A/N: This is a quick note to once again thank everyone who's reading this story, and especially those who take the time to leave a review. I am truly enjoying writing this story, and I hope it shows in my writing.


If Brenda had to point out one thing that was positive about her situation, she would definitely mention Sharon's condo and the view from her balcony. If she had to assume anything about Sharon judging by her lifestyle, she would say that she came from money. It was clear to her that Sharon was accustomed to affluence and at the same time, she couldn't say that Sharon was an extravagant person. The house was clean and offered all the comforts a woman could wish for as well as a selection of art pieces and a fully stocked kitchen, but at the same time, Brenda didn't find anything in the condo that reeked of ridiculous pretentiousness. She concluded Sharon simply loved nice things, but these did not mean the world to her. As she stood on the balcony and stared blindly at the view, Brenda heard a knock on the door. Emily went to open it.

"Uncle Gavin!" she called in surprise. Brenda's ears perked up at the word 'uncle'. Did Sharon have a brother? She turned to look at the man who came to visit and buried her face in her palms when she realized who this man was. She knew that Gavin Baker and Sharon were on friendly terms, but she did not know that they were close. She has only had a couple of appointments with this bubbly attorney, and she was not entirely fond of him. In fact, she was not too fond of Sharon either. Who would befriend this woman was beyond her, but she assumed that even witches had allies.

"How is my beautiful ballerina?" Gavin asked Emily excitedly.

"I'm fine, what are you doing here?" the young woman asked.

"I thought you and your brother could use a night out," Gavin said. "And I could use a glass of wine with my best friend."

"She's not allowed to drink," Emily informed him.

"She's not, but I am," Gavin replied happily. "Why don't you and Ricky go out, meet some friends, have dinner?" Emily gave him a quick nod and went to get her brother. It was fifteen minutes later when the kids went out and left Brenda seated on the couch with Gavin. "How have you been doing, hon?" he asked quietly and gently took her hand.

"I'm fine," she replied, feeling quite uncomfortable with the fact that he was holding her hand.

"You look a little down. Are you in a lot of pain?" he inquired.

"Not that much," she answered. "But I am very tired." Brenda hoped that if she put a good enough show, Gavin would buy it and leave her alone. Unfortunately, he did not.

"Well, I hope you're not too tired to listen to my story about this guy I met," he said dramatically. "So, his name is Gerard, how sexy is that name?" Gavin said excitedly. "Gerard…" he said with a French accent. "Anyway, Gerard owns a winery, and after a lustful night spent together, he invited us for wine tasting. What do you say about that?"

"That sounds nice," Brenda said. She loved wine, and apparently, so did Sharon. "But I'm not allowed to drink."

"When you're better," Gavin assured her. He went on and on talking about Gerard, and comparing him to his ex-boyfriend and going into great detail about his sex life. "Hey, didn't you say that you were seeing someone?" he asked after he was done. Brenda's ears perked. She was not aware that Sharon was dating anyone and Sharon did not mention it. "Has he checked in on you?"

"Ugh… I don't remember," Brenda replied in confusion. "Head injury," she pointed to her head with a shrug.

"Yeah, you do seem different," Gavin noted. "You're always in the mood to hear me ramble about my life."

"Yeah, I'm…" Brenda mumbled when she felt Gavin's arms wrapping around her shoulders and pulling her to him.

"My poor baby, all banged up," he cooed. Brenda felt the sudden urge to roll her eyes, and wondered if Sharon's spirit was taking over her, or just the ridiculousness of the situation. Sharon was a serious woman, and Brenda could not imagine a situation where Sharon would allow anyone to treat or talk to her like a child.

"It's getting late," she said and pulled away from him. Gavin looked at her with surprise.

"Have I done something wrong, hon?" he asked.

"No, I'm just tired, and I have a really bad headache, so I think we should just call it a night," Brenda replied. She pushed herself off the couch, and Gavin followed.

"Are you sure everything's okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'll just take a pill and go to bed. It was lovely to see you, as always," she faked a smile and ushered him towards the door.

"Feel better soon, hon," Gavin said as he kissed her cheek and left. Brenda closed the door and let out a deep sigh. She still could not believe that Sharon would be even remotely comfortable with this cuddly friendship, but apparently, it was a possibility. She only hoped that Sharon would not feel the need to cuddle this way with Fritz.


Sharon was lying awake in bed. It's been quite some time since she shared her bed with someone. Of course, she wasn't celibate; she went on dates and even had a long-term relationship with an art professor a few years back. In fact, she was even seeing someone these days, although it was too early to determine if something serious would come out of that relationship. But no matter how many guys she has been with since Jack left, she did not let them stay the night, nor did she stay the night in their place. Most of her relationships were purely there to satisfy her need for company, and she was adept at spending her nights alone. She did not need anyone to hold her through the night, and she liked to have her queen-sized bed all to herself. But now she was Brenda, and the other woman was happily married to a sensitive and loving man who had almost lost her in an explosion and wanted nothing more than holding her through the night, and she didn't have the heart to refuse, although she felt choked in his tight embrace.

"Brenda," he whispered seductively into her ear. His hands moved down her body and lingered at the hem of her shirt.

"Not tonight," she replied softly and moved out of his arms.

"Sorry," he replied, and she could easily detect the worry and disappointment that mixed in his voice. Sharon never thought that disappointing a man she barely knew would feel so bad. In a swift motion that gave her quite a headache, she pushed herself out of bed.

"I'm gonna get some water," she mumbled and left the bedroom. She went to the kitchen and poured herself a big glass of ice water. Taking a seat at the kitchen table, she took a small gulp of the water and let it freeze her from the inside out. She needed to control her emotions and not let them control her. No matter how nice Fritz was to her, she could not let him touch her or hug her. Brenda was already upset to be away from him, and she disliked Sharon quite openly. The last thing Sharon needed was for Brenda to think that she was stealing her husband. If she was honest with herself, Sharon had not only let him hold her because she felt uncomfortable refusing his physical affection. She needed someone to cuddle her and let her know that everything will be alright. She missed her children and her friends, and her sort-of-boyfriend. She missed her life so much, and the only person in her vicinity who could offer her any comfort from the horrible longings was Fritz. That did not mean that she was attracted to him in any way. She heard a soft mewl and felt Joel rubbing against her foot. Bending down, she picked up the ginger cat and gently wrapped her arms around him. All things considered, she was definitely not opposed to cuddling with the cat.

-To be continued-


I'm in a really good mood today, so I just want to tease you a little and tell you that IMO the next chapter is probably the funniest I've written so far in this story. And I would also like to remind you that I'd love to know what you think of this story, so feel free to leave a review or send me a PM.