Every Day Is A Journey

I am doing the Survivor Challenge again this year, writing in every category, and this is my 2026 Lesbian Sex submission. I've made the Survivor Challenge more difficult by trying to include the same character, Randall Hill, in every story category. I knew from the beginning that this category would be the hardest to write because I couldn't think of a way to respectfully include a guy in a Lesbian Sex story. I think this worked out ok, though.

I started writing for the Yay Team challenge back in June, but couldnt find a way to end it. When I saw the TIS THE SEASON FOR CONCEPTION Story Challenge I realized how to end the story. I also accidentally included enough Holiday content, (since that is when extended family gets together) that I can also include it in the Winter Holiday Contest.

Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.

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Every Day Is A Journey

And The Joirney Itself Is Home.

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"Thank you all for coming. In case they don't get to tell you personally, Hannah and Rose are both very thankful for everyone coming to share their special day." The speaker, Randall, glanced at his sister Hannah and her new bride, Rose. They both smiled up at him.

"I was honored and surprised that they asked me to be their best man." He grinned down at the seated brides. "Part of the job of a best man is to tell vaguely embarrassing stories about the couple during the reception, but I can't do that." A few people laughed.

"I can't do that because there aren't any embarrassing stories for me to tell about either of them." More people in the audience laughed.

Hannah's hand reached out to Randall, and he took a folded twenty-dollar bill from her. Even the holdouts started laughing.

Grinning, Randall paused for a moment as he slid the bill into his pocket and waited for the laughter to die down. "I've known Hannah her whole life, although, to be honest, I don't remember the first few years. One of my earliest memories was of her chasing me around the backyard with a stick. I don't remember why she was chasing me, or where she got the stick, but I do remember that she was fast. She still is."

Randall smiled at Hannah and then switched to Rose, "I do remember meeting Rose, though. The first day of our first year at State, we were on the same floor in the dorm. She came jogging around the corner with her ponytail swaying behind her. That immediately reminded me of Hannah, and we've been friends ever since."

Randall looked back up at the audience and found his parents, and Rose's parents, smiling from the crowd. "At various times they have each said that I am responsible for their meeting. I've definitely taken credit for that many times, but it's not true. Yes, I did introduce them. But they would have met each other without me. These are two souls meant to be together; I was just an easy connection. They would have met through track or soccer at State. Or through friends on those teams."

Randall waved his hand toward the other women sitting at the head table, all of whom were friends of both brides from their time at the University. Like the brides, all of them were gorgeous and fit. Four wore lovely, non-matching, party dresses while the fifth wore a suit that mostly matched Randall's. That fifth woman, Tara, had helped Randall get everyone seated at the wedding.

Randall grinned as he said, "Some of those intramural teams had some pretty rough players on them!"

The petite bridesmaid on the end popped up and raised her fists. "Rough! I'll show you rough!" She was the smallest of all the women, and was wearing the pinkest girly-girl dress of them all.

Everyone at the head table laughed, which released the tension so everyone in the audience laughed, too. Randall raised his hands. "No thanks, Steph! I've seen you fight. You fight dirty!" More laughter erupted as Tara helped Steph back to her seat.

"There are lots of stories that we could share about these two wild women, but here are the most important ones. I saw them fall in love before they even knew it themselves. Some of you saw it, too, am I right?" The bridesmaids all clapped and yelled.

"I saw them support each other through rough times, like when our grandmother died." Hannah and Rose hugged each other. "And I saw them celebrate the good times, like getting their first jobs after college. Congrats again, Hannah."

Focusing on the brides, Randall continued, "Each of you has shared your hopes and dreams with me over the years. I'm sure it won't surprise anyone here that fairly soon after you met, those hopes and dreams included one another."

After a pause, Randall continued, "Now I want to share my hopes and dreams for you. I hope that you can continue to build on the joy and playfulness that I have seen in each of you, but especially that I have seen in you together. I hope that you can maintain the laughter and romance that we all see today well after this wedding day has passed.

"I hope that you are able to continue building a stable future together. That you are able to have careers that work well together, that you are able to buy a home, travel, or reach whatever goals you set together.

