973

Their mother nodded, and Sam quietly breathed easier, flashing a knowing smile and a thankful look at Toni, who winked and went back to eating.
“So, what are you two up to today?” their dad asked, munching a bite of pancakes.
“I’m taking Sam shopping,” Toni said, smiling sweetly over at him. She was quiet for a few seconds as she batted her eyelashes at him.
“Oh yeah?” he asked, looking up and flashing a knowing smile at their mother.
She snickered.
“Please Daddy?” Toni asked, sounding spoiled again.
Sam briefly wondered what she was wanting, but then their father sighed and pulled out his wallet, handing her his credit card.
“Just don’t go overboard,” he said.
Toni shook her head. “I probably won’t even buy anything, honestly. I’m helping Sam pick out a new wardrobe.”
He looked up and over at Sam then, who smiled.
“You’re letting Toni help you pick out clothes?” he asked.
Sam shrugged. “Well, Daddy, I’m not a kid anymore. I don’t want to dress like a high-schooler anymore.”
He snickered, looking at his wife again. “What has Toni done to our sweet little Sam?”
She shrugged as Sam sighed in amusement.
“Okay,” he said. “Just… use better judgment than my youngest girl does,” he said.
Toni glared at him, her mouth dropping open.
“Daddy!” she said accusatorily.
He chuckled. “Sometimes you looked like you were wearing lingerie to school, honey,” he said. “That’s all I’m saying.”
“Sometimes you look like some kind of hooker,” their mother said, deadpan and sounding serious.
“Yes, but like one for Senators and such,” he added.
Toni rolled her eyes. “You guys are hilarious,” she said, ignoring them, but then looked up at Sam and winked.
Sam smiled. “No, Daddy,” she said. “I’m not going to let Toni pick my clothes out. I’ve borrowed a few of her things and I think you know you can trust me.”
He smiled and winked. “I trust you both,” he said. “I’m just having a bit of fun at my youngest’s expense.”
After a few more minutes of conversation, their father went to do rounds at the hospital and their mother went to work on the house. It looked like she was scrubbing floors upstairs. That was something that Sam would normally help her mother with, but she decided that it was okay if she didn’t just for one Saturday.
Heading back upstairs, Sam waited for Toni in her own room lest Wade hop out naked from any closets again. She smirked, quietly thinking back to how good he’d looked naked. He was bigger than Keith, several inches at least. She felt a little bad thinking that, but it was the truth after all. Unable to help herself, she wondered if he was as big as Dane had been that day, she’d seen him.
Feeling scandalous, she forced the thoughts from her head and shot Keith a text. “Morning sweetheart! Thanks for letting me get all that off my chest and letting me get frisky with you last night. I’m going shopping with my sisters today, so I’ll talk to you later.”
She smiled, tossing the phone into her purse and stood, going to peek in on Toni.
“You ready?” she asked, looking around warily.
Toni was sitting on the bed, tying her tennis shoes. Looking up, she nodded, then looked at Sam confused. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I’m a little worried about coming in your room now,” she said honestly.
Toni rolled her eyes. “Wade’s harmless,” she said, brushing off the notion. “What, do you think he’s gonna hop out of the trash and ram his dick in you?” she asked crudely.
“God, I wish,” she thought, immediately shocked at the notion.
She smirked, though, able to cover her ridiculous thoughts. “He didn’t exactly look harmless.”
Toni giggled, and looked up at her, shocked. “Samantha Jane Andresani!” she said, laughing.
Sam smirked, rolling her eyes at the use of her full name. Her real name was actually Samantha Jane Carroll, but after her parents had passed, her Aunt and Uncle adopted her, so she took their last name. She figured she could have gone by Samantha Jane Carroll -Andresani, or Andresani- Carroll, but it was already a mouthful.
“God,” Sam said, “not my middle name.” She rolled her eyes. “Really don’t know what my birth parents were thinking giving me that one.”
Toni rolled her eyes. “At least it’s normal!” she said. “I get to live with Adaria, and let’s not forget that my first name is Antonia!”
Sam giggled. “Yeah, I suppose I have it pretty good.” Alex’s full name was Alessandra Eridani Andresani. It sounded very pretty, but she had no idea what her parents were thinking.
