Back at Manning Manor:
"Hey, girls" Lily greeted Jessie and Zoe as they returned from their culinary expedition.

"Hey Mom, you'll never guess who was there!" Zoe exclaimed.

"Who?" Lily inquired.

Jessie elbowed Zoe before she could answer. Lily looked at the duo inquisitively.

"No one, just someone I went to school with." Jessie recovered. "I'm kind of tired. I'm going to go lay down." Jessie left the room before anyone could question her further.

'What was that about?" Lily wonderd while concerned eyes followed her step daughter up the stairs.

"I have no idea." Zoe shrugged.

"So, when's your sister making an appearance?" Lily changed the subject.

"She said her flight's coming in around 5:30 Monday afternoon."

"Be nice to have both my girls back under the same roof again" Lily contemplated.

"I guess." Zoe went to find something on TV. Some things never seemed to change.

House of Blue:
"Hello" Judy answered while clicking pause on the dvd remote.

"Hey Judy" Sam eased down onto the hotel mattress.

B&W:
For the longest time it felt like Sam and I were like incompatible chemicals. Alone we were...ok, but together." Judy mimicked an explosive sound. ~

"You just getting in?" She inquired.

"Yeah, another evening of take out at the Hotel DeChevrolez" Sam half joked.

"Oh yeah, sounds nutritious." Judy smirked.

"Ha ha" Sam paused. "I miss you!" He sighed seriously.

"I miss you too!" Judy frowned.

"This is nuts, I'm just gonna fly back there tomorrow."

"No, you can't. You'll be home soon enough. It's only three days. I can wait three days." The youngest Brooks sister consoled her husband.

"Well I can't!" her husband countered.

B&W:
"And then." Judy smiled off into the distance. ~

"Well I'm afraid you'll just have to wait a few more days, Mister." Judy teased.

"I might just have to stay with Rick when I get back." Sam retorted.

"Ah, you better not!" She gasped.

"Ok. Well until then I guess it's goodnight, Judy Blue eyes."

"Good night, Sam." Judy smiled putting down the receiver.

April 2004 Manning Manor:
Most of the the Sammler and Manning clan were in the kitchen scooping their late evening snack. Jessie, expecting the call, grabbed the ringing phone and walked into the living room to talk to her girlfriend.

"Hey Katie" she smiled.

"Hey Jess" Katie softly replied.

Jessie immediately picked up on her girlfriend's mood. "What's wrong Katie?"

"Um, I don't know. I was just missing you. I guess" Katie sighed.

"I miss you too". Jessie sat down.

After a long awkward pause. Which was happening a lot of late. Too much time and distance was draining the excitement from their once exhilerating relationship. They were both so very tired and neither wanted to admit it, but neither could they deny it any longer.

"Well, I guess New York is pretty far away." Jessie started.

"Yes, it is". Katie agreed. "Maybe too far" Katie shed a tear.

"Maybe" Jess agreed. Both fear and relief washing over her. "You ever think that maybe it's just too far?"

"Sometimes" Katie's heart sank as the truth sunk in.

"Maybe we should just...you know...until we're closer again?" Jessie stammered.

"Maybe" Katie agreed. "But maybe when we're closer again"? Katie added. She just had to leave it open.

"Maybe" Jessie agreed.

"Until then" Katie bit her lip.

"Until then" Jess closed her eyes.

Jessie hung up the phone by the couch. She took a deep breath and steeled herself before going back into the kitchen.

"Ice cream, Jessie?" Lily offered.

"Yes" Jessie put on a fake smile and grabbed a bowl.

Jessie's head jerked up. Startled awake from her memories. She hadn't dreamt of that evening for many years. She wiped the tears from her eyes. Looking over she noticed the time: 12:30 AM. "Ugh!" she sighed and put her head back down and went to bed. She hoped that the morning would bring happier dreams.

Elsewhere in Manning Manor:
"Did Jessie get in OK?" Rick asked from his hotel room many miles away.

"She got in this morning". Lily spoke into the cordless.

"Morning?" The surprise showing in his voice.

"Yes, she was a little early."

"So, how is she?"

"She's fine, Rick." Lily assured.

"Good." He smiled.

"It's just." Lily started, but stopped short.

"It's just what, Lil?" Rick wondered.

"She thought you'd be here" Lily pressed.

"Lil, I told you we were a little behind. The project's done, we're just finishing up all the little details. I'll be home in a few days."

"Ok, ok" She rolled her eyes giving in. "Well it's late and I'm going to turn in. Night."

"Night, Lil" Rick put his cell phone down looked around his hotel room and sighed.

Sunday afternoon Manning Manor:
"No way, get out!" the short haired redhead giggled as Zoe whispered something else in her ear.

Both girls giggled loudly. Lily rolled her eyes as she turned round to see the two twentysomethings entering from the kitchen.

"Hey girls." Lily waved while flipping the newspaper over.

"Oh hi Lily" the girl warmly greeted her friend's mother.

"So what do you have planned for this evening?" Lily inquired.

"Oh nothing. Probably just watch some movies and munch on junk food." Zoe teased.

