Sometimes a back door could be helpful. Sofia parked her car in the garage and wished she could get upstairs in her room without using the stairs. Like a teenager when she came home and tried to climb up the wall so her parents didn't hear or see her. The ladder on her house was too high to reach it from the ground, she couldn't get another ladder to reach it and climbing up the wall was impossible without a thick rope – like she had twenty years ago. Not to mention she had both legs back then.
So the only way up was the front door and the staircase. Maybe her parents were in the living room and didn't hear her. Quietly she opened the door, sneaked inside and rushed up the stairs into her bedroom where she found Sara at the desk.
"Hey Baby." The brunette looked up. "You look like you're a runaway."
"I managed to get here without ending up in my parent's arms." Sofia sat on Sara's lap and kissed her gently. Wasn't it good to come back home, find the woman you loved there and kiss her? As a thank you for having her doing tax and paper work. "I love your arms much more."
"Your parents took the dogs out for a walk an hour ago."
"I sneaked up here for no reason?"
"No, you sneaked up here to kiss me."
"Right."
"And give me the chance to tell you I love you."
"Sounds like I should sneak up here more often." Sofia placed her head on Sara's shoulder. "I heard a baby crying, do our sweethearts like their room?"
"Yes. It's small, it's packed and it's safe."
"Our house is packed. We had never so many people staying over."
"Tanya moved up in the gym to keep the living room free."
"We live with seven adults and two babies up here? Wow. What crossed my mind: should we offer my parents our room? As good hosts?"
"We should, I thought about it too. Is it okay for you and your leg?"
"My leg isn't a problem, did my parents say something?"
"No…well, they asked how you are, tried to make me tell them what you didn't tell them and you'll get into interrogation later."
"Of course." Sofia got up. "I have a look at my babies and go down. Did you make a decision what you want for dinner?"
"Your father prepared chicken, vegetables and rice. We can eat when they're back."
"That's the good part of having them over, dinner is prepared." And her father was an excellent chef.
"There are more good things about having them here, you looked forward seeing them and are happy they're here."
"Of course I do – but I won't tell them." Sofia grinned. "Do you come with me?"
"Give me five more minutes to finish this. Financial calculation. How much money is left for us to spend on a holiday and how much do we have to keep for the house in case something breaks down and what does your accountant wants. I also try to find out a few arguments why your accountant should let us build a second room for Don on the garage. So far I couldn't find any good reasons – good reasons for him."
"Bugger, but if somebody finds them it's you. Thanks for doing this." It should be her job to sit over the books.
"No problem. I live here too."
"You still pay rent."
"Like I said, I live here too and there's no reason why I shouldn't pay rent. It's your house, you bought it, you pay the debt, I live here."
"I love you and don't want your money."
"You don't get my money, your accountant does."
"True." Sofia made a grimace. Most times she had the feeling her money went straight to her accountant and whenever she wanted to do something on her house, invest some money in it, he gave her a hard time. Maybe she had to start playing lotto.
Careful she knocked on the door to the second bedroom.
"Come in." Greg called.
"Hey." Sofia entered the room. "Hello cuties, how are you?" The twins were on the arms of their parents.
"They're fine, I fed them a few minutes ago and now they're happy and can go back to sleep; hopefully. Do you want one?"
"Both!"
"Why don't you start with this little lady here?" Jules handed Sofia Jorja. "So I can go to the bathroom."
"Sure. Hey Jorja, how are you? Oh, your hair looks like your dad's hair on the old photo Sara showed me a couple of weeks ago. What else do you have in common with your daddy?"
"She's a mommy's girl. When she cries and I take her in my arms it takes a few moments before she stops. When Jules picks her up she's quiet right away. I can understand you, my sweet daughter, when I'm in the arms of your mommy I'm also over the moon. There's no better place to be."
"Does Eric love you as much as Jules loves you?"
"No, he's also in love with his mother – and Sara. Maybe he has a soft spot for women, like I do. For sexy brunettes."
"A soft spot for sexy brunettes? That's something I've too. Wait another sixteen years and we go out together and check the chicks out while we have to chase all admires away from your sister…just kidding Jorja. Equal rights for you. You can have a sexy brunette too."
"A male or female brunette?"
"Whatever she wants, we don't want to talk her into something, do we?"
"No."
"Is her daddy okay with her baby girl dating girls?"
"Depends on the girls. She has to be a doctor or law enforcement girl or comes from one a family with this occupation."
"Keep traditions alive."
"Exactly. Or, in honor of Sara, a ranger."
"Ranger can be very sexy too, they have a gun, a uniform and …I love my ranger."
"So did I."
"Now you have a doctor."
"Yeah. Your parents call Jules still doctor Weinberg. It sounds strange. Do you think we should make them call each other by their first names? We all live together."
"Yes, we should do that. Sara and me will offer my parents our room and move on the mattress in the gym."
"Oh, no more private time. Or you have to involve Tanya in your game."
"She doesn't strike me like a woman who wants that – and I don't want somebody else than Sara."
"Right answer, Sweetheart." Sara came through the open door inside. "Very good. Give me my baby, Greg." She took Eric in her arms.
"Your baby? Have your own one, he's my son. You had the chance to be the mother of my child, you didn't want me, now I don't you anymore and Eric is the son of my wonderful fiancé."
"My godchild. You love me, don't you Eric?"
"According to his daddy he does." Sofia chuckled. "He loves hot brunettes. In a couple of years I'll hit the clubs with your godchild and check out chicks."
"I doubt he wants a grandmother by his side."
"Grandmother?" Sofia snorted.
