iHave A Dream

That night, as Sunday gave way to the early hours of Monday, Carly Shay slept. She slept the way she hadn't in ages. She shut her eyes and was able to stay asleep, dreaming sweetly of how wonderful her life with Sam would be. She was looking down on the world, as though she had the omnipresence of the Creator of All.

She saw a home she had never before laid eyes on, but which she knew, instinctively, must belong to her and Sam. The layout was similar to her own home, if only because it was a construct of her own subconscious mind. It was all she knew.

Much Older Sam was in the kitchen, cooking something that Carly knew could only smell and taste like Heaven. Then she noticed. Then she saw – the only thing that would ever rival the beauty of Sam Puckett. The little girl looked strikingly familiar. She was the spitting image of Carly herself at five years old. The little girl sat on the floor, between the sofa and the coffee table, viciously attacking a sheet of paper with bright crayons. A Boston terrier puppy slept not five feet away, on the far sofa cushion, curled into the most adorable fuzzy black-and-white lump. It was only a dream, she knew, but every fiber of Carly's being wanted to call out for joy. Deep inside her head, Carly heard the strangest sound. She suddenly felt this horrible pulling. She felt like someone had hooked her through the navel with fishing line and was pulling her ever backwards. She wasn't ready for it to end. Her heart longed for her to be able to stay. She wanted to stay forever, wandering in a haze of her own creation. She knew she couldn't.

"Good Morning, Cupcake…." Sam said lazily.

"Hey there, Mama…" Carly yawned.

She wanted to stay in bed with her forever. She didn't want to move. She wanted to lay here in Sam's arms – secure in her nakedness – warm and relaxed. If she had her way, the day would consist of a hot shower, late breakfast, and maybe some Girly Cow. She didn't want to get dressed. She didn't want to go to class. She didn't want to go through the machinations of her day, all until the bell rang and they could just be themselves again – just Carly and Sam.

She felt a familiar discomfort as Sam's index finger poked playfully between her ribs.

"Oww... Sam…" Carly's head lolled on her neck. She was in and out of sleep. She didn't want to fight it. She wanted it to win.

"C'mon, Carls… You know we can't…" Sam pushed Carly upright from behind. "Later, I promise, Carls…"

Reluctantly, Carly Shay forced herself from her safe, warm bed, which she had shared with the most beautiful blonde creature in existence. Her naked feet hit the floor and she plodded toward the bathroom, her bare hips swaying as she walked. Sam Puckett bit her lower lip. She bit it so hard she thought it would surely bleed. Whatever. It didn't matter. Carly was all that mattered.

Within minutes, a hot shower was running and she knew Carly was inside. Without a second thought, Sam followed her. If nothing else, she was doing a good thing, she convinced herself. She was being environmentally conscious.

"Conserve water, shower with a friend..." Sam chuckled to herself.

It would be an ideal start to another Manic Monday.

SEVERAL HOURS LATER…

It was quiet, so far as Mondays were concerned, when Carly and Sam arrived home. Carly loved Sam more than anything, and as much as it pained her to do it, she knew that she had to keep her love in the dark for a little while longer. She had no malicious intent whatsoever. To the contrary, Carly was doing what she felt was in Sam's best interest. This was, to her way of thinking, about being unselfish – about putting Sam's needs before her own. Spencer was out with Socko again, scouring all corners of Seattle for God-Knows-What to be incorporated into his next sculpture. Having Spencer 'working' – such as it was – as much as he had been, was a blessing to the couple, in that they had the run of the house, but it also meant plenty of time left unsupervised.

Dumping their bags at the door, Sam headed directly for the kitchen. By the time Carly caught up with her, she was already digging in the fridge. Carly tugged on Sam's waist from behind, Sam's butt digging into her hip.

"'uphake…" Sam whined. She was already chewing. Carly pulled Sam close, spinning her around, so they were face-to-face. Carly pulled her into a kiss, tasting the salty goodness of Virginia ham on her lips. She smiled, laughter in her voice.

"I love you, my little Bacon Strip... I'll be back in just a few minutes… Think you can be good?" She spoke to Sam as though she were a child, tousling her blonde curls. Sam smirked. Carly gave her an exaggerated peck on the cheek and ran out of the kitchen, rounding the stairs to the second floor. Sam watched her sprint away, savoring each second.

"Oh, the things that girl does to me… She is so evil…" Sam thought to herself, smiling the whole time.

Entering her bedroom, Carly shut the door behind her as quietly as she could. She completely expected that, by now, Sam had comfortably flounced down on the sofa, making herself at home. She only hoped that Sam hadn't run up another hundred dollars in pay-per-view charges. Carly grabbed her phone and searched her speed dial. She hit SEND.

The call connected on the second ring.

"Say Hey, Carly Shay! What's up?"

"Hey Mel, I… um… Can we talk?" Carly was losing her nerve. Melanie laughed.

"Aren't we? Seriously though, what's up?"

Carly started, and then paused.

"It's… well, it's about Sam…"

Immediately, Melanie Puckett – sweet, naïve Melanie – jumped to the absolutely wrong conclusion.

"What did she do this time and how much is bail?"

Carly laughed hysterically. That was, quite possibly, the funniest thing she had ever heard come out of Melanie's mouth, specifically because she believed it so sincerely.

"God, Melanie… No, I need a favor."

Carly went into explicit detail about the dozen and a half college acceptance letters now lining the bottom of her underwear drawer and why she needed to get rid of them. Would Melanie be willing to help her? She knew it was a somewhat creepy and bizarre request, and she didn't want Melanie to be uncomfortable with it.

"…So let me get this straight…." Melanie began. "You haven't been entirely honest with the woman you're in a relationship with – who happens to be my twin sister – and you want me to help you keep your little secret, all to spare her feelings?" Melanie sounded harsh. Carly stammered, clearly shaken.

"…Uh… uh… yeah, I kinda guess so…" She sounded like she was about to cry. Melanie picked up on it immediately; doing everything she could to allay Carly's fears.

"Relax, Carls… It's sweet that you care so much about her feelings. Just tell me what you need."

The words died in her throat. Melanie had just called her Carls. Only Sam called her Carls. It threw her for a loop.

"Thanks, Mel… I owe you."

"Oh, shush! You do not… but I will take gift certificates to Glitter Gloss! Just kidding…"

Carly now loved both of the Puckett sisters. She loved Sam because she was the Yin to Carly's Yang. She loved Melanie because she brought balance to her volatile little world. She was the glue linking the Shay, Puckett, and Benson families together. It was because of her that everything was calm.

The girls said their goodbyes, Carly slinking back downstairs to be with Sam. They had an awful lot to talk about, but that would all come in time. Tonight, Carly had a wonderful story to tell her – a story about her Ham Lover, a tiny brunette girl, and the domestic tranquility that could come in time. She had seen it all.