iDinner Date

Carly loved the fact that tonight had become 'Date Night', but the fact that she felt like a giant blueberry wasn't helping matters. Sam had to straighten this out.

"Carlotta Taylor Shay-Puckett! I will not have you talk that way…"

This was absolutely Tough Love. Sam had just invoked Carly's full legal name.

"But I'm huge…"

"Pregnant, Carls… You're carrying two small people around with you at all times, so forgive me if your skinny jeans don't fit!"

Sam had come down just a bit harsher than she'd intended. She backtracked gently.

"Cupcake, look… I only know what you tell me. I can only guess how you must feel, but we both know that this will be over soon and that our lives will be infinitely better because of all of this.

Carly wasn't about to argue. She knew Sam was right. She'd never admit it, but Sam was a hundred percent right. She was grumpy and moody and swollen, but all of this was about her own vanity. She loved Sam more than anything. She loved that Sam had held her hand and doted on her and spoiled her the past few months. She knew that Sam would always be right by her side, through absolutely everything.

Sam did the last thing that Carly ever expected. She knelt at the foot of the sofa and spoke directly into Carly's expanding stomach.

"Mamma vi ama, i bambini ... Dite la vostra madre a guardare la sua bocca."

Sam kissed Carly's stomach gently twice and stood up, stopping once more to kiss her gently on the cheek.

Carly was ready to stretch her legs and head out for the evening with Sam when she felt two very sharp pains. Her babies had just kicked her.

Sam looked like a cat that had just swallowed a canary. However sore she was, Carly couldn't keep a straight face when Sam was looking at her like that, straining to contain a peal of laughter.

"What? What did you do?"

Sam put on her very best innocent face. The problem was, regardless of how much she loved her, Carly knew that Sam Puckett was very rarely innocent.

"Me? Nothing…."

"Sam…"

"Honest, Cupcake…"

"Samantha…."

"Girl Scout's honor…"

Carly glared at her. The sweet chocolate eyes that Sam loved seemed to say 'I know you…'.

"Alright… I told the babies that I loved them very much, but to tell Mommy to watch her mouth…"

"You told our babies to hurt me? In Italian?"

Sam looked at her, slightly stung.

"Of course not, Cupcake. I told them that Mommy needed to watch her mouth… that's all. Do you still not get it?"

Carly stared at her blankly.

This was the part about life with her dainty little Cupcake that Sam Puckett hated. Sam had told her this a thousand times in a thousand different ways, but Carly never seemed to understand that Sam loved her – wholly and with no conditions. She explained it for the one thousand and first time. Carls wrapped her in a suffocating hug. All was again well at the Puckett house.

IL TERRAZZO CARMINE, AN HOUR LATER...

The two couples sat making small talk at the most secluded table in the main dining room. Only Sam noticed the glance one of the new waiters gave her, as though she were something he would otherwise scrape from his shoe. She seethed, but kept it all inside. Waiting for the young man to pass, she summoned Uncle Carmine away from an adjacent table with no more than a gentle nod.

She spoke in soft, lilting Italian as she recounted the disrespect that had just been done here, in his house. She noticed that vein in his neck begin to throb. She knew how Uncle Carmine dealt with disrespect. She knew that the young waiter, apparently fresh off the boat from the old country, would soon know as well.

Carmine Puckett wrapped Sam and Carly into tight hugs, speaking to them in fluent Italian. Carly had come to understand a smattering of Italian. She wasn't fluent, but she knew enough to fumble her way through. Sam put her hand on Carmine's upper arm, subtly telling him to turn. She wanted to introduce their new friends.

"Questo è il medico Carly. Questo è il suo amica speciale…"

Carmine understood. There were only rough translations in his native tongue for people like Sam and Carly. Simply because the word didn't exist didn't mean he couldn't honor them as the special people that they were. This young woman was a medical doctor. That was an honorable profession. She was charged with nurturing the newest branches of his family tree. They deserved respect. Carmine reached for each of them in turn, kissing the jewelry on each of their ring fingers. He may have been The Boss, but Carmine knew that for respect to be earned, it also must be given. He looked Carly's doctor in the eyes and spoke in heavily accented English. She brought much honor to his house and joy to his heart, so he said. The young woman blushed, telling the older man that she was simply doing her job – that she had taken an oath to help people.

Her wife squeezed her hand gently. She wanted the one she loved to learn how to take a compliment.

"Honey, stop…"

Carmine Puckett politely excused himself, telling Sam in Italian that their meals would be compliments of the house.

MEANWHILE, AT CASA DE BENSON…

Melanie's cell phone skittered across the coffee table. She sat on the sofa in nothing more than one of Freddie's t-shirts, eating pepper steak directly from the take-out container with chopsticks. Seeing the 612 area code on the Caller ID made her shriek with glee. She knew Freddie wouldn't necessarily like this, but it had to be good news, especially considering the time difference. The TV no longer held her interest. She knew she needed to take this call, before her little tech boy got out of the shower.

IL TERRAZZO CARMINE, AN HOUR LATER…

The two couples bade each other goodnight at the front door. It had been a magical night for all parties concerned. Carly and Sam had learned the story behind how the young doctor and her partner, public relations director for the Seattle Cobras, met and fell in love. It was apparent to the young doctor that Carly Puckett wasn't simply another patient. She hadn't wanted to feel compromised, but she had to admit that her lady had been right about the entire evening – nobody was so rich as to throw away a friend. Carly smiled as the doctor gently patted her stomach, telling her that her twins would be along in short order and not to worry. Sam was in the process of hitting her new friend up for free football tickets when Carly flicked her in the ear, scolding her. Sam immediately apologized.

The four women truly enjoyed each other's company. Carly felt sleepy all of a sudden. She rested her head on Sam's shoulder. They knew it was time to go. Sam spoke up.

"Gotta go… Time to get Cupcake here to bed… Hope you have a wonderful night…"

Carly was happy. Sam had let go and relaxed a bit, all the while being the Sam that Carly knew, loved, and needed. She was comfortable. She politely thanked her doctor for joining them for what had been a wonderful evening. It was time to go home and slip into bed with Sam and the rest of their growing family.