Work in Progress, or WIP, posts are excerpts from open writing projects.  All writing is my own and in the rough draft phase. Take it (but don’t actually take it, copyright me and all that) for what it is! 

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After corralling their parents at the farmer’s market, they still had about a 15-minute drive back to Linda’s. Sam tried to lessen this by blasting some old school tunes, which she also thought may be able to bring her from the brink of falling apart. It was no good, the silence was still pregnant and heavy with Sam’s revelation and Adam’s brooding.

Oddly enough, the look on his face told you he was more perplexed about things than Sam was. Although this was all “new” to Adam, Sam had been living with this knowledge for a while. The moment felt so comfortable, so right to simply say something, Sam thought. And, what’s more, her resolve was strengthening, because she did not regret it. The moment felt right, and she chose to be truthful to her friend. Even if he doesn’t return the feelings that she has for him, he should still be able to understand as her friend — it was his job.

They pulled up to Linda’s mcmansion, where remnants of their families were still jumping in and out of the pool, people lounging and talking. Lala, as Sam loves to call her, heard the car door shut and had her face pressed up against the glass of the screen door, along with the dog. Lala is four years old and is Adam’s niece but Sam considers Lala to be one of her own tribe as well. Sam’s sister has been having babies for a while, so she’s already an auntie of about three crazy hoodlums who are jumping in and out of the pool despite the fact that the warm sun is no longer baking the world and twilight is on their heels. Boys, clearly.

Adam moves with consternation, but Sam now has a purpose, which is all she ever needs! She pops out of the jeep and grabs the bags with one hand, leaving the other free to grab the door and bolster Lala before she tumbles forward. When Sam holds the door open for Adam, whom she believes to be right behind her, she finds he’s still ambling in from the car, looking at the grass; so Sam leaves the door shut and heads into the kitchen.

“Alright, Lala, are you ready to make some stuffed shells with me?”

“Yes,” her sweet voice pipes up.

Sam could hear Lala’s little feet slapping along on the hardwood floor, covering the space that Sam took in several strides with tons of tiny steps. As Sam unloads the bags onto the counter, Lala pushes a bar-height chair to the counter so that she can join in the fun. This is also when Adam finally makes it into the house. The slamming door catches Sam’s attention and she looks up just in time for her and Adam’s eyes to meet and hold. He breaks away first, which makes Sam shake her head to clear it and focus on Lala and the Italian masterpiece!

Linda walks in the screen door from the back porch. Giving her “little munchkin” a hug, she asks Sam “Do you have everything that you need?”

“Yup! I picked up disposable cookwear and I’m all set. Just sit back, relax and Lala and I will fix everyone up something delicious.” Sam grinned at Lala, who was so eager to help. Her hands were on everything from cans of tomato paste to shoving around the container of Ricotta, which she, thankfully, couldn’t open yet. “O, I do need eggs. Can I steal two?”

“Help yourself! And thanks for cooking. We’re starved.”

“One meal to feed an army coming up!”