"Sophia?"

"Sophia!"

"SOPHIA!"

She woke with a start—Casey had turned on the light in the bedroom and was shaking her awake.

"What?" she said in surprise.

Casey helped her into a sitting position. "You were having an awful nightmare, tossing and turning like crazy."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Casey brushed Sophia's hair out of her eyes and began wiping her face down for her. "We all have nightmares, even me. What happened?"

"I dreamt that someone crazy had taken me and hid me somewhere in the city. No one could find me."

"Oh, Sophia…"

"Promise me that if anything ever happens to me, that you'll take care of Melissa."

"I promise." Casey said seriously.

"She adores my parents, but you are the only other person in the world she thinks of as her mother."

Casey kissed Sophia's cheek and echoed her vow. "Sophia, I promise that if anything bad ever happens to you, I will take care of Melissa for you. I love that little girl as if she came from my body."

"Thank you, Red." Sophia kissed Casey's hand.

"I love Melissa like that, and I love this one like that, too."

Casey pulled Sophia close to her and held a palm flat against her middle. Miraculously, the baby was fast asleep, but Casey could feel it moving in slumber, so she stroked the bump with her thumb and looked to Sophia again.

"You are my family, Sophia Rose Benson, and even though you fell from the sky and in to my life, I will always love you. No matter what. You are safe in bed with me tonight. Nobody will hurt you here. Do you understand that?"

"I do, Cassandra. Thank you." Sophia gave a hefty yawn. "What's the time?"

Casey checked the clock on the nightstand. "Just after midnight."

"I'm still so wound up." Sophia pouted.

"I think I have a way to help you sleep."

"Really? What?"

"Do you trust me?"

Sophia nodded. "Yes."

Casey turned out the light and on her side, facing the middle of the bed. Sophia copied her, moving closer when she felt Casey tugging on her shirt.

"I'll stop any time you want me to, but please just let me show you some comfort."

"Okay."

Casey reached under Sophia's shirt and began stroking her hip gently. When Sophia let out a happy sigh, Casey moved her head lower, beneath the hem of her underpants and continued her her gentle strokes. She could hardly believe that this was happening.

So she would make it last.

"Oh, please don't stop." Sophia begged. "I don't remember the last time I was touched like this."

Casey kept it up, although she switched to using her palm. "What should I do?"

Sophia removed her underpants and put Casey's hand on the underside of her bump. "Go lower."

Casey moved her hand towards her girlfriend's thighs, and moved from strokes to rubs. She sped up slightly when Sophia spread her legs.

"Are you sure?"

Sophia rested Casey's fingers on her entrance. "Yes."

"I love you, Sophia." Casey began rubbing Sophia's core. "I love you, I love you, I love you."

Soft, sensual noises escaped Sophia's lips; she really couldn't remember if she'd ever been touched like this before at all. Melissa's father had slept with her every night that they had been married, but most of the time they had sex, it was rough, and purely for his benefit, instead of her own. He had been selfish.

But here was Casey, touching her so intimately, but also very gently at the same time. She loved this woman more than she could say, and she desperately wanted to marry her.

"I love you, too. I—oh, Red. Go faster."

Sophia had meant right then and there to tell Casey that she wanted to be her wife, but at that particular moment, Casey had hit a sweet spot. To encourage her, Sophia guided Casey's hand to a particular pace and rhythm. Cottoning on, Casey kept it up, and before long, she had Sophia in the throes of passion.

"Give it all you've got." Casey told her, never once breaking her stride. "Come on."

"I'm almost there!" Sophia cried, bucking in to Casey's hold.

"By all means, go for it."

Casey picked up the pace just a little more, and this was enough to drive Sophia's hypersensitive libido over the edge.

And she came like a flood.

"Casey! Casey! Casey!"

Sophia cried her beloved's name out as she rode the orgasm out and came down from her peak.

Even in the dark, though, Casey knew exactly where she was, and she began kissing Sophia and wiping the sweat down.

"I love you so much, Sophia, and I don't ever want to be without you."

Still panting, Sophia said, "You won't ever have to be."

Casey grinned. "How's the baby?"

"Moving around like a jumping bean, but she'll settle soon, I'm sure."

"Good. How are you?"

"Better. Thank you."

"You're welcome, darling. Ready to get some sleep?"

Exhaustion hit Sophia all at once, like a freight train, but she was content, so she nodded.

"Yes, I am."

"Perfect." Casey fell into a comfortable sleeping positing and pulled Sophia close. "Good night."

"Good night."

Sophia didn't wake again until the morning.


When she did wake, it was to find that Casey wasn't in bed. But she did see a note from her.

Good morning, darling!

I'll be making breakfast by the time you read this, but feel free to use the shower and wear more things from the closet ;) I know you don't have to go to work today, but neither do I. Let's do something with Melissa. Talk to you soon.

XO

Sophia took Casey at her word, and after a shower and a change in to a fresh pair of underpants, tank top, and button-down shirt, she made her way downstairs.

When she saw Casey, she sighed contently. Just like her, she was dressed for comfort, but also scantily so, and very alluring. Clearly, they were dressing like this for each other's pleasure.

At any rate, Casey was turned on immediately when she saw Sophia.

"Wow." she cased Sophia. "Good morning."

Sophia returned the kiss. "Good morning, to you, too. What's all this that you've made?"

"A full Irish breakfast. Ever had one before?"

"No, but it looks fantastic."

