Sophia woke some hours later, feeling refreshed and back to herself, although she was a little hungry, too. She also remembered what had happened before bed, and why she was naked. Keeping this in mind, she borrowed some things to wear from Casey's closet. Sophia had her own clothes at the loft now, but she found Casey's things a lot softer. They also smelled nicer, too. Like vanilla.
When she went downstairs, she didn't see Casey immediately, but she did see hers and Melissa's bags and things on the couch. Their clothes needed proper folding—they were currently tucked away in duffle bags. Getting them wrinkle-free was now Sophia's current mission.
As she worked on her chore, she started humming to herself, and a song soon fell from her lips.
Tell me I'm your baby
And you'll never leave me
Tell me that you'll kiss me
Forever
Whisper that you love me
That you'll never leave me
Be mine for always
I'll be yours forever
Ooh, ooh
Ooh
Ooh, ooh
Ooh
Tell me I'm your baby
And you'll never leave me
Tell me that you'll kiss me
Forever
Meanwhile, Casey had been in her office, on the phone.
The call had been just long enough that she hadn't noticed Sophia wake up and go downstairs. But when she arrived, she saw her on the couch, and she was actually singing. Sophia was a mezzo-soprano, and Casey knew this, but she'd had yet to her lover sing.
Until now.
Sophia didn't notice Casey until she was done.
"How long were you there?" Sophia asked when she saw her.
Casey hurried over and knelt before Sophia, putting a hand on her knees.
"Long enough to know that if you really wanted to, we could go down to the courthouse right now, find a judge, and get married."
Sophia's heart jumped, and she set a folded shirt down beside her. Then she held Casey's face in her hands and stroked her cheeks with her thumbs.
"Keep it together, Cassandra." she said. "I do want a wedding, but I want a real one."
"You didn't get a traditional wedding last time?"
"No. It was actually a courthouse wedding, and Melissa hadn't even happened yet."
Casey laughed nervously. "Oh. Never mind, then."
"You didn't know." Sophia said kindly. "We should have a real wedding, and besides, Melissa would never forgive us if we got married without her in attendance."
"Our parents also all might be frustrated if we eloped, now that I'm hearing this out…"
"Also a good point. We can't have that, can we?"
Casey sighed. "When do you want to get married?"
Sophia thought about it. "After the babies come."
"Well, we're due in April, so how about August?" Casey suggested. "The babies will be three months old by then, and it will nearly time for Melissa to start preschool."
"Then August, it is. We'll decide on an exact date later."
Sophia kissed Casey and returned to folding laundry.
"Did you come down here to tell me something before you got distracted by me sining?"
Casey nodded and continued to kneel. "Remember the brownstone we looked at with Melissa?"
"Mhm. The nice one, over on Commonwealth."
"It's ours, lover."
Sophia looked up again. "I beg your pardon? You're serious?"
"Yes—the only other people interested pulled out."
"Wow. And this was the only place we looked at, too."
"Are you okay?"
Sophia smiled at her and stood. "Absolutely. Opportunities like this don't just fall out of the sky."
"That, they don't. If I call the owners back, I bet we could close by Tuesday."
It was currently Sunday.
"Go for it, Red."
Casey got up and crossed over to the kitchen to make the call, which was just as well, because all of a sudden, the sound of Midnight Train To Georgia started playing.
Amanda was calling her.
Sophia greeted her sister in surprise. "Hey, Amanda. Everything alright?"
"Yes. Are you feeling better, enough to be sociable?"
Sophia glanced at the clock on the DVD player and did some calculations. "I am, actually. I just woke from a four hour nap, and I feel refreshed."
"Good—my parents want to have dinner with just you, Kim, and I. They're going back to Atlanta tomorrow."
"I bet they're happy to go."
"Oh, yes. My mom barely tolerates New York, as it is." Amanda cleared her throat, getting herself back on topic. "Listen, do you think an hour is enough time to make yourself presentable enough to have dinner in Palm Court, at The Plaza?"
Sophia nodded, even though Amanda couldn't see her. "Yes."
"Good. They're sending a car for me, but give me your information, and I can have the driver come get you, too." Amanda said. "Where are you?"
"I've officially moved in with Casey, so I'm at her—I mean our place," she quickly corrected herself. "And it's by Central Park. I'll text you our building address."
"Alright. See you in an hour."
"See you then."
True to her word, Sophia sent Amanda the information she needed, and no sooner had she set her phone down than Casey was back, and helping her to her feet.
"The brownstone is officially ours! We just have to sign the paperwork on Tuesday, and—oh, no. What's wrong?"
Sophia had gotten teary-eyed, and was rubbing her eyes. Clearly, she was trying not to cry.
"Red, I swear I'm happy, but I've never had so much go right for me in my life, as I have since the day I met you." Sophia explained. "I love it all, and I love that I'm sharing it with you. I'm just sorry I keep crying all the time."
Casey met Sophia with unwavering compassion. "First of all, just like me, you're hormonal and pregnant, so crying is totally allowed. Second, you haven't exactly had the best life, so I'm here to help you heal, and to show you that it really does get better. I used to think that it wouldn't. If I'd given up, we would have never met."
"Oh, my God." Sophia realized with a jolt. "That's right."
"Yes, it is." Casey nodded and rubbed Sophia's arms, a motion she found comforting. "Do you feel better?"
Sophia exhaled noisily. "I do. Thanks."
"You're very welcome. What was your call about?"
"Amanda's coming to collect me in an hour."
"For what?"
"Her parents and Kim are going back to Georgia tomorrow, and apparently, Benoît and Beth Anne want to have dinner with their kids and me."
