With an exuberant smile on her face, Sandra attends morning classes, has lunch with Willow, then attends her afternoon drawing class. Afterwards, she goes to the library to work on her children's book and study for her chemistry final and lab practical, deciding to skip her father's lecture and focus on getting the best grades possible for the semester.
Jeff brings her a bottle of water at his usual time, and they chat about the newest family member. Photos are shared and Sandra gushes over the newborn, describing the endearing sounds of her little cries and her smooth, delicate newborn skin.
"Do you want to have children someday?" he asks.
Her faraway stare and broad smile hint at her wishes, so he's not surprised to hear that she wants a large family of her own in the future.
"It's good to see you this happy," he observes.
"It's good to feel this happy. What about you? Do you want kids?"
"Yeah, sure. I come from a large family so I wouldn't mind having a large family."
"How many siblings do you have?"
"Four brothers, two older, two younger. I'm in the middle like you."
Dave and Sandra pick Cheryl up at school as soon as her classes are over, and they all make their way to the hospital to visit the new family of three.
On the way there the youngest Roslin chatters on about how she's going to teach Emilee to play pyramid, fly vipers, love cats, read books, and write computer programs, among other things. "She's going to be just like me!"
Ellen and Saul are leaving when they arrive.
"She is so precious, Dave – the most beautiful baby I've ever seen!" Ellen gushes. "Congratulations! How are you, Sandra? And how are you, Cheryl? I've been so busy with my wedding business I haven't been able to spend any time with you."
"I miss you, Aunt Ellen," Cheryl replies.
"I miss you, too, sweetheart. I have a free weekend soon. Dave, would you mind if she came over and spent some time with us? Maybe we could go see Fernando!"
"That's okay with me. School will be out in another week and Cheryl will need to find some things to keep her busy. Give me a call and we'll set it up, Ellen."
They visit with Laura and Bill over the next two hours, each taking turns holding the baby. Cheryl witnesses her sister breastfeeding the infant, exclaiming, "Wow! Your boobs are huge!" before Laura can cover up with a modesty blanket.
"Thank you for announcing that to the entire hospital wing, Cheryl. They're big because they're filling up with milk so I can nourish my baby."
The suggestion of nourishment causes a rumble in Cheryl's stomach, so she begs her father for something to eat. Bill volunteers to take her to the cafeteria for a snack, picking her up and flying her like a viper out of the room. Just as he leaves, Amy enters to take Laura's order for dinner.
She glances shyly at Dave, who offers her a soft smile, indicating there is nothing for her to feel awkward about. Sandra notices their silent exchange and watches as her father eyes the young nurse, then follows her out of the room to the nurses' station. She stands in the doorway and witnesses him flirting with Amy, noticing they are quite comfortable with each other.
"So, how's school?" Laura asks, wondering what has her sister so distracted.
"Hmm? Oh, it's fine. I should pull all As as long as I don't bomb my chemistry final. Do you wanna hear some gossip?" she asks, wondering if this is the type of news she should drop on her sister while she's still hospitalized.
"Is it good gossip or bad gossip?"
"Depends on how you look at it."
"Who's it about?"
"Our very own father."
"Tell me."
"Wellll, I wasn't sure until just a moment ago, but our father is banging someone you know."
"This sounds like bad gossip. I'm not sure I want to hear this."
"Too late. I'm 99% certain he's banging your nurse Amy."
"No way," Laura chuckles in disbelief. "She's my age."
"He left last night at 10 and came home at midnight and he most definitely banged someone. He was all sweaty."
"Why do you think it's Amy?"
"Because he's flirting with her right now. Did you see the looks they were giving each other when she came in here? Watch when they come back."
A few minutes later, Bill carries Cheryl back into the room. A huge dish of ice cream is in her hands, complete with sprinkles and whipped cream. Dave returns shortly after that, insisting that she share some of the sweet treat with him.
"Where'd you disappear to, Daddy?" Sandra asks. It's a test to see if he lies.
"I was talking to someone. How did it go overnight with the baby, Laurie? Did you get any sleep?"
Sandra's impressed with her father's ability to sidestep the issue and change the subject. She decides not to let him off the hook.
"Who were you talking to?"
