Brenda and Sammi Vol. 1

Sammy and Brenda

A Slow-Burn story

This is a work of fiction set in the same universe as my other stories, with related characters and events. It is another slow-burn story, so I hope you enjoy the journey.

Thank you for reading.

Brenda

Brenda was a 40 year old suburban mother who had married young, at twenty-two.

As she stood in the kitchen, her eyes wandered toward the family photograph held to the refrigerator by a small magnet. She smiled faintly.

Her husband was one of the county's leading corporate lawyers. He was a successful provider, and despite the disagreements they occasionally had, Brenda still loved him. She believed she had made the right decision when she married him.

Which marriage doesn't have problems? she often told herself.

To Brenda, a successful marriage wasn't one without disagreements. It was one where both people were willing to work through their problems rather than simply walk away, as she felt many couples from the younger generation were quick to do.

She had always taken care of herself. Her husband's career required them to attend parties, dinners, and social events, so she was accustomed to spending time on her appearance. Regular workouts and a carefully planned wardrobe had become part of her routine.

She no longer worked, though.

Years earlier, she had left her job to raise their two children. At the time, it had seemed like the right thing to do. Now that both children were growing up, Brenda sometimes wondered whether she should return to the working world.

Occasionally, she regretted leaving her career when she saw friends successfully balancing work and family.

But then she reminded herself why she had made the sacrifice.

Her husband's career involved long hours, frequent travel, and countless business commitments. Someone had needed to be there for the children.

And that someone had been her.

Lately, one of the biggest things occupying her thoughts was her eldest son, Jake.

Jake had recently gone through a painful breakup, and he wasn't handling it well. He and his fiancée had been together for several years before their relationship suddenly collapsed. Both accused the other of cheating, and Brenda had never been able to figure out whose version of events was true.

Whatever had happened, she hated seeing her firstborn struggle.

She wondered whether Jake would ever learn to step back, calm himself, and approach problems more maturely.

Unfortunately, he had inherited too many of his father's traits.

He was quick to argue and slow to compromise.

Sometimes, Brenda found it exhausting.

Then there was Samantha.

Her 19 year-old daughter was, in many ways, the calmer and more optimistic version of both her parents.

Samantha--Sammi, as Brenda called her--was easygoing, thoughtful, and surprisingly mature for her age. She could be casual and carefree at times, but underneath that was a determined young woman who always seemed ready to help.

Brenda had heard nothing but good things about her from other parents.

She couldn't help feeling proud.

Sammi was also very social. Her friends often came over, and Brenda enjoyed seeing the people her daughter surrounded herself with.

Unlike Jake, Sammi seemed to have little trouble connecting with others.

Jake had already moved out after getting a job.

Soon, Brenda knew, Sammi would leave too.

And that thought frightened her more than she wanted to admit.

The house would become quiet again.

Before the children were born, the house had often felt strangely empty. Her husband's late-night work and frequent business trips had meant Brenda spent many evenings alone.

Then the children came along.

Suddenly, the house was filled with noise, laughter, arguments, music, and life.

She wasn't ready for that chapter to end.

Sammi's college was far from home, but she was independent and usually took the train. Lately, her schedule had become increasingly busy.

Brenda sometimes looked at her daughter and wondered where the years had gone.

She had grown into a beautiful young woman with a confident personality and a good heart. Brenda felt proud of the person she had become.

She was also curious about Sammi's love life.

Brenda would happily welcome a boyfriend or girlfriend into the family. Their family had always been open-minded, and neither she nor her husband would judge their children for whom they chose to love.

Until that day came, though, Brenda knew one thing.

To her, Sammi would always be her little girl.

With a small smile, Brenda returned to what she was doing.

Samantha

Where do I start?

Everyone close to me calls me Sammi, so you can too.

I'm 19 and, as far as I know, a fairly typical suburban college girl. A few months ago, I celebrated my birthday with some of my closest friends.

I'm average height and definitely not the smallest person around, but I've never been particularly bothered by that.

I work out regularly, partly because I enjoy it and partly because, let's be honest, I like feeling confident when I walk onto campus.

I also have a boyfriend.

Well... sort of.

My close friends know about him, but we haven't officially announced anything to our families yet. I had originally planned to invite him over for my birthday and introduce him to my parents.