"I dream that you are able to build family traditions and a wonderful home environment."

Randall raised his glass. "Just so you know, I think you would make wonderful parents. Cheers to both of you!"

The crowd burst into applause as the brides embraced and kissed one another.

Their wedding day was not the beginning, nor the end, of Hannah and Rose's life together. It was one bright spot among many...

===

Meeting

After settling into her dorm room, Hannah met up with Randall for lunch on the Sunday before the start of her first classes at State. Starting his second year on campus, Randall knew how everything worked and wanted to make sure that his little sister settled in comfortably. Their schedules didn't match up very well, so they weren't able to get together often, but they decided to try to make Sunday afternoons family time.

A couple of Randall's other friends were already at his favorite table when the siblings arrived. "Hi everyone, this is my sister Hannah. Hannah, these are my friends Rose, Tom and Katie."

Rose smiled up at his friend's sister, "It's nice to meet you! Randall talks about you all the time!"

Sitting across from the athletic blonde, Hannah replied, "He talks about you all the time, too! It's nice to meet you."

Realizing that she was staring at Rose, Hannah turned to Tom and Katie. "Katie, are you the Political Science Major that Randall told me about?"

Hannah and Randall made Sunday afternoon a sibling tradition, although that tradition often extended to their friends. Especially Rose; she joined them most weekends.

===

Expressing an Interest

Hanging out in Randall's room one evening months later, Rose put down her textbook and asked, "Ah, Randall? Can I ask you something?"

"Sure. What is it? Are you ok?" Rose had been off all evening and she looked much more serious than usual.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I was just wondering about Hannah."

"Hannah? What about Hannah?"

"Ahh, do you know what team she plays for?"

Randall was confused by the question. "What? She's on your team. I watched you play together yesterday. What are you talking about?"

"Not which soccer team. Which team-team. You know I play for the girls team, and I've been getting signals from her, but I don't know if they mean what I think they mean." Randall knew that Rose was a lesbian; he had figured it out within weeks of their having met. They had never discussed it, but why would they?

"Oh, right. Ah, as far as I know, she plays for my team. I've only ever known her to date guys."

"Oh, ok." Rose was disappointed, but not surprised.

===

Reciprocating interest

Weeks later, Randall and Hannah were chatting while walking back to her dorm after one of her games. Rose walked with them briefly before splitting off to go to her own room.

Randall saw the look on Hannah's face as she watched Rose walk away and grinned.

Hannah flushed a little when she realized that her brother had seen her interest in his friend. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing at all." Randall grinned as he shook his head.

===

First Date, with the help of their friends

Hannah and Rose didn't really date, at first. They did the typical hanging-out-in-a-group college thing, and got to know each other pretty well. For years they told people that their first date was an accident, because their soccer friends planned an end-of-season party that turned out to be the night before several of the other girls had exams and those girls all bailed at the last minute.

Rose looked up from her phone, disappointed. "That's the last one. Steph cancelled, too." She was in Hannah's room on their way to meet up with everyone else.

Hannah sighed and looked down; she was dressed for a night out. Since Hannah was only eighteen, they had planned to go to the under-21 dance place; she hadn't had an excuse to dress up during the semester and had been looking forward to dancing with their friends. She sighed, "That sucks."

Rose shrugged, "We don't have to cancel. We can go out, just the two of us."

"What, like a date?"

Quietly, Rose replied, "Yes."

Hannah blinked at her friend and realized what she meant. "Ok."

A few minutes later, Tara sent a message to the other girls in a group chat that did not include either Hannah or Rose. In their rooms spread across campus, they each read, "It worked! They are still going out!"

After a shared round of congratulations, Rose's roommate Grace texted, "I'll give them an hour and then I'll send Rose a message asking if I can have the room tonight."

It worked, and Rose spent the night with Hannah for the first time. It wasn't until their engagement party years later that the women found out that they had been set up by their friends.

===

Thanksgiving

During Hannah's second year, Rose went home with her for Thanksgiving. The visit wasn't a surprise to her parents; Hannah had come out to them the previous summer. But it was the first time that they met the love of their daughter's life.