"The nurse," he replies matter-of-factly. "Turns out she's read my book. She recognized me last night."
Laura glances at her sister, who looks back at her with one eyebrow cocked.
"Excuse me," Amy says, lightly putting her hand on Dave's back who is partially blocking the doorway. "Laura, do you want your dinner at 5 or 5:30?"
"Either one is fine," she answers, noticing Amy still has her hand on her father's back. He makes eye contact with the young nurse before she leaves the room, and his gaze lingers on her for a moment too long as she walks away.
Laura rolls her eyes at her sister, who nods her head with a smirk on her face.
Changing the subject back to the baby, Dave offers whatever advice he can think of for when Laura and Bill take her home the following day. "If you need anything once you get there, let me know and I'll go out and get it for you."
They leave before Laura's food arrives. Sandra is spending the night with Willow and still needs to pack her overnight bag, while Cheryl will stay with Persephone, who is picking her up at 6:30. Earlier in the week Dave had planned to spend the night alone, but things have changed in the past 24 hours.
After dinner, Jean stops by to visit with her best friend. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it last night, but I figured you'd be busy with family anyway. Can I hold her?"
Bill places the sleeping infant in her arms, and Laura is certain she can see Jean melt in her presence. "A little angel, that's what you are. Oh, you even smell precious," she says sniffing the top of her head. Jean sways with her in her arms for several minutes, gazing intently at the sleeping baby's face.
The sound of Bill clearing his throat causes her to look up. "I'll take her," he says holding his arms out.
"You'll have to excuse my husband, he doesn't let anyone hold her for very long," Laura says with a smirk.
"That's kind of sweet," Jean replies, "but wait until she starts dating," she whispers to Laura.
"I heard that. She won't be dating for at least 20 years," Bill says firmly.
This prompts a snort from Jean as she stares at Laura, who closes her eyes and shakes her head at her husband's overprotective nature.
"So how are you? Did everything go okay?"
"My water broke before labor, but it all went okay. Childbirth is exhausting and I do not envy the women who labor for over a day. Mine was just six hours and it was painful enough."
"But it's worth it," Jean says, sitting on the edge of Laura's bed. "I'm so proud of you."
A small flash of light draws Laura's attention to her best friend's left hand which is resting on the bed near her leg. "Jean?! What's that on your finger? Oh, did you-"
A smile spreads across Jean's face as Laura figures out she's engaged. "When?"
"Last night at dinner. You could say yesterday was the start of something new for both of us."
"Have you set a date yet? Let me see your ring. Bill, come look!"
"We haven't set a date, but we'd like for it to be soon. I'll talk to Ellen about planning it once we have an idea of when and where we'd like to be married."
"Congratulations, Jean," Bill says, pulling her into a hug. "You've been such an amazing friend to both of us. I'm happy for you and Eugene."
"We've all come a long way since that high school dance, haven't we?" she says.
After tonight, there will be one more dorm party the last day of finals before students must move out of the residence halls for mandatory cleaning, repairs, upgrades, and reassignments for the summer semester. Willow worries about her summer roommate assignment, wishing that Sandra could live with her in the dorms. University policy states you must be 17 years old to live on campus, but there are always exceptions. Sandra's closer to 17 than 16, but her father isn't ready to let her be on her own yet, especially since she's still dealing with some grief issues.
Sandra doesn't mind, appreciating having the safety net of her family around her in the comfort of her home. She detests the locker room style bathrooms that are found in most of the residence halls, and the occasional loud party that keeps students from a good night's sleep. She never realized how nice she had it at home until she began staying with Willow on Friday nights. Even when Cheryl is being ornery, it's still better to share a bathroom with just one person, have a private space to study and draw, dine on home cooked meals, and have her father nearby. Besides, would Cheryl's behavior worsen if she were to move out? How would her father handle that? And how would she ever know anything about his private life ever again?
As Willow rants to her about having to share a small dorm room with a stranger this summer, Sandra wonders if her father is seeing Amy tonight. With the furtive glances they made at each other earlier in the afternoon and their not-so-innocent touching, she's certain he will not be lonely this evening.
"You're not listening to me, are you?" Willow asks when she notices how distracted her best friend is.