Then everything happened with Jake.

My brother's breakup created enough tension at home, and I didn't want to add another emotional complication--especially for Mom.

I've grown up under the watchful eyes of my father and brother. Neither of them has ever been in the military, but sometimes you'd think they had been.

They're both naturally commanding, stubborn, and convinced they know what's best.

Mom is different.

She's the one person in the family who can keep everyone balanced.

She's strong without needing to shout, and somehow she manages to calm everyone down when things get tense.

I'm closest to her.

I still live at home for now, but I keep thinking about the day I'll finally have a place of my own.

I'm looking forward to the independence.

At the same time, I know I'll miss Mom.

Then there's the other thing about me.

My sexuality.

I think I'm bisexual.

I've had a boyfriend for a while, but I've also been attracted to girls.

I first realized that when I was in high school.

One afternoon, my friends dared me to kiss my best friend. We were being stupid teenagers, so I went along with it.

She immediately pulled away and said, "Eww!"

I laughed and agreed.

*Never again.*

Except there was one problem.

I couldn't stop thinking about the kiss.

I had liked it.

Years passed, but I never completely forgot that moment. Sometimes I wondered what would have happened if I'd admitted how I felt instead of pretending it meant nothing.

Maybe I would have explored that side of myself sooner.

Maybe I wouldn't have.

I honestly don't know.

But now that I'm getting closer to twenty, those questions have started coming back.

Recently, I've noticed a girl at college.

Her name is Valerie.

She's not in any of my classes, but I keep seeing her in the library. We've exchanged a few glances, and I've caught her looking at me more than once.

At least, I think she was looking at me.

Maybe I'm imagining it.

I've even caught myself going to the library sometimes just because I knew she might be there.

She has a really nice smile.

Maybe we'll become friends.

Maybe something more will happen.

For now, I have no idea.

Time will tell.

Unfortunately, I didn't have much time to think about Valerie because I had to head home early.

Our family was leaving for a cruise.

Mom and Dad had planned the vacation partly to give everyone a chance to relax after everything that had happened with Jake.

I thought Jake probably needed it more than any of us.

He could be difficult, and he'd been mean to me plenty of times growing up, but he was still my brother.

I wanted him to be okay.

Hopefully, the vacation would help him move forward.

The Cruise Plan

Brenda was waiting for her son and daughter to come home.

While she waited, she mentally rehearsed how she would present the cruise plans. Her husband hadn't arrived yet, and she wasn't sure whether he'd make it home in time.

Jake had already agreed in principle to the vacation, but Brenda wanted everyone together before finalizing the details.

Soon, the front door opened.

Jake and Sammi arrived together.

Brenda smiled.

"How was your day?"

Jake glanced at his watch.

"Fine. But I can't stay long. I've got a date tonight."

Brenda's expression fell.

She looked at Sammi.

Sammi immediately understood.

"It's okay, Mom," she said. "Tell me everything. I'll explain it to him later when he has more time."

Brenda smiled.

This was exactly why she could always rely on Sammi.

"Thank you."

She explained the plan.

They were scheduled to leave the following Friday for a six-day, five-night cruise.

Brenda had booked two rooms: one with twin beds for Jake and Sammi, and another for herself and her husband.

Just as she finished explaining, her husband arrived home.

"Perfect," Brenda said. "Now we can finally discuss this together."

Jake immediately objected when he heard about the rooms.

"Wait. I'm sharing a room?"

"You and Sammi have twin beds," Brenda reminded him.

"I stay up late gaming sometimes. And I talk to my friends."

Before Brenda could respond, her husband joined in.

"I might have some work to handle at night too. I was hoping to get some time to myself."

Brenda stared at both men.

She had tried to book three rooms, but the cruise was busy and the extra room was incredibly expensive.

For a moment, she wondered whether the entire idea had been a mistake.

Sammi finally sighed.

"I can stay home. You three can go."

Brenda immediately shook her head.

"No. Absolutely not."

"It's fine. I wasn't even that excited about the cruise."

"Sammi..."

"I mean it."

Brenda's husband looked at his wife, then at their children.

Finally, he offered a solution.

"Why don't Brenda and Sammi share one room, and Jake can share the twin room with me?"

Jake immediately nodded.