Casey laughed. "I'm not saying that I know anything, but something tells me that after all this, Benoît and Beth Anne consider you as one of theirs. Where is dinner happening?"
"Palm Court."
"Oh, boy. Let's get you ready."
768 5th AVENUE
PALM COURT RESTAURANT AND BAR
THE PLAZA HOTEL
"Do you need help at all, madam?"
"No, but thank you."
Sophia, dolled up in her evening best, was with Amanda in the famous, historic, Plaza Hotel. They were in the main lobby, headed towards the equally-famous Palm Court restaurant, but they'd already been stopped twice now in the lobby by two different concierges to see if they needed assistance.
Amanda knew exactly why.
"It's because of this dumb wheelchair." she grumbled. "I just had to trip and wipe out in The Ramble, didn't I? Evening dress and fancy shoes or not, I'll run over the next person who asks if I need help."
"Not if I have anything to say about it." Sophia seized the handles of her sister's wheelchair and began steering it for her. "We're almost there."
To Amanda's pleasure, they weren't asked the dreaded question again, even when they were shown to their table. Sophia had taken charge and was walking with authority, something she had learned from Olivia.
"Oh, we're so glad you both made it!" Beth Anne chirped as Benoît stood and helped Amanda and Sophia to the table. "There are empty spots on either side of Kim now."
They sat, and Sophia turned to Kim.
"What's happening?"
"I honestly don't know." Kim confessed.
"What have we gotten ourselves into?" Amanda muttered.
Benoît sat back down. "We can hear you, and we have some business to attend to with you three. Nonalcoholic drinks aren't off the table, so order up—everything is on us tonight!"
Quite curious now, Amanda ordered a virgin Shirley Temple drink. Sophia ordered the same thing, while Kim went in a different direction and ordered an Old Fashioned cocktail. Benoît already had a glass of white wine, and Beth Anne had a Shirley Temple, too. This was going to be good.
Beth Anne spoke first, addressing the youngest person at the table. "Sophia, are you wondering why we invited you, too?"
"I'd be lying if I said no…"
"Well, we're already friends—that's for sure, but you are Amanda's and Kim's baby sister. I also feel responsible for you."
"Because if you'd never let my dad go, he would have never met Olivia… which means I wouldn't exist."
"That's right. I may not have given birth to you, but you're part of this family, good and well. I love you, and so does Benoît."
"It's true." Benoît confirmed when Sophia looked to him. "You've got me as a dad, and Beth Anne as another mother now. Is that alright with you?"
Sophia nodded, grinning. "Very."
Benoît blew out a breath. "Fantastic. Otherwise, this would've been super awkward."
"What would've been?" Amanda asked cautiously.
"We found out, when I was in the hospital, after you and Sophia were taken," Beth Anne began. "That miracles can come when they're more than a little overdue. I'm pregnant."
Sophia was delighted, while Amanda and Kim both spat out their drinks in surprise.
"You two still have sex?" Amanda blurted. "Gross!"
She turned to Kim.
"What?" Kim protested.
"You live with them at the house in Atlanta, and you didn't know?"
Kim shuddered. "Okay, ew! Excuse me while I cleanse my soul and try not to do math!"
Amanda sighed now. "Oh, my God—I'm going to be a big sister again, and now this little guy or doll will be old enough to play with my kids."
Beth Anne looked over at Sophia, almost in trepidation, but breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her smiling.
"You're not going to be a drama queen like these two, are you?" she asked hopefully.
Sophia shook her head. "Nope—I'm just so happy, Beth Anne!"
"And why's that?"
"A year ago, I didn't have any friends, and I thought it was always just going to be Melissa and me. Now, I'm learning to be happy again, plus I have a family of my own, and even a few sets of parents! That's more than I could have ever bargained for! I also have a little brother, and two big sisters, and now I'm getting another sibling? Nobody in this family does anything small, but that's okay—I like it."
"Good," Beth Anne approved. "Because we have more news, and if none of you were on board, this would be more awkward than ever."
"Spit it out!" Sophia, Amanda, and Kim said in unison.
Benoît spoke, sounding dazed. "We were told at first that it's twins, but surprise—God chose to smile at us a little more."
Sophia, Amanda, and Kim turned from him to Beth Anne, eyebrows raised expectantly. The matriarch was the one in a daze now.
"It's triplets, and two of them are even going to be identical. We can hardly believe it, but we're positively over the moon, and haven't come back yet."
Sophia found her voice first. "Triplets? When are you due, Beth Anne?"
"Late March. We couldn't go home again without telling our children together, and in person."
"Does anyone else know?"
"Olivia, because she saw me in the hospital, and Blue. But she's my sister."
"And no matter how many times she gets on your nerves, you two still share your secrets?"
"Yes—exactly."
Sophia stood up and crossed around to the other side of the table.
"I'm really happy for you both, and I can't wait to meet my new siblings." she said to Beth Anne and Benoît. "Congratulations."
And she hugged them.
Amanda and Kim followed suit, putting their surprise aside, and they hugged their parents, as well.
"I'm very happy, too." Kim told them. "This is going to be quite interesting, but for sure a lot of good fun."
Amanda nodded in agreement, getting in another hug. "I feel a whole new wave of responsibility, as the oldest, but that's alright. Maybe you all can come back for Christmas next year, and the kids can meet Jesse and the baby?"
"They can meet my kids, too." Sophia chimed in.
"I can't wait for this." laughed Kim. "I'll record it all."
Benoît spoke cheekily. "We'll be back before then—Amanda and Sophia will probably both be married by the fall."
Amanda and Sophia both turned red.
But they knew that Benoît was right.
