One hundred percent Egyptian cotton, fifteen-hundred thread count sheets.

That was the luxurious quality Paloma was certain she was basking in. The sheets that had somehow absorbed Ava's distinct scent after only one night of their presence.

The sheets that made it virtually impossible for Paloma to pry her eyes open, not even to catch a glimpse of the beautiful sunshine that poured in through the sliding door of the terrace.

She loosened her desperate clutch on the linens, her hand instinctively exploring the other side of the bed in search for Ava's sleeping form.

When her digits were met with a chilled emptiness, Paloma peeped her eyes open and grudgingly lifted her face from the pillow, wrapping the sheets around her unclothed body and making a point not to get up from the bed.

She didn't have to search for long once Ava soundlessly exited the bathroom. Not long after, her voice, soft enough to accompany the Robins in their morning melodies, coursed through the air.

"I was just about to wake you."

A heartfelt smile etched its way across Paloma's features upon seeing the woman sashay towards the queen-size bed, her silk robe clinging to her body once she drew it closer.

"Oh?" Paloma taunted.

"Yep, we gotta get dressed," Ava insisted. "We're already way behind schedule."

The brunette visibly sank, her expression immediately resembling that of a stubborn toddler. "Why are we running on a schedule during our vacation?"

"Because," Ava drawled out, "we have to make the most of our time here and in order for that to happen, there needs to be a schedule."

This coaxed a groan out of Paloma while Ava merely chuckled, "What were you hoping for?"

Paloma's frown deepened. After, she roughly flopped backward onto the bed, disregarding the quiet squeak of the mattress that the dramatic act produced, and spilling her dark hair onto the sheets. Her sigh and mindless stare at the ceiling served as further proof of her displeasure and obvious disappointment.

"I was hoping you'd wanna go for a repeat of last night," was her mumbled admission.

"As fun as that was, there are still some places I wanna go while we're here, things I wanna see. We only have today and some of tomorrow alone, if that."

The brunette instantly sat back up. "All of which I would much rather spend in this bed with you."

Ava couldn't shut down her grin as she succumbed to Paloma's gravitational pull, the gentle grip Paloma imposed on her wrist being just enough to briefly coax her back into the bed.

The moment Paloma's feather-like touch, with the lips to match, trailed their way across the delicate skin of her neck, Ava was instantly reminded of the previous night's events and just how much she favored the intimately private atmosphere the hotel provided.

Despite it taking every fiber of her being, Ava pried herself from the other woman and ceased Paloma's advance by tightening the drawstring on her robe. She teetered at the sigh of vexation Paloma set free.

"That's tempting but we're here to do other things too," Ava reiterated. "Explore the area, have fun. Not stay in bed all day."

Paloma cocked her head dramatically, depicting her counterfeit curiosity. "It's funny. This is coming from the very woman who wouldn't let me leave this bed at all last night. You were pretty damn adamant about that too. That was only, what, twelve hours ago?"

A fierce blush chased away Ava's natural color, effectively painting her cheeks a vibrant red. She sharply shifted on the mattress to directly face Paloma whose features held a teasing playfulness that the brunette in no way attempted to hide.

"You didn't exactly have any objections about that at the time!"

At the defensive response, Paloma threw her head back in laughter, "Of course I didn't. I'm not complaining."

Ava's defenses faltered once Paloma reached out and gingerly trailed her jawline using a feather-like touch. Soon after, a triumphant grin claimed the younger woman's lips.

"You know what I love? The further we get into our relationship the more I conjure up ways to make you blush. I mean, if last night didn't feed my ego, that definitely does."

Ava performed a candor-less eye-roll. "You are so—"

Paloma cut the ginger off by engaging her in an amorous kiss as if either of them needed a reminder of the passion attributed to the previous night. She ended the affection just as soon as it began and focused the entirety of her attention on the laminated menu that rested on the bedside table's surface.

After, Ava inched closer and withdrew her eyebrows. "What are you doing?"

"Room service," the brunette contended, her eyes still fixated on the extensive list of entrees. Before Ava could offer a counter, Paloma resumed, this time looking at the writer who wore a heavy frown.

"We did a lot yesterday right after we got here, remember? There's no rule that says that we have to go out and do stuff. Come on, when do we ever get to stay in bed all day?" Paloma didn't wait around for an answer, "Never. Because at home, we've got work and my sister and every other responsibility you can think of. And, while I wouldn't trade it for anything, all of it can just get..."

She briefly crinkled her nose in displeasure, "Overwhelming, to say the least. Right here, right now we can get waited on hand and foot for an entire weekend without even leaving this bed. Do you really wanna pass up this opportunity?"