"Well try not to overexert yourseves." Lily retorted.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll manage." Zoe's friend giggled.

Just then Jessie made her way down the stairs."Oh hi, I didn't know you had company." The blonde said upon reaching the living room.

"Hey Jessie, this is my friend Veronica." Zoe introduced her friend to her sister.

"Hi" Jessie greeted the unfamiliar pale girl in front of her.

"Hey!" Veronica waved.

"Well if you need us we'll be in my room." Zoe said as they went on their merry way upstairs.

"She seems nice." Jessie stated.

"So what about you, anything planned for this evening?"

"Think I'm just gonna go visit with my mom for a while, OK?"

"Of course, have fun. Tell your mom I said 'hi'." Lily assured her step-daughter.

"Thanks". Jessie smiled before excusing herself.

Sammler Residence:
Karen looked intense. Her eyes darting back and forth between the board and the others around the table.

"It's OK to go ahead and admit defeat. Just say that I'm the Scrabble Master and this will all be over." Henry joked.

She looked up steely eyed taking up the challenge. After looking at the board in despair, something caught her eye. Picking up all her final pieces. She proceeded to lay them out for her victorious triple word score.

"Wait - what the hey?!" Henry couldn't quite believe his eyes.

Karen merely smiled defiantly.

"Way to go, mom!" Eli cheered.

Just then the front door opened and in walked the youngest Sammler.

B&W:
"My baby girl!" Karen stares in awe at the camera. ~

"Hey Mom, Henry, Eli" Jessie greeted everyone as Eli hugged his little sister. "What I miss?"

"Mom just schooled Henry on the finer points of Scrabble."

"Hey, I was bamboozled" Henry half joked.

"Oh shush" Karen teased.

Jessie just laughed and smiled.

B&W:
"My mom was so lonely after my dad left. For the longest time she'd just concentrate on work. Even when she was seeing someone, she always just looked so...sad. Sometimes she would get so depressed. I really worried about her." Jessie looked off to her left. "Then she met Henry and somehow she just seemed to come alive again." Jessie smiled. ~

"You staying for dinner?" Henry inquired.

"Absolutely!" Jessie smiled.

"Good. I got something special lined up for you." He beamed.

"What?" Jessie looked puzzled.

"I'm not saying, you'll just have to be patient and wait to be amazed." Henry boasted, but everyone knew that he would come through with some sort of culinary masterpiece.

"Yum, I can't wait." Eli salivated.

They all chuckled at that.

Somewhere in Chicago:
Easing down onto the fancy leather couch, Miss Singer took a sip of her mocha latte before setting it down on the glass coffee table.

"Been meaning to ask. Who was that blonde at the restaurant yesterday?" Marcie inquired sipping her frappuccino.

"Oh just some girl I used to know." Katie lied nonchalanlty hoping to dissuade her friend from persuing this line of questioning further.

"Oh?!" Marcie wasn't so sure.

"Yeah, why?" Katie pretended not to care.

"She just seemed to throw you off your game, is all"

"What game? I'm not a player like some people we know." Kaite raised an eyebrow.

"Leave my sister out of this, please Singer."

"Who moi? I meant no such thing?" Katie beamed figuring that that would end that conversation for sure.

"Who is she? Is she single?" Marcie got out before gulping the last of her beverage.

"Her name's Jessie and I can assure you that she's so not your type." Katie shook her head.

"Too bad. She's cute." Marcie lamented while getting up to put her empty cup in the sink.

"I know" Katie whispered to herself.

B&W (Katie's first solo):
"Is this thing on?" Katie fidgeted with the camera before sitting back down. "I never loved anyone before Jessie. I know that everyone thinks I loved Sarah or Joanna, or whatever, but I didn't. I never felt anything like that before...or since. I'm gonna miss her forever. Aren't I?" Katie looked down. ~

Sammler Residence:
Jessie plopped down on her old bed. Her belly full and eyes weary.

"Who would've thought to add peanut butter to chili?" Jessie pondered as she relished in Henry's latest culinary wonder otherwise known as Southwestern Black Bean Tofu Chili.

Jessie smiled while laying her head down on her childhood pillow. Images of tooth faries' quarter treasures, sleepovers, and childhood dreams filled her head before giving way to more serious memories. Soon they were replaced with images of skipping school, a tall lanky blonde in a tank top, and laying in bed while talking of a future never to be clouded her revelry. The blonde's eyes shot open as she sat up and hung her head.

B&W:
"I never felt anything for anyone before I met Katie. I was actually beginning to think that I was some kinda freak. You know? But then there she was. Like a bright new star or a rising sun and all of a sudden everything was so alive in me." Jessie smiled into the camera. "Then she was gone again. And now I'm wondering if I'll ever feel like that again?" Jessie looked down. ~

Jessie looked up at the sound of her brother barging into her old room.

"What?" Was all she got out as Eli grabbed her head in a wrestler hold.

"Come on squirt. We're gonna get some ice cream and play Pictionary."

Jessie just squealed as he pulled her along downstairs. Some things never seemed to change.
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