"Works for me."

Brenda hesitated.

She had been hoping for some private time with her husband during the cruise. They rarely had time alone anymore, and she had secretly hoped the vacation might give them an opportunity to reconnect.

But there didn't seem to be another solution.

"Fine," she said.

Sammi wasn't thrilled either.

Sharing a room with her mother meant she would have less privacy than she'd hoped for.

Still, she knew how much effort her mother had put into planning the trip.

"It's only a week," she told herself.

She agreed.

And just like that, the plan was settled.

Boarding

Friday finally arrived.

The family reached the cruise terminal around four in the afternoon.

After checking their documents and completing the boarding process, they collected their luggage and headed to their rooms.

Jake and his father took the room with the twin beds.

Brenda and Sammi followed them upstairs to help carry their luggage.

Eventually, the two women headed to their own room.

They had expected the men to help them with their bags too, but both had suddenly found reasons to stay behind.

Brenda and Sammi exchanged amused looks.

"Men," Brenda said.

Sammi laughed.

They entered their room and immediately discovered a problem.

There was only one bed.

A large queen-sized bed.

Sammi stared at it.

"Seriously?"

Brenda looked around.

"I thought there would be two beds."

"Or at least a sofa bed."

Brenda sighed.

"Well, we're here now."

She opened her suitcase and began putting her clothes away, leaving space for Sammi.

Sammi placed her luggage beside the wardrobe.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then Sammi sat beside her mother.

"Don't worry, Mom. We'll manage."

Brenda looked at her.

"Let's just enjoy the trip."

Sammi smiled.

"Exactly."

Brenda's expression softened.

"You're the best."

That evening, they explored the ship together.

Sammi immediately pointed out the designer stores and the large water park.

"I definitely want to check those out tomorrow."

"We'll see how much time we have," Brenda replied.

Later, they met Jake and their father for dinner.

The meal was excellent, and for a while, everyone seemed relaxed.

Afterward, Jake announced that he wanted to visit the bar.

Their father headed toward the casino.

Brenda and Sammi decided to watch a concert.

By the time the concert ended, it was after nine.

Brenda sent her husband a message.

*Want to meet us at the bar?*

His response arrived a few minutes later.

*I'm having a lucky night. Maybe later.*

Brenda sighed.

"Of course."

She turned to Sammi.

"I'm going back to the room."

"The night is still young," she added. "You can stay out if you want. Maybe meet some people."

Sammi shook her head.

"Maybe tomorrow."

So the two women returned to their room together.

The First Night

Brenda changed into comfortable sleepwear while Sammi settled down with her phone.

The room was quiet except for the faint sound of the ship moving through the water.

Eventually, Brenda climbed into bed.

"Good night, sweetheart."

"Good night, Mom."

Sammi continued watching her movie for a while before finally putting her phone aside.

She wasn't used to sharing a bed with anyone. At home, she had a large bed all to herself and liked having plenty of space. Now she had to share. She laughed quietly to herself.

"This is going to be interesting."

Outside, the December air was cold, and the warmth beneath the blankets was surprisingly comfortable. Before long, she fell asleep.

Sometime after midnight, Sammi woke suddenly. Something was pressing against her leg. She opened her eyes.

Her mother had apparently shifted during the night, and one of her legs had ended up on Sammi's side of the bed and over her lower leg, Sammi sighed.

Dad was always joking about how much Mom moved around in her sleep. She carefully shifted away.

Brenda moved again without waking.

Sammi froze. Then she slowly pulled the blanket back into place.

"Mom..."

Brenda didn't respond. Sammi looked toward the window.

Moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting a pale glow across the room.

She decided to get up and use the bathroom.

The moment she stood, Brenda stirred.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Bathroom."

A few minutes later, Sammi returned.

Brenda had also gotten up and was going to the bathroom.

"You cold?" Brenda asked.

"A little."

"Come here."

Brenda pulled the blanket back and made room beside her.

"The bed will warm up."

Sammi smiled.

"Thanks."

For a brief moment, they simply lay there quietly.

Sammi remembered being a little girl and climbing into her parents' bed after a nightmare.

Back then, being close to her mother had made everything feel safe. It was strange how quickly those childhood memories could return.

Brenda gave her daughter a gentle hug.