Paloma's child-like excitement, with her signature smirk to match, was just enough to conjure up an easy-going smile on Ava's part. It didn't take long for her to reclaim her spot on the bed, instantly adding fuel to Paloma's fire of enthusiasm.

"You're gonna choke."

For a moment, Paloma ignored Ava's light-hearted warning and, instead, made herself comfortable by relaxing deeper into the redhead's side, her soft mane tickling Ava's arm in the process.

With a loud pop, Paloma sucked clean the remains of the ice cream that covered her spoon. She marveled at the sweetness that made her taste buds soar.

"I'll take my chances."

That afternoon, any activity that required leaving the bed was off limits, as deemed by Paloma. Each woman welcomed the extraordinary level of peace that they were convinced could only be attained at that moment in time for that Saturday truly held the ease of a Sunday morning.

Ava shifted to acquire a more suitable position, only to find Paloma absentmindedly chasing after the natural warmth of her body. She administered yet another fraudulent eye-roll. "Only you would order ice cream for breakfast."

"I'm simply preserving my right as an adult woman to eat whatever the hell I want whenever the hell I want," Paloma promptly defended. "Besides, it's coffee flavored. It has breakfast-like attributes."

Regardless of the tranquil atmosphere, Ava stirred uncomfortably, not being able to dismiss the intense tug-of-war of whether or not to disturb said peace. Even so, she opted against giving her thoughts a voice and picked over the dreadfully chilled omelet that rested on white china.

She only looked away from her meal once Paloma's weight left her as the elder Sullivan sat up. Unlike before, her demeanor was earnest with a hint of curiosity intermixed. Paloma sat her sugary treat down onto the neighboring nightstand and faced Ava whose posture abruptly stiffened.

It was Ava's reluctance that Paloma sensed—the characteristic that told her that, like most good things, the calm morning too would come to an end and even more rapidly than she'd hoped.

"You good?"

It was that simple query that made a warm, sealike sensation spread throughout the length of Ava's body and pump a healthy amount of adrenaline to her heart, coaxing it to swell in size.

With open arms, she welcomed the reassurance that Paloma's genuine concern granted her because, of all of the brunette's qualities—her unmatched, caring demeanor and the way she delivered her words that only those who truly knew her would deem as loving and compassionate as opposed to nonchalant or dismissive—that was her favorite.

"Yeah, no, I'm good, I just..." Ava's faint exhale arose when she caught a glimpse of the tender and encouraging smile Paloma gave her.

Deciding to focus on the reassurance Paloma's expression provided, Ava pressed on before her thoughts could get the best of her, "I wanna talk to you about something but I don't wanna ruin this or, you know, freak you out."

"You're not going to freak me out any more than you usually do." Paloma disregarded the not-so-gentle shove Ava gave her and resumed, "And...nothing can ruin this. Not that this is news but, I don't scare all that easy." She fixated her gaze on the ginger, assuring Ava that she had her undivided attention. "Go ahead."

Ava blew out a quick breath in hopes to prompt a response out of herself, "Okay, well, I've been doing some research these last couple of months."

"On...?"

"Well, initially it was mostly on how things work with the adoption process."

As if on command, Paloma's eyes widened substantially and, had Ava blinked, she would've missed it. "...Maybe I do scare easy," she murmured.

In fear of losing her backbone, Ava hurridly proceeded, "But, more recently my research's been a bit more donor-based."

"Donor-based?" the brunette peeped.

"As in sperm donor."

"Oh, yeah, right. Duh." Her laughter died as soon as it began.

As if the strain present in Paloma's voice wasn't enough, Ava was certain that even a corpse would have the fortitude to sense the uncomfortable shift in atmosphere that snuffed out the ease of that Saturday morning.

In spite of the gargantuan size of her girlfriend's eyes, Ava made it a point not to recant her admission, knowing that doing so would in no way revive the previously pleasant environment in the least.

"I was just looking, you know, out of curiosity because..."

"Because...?" Paloma prompted. 

Her fingers glided through the silk-like strands of her mane—a tell-tale sign of her nervousness that Ava had started to pick up on after just a few short weeks of knowing the brunette.

"Even though I'm convinced that we have all the time in the world to be together, I know that my biological clock doesn't exactly care that I want kids sometime down the line. It'd be an entirely different story if you could have them since you're younger and have more time, biologically speaking, but...that's not an option. And I hate that."

The ginger reached out and gave Paloma's hand a faint squeeze—a gesture that made the brunette finally acknowledge the way Ava's viridescent eyes poured into her  cocoa ones.

The air absorbed the silence between them before Paloma's chuckle ripped through it like canine teeth through the flesh of its prey. Still, to Paloma's dismay, nothing could chase away the earnestness Ava's heartfelt touch added to the conversation.