"You'll be over fifty when he's ready to go out. A grand-mother."
"Your own child will need your attention." Greg said.
"True…your arguments are nicer than hers. Mean woman."
"This mean woman took care of my fiancé and the babies the whole day while you didn't send me any details about the case."
"It's your day off."
"Forget it, details. Did you find anything helpful?"
"No, I found a lot of questions and no real evidence. In fact, we got almost nothing, less than at all other scenes."
"Are they getting better?"
"Not this good. Something is wrong here, I've no idea what, it's only a feeling…will you be back tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"Good, we can use some fresh eyes. And my parents are here for Jules and the babies. Captain Curtis will take care of you, sweet little Jorja."
"Talking about your parents, they are back home. We can have dinner now. Are the twins fed, Greg?"
"Yes. We can leave them in their beds."
"What? You want to leave them here? While we're downstairs? What if they cry? Need us?" Sofia asked. "Why don't we take them down with us? Let them sleep in the buggy?"
"Because it's quiet up here." Jules came back. "Don't worry, Sofia, we have the baby audio monitor with us. For now they can lie down and sleep."
"Okay…I come back to you later, my sweet babies. Don't worry, you're safe here. I leave the dogs in front of your door."
"If somebody tries to get into the house your dogs will let us know." Jules smiled. She appreciated Sofia's worries, but they had to try to stay calm and continue a normal life. When they got anxious the babies would feel it and become anxious too.
It took Sofia only two minutes to find an excuse why she needed the twins downstairs. After they washed the dishes and tidied up the kitchen, the blonde disappeared and came back with Jorja on her arm.
"Look who was wide awake, my little angel."
"Your little angel didn't cry."
"No, there's no reason to cry, she's here, she has us and we love her." The blonde kissed the baby.
"When Jorja is here it's only fair when I get Eric." Sara smiled. "Be right back."
"We don't have to take car of our own kids." Jules noticed. "Sara and Sofia are all around them, like the nurses."
"We can only see them when we're not at work, so the little time at home has to be used with them. You have to spend time with us so you don't mind being with us when your parents are away for a weekend and you and your brother stay here."
"Why don't you and Sara have your own baby?" Don entered the room.
"Our lost son is back." Maria jumped off her chair, hugged and kissed Don. "How are you? You look tired."
"Twelve hour shift, Captain. Good to see you. Hello Mark."
"Good evening Donald, I thought you don't come home at all."
"I'm only here for a couple of minutes."
"You have to go back to work?"
"No, I go over to Kyle's place. This house is full and we need beds. You can have my room and I stay for these few days with Kyle."
"What? No way! You'll stay here in your room." Marie protested.
"Sorry Captain, this decision is already made. Kyle and me will have some guys days with beer, bad food and cheap movies. His couch is very comfortable, I slept a couple of times there, and you can have my room, that's better than the couch here or a mattress in the gym. Don't worry, I come over every day to see you."
"We can go to a motel."
"What for? Mark, this is the easiest way. And you're needed here, protect the twins."
"I can take them with me to work. Nobody looks for them in Angeles National Forest." Sara came back with Eric in her arms. "You can see all different kinds of animals there, Eric. It will be fun."
"And you get a deer to feed him or are you starting to breastfeed him, Sara?" Jules asked amused.
"Uhm…your mommy can come with us, you need your mobile milk bar."
"Get your own baby." Don repeated. "Marie, don't you want a grandchild?"
When he said these words Sofia felt like slapping him. He wasn't supposed to support her parents, what if they started to annoy her and Sara for the rest of the time, they were here? What could Sofia tell them? They thought about it and needed to find a way to ask Don if he wanted to be the father? No, they had to ask him first, without the pressure of Sofia's parents knowing about the plan.
"Absolutely. I hope the twins will make them think about babies."
"If you want us to give you a grandchild, you have to come over when you're retired in fourteen months and take care of them. We both won't stop working, the baby needs somebody to be there all the time or do you want your grandchild to end up in daycare after four weeks?"
"No…you want us to move to L.A.?"
"I only told you the conditions for a grandchild. Otherwise we'll nag until we get the twins a lot and play with them." Hah, that was a great plan. Give the pressure back to her parents.
"You ask for a lot, daughter."
"You get a grandchild for it, mother." Sofia answered sweetly back. She liked her idea. Her parents in the same city, babysitter for their child. Not that she didn't like daycare, but for the first months she preferred to have family around her baby. Also for later when the child was in kindergarten and at school.
"Who'll be the mother of this child?" Jules asked.
"Sofia. She has this great blue eyes and I'm…not the becoming pregnant type."
"We might have to argue about that, later."
"No, we don't argue."
"Why not two babies? You both get pregnant." Don suggested.
"One is enough, makes one stay at home for six weeks or so. We can't afford to stay at home together. And Sofia will be a great mother." Sara smiled at her lover.
"You're both head over heels in love with the twins. You'd both be great mothers."
"You should be the father, Don." Marie said.
Sara and Sofia threw a short look at each other. This wasn't the time nor the place to discuss this topic with Don. They wanted a conversation with their friend alone, only the three of them. And not half a dozen people, half a dozen different opinions.
"Until you haven't decided if you move to L.A. or not, nothing will happen, mother. Don't worry about our problems, think about what you'll do as soon as you're retired."
"We will think about it."
"Good. And I will change the diapers of this lovely lady. You smell not very fresh, little Jorja. Lets see if I can do it or we have to call your daddy to give us a hand. Your mommy deserves to sit down a few minutes, you can keep her busy tomorrow." Changing diapers was a good test for their own child. And a good way to end this conversation.
