iAm There For Wendy
Friday had become 'Doctor Day' in the Puckett household, though, thankfully, Carly had no appointment scheduled. She and Sam were, however, headed back to Dr. Sharkey's office at the behest of Shelby Marx. Wendy had become something of a handful of late, and Shelby felt that perhaps a day with her old friends would help curb the mood swings ever so slightly.
Sam had descended the stairs to the first floor while Carly stamped her feet on the second floor landing, throwing a Big Girl Tantrum. The Cupcake was used to getting her way.
"But Sammmmm….. I don't wanna!"
"This isn't up for debate, Cupcake, now MOVE!"
Sam wasn't happy.
"Sammie! They make me look fat!"
Sam knew that Tough Love was the only way to make her hardheaded little Cupcake see that she, Sam, knew what was best for her when pregnant-lady hormones clouded her better judgment.
"They do not make you look fat, they make you look pregnant – Big Difference…"
Sam could hear Carly stamp her feet in defiance. Carls had developed a very loud personality.
"I'm going to count to ten, Carlotta…."
Carly knew that this was serious. This was the first time in forever that Sam had used her given name. It was always Carls, Cupcake, Babe, or Sweetheart. It was never Carlotta. Carlotta was what The Colonel called her when she was little and in trouble.
Sam hadn't gotten past the count of 4 before Carls came bounding down the steps and launched herself into Sam's arms. This entire fussy episode had been over Carly's reluctance to wear a pair of elastic-waisted jeans. Despite being well along into her pregnancy, Carly still wanted to dress like a rail-thin senior at Ridgeway High. She was immediately apologetic, clinging to Sam's bright purple t-shirt.
"I'm sorry, Sammie… I promise I'll listen better… no arguments from your Cupcake…"
Sam blushed. She loved the little-girl cuteness that Carly was showing off, but now wasn't the time.
"C'mon, Cupcake. We'll be late if we don't get moving, so you and the kiddos had better get a move-on…"
Carly loved this, even though Sam picked at her. Sam had become what Carly always knew she would be – her big, strong protector. She thought that this was cute. She and Sam were wearing contrasting t-shirts today. It was only recently that Carly had convinced Sam to show her true colors, such as they were, a bit more.
The tall brunette had embraced her identity ages ago and held tightly to it with both hands. Samantha Puckett, on the other hand, preferred a much more 'hands-off' approach. Much like Sir Elton John, Sam Puckett never shouted her identity from the rooftops simply because she figured that the world already knew. There were things that simply went without saying. The sky was blue. Birds flew. Fish swam. Sam Puckett loved Carly Shay.
Sam dropped to her knees on the pretense of tying her shoe. The added bonus of a very pregnant Cupcake was not only could she not see her own feet, but she couldn't see Sam's, either. This allowed her ruse to go perfectly undetected.
The blonde was now at stomach level, eyeing Carly's ever-expanding midriff. Without so much as a second thought, Sam planted two quick, gentle kisses in the vicinity of Carly's navel.
"Mama loves you, Cupcakes…"
AN HOUR LATER, ACROSS TOWN…
Sam found the hallway outside the fourth floor exam rooms to be a much less scary place when she was sharing it with Shelby Marx. The two had quickly become fast friends since their respective partners had been with child. The tall brunette had her head between her knees, clearly worried.
"It'll be okay, Shelby. You're worrying over nothing…"
The prizefighter was wringing her hands. She didn't know. Sam, instantly sensing the appropriate thing to do, took the fighter's battle scarred hands in her own.
"Marx, look… Wendy's going to be fine. She's got the easy job, all things considered… My Cupcake… well, you know…"
Shelby let out a chuckle.
"You know, Puckett… I'm glad I don't hate you…"
Sam took the jab in the spirit it was intended. Shelby Marx was built – inside and out – just like Sam Puckett. They both projected this ice cold exterior to the world, but only those who knew them best knew that they were the warmest, gentlest souls in the entire world. Shelby Marx, like Sam, didn't know how to be a girly-girl. What she'd said to Sam translated into the warmest display of affection the pugilist had to offer to anyone other than her better half.
There was, however, one significant difference between the two. Shelby Marx was forced to live – professionally speaking – in the closet. Where Sam and Carly's relationship was a matter of public record, Shelby Marx was dependant on her sport for a living. Shelby Marx couldn't wear her heart on her sleeve – or rather on her chest – as Sam and Carly were today and announce to the world, by way of her t-shirt, that she was 'Born This Way'. If any of her opponents ever learned of the picture taped to her dressing room mirror before every fight – the one that showed her and Wendy arm-in-arm on their first date – the world of mixed martial arts would have a field day.
The exam room door swung open, Wendy appearing in the doorway. Shelby scrambled to her feet to support her. Wendy was beaming. Shelby looked to her, demanding to know.
"What? What! WHAT, ALREADY?"
A spunky little Cupcake shushed a prizefighter.
"Shelby, Shush!"
Sam Puckett took up for her new friend, flippantly teasing her partner.
"You know, Cupcake, she made some Russian girl's jaw do this one time…"
The face Sam made reduced Carly and their friends to peals of laughter.
Wendy smiled, looping her arms around Shelby's neck.
"It's a girl…"
Shelby Marx was overcome. She grinned from ear to ear, instantly the proud mama of what she knew to be a beautiful baby girl. She only hoped that she – a woman who had lived a very hard life to this point – could offer something of substance to the child Wendy carried. She turned to Carly.
"And how about you guys?"
Sam's brunette flushed.
"We don't find out for a few more weeks, but Wendy and I talked about having a Girls' Night tonight…"
Sam shot her partner The Look and raised her eyebrow.
"And we're what, exactly, Cupcake?"
"You know what I mean! Girly stuff…."
Shelby wrapped her new best friend into a quasi-masculine embrace, her arm around Sam's waist loosely.
"Hey Puckett… While these two are off braiding each others' hair, why don't we hit the town ourselves?"
Sam didn't need to say anything. A glance was all that was needed. The couples partnered up again and quietly left. They had better places to be. The Groovy Smoothie was calling them.