"It's not a huge deal, really. Besides, something tells me that enduring the excruciating pain of childbirth wouldn't exactly be my forte."

Ava nodded her head in understanding, choosing to go along with the nonchalant manner Paloma assumed in fear of soliciting more discomfort for the writer. "Anyway, in the midst of my research, I was confronted with a harsh truth. Unless we were to adopt...having kids wouldn't be an option for us at all."

"...Is it safe to assume that you're leaning a bit more towards finding a donor?"

"I know it's really expensive," Ava blurted, "and not exactly the easiest route to go but I also know that there would be absolutely nothing else in this world like holding something—someone—in our arms that the two of us brought into this world. The one true thing that's entirely ours and belongs to no one else. Not just that but, I want that experience, you know? Like so many other women do...from start to finish."

"I know you do," came Paloma's quiet reply.

Ava's dreams of one day having a family of her very own hadn't fallen on deaf ears, even prior to her and Paloma sprouting a relationship with deep romantic roots. Had someone asked her just a year or so prior, Paloma would have never guessed that Ava's dreams would be this close to being realized, let alone with her.

Ava gently gnawed on her bottom lip, Paloma's long stretch of silence spiking her anxiety.

"I want that for you, for us, I do. You know that. But, I guess I just figured we'd maybe be...married or something before that day came," Paloma admitted. There was a level of uncertainty in her tone that couldn't be masked. "Still, I assumed all of that would be further down the line. Don't get me wrong, this isn't like before, I'm not just telling you what you want to hear...I want this."

The redhead lit up, her pearly whites peaking behind her lips as she sported a simper.

"But, I also want us to do it right, you know? I mean, babies—they're extremely fragile human lives that can be screwed up pretty easily. We can't mess that up."

Paloma emphasized her words by giving Ava's hand a prominent squeeze. "We don't get to. If nothing else, being responsible for Quinn has taught me that parenting is a million times harder than it looks. And that's with her already being housebroken, I can't even imagine what it'd be like otherwise," she chuckled. "It's not like getting a pet, we can't just dive in and hope that everything works out."

"I agree, one-hundred percent," was Ava's prompt assurance. "I don't want a kid right this second but I think we should start thinking about it since, from what I've learned, it's going to be a long process that's gotta take place before we even get any actual results. It's not like most couples, we can't just spin around in the sheets and boom I'm pregnant. Plus, I'm not getting any younger and my eggs aren't getting any healthier."

Paloma leaned back, resting against the headboard as she exhaled softly. "Shit, you're right," came her nearly inaudible whisper.

Ava winced then briefly dipped her head in attempts to meet Paloma's gaze and gauge her response.  "What are you thinking?"

As if on cue, the brunette abandoned her mindless stare and looked at Ava attentively. "Can I say something...without you freaking out?"

Ava's nod was slow as her nerves kicked in.

"I feel like every time I start to get comfortable in our relationship, work—life in general—the rules change. It always changes. I want more than anything in this world to make you happy, no matter what that entails, I want to be the one to give it to you, and the last thing I ever wanna do is let you down. But...this really isn't one of those things I feel like I can rush into or something either of us can do apprehensively."

"You're completely right. We're not in the emotional or financial place to just push one out this soon but, we should start working towards that, for the future, for our future...right?" Ava prompted, her eyes glazed with hope.

Paloma allowed her smile to grow untamed and wide by nature. She shrugged but there wasn't an ounce of nonchalance present in the gesture.

"Yeah, neither of us are ready for a kid right now and there's a lot of research that still has to be done on this," she warned as a tactic to calm Ava who's grin was growing exponential in size. "But I guess there's no harm in considering it and being economically conscious—saving our pennies. Plus, it helps that I'm raking in more money after the promotion."

Ava grabbed ahold of both of the brunette's hands, her thumbs gently rolling over her soft knuckles and occasionally meeting the exquisite cut of Paloma's purity ring. At the contact, Paloma's inquisition returned.

"Don't you want to be married first? Not now, of course, but down the line, before all this takes place. Personally, I'd feel a hell of a lot more comfortable if we had a more definite foundation between us and our family before we add something as fragile as a baby to the mix. I just figured—"

"Definitely, I want that more than anything."

Paloma smirked at Ava's abrupt response, earning an insincere "Screw you" from the ginger.

Not long after, Ava readopted her serious demeanor, "There's no rush for any of this. I just want us to be on the same page because I've been thinking about this a lot lately and you have no idea how relieved I am to finally get this out in the open."

"Okay," Paloma said. "Yeah."