"Sorry. I know you're upset that I won't be your roommate, but I really do think it's best if I live at home. Daddy needs help with Cheryl, and I wanna be near my niece."
"I don't blame you," Willow replies, understanding how close Sandra is to her father and sisters. "If I had a loving family like yours, I wouldn't wanna leave them, either. Maybe I can move in with you? Just kidding. So, how's therapy?"
"It's…therapy. Different from my last therapy. We're trying to peel back the layers of what's causing all my grief and anger. The obvious one is the death of my mother, but there's more to it than that."
"Maybe you just need to get laid."
Sandra considers the possibility. "Mmmm, probably not. My sexual experiences haven't been the best. In fact, the few I've had have been awful."
"Then how about a simple date?"
"I have a bad habit of picking shitty dates. I don't trust my judgment at all," she says, shaking the memories of past dating atrocities from her mind.
"So let someone else pick one out for you," Willow suggests with a wiggle of her eyebrows.
"Are you trying to set me up with someone?"
"Sort of. Brad has a few friends and maybe we could make it a double-date. That way if he's horrible, you have me there to help out."
"Hmpf. Maybe. I'll think about it."
"Okay, but I'm gonna keep bugging you about it until you say yes," her friend warns, and Sandra knows she will do just that.
"Let's at least wait until classes start this summer. You ready to play some trivia? I really wanna kick Kyle's ass tonight. I still say he cheated last week."
As the evening wears on, Kyle's team and Sandra's team are neck and neck in scoring, until he suddenly draws the modern sports category, by far his most knowledgeable subject, while Sandra is stuck with ancient dance. He mops the floor with her, puffs his chest, and gives her his most smug look as she loses for the second week in a row.
"Dammit!" she groans.
"Ohhhh, somebody hates losing," he teases. "Get used to it, Roslin. I'm making it three in a row next week."
"Frak off," she grumbles, getting up from her floor cushion and moving toward the door.
Kyle's friends jeer as she leaves while Willow follows her to the door. "Don't worry, I'm just going to pee," Sandra says seeing the look of concern on her face.
"Why don't you guys get a life?" Willow asks, trying to silence Kyle's minions when she returns to the room.
"Why don't you try getting a personality?" one of them quips back.
"Men, men," Kyle addresses his followers. "None of that. We don't want them to start crying, do we?" he asks, then begins to fake cry and act distraught.
"You're a pig," Willow snorts.
"You might be right. And this pig has to piss, so if you'll excuse me Tree-Girl, it's time to drain the enormous lizard."
"You're so gross," she insults him and walks away.
Sandra sits on the toilet, her mind trying to figure out how Kyle cheats. Last week he drew easier categories as the game progressed while hers became much more difficult. Who knows anything about quilt-making on the outer colonies? That was her final category last week and as vague as her final category this week. The simplest explanation is he has control over the order of the cards as they're drawn, but the fact that they're shuffled prior to the game strikes down that theory.
After washing her hands, she decides to put it out of her mind and not let it ruin the rest of her evening. As she steps out of the restroom, she turns and runs smack into Kyle who's leaving the men's restroom.
"Roslin," he smirks.
"How are you doing it?" she asks him directly.
"I'm smarter than you are."
"No, you're cheating," she accuses him.
"Typical. You can't stand to lose so you decide I'm cheating to make you feel better. Feminine logic."
A sound escapes from her throat, sort of a cross between a gag and a huff. Her eyes narrow at him as she contemplates slapping the pompous look from his face.
"It's too bad, Roslin. You're actually kinda hot when you're pissed," he says, reaching his hand toward her mouth.
She smacks it away, hard enough to make him wince in surprise. Then his expression changes as they stare at each other not speaking. His face relaxes and he slowly blinks at her, then carefully lifts his hand again, brushing his thumb along her mouth, pulling her lower lip down slightly.
His eyes search her face as he moves in closer to her, giving her ample opportunity to put an end to his attention. A warmth surrounds them. Five minutes ago, she couldn't stand the thought of him, his arrogance, his misogyny, his chauvinism. Now, inexplicably, she's turned on by him.