Anna, Hannah and Randall's mom, asked Rose after dinner, "Are you ok? I know we are a lot."

Rose laughed, "I'm fine, Mrs Hill. And you aren't a lot; we all fit around your table, didn't we? I'm used to my family Thanksgiving! There are usually forty people, counting the cousins and random new partners. I'm still at the kids' table at home!"

She leaned in and whispered, "I'm worried that the noise and madness with my family will scare Hannah away!"

Anna said with a chuckle, "Really? Have you seen the way she looks at you? I don't think anything could scare her away from you!"

===

Senior Year

Hannah's last year at State was the hardest for her. Both Rose and Randall had moved away for jobs. She maintained the Sunday afternoon sibling lunch, recast as friends lunch, but it wasn't the same without them. Her classmates and younger college friends almost filled the void.

Hannah and Rose kept up the best they could, and Hannah spent Spring break with Rose. It was a dual-purpose trip; she was also interviewing for jobs at the same time.

"How did it go?" Rose asked.

Hannah shrugged. "Good, I guess. We will have to see what they say."

A few weeks later, Hannah called. "I got the job! I can start as soon as I graduate!"

Rose gushed, and said, "Oh, that is great! Congratulations!"

Hannah replied, "Yeah, now I just need to find a place to live..."

"Baby, I know just the place!"

===

Sunday Brunch

Sibling lunch was replaced by Sunday brunch once Hannah and Rose moved in together. Randall made a point of visiting a couple of times a year, bringing his girlfriend first and then his wife. Hannah and Rose were married two years after Hannah's graduation.

On a brisk fall Sunday in November, three years into Hannah and Rose's marriage, Randall and Virginia visited. When they arrived, they were introduced to Mira, a single friend. "Randall and Virginia, this is our friend, Mira Holt. Mira, this is my brother Randall, and his lovely wife Virginia."

Virginia shook Mira's hand in greeting. "It's nice to meet you!"

Randall took a more hands-on approach and offered a big hug, which Mira accepted. As they embraced, Randall said, "Any friend of theirs is a friend of mine! It's great to meet you."

Mira laughed as she said, "It's nice to meet you, as well. Hannah and Rose have told me all about you!"

"Oh, so the hug wasn't a surprise, then?"

"No, not at all."

Later, while Randall helped Hannah and Rose in the kitchen, Mira and Virginia sat at the dining table chatting. "So, Mira, what do you do?"

Mira smiled widely, "I'm a midwife. I help women birth their children."

Surprised, Virginia said, "Really? Is that a thing? I thought most people have babies in hospitals."

Mira shrugged; this was a conversation she had regularly. "Most people do. But most births don't require it, unless there are extenuating circumstances. I help in hospitals too, though. If a home birth starts going sideways, we make sure to get the moms to the hospital for medical intervention."

"Wow. How many babies have you delivered?"

"Last Thursday was my one hundred and twelfth. Not that I am counting." Mira grinned at Virginia.

Their conversation was interrupted by brunch being delivered to the table.

It was more than an hour later when Randall got around to asking Mira, "So, how do you know my sister and Rose?"

Mira glanced at Hannah before answering, "Through my work."

"Oh? What do you do?"

"I'm a midwife. I help women give birth."

Surprised, Randall turned to look at Hannah and Rose. "Really! And which one of you is pregnant without telling me? I get that you might want to tell Mom and Dad first, but we've been here for hours! How could you keep this a secret!"

Everyone laughed, and Hannah said, "Neither of us, yet."

Rose said, "We obviously need help with the conception part of things."

Mira continued, "That is where I come in. In addition to the normal midwife activities that you know about, I am also involved with conception services."

Randall asked, "How does that work?"

"Assistance with ovulation tracking is sometimes enough with her couples, but it wouldn't help here. Then there is also fertility testing, where Hannah and Rose both did fine. In this case, I also have access to donated sperm which can be used for conception. Legally donated and tested as safe."