"'Yeah' as in you don't think I'm crazy or 'yeah' you wanna stop talking about this?"

"I guess I wouldn't exactly classify you as completely crazy," the younger woman affirmed.

Ava lit up like fireworks on the fourth of July. "Seriously? I know I'm somewhat of a hard person for you to say no to but the last thing I ever want you to do is to agree to this or do anything because you feel like you have to or—"

Paloma's locks swayed side to side as she instantly shook her head. "It's not that. I told you, remember? I want this, too. But, as you said, I want to be on the exact same page. We can work towards this, of course, but, that's all this is...right? For now? Us working towards it, just saving money and weighing our options, thinking about the future? And when the time comes to make decisions about moving forward, we'll make them together?"

"Of course." Ava grinned. "Doing anything more right now would be, admittedly, pretty scary for me too."

Paloma immediately relaxed, the tension in her muscles leaving as she smiled wholeheartedly. "Okay, then. Let's do it."

Siberia's nails consistently clicked against the concrete of the driveway, Quinn's footsteps following closely behind. The husky's tail rippled in anticipation, knowing that, like the conclusion of every other one of her and the girl's lengthy walks, a sizable bowl of kibble would be waiting inside to greet her.

Both of them realized that, for now, that routine would be put to halt upon seeing the tan skin of a young woman who's knuckles tapped mildly against the front door.

Quinn briefly studied her in silence, noting that the mysterious woman couldn't have been more than six years older than her. Quinn approached with caution, Siberia doing the same once she finally made their presence known.

"Can I help you?"

Hazel eyes met brown once she turned around to match a face to the voice of the girl.

"Hi." Her gaze briefly fell on Quinn before traveling to Siberia who stood tall at the redhead's side. "Cute dog. I was just leaving a key for someone but now I'm not so sure I have the right house."

Quinn furrowed her brows. "Who are you looking for?"

The trimmed lady chuckled briefly, mentally scolding herself for not speaking up sooner. "Woman, dark hair, makes a tree look short. You know, your typical supermodel," she chuckled.

"Doesn't quite narrow things down."

"Ava Pfeiffer," came her abrupt response. "That's her name. She live here?"

"That depends. Who wants to know?"

"Right, sorry. The name's Sandra."

Quinn nodded, accepting the simple explanation with caution. "You're a friend of Ava's?"

"We're—" Sandra readjusted the strap of her purse, stopping it from sliding further down her shoulder. "Yeah, something like that. And you are...?"

"Quinn."

"Ava never mentioned she had a..." the disdain in her voice could be heard a mile away, "Quinn."

The teenager raised an eyebrow at Sandra's tone. "She doesn't...not really. She's a friend."

"Just a friend?" was Sandra's instant follow-up. She sheepishly motioned towards the home that stood a mere few feet away. "I mean, you live here, right? With Ava?"

Quinn teetered, finally realizing where the wavy-haired brunette was going with her question. "Considering I'm straight and Ava's twice my age...yes. Just a friend."

She immediately picked up on the relief that washed over Sandra's features. The woman toyed with the buttons on her wool, winter coat and laughed, "I was about to say, you don't even look legal. You know what? I'm not gonna take up any more of your time, you look busy. But, if she asks, would you just let Ava know I got all my stuff out, so she can feel free to do what she wants? She'll know what it means. I'm just gonna slip this key under the mat and Ava can get it...whenever. Since she refuses to answer any of my calls."

"Key?"

"To...her apartment," Sandra elaborated. "Guess she doesn't tell her 'friends' everything either. My question is, who the hell can afford a place like this on top of an apartment?" she mumbled.

Sandra knelt down and lifted the edge of the doormat using the tips of her pointer finger and thumb.

"You know, I can just take the key off your hands, make sure Ava gets it."

Quinn inched closer once her assurance was met with silence. When Sandra rose to her feet and turned to face Quinn, her expression had visibly darkened. She motioned towards the welcome mat and chuckled bitterly.

"Sullivan," she read the name allowed. "As in Paloma Sullivan?"

"Who are you again?" Quinn asked, puzzled.

"Paloma," Sandra spit the name out as though it were poison working to manically claim her life. "Awesome." Her frown deepened substantially. "Do me a favor, tell Ava I said I appreciate the help, I really do, but don't bother returning my calls. Granted that she remotely gives a shit."

With that, she tossed the key into the air, prompting Quinn to catch it as the woman made a beeline for her vehicle. Quinn looked on wearing a curious expression, sensing the rage that radiated from Sandra even as she hurried down the road.

The teenager brought the key up to her line of sight and studied it incredulously, all the while, wondering why a—rather possessive—woman would have a key to Ava's apartment in the first place.