"Just like old times."

Sammi smiled.

"Yeah."

Sammi felt odd, but she didn't resist. The warmth was welcome. Her eyes had adjusted to the faint light from outside, and she saw that Brenda had already closed her eyes and was probably falling back asleep. But Sammi had never felt a woman's body this close to hers, even if it was her mom's. Suddenly she became aware of her mom's features, so near. Her mom's hands were definitely not bulky for her age. Her face glowed in the dark, and Sammi admired her beauty and felt proud to have such a beautiful mother. Then her eyes settled on her mother's lips. She hadn't been this close to a woman's lips since she was a girl, and she felt a pang of jealousy. Her mom's lips were perfect, almost ready to be kissed. Sammi pushed the thought away.

Brenda lay with her eyes closed, trying to sleep. She was remembering how she usually held her husband at night, and cursing him for not being there. It had been a long time since she had held her daughter while sleeping. Even with her eyes closed, she could sense that Sammi was staring at her. She felt happy and content, and she couldn't help a small smile.

Sammi saw the smile on her mom's face and quickly turned her head away, as if she had been caught. She thought how wrong it was to look at her mom that way. She rolled over so that her back faced her mother.

Brenda turned the other way too. After a few minutes, Sammi could hear her mom's slow, rhythmic breathing, but she still couldn't sleep. Then she felt her mom's leg on hers again. Brenda was now sleeping at more of an angle, and her lower leg rested over Sammi's lower leg. Sammi became aware of the touch. She could tell the nightgown must be around or above her mom's knee, because there was no fabric between their legs at that spot.

The thought stirred up strange feelings that she kept trying to dismiss, but she was suddenly liking it. She didn't resist. She turned onto her back, offering more of her lower leg to her mom's skin. Her mom's smooth legs gave her a pleasant warmth, and something else she couldn't name. She couldn't concentrate on anything but the sensation of the touch.

Brenda had gone back to sleep after her bathroom break, but she woke again, sensing movement on the bed. She knew Sammi liked a big bed and thought her daughter might be uncomfortable. She considered switching rooms with her husband in the morning, much to his dislike. She noticed that Sammi had turned, and more of Sammi's lower leg now lay under hers. She felt a warmth from the skin-to-skin contact that she couldn't explain. She thought about moving her leg, but she didn't want to add to the movement on the bed, and if Sammi was asleep, she might wake her.

Sammi couldn't decide what to do. She didn't even notice when she put her other leg over her mom's bare lower leg. Now both of her legs were sandwiching her mom's, skin against skin. It felt nice. Soon her mom turned onto her back, with her right leg between Sammi's.

Brenda felt her daughter's bare legs above and below her own. She felt the warmth and knew she should pull away, but something held her back, and she didn't know what.

Sammi was now wide awake, with her eyes closed. She could feel her mom's body close beside her. The leg she had draped over her mom seemed to have a mind of its own. It moved slowly upward, pulling the nightgown with it. Her leg now rested over her mom's thigh, and she could feel her bare skin. The sensation was so electric that her breathing quickened.

Brenda felt her daughter's knee on her thigh and wondered whether it was deliberate or just an involuntary movement in sleep. She was also aware of her daughter's body so near. She reached down to pull the nightgown back over her leg, but Sammi's knee was in the way. Instead, she slid the gown up, so that Sammi's knee ended up inside it. The silky satin made the movement easy. In response, Sammi moved her knee up and shifted a little closer. Brenda felt a small shudder run through her daughter's body as she turned her own knee inward.

It was already surreal for Sammi. One knee was inside her mom's gown, and when her mom turned her leg, it slid up Sammi's thigh. Sammi felt a growing moistness between her legs.

Brenda was fully aware that her movement had brought her knee close to her daughter's pelvis. She had never slept this close to a woman, with their legs entangled, and she had begun to feel a tingle inside. She thought about turning away to escape the closeness. Instead, she turned toward Sammi and put her left leg over Sammi's, sandwiching it.

This was the opposite of what Sammi had expected. Her mom's body had moved even closer. She reached out and put her arm around her mom, and she didn't know how long it was before she drifted off to sleep.

Brenda felt the same deep warmth. She stayed awake for a few more minutes, but with no further movement from Sammi, she slept too.

To be continued...