iThink About Tomorrow

It took Carly a few days to settle into her new routine as a wife and stay-at-home mom. It took her an additional week to address all of her Thank You cards for all of her wonderful gifts. By the time she reached the final card, she was fit to be tied. When she opened it, Carly thought Sam would need to rush her back to the hospital. Her heart very nearly stopped. The handwriting belonged to none other than Mythical Melanie Benson.

Carly,

A bet is a bet. Hate to put too fine a point on it, but I told you so.

I love you.

Mel

To Carly's shock and awe, a check, folded down the center, fell out of the card and onto the bed. Sam was at work and Missus Benson was watching the babies. Mess of a woman or not, she was certainly qualified to care for children. Carly picked up the check, ready to make a note of the amount and thank Freddie and Mel for their generosity.

She never even got that far. She felt a panic attack coming on as soon as she laid the check flat.

Mythical Music LLC

Columbia Tower

701 Fifth Avenue

Suite 4200

Seattle, WA 98104-5119

Pay to the Order of Carlotta T. Shay-Puckett

The check was signed in the light, airy hand of Melanie Benson. She couldn't believe it. Melanie had been serious that night when she bet Carly an obscene amount of money that she was, in fact, carrying twins. Normal people bandied around dollar amounts like that when they absolutely weren't serious by any stretch of the imagination.

Mythical Melanie, however, was born a Puckett. Pucketts, it seemed, were like elephants. Carly had become convinced that Pucketts were unable to forget anything.

This check made her uncomfortable. It was excessive. It was unnecessary. She couldn't possibly accept it. Could she?

She immediately dialed Melanie's cell phone. Her mythical sister answered sweetly on the second ring.

"Say Hey, Cupcake!"

"Don't you Cupcake me, Melanie Puckett…"

"Me-ouch… You okay, Carly?"

"You shouldn't have done that… That wasn't necessary…"

Melanie thought this was cute. Carly actually thought that she'd back down.

"Yes it was, Carls… You're my family, and it's just money… the album's selling well, and I don't spend money on myself… It's just me and Freddie… That's for you, Sam, and the girls. Buy a nice house. Private school. Whatever you guys want…"

Carly felt tears welling up behind her eyes. She hadn't ever considered that. She was simply blinded by the sheer enormity of the number that she never considered everything that the number could do for them. Her voice broke in her throat.

"Th… Th… Thank… Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me. Everything I have, I have because you and Sam convinced me to take a calculated risk. You deserve it as much as I do…"

Carly told her she loved her. Melanie told her that they'd meet up next Friday and head over to the bank together, and then go out to lunch. That sounded good to her. She cleared off the bed and fell asleep. Life had become exhausting.

SOME TIME LATER…

Winter gave way to Spring and it was a beautiful one in Seattle. It was a rare warm, sunny day in late April. Sam had decided to take her babies to the park. Carly and Mel were out having a girls' day. Freddie had gone out shopping for furniture for his and Melanie's new house on Mercer Island. It was far beyond anything Sam ever wanted for herself, but her sister deserved it. She was a star now and deserved to live larger than life.

Sam pushed the double-wide stroller down the path and sat down on what had become her usual bench. She was right on time.

"Hey…"

"How's it going?"

"Pretty good, you?"

"Alright… you know… the more things change, the more they stay the same, right?"

"How's the new job?"

"Different, but the wife's happy…"

Shelby Marx shot her friend a wry smile. They'd been making a regular date of it lately, spending every Wednesday morning together. It was just them, a large coffee, and the kids.

Sam looked down at her two wiggly little monsters and began wondering out loud.

"What are we going to do with them?"

Shelby chuckled. She moved little Megan from her lap to her hip, bouncing as she walked with her. Sam followed suit, scooping little Ashley up from the stroller, walking back and forth with her, all the while keeping an eye on the stroller.

"Hey Marx, you think things will all fall in line now, or are we in for a wild ride with these three?"

Shelby smirked.

"Who knows, Puckett… Who knows."

The two friends talked, about nothing in particular, when they realized that they weren't going anywhere.

Sam cocked her head, as though she had just seen the strangest thing in the world, as well as the most fascinating. For the first time in her young life, Ashley Puckett had noticed someone other than her sister and was completely fascinated. Ten tiny little fingers had become intertwined, one child reaching out for the other. Megan Marx's dark eyes went wide in amazement and she let out a contented squeak.

The two friends gave each other a look that simply seemed to say 'Oh Boy… Here we go again…'. Sam chuckled to herself, Shelby seeing the same lopsided, toothy grin that Carly had fallen in love with over the years. Sam Puckett had grown up. Uncle Carmine had quietly retired to Florida, leaving Sam with the restaurant. His other business was kept at arms-length, though there was an understanding that fifteen percent of those proceeds were to go into the restaurant. Samantha was never to want for anything again. So it was written, so too should it be done.

"Hey Shel?"

"Yeah?"

"Dinner at my place tonight? The four of us?"

Shelby knew exactly what the blonde meant. 'My Place' was always the restaurant.

"Sure, you know Wendy's down for that… That lobster ravioli you make… a thing of beauty!"

They had absentmindedly meandered over towards the playground. They had all played here – individually – as children. Sam pushed the stroller containing her tiny reasons for living gently. She thought of Carly and her friends, wondering what tomorrow might bring.

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