Randall grinned as he took his wife's hand. "That is wonderful! I told you that they would make great parents!" Randall kissed the back of Virginia's hand. "So, which one of you is going to be the mom? Not both of you at once, I hope!"

Rose said, "We are hoping that I will be first."

Hannah took her sister-in-law's other hand. "But we wanted to talk to both of you, together, first."

Randall asked, "What? Why would you talk to us about this? You certainly don't need our permission!"

Virginia had caught on and whispered, "Oh, my."

Mira continued talking, "Often the donor sperm is anonymous, but sometimes the mothers have a specific donor in mind. Maybe a friend." She paused for a moment. "Or a family member."

The women around the table waited for Randall to catch up. Once he realized what Mira meant, he didn't know who to look at. His wife, who was squeezing his hand? His sister who was asking him to impregnate her wife? Or one of his oldest friends asking him to father her child.

He settled on Rose. "So you want me to..."

Rose raised her hands and said, "No. I love you, man, but not that. We want you to give Mira a sample, and after that you won't be involved."

Hannah said, "Other than being a loving uncle, of course."

Mira said, "There is a legal process involved with the donation, conception, and implantation that removes your legal rights and responsibilities from any resulting children. The child will be yours biologically, but not legally in any way."

Hannah said, "Don't answer now; this is something that you two will want to discuss. We will all know that Randall is the father of another woman's child, and we will understand if that is something that you don't want to do."

===

Another brunch, two years later

After reviewing the legal documents and consulting with an attorney, Randall and Virginia agreed to donate. It wasn't straightforward, and took a couple of attempts, but Rose did get pregnant and delivered a healthy baby boy whom the couple named Mark.

Virginia was holding the baby at family brunch when Hannah said, "Ok, so now it's my turn."

Virginia immediately started to hand the six-month-old back to her mother, but Hannah shook her head. "No, I meant now it's my turn to have a baby! We still have several fertilized eggs from the first time, so we are going to try those. That way they will be real siblings; the only difference is that I will carry this one."

Virginia looked at her husband and laughed. "If anyone ever looks into the genetics of your family tree, they are going to think you were very busy!"

Randall replied, "Yeah, no kidding." He grinned at Hannah and Rose, but didn't explain.

Rose could tell something was going on, so asked, "What are you talking about?"

Virginia smirked, "Three babies in three years, born from three different mothers? That is pretty busy."

Rose turned to Randall and slapped him on the shoulder, "Why don't you ever tell a girl? After all we've been through together?"

Hannah caught on, "Oh! Congratulations! That is wonderful! How far along are you?"

Virginia grinned at her sisters-in-law. "Three months. Safe enough to talk about, now."

"That is wonderful! Congratulations!"

===

Playing in the snow at Grandma and Grandpa's

It wasn't every year that both families got together at Grandma and Grandpa's house, but when they did, the place was busy. Hannah and Rose usually arrived first, with their two kids, Mark and Olive. Virginia and Randall arrived a couple of hours later with their kids, Megan and Piper. The cousins only saw each other a couple of times a year, so they were the best of friends.

On one sunny afternoon in the backyard, Rose and Grandma Anna were playing with the kids, watching them run and play in snow. They were loud and joyful as they chased one another around. Rose saw a wistful look pass over her mother-in-law's face and asked, "Are you ok, Mom?"

Rose took her hand and squeezed it. "I am better than ok. We are so blessed to have you and Virginia join our family, and the grandkids you've given us are gifts I never dared to hope for."

"We are a lot all at once, though, aren't we?" Rose asked as she remembered a similar conversation from years earlier.

Anna laughed. "Overwhelming. When you lot leave Henry and I are always exhausted." She grinned at Rose. "I wouldn't miss this for the world, though."

Rose smiled back. "I'm glad."

"Mom! Mom! Watch!" Olive yelled out just before she jumped off the end of the picnic table into a deep drift of snow. Her mother and grandmother turned to watch her almost disappear into the snow.

Anna leaned close, "Hannah used to do the same thing! You will have your hands full with that one!"

"I've had my hands full with Hanna! I'm used to it."

"We'll see, my dead, we'll see."

The end, for now.

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