“I mean, I get that Dad has Italian relatives, but did we have to get stuck with these names?” she asked.
Sam shrugged. “I think they just made up Eridani and Adaria, or they were high.”
Toni shrugged, standing. “Come on, keep me company while I do my makeup.”
Standing, Sam followed her little sister into the bathroom and did a once-over on herself to make sure that she didn’t need a touch-up. She took the opportunity to brush her teeth and then lowered the lid to the toilet and sat down.
“So, you and Wade were together last night?” Sam asked, looking up.
“Yeah, that doofus and I went out last night. He took me to dinner and then we went back to his parent’s house and watched a movie, then came back here to fuc…” she started to say, but then stopped, glancing over. “Sorry, I meant, fool around.”
Sam shrugged. “You can say “fuck” Toni. I’m not a child.”
Toni glanced over and smiled. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the thought of you being so scandalous now,” she said. “First you use the Lord’s name in vain, you swear, and you talk about sex like it’s a normal thing.”
Sam smiled, shrugging. “People change,” she said, shrugging.
“I’ll say,” Toni said. “So, you liked what you saw on my man?” she asked, looking in the mirror at her.
Sam smiled, blushing a bit. “He’s got a muscular build for sure,” she said, trying to keep her thoughts civil.
Toni smirked. “Mmmhmm,” she said. “I know you saw his dick, Sam.”
“Well, it was kind of hard to miss,” she admitted, making her little sister laugh.
“Yeah, that’s true,” she said, giggling. “He’s not as big as some I’ve seen, but he’s definitely up there among the big boys. It’s like a… meat rod.”
Sam giggled, shaking her head.
“God,” Toni said. “I can’t believe I’m sitting here talking about my boyfriend’s dick with you.”
Sam smiled, looking up.
“I mean, I love that we’re bonding, you know?” Toni looked over smiling.
Sam nodded. “Definitely. I’ve been looking forward to today. I just wonder what’s keeping Alex.”
Toni sighed and shrugged. “I texted her and called, but she never answered,” she said. “She’s probably hungover.”
Sam smiled. “You think she got drunk with Danny and Dane?”
Toni nodded. “I think that’s exactly what happened,” she said. Smiling, she looked at herself in the mirror and seemed satisfied. Sam sensed that it was part of the internal joke.
“I wish we’d just made a trip of it and gone to San Antonio or Dallas and gone shopping for real,” she said, frowning.
Sam shrugged. “I’m just wanting some new options, you know?”
“I’ll drive,” Toni offered, turning and leaving the bathroom as Sam stood.
After saying goodbye to their mother, Sam and Toni hopped into her little car and took off toward the mall.
“So, can I ask you some personal questions?” Toni asked as they pulled out of the drive. She turned down her music, so Sam knew it was serious.
Sam nodded. “You’re my sister, I’ll tell you anything Toni.”
Toni smiled. “Well, you’re closer with Alex is the only reason I ask.”
Sam looked over at her and said, “That’s true. But hopefully you and I can change that.”
Toni smiled ever more widely. “Most definitely!” she said. “So… can you tell me what really happened with the whole Pastor Dan thing?”
Sam immediately felt herself grow a little more serious but forced away the bad feelings and regret and told herself that Toni had every right to ask what she wanted and to know the truth.
Nodding, Sam gathered her thoughts for a minute, trying to figure out where to begin.
“If you don’t want to, it’s fine,” Toni said.
Sam shook her head. “No, it’s fine, I’m just trying to figure out where to start.”
Toni nodded and fell quiet, letting her think.
“I guess… well, you know that I was working for Pastor… actually, first, I call him Pastor Dickhead. He doesn’t have a name anymore, deal?”
Toni smiled and nodded. “Deal.”
Sam smirked. “So, you know that I was working for that sack of shit after church?”
Toni nodded.
“Well, one day he started crying and told me that his wife was wanting a divorce. Of course, being who I am… well, was… I wanted to comfort him, so I hugged him and let him tell me all about it. We were both sitting on the couch in his office and at the end, he kissed me. I immediately got up and apologized for leading him on and making him think something I shouldn’t have. And that was the start of a trend of blaming myself for things,” she said.
Toni nodded, but kept quiet.