On the counter, next to two plates, was a spread of cooked bacon, and cooked mushrooms and tomato slices. There were also fried sausages, potatoes that had been diced and cooked, and even freshly-cut Irish soda bread, complete with jar of blackberry jam, and a knife to spread it. Sophia even spotted a tea cozy over the teapot, keeping it warm.

"This looks fantastic, Red!"

Casey beamed. "I'm glad you like it—I like to cook Irish food or old family recipes more than American food, but I just never have anyone to cook for."

"Now you have me." Sophia chirped. "Need help with anything?"

Casey was currently preoccupied with cooking two sunny side up eggs.

"Yes, actually. Will you get get out the tea fixings, and two mugs from the cupboard by the window?"

Sophia obliged, and when she opened the cupboard, she was tickled to find that Casey had a vast collection of drinking mugs and tea cups. After a moment, she chose a mug for herself that was bedecked in four leaf clovers, and for Casey, she chose a mug with a picture of Captain America on it.

As she set about, pouring tea and making her drink to her own preferences, she said, "I slept a lot better last night after you took care of me."

"Wonderful."

"And one of these days, you're going to have to let me return the favor, so I can hear you call my name."

Luckily, Casey had just turned off the stove and finished putting the eggs on to the plates when she heard this because her knees buckles involuntarily, just at the sound of Sophia's voice.

She straightened herself up and laughed nervously. "I'm sure that that can be arranged, one of these nights."

"Good." Sophia said, approvingly. "I may just have to use my imagination in the meantime."

Casey made a happy sound. "Have I ever told you how much I love you?"

"Only every single day." Sophia kissed Casey soundly and smiled at her. "Now—let's eat."


After breakfast, they called Melissa to check on her, and after promising that they were going to pick her up so they could all spend time together, Sophia and Casey hung up and got ready for the day.

Melissa was thrilled to pieces to be spending time with both of her mothers, and once they told her they were all going out, she hurried off to find a new outfit to wear. Because of this, she missed an important conversation between Sophia, Casey, Olivia, and Alex.

"What are your plans for today?" Olivia began.

"We're going to take Melissa to the zoo and spend a few hours there." Sophia told her. "After that, we have a surprise for her."

Alex arched an eyebrow. "Did one of you propose?"

"Oh, my God, mom!" Sophia protested. "Come on!"

"Hey, it's just the first thing that popped into my head. Who knows, though? There could be four Missus Bensons in this family one day."

Sophia turned red, while beside Alex, Olivia pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Not this again!"

Unabashed, but amused, Casey was the only one giving the idea some serious thought. "But Casey Benson has a nice ring to it. Huh…"

Sophia cleared her throat. "Actually, the news we have for Melissa is more about the future of our family."

"Is it, now?" Olivia asked.

Casey nodded. "Sophia and I have decided to get a place together—an actual home that'll be suitable to raise kids in. We're going to look at a place later today."

"It's true." Sophia added, checking her watch. "It won't be until the evening, though."

Olivia and Alex were quite surprised by this news, but pleased, nevertheless, congratulating Sophia and Casey, and promising not to give their news away.


The subject of last names didn't come up again until the family was waiting in the admission line at the zoo.

Sophia turned to Casey. "Did you mean it when you said that Casey Benson sounds nice?"

"I did, and I still do."

"Why? My family doesn't exactly have the nicest of histories."

Casey looked at her, moving her sunglasses back, to the top of her head. "First of all, the Novaks have no chance of every dying out because Junior has four sons."

"Woah, really?

"Uh-huh. Junior has Augustín III, Silas, Jasper, and Ismay." Casey counted them off on her fingers as she went. "So you see? No chance of dying out."

"I see what you're saying."

"Very good. Now second, I know that Noah is a little guy still, but what if he doesn't have kids when he grows up? And you said that Olivia and Alex want to adopt a baby girl?"

"Yes."

"Well, what if in addition to her, the baby that Alex is carrying is also a girl?"

"Then that would be the last of the Bensons."

Casey nodded again. "It would, and let's be real—you're young, and I'm close to forty, but your mothers are still a bit older than me. You and I have a chance to shake things up, here, and we even have two potential chances to make the name of Benson live on."

Sophia considered her lover's words. "I like what you're saying, Red; I totally see the benefits. You also don't want to stay a Novak forever, huh?"

"Professionally, I probably will, but personally, no. I don't."

"Wow. I've never thought about this, because when I was married, I had Gunner's last name. You taking mine would be the best fresh start ever."

"So you like the idea of me maybe becoming Cassandra Benson?"

Sophia gave her a peck on the cheek. "I definitely like the idea of you becoming Cassandra Benson."


Melissa had a very fun time at the zoo, and she didn't think anything else could make her day, but she was wrong. After they left, her mothers told her that it was time to start looking at places where they could all live together.

When that was over, they ended the place at Casey's favorite place to eat.


LUNA'S CAFÉ

2250 73rd AVENUE

MANHATTAN


"Melissa Joy," Sophia said suddenly, interrupting the toddler's thoughts. "You're super squirrelly. Do you have to go potty?"

Melissa nodded. "Yep."

Sophia stood, making room for her daughter to get out of the booth.

"We'll be right back, Red." Casey said to Sophia.

"Don't let me keep you."

Sophia nodded and began shepherding Melissa along, urging her to step on the gas.

Casey couldn't remember the last time she'd had such a full day and loved it. All she wanted now was to have a trial night of both Sophia and Melissa staying the night at her place. They were already a family, but if they all stayed the night together, then things would be solidified.

Just as Casey began concocting a plan of how to suggest this to Sophia, she heard a terrified little voice cry out.

"MAMA, HELP ME!"

That was Melissa's voice.