Her lips part as her breathing becomes heavy and, while she can't explain it, she doesn't move away as he leans in close and places his mouth on hers. It's a questioning kiss, asking if she wants more. She answers by smashing her lips into his and thrusting her tongue in his mouth.
Willow eyes the game moderator, noticing him speaking in low tones to one of Kyle's minions. They're standing in a dark corner chatting as they eat pizza, then when they think no one's looking, they shake hands, and a small object is exchanged and slipped into a pocket. Nobody ever wants to oversee the game, preferring to compete, so when this person showed up last week and volunteered, everyone was more than happy to let them take over. Except now she suspects this isn't just a random person who stumbled upon the dorm parties late in the semester. This is a minion put in place to enable Kyle to cheat.
She looks around the room for Sandra to let her know her suspicions, then realizes she hasn't returned from the restroom. Kyle is also absent. "Oh, shit," she says under her breath as she hurriedly leaves the room, expecting to find her best friend and Kyle arguing in the hallway.
When she rounds the corner near the restrooms, she doesn't find them arguing. Kyle has Sandra pushed up against the wall, a hand up her shirt, his hips thrusting against her, and his tongue down her throat.
"GET OFF HER!" she screams at him, grabbing his arm and pulling him back.
"Don't worry, Tree, you'll get your turn!" he laughs when she forces them apart.
"You're so sick!" she exclaims, then watches in horror as Sandra grabs Kyle and pulls him back to her. "You're kissing him willingly?!"
"Your friend's getting jealous, Roslin. Let's move this to my room."
"Ohhh, no, you are NOT going to his room! I would NOT be a good friend if I let this happen! Sandra, come here!" she orders pulling her by the hand. "Get in my room, NOW!" she exclaims, shoving her inside, then turning to Kyle with her finger in his face. "If you ever touch her again, I will kick your ass into tomorrow!"
"Don't make promises you can't keep, Tree. Roslin, I'll see you later," he winks.
Willow slams the door and sinks down in front of it, blocking Sandra from leaving her room. "Oh, my Gods, you weren't kidding when you said you had shitty taste in men! What were you thinking?"
"Hmpf, I was thinking maybe you're right, maybe I just need to get laid," she replies, her eyes still glassy from the experience.
"BUT NOT WITH KYLE!"
"Why not Kyle? He's interested. I'm spending the night. Seems rather convenient, don't you think?"
"Back up, Sandra. That is some extremely poor judgment on your part. He's slimy, he cheats, he's an egomaniac, and he will use you, toss you aside, and brag to everyone about it."
"He also has a huge cock, I could feel it grinding into me. And he wants me."
"He wants to use you as an orifice for his pleasure," Willow clarifies.
"Isn't that what all guys want?" Sandra snorts in reply.
"Are…are you joking? Is that what you really think?" she stammers, looking at Sandra from a new perspective.
"Sure, I'm joking," she answers in a facetious tone. "Whatever. It's my decision. Now move out of the way."
"No! You are NOT frakking Kyle. If you try to leave, I'll call your dad," she threatens.
Sandra laughs at this. "Go ahead. He won't answer. I think he might be a little busy tonight."
"Then I will sit in front of this door all night. You are not leaving this room!"
"We'll see about that."
"What is with you? I can't believe you have such low self-worth! You're pretty, smart, talented, you have a loving family, why are you like this?" Willow asks, obviously frustrated with Sandra's attitude.
"Are you REALLY interested in why I have low self-esteem? Because if there's one thing I've learned the past few years, it's that every time I open up to someone, they stab me in the back. HARD. And when I think it can't get any worse, they twist the knife. And I'm sick of it," she says through gritted teeth, glaring at her friend.
Silence hangs between them while Willow stares at her, questioning where this anger is coming from. She decides to soften her approach. "Sandra…I wouldn't…I would NEVER do anything like that to you. You're important to me. You know that, right?"
She lets out a resounding sigh. "I know...I'd like to believe that. But...it's hard for me to trust you," she says, dropping her head in shame at this admission.
"Why? Have I done something to make you think you can't trust me?"
"Well…no. You haven't done anything. But my last best friend did. And now I realize how stupid that sounds. I'm keeping you at arm's length because of the shitty way someone treated me last year. Now I know how my older sister felt when she had trust issues. Guess I just peeled back a layer."
