs. She walked into the kitchen and set Brie in a chair at the dining room table.
"Strawberry or watermelon Brie?" Sam asked her daughter as she looked through the fruit in the refrigerator.
"Watermelon" Brie said.
The phone rang and Sam picked it up.
"Hello?" Sam answered as she cut little pieces of watermelon for Brie.
"Hi Sammy, how's everything?" Troy asked his daughter.
"Everything is fine, I am making some breakfast for Brie" Sam said.
"Oh, how is she doing?" Troy asked.
"She's fine. Today we are having a mommy and Brie day. Since I have been gone so much because of school and work" Sam said.
"Oh that sounds fun" Troy said.
"Mommy!" Brie said.
Sam looked at Brie, who had her arms reaching for the phone.
"I think someone wants to talk to you, grandpa" Sam said.
"Put her on" Troy said.
Sam gave Brie the phone.
"Hello?" Brie answered sweetly.
"Hi Brie, how are you sweetheart?" Troy asked his granddaughter.
"Good. I miss you" Brie said.
"I miss you too baby girl. Are you helping your mommy out?" Troy asked.
"Yeah" Brie said.
"Good, can you give the phone to your mommy? I love you Brie" Troy said.
"I love you too Grandpa" Brie said.
Sam took the phone from Brie and helped her out of the chair that she was sitting in. Brie ran to the living room. Sam continued to talk to her father.
"She sounds happy" Troy said.
"Yeah, she's really happy. I don't want it to end though. Tomorrow Bryan is going to come and pick her up" Sam said sadly.
"Still not getting used to it?" Troy asked her daughter.
"No. She's my baby. I carried her for nine months. Bryan didn't know about her until after she was born" Sam said.
"Sammy, whether he was there or not, Brie is still his daughter. Even though you hate it, it may make Brie feel like her family is complete" Troy told her daughter.
"It's just difficult. Every time I have to take her to Bryan's, she cries and screams. I feel horrible. I want her to have a father figure in her life, but it's just too much for a two year old to handle. It's hard for me, as a mother, to watch her act the way she does when she goes over there" Sam said as she held her tears in.
"Just give it time, Sam. Everything will be fine" Troy said.
"I hope" Sam said.
Sam and Troy finished talking and hung up. Sam walked into the living room and looked at Brie.
"Mommy?" Brie called.
"I'm here baby" Sam said as she walked over to Brie.
Brie lifted her arms and Sam picked her daughter up. Sam held her daughter in her arms and walked around the room.
"I love you" Sam said.
"I love you too" Brie said.
"Do you want to go to grandma and grandpa's?" Sam asked her daughter.
Brie nodded and put her head on Sam's shoulder.
"Okay, let's go" Sam said.
Sam got her keys and purse and left the house with Brie in her arms. Sam put Brie into her car seat and put her seat belt on. She then closed the door and went to the front seat and got in. Sam drove to the her parent's house and parked the car. She then got out of the car and went to the back seat and unbuckled Brie from her car seat. Sam picked Brie up and closed the car door and walked to her parent's front door. She pressed the doorbell and waited for someone to answer it. Gabriella opened the door and smiled.
"Hi guys" Gabriella said as she took Brie from Sam's arms.
"Hi mom" Sam said as she walked into the house.
"How are you Brie?" Gabriella asked her granddaughter.
"Good" Brie said shyly.
"So how's school going?" Gabriella asked as she put Brie down.
"It's fine. I am almost done. I have two classes to go" Sam said as she sat down in the living room.
"How's Brie doing?" Gabriella asked.
"She's fine. Brie is just curious about everything" Sam said.
"Oh, how's everything going with Bryan?" Gabriella asked.
"Everything's fine. I talked to Ben and he was telling me that I should try to explain to Brie why Bryan and I don't live together" Sam said.
"Do you think that's a good idea Sammy? She's two years old" Gabriella said.
"I know but it's better that she knows why he isn't living with us. She screams when she goes over there, mom" Sam said.
"She will get used to it eventually. Has she ever asked about him?" Gabriella asked.
"No, but one night she screamed for him. I went into her room and turned on the light and she didn't want me near her. Brie was screaming that she wanted her daddy. I didn't know what to do" Sam said as tears ran down her face.
"Honey, you knew that some day she was going to ask and want him in her life" Gabriella said.
"Yeah but not this soon" Sam said.
"Grandma look" Brie said.
Gabriella looked at her granddaughter and smiled.
"Hey, can I have a hug and a kiss? I never got one" Gabriella said.
Brie ran over to her grandmother and gave her a hug and a kiss.
"I love you Brie" Gabriella said.
"I love you too" Brie said.
Sam smiled. Troy came into the room and smiled at his daughter.
"Hi Sammy" Troy said as he gave his daughter a hug.
"Hi dad. Hey Brie, look who is here" Sam said.
Brie turned around and saw her grandfather and smiled. Troy kneeled down and Brie ran into his arms.
"Hi baby" Troy said as he looked at his granddaughter.
"Hi" Brie said.
"How are you?" Troy asked.
"Good" Brie said.
Troy kissed Brie's cheek softly.
"I love you" Troy said.
"I love you too" Brie said.
Troy put Brie down and watched her run to Sam.
"We were just about to leave. I have to give Brie a bath" Sam said.
"Okay" Troy said as he hugged his daughter.
"Brie, honey, say goodbye to grandma and grandpa" Sam said.
Brie ran into her grandparents arms. She then walked over to Sam and put her arms up. Sam picked Brie up and left the house. Gabriella and Troy hoped that Ben and Sam were realizing what it is like to have a family.