"I've never pushed you to tell me everything. But maybe you need to. Maybe you should take a chance and try trusting someone again."
"Do you really want to hear about my pathetic existence over the last two years?" Sandra looks at her sheepishly.
"If it helps explain why you're attracted to a creep like Kyle, then yes, I do."
"I don't want pity. And you can stop me at any time."
"Okay."
Soft lips kiss a path across his chest, the sun beginning to peek through the curtains of Amy's bedroom. Normally Dave doesn't get up this early on Saturdays, but he also hasn't spent the entire night with anyone in months.
"G'morning," he manages to groan, the attention of her mouth stirring his morning arousal.
"You sleep okay?" she asks, lifting her head up to wait for his response.
"I did. It's really quiet here. Hey, c'mere," he says, motioning for her to look at him. With her face cupped in his hands, he gives her a sweet kiss, putting a smile on her lips. "How'd you sleep?"
"Hmm, great," she giggles. "I like having you in my bed." Her right leg slips over his waist so that she's straddling him, staring down with an impish grin as she balances herself with her hands on his bare chest. "I'm kind of a morning person in case you haven't noticed," she informs him while rolling a condom down to cover his stiffened cock. Once it's in place, her eyes lock onto his, then she nibbles her lower lip as she gradually sinks down onto him.
Their rhythm begins slow and steady, allowing her to enjoy every inch of him, displaying her pleasure with the expressions on her face. Her firm breasts sway from their gentle rocking, which continues for several minutes. One hand reaches up to gather her long blond hair, holding it up off her shoulders, while her other hand trails down between her breasts, her lips forming a small pout as they part to allow her to pant. She has a natural sensuality, maybe because of her age, or maybe because she's so insatiable in bed. Whatever the reason, he enjoys watching her, being with her, being inside of her.
They talked about this relationship, or whatever it is, last night when he first arrived. Neither one of them is interested in anything long-term. No commitments, no expectations, just two consenting adults enjoying each other's company and satisfying a mutual need. It's casual, friendly, respectful, fun, and while they do care about each other, it doesn't need to go beyond that.
Their rhythm increases and her breathing turns to moans, her body bouncing on top of him, breasts moving wildly above him as she leans over to brace herself, her climax building. His hands grip her waist as his thrusts become more powerful, giving her a ride she won't ever forget.
The intensity of her walls rippling around him when her climax begins sends him over the edge with her. It isn't his intention to finish so soon, but she feels so damn good he loses himself like he's 20 years old again.
"You were trying to hold back, weren't you?" she smiles down at him as her breathing evens out.
"You feel so amazing, I can't believe I lost control like that."
"That's a nice compliment," she giggles. "Don't take this the wrong way, but for a man that's a little older, you have quite the stamina."
"I'll take that as a compliment, but I'm more than a little older than you."
"Hmm?" she hums with her eyebrows raised, curious about his age.
"Laurie's your age," he shrugs.
"Maybe I shouldn't tell you this, but I'm a little younger than your daughter," she whispers.
"I may need to rethink this," he chuckles to himself.
"Don't overthink it. You're the best I've had. In fact, I'm having so much fun, I have a suggestion," she purrs running her index finger back and forth across his chest. "My friend Shayla sometimes joins me. We could have a lot of fun together if you're interested. And if you're not, I'm happy to keep you to myself." She nips at his lower lip, giving him a sultry look.
"Hmmm, you're thinking about it, aren't you?" she hums in amusement when he doesn't respond right away. In her experience, if a man doesn't reject the idea immediately, then he's open to it and just needs a tiny push. "By the way, this is Shayla," she says reaching over his head to a shelf, pulling a framed photo of herself with another young woman. She's approximately her age with dark brunette hair and large brown eyes, a little bit taller, less curvy, but extremely attractive.
"What exactly do you have in mind?" he asks quietly, intrigued by the possibilities.
"Whatever you want. You can watch me with Shayla, or do one of us while the other watches, or have both of us at the same time."
Inhaling deeply, he carefully considers each of her suggestions while she plays with the hair on his chest. "How about all three?"