Michael looks on from the door frame leading to their garden as Sara grab the ball and throws it back at their son, laughing at his missing the goal behind her, she turns back towards the table and place the three piled plates in front of the chairs, she takes a knife and begin making slices of the pie she had baked earlier, the sweet scent still lingering inside the house.
It's sunny, and Sara's wearing a sleeveless black top and blue jeans, her white coat is hanging loosely on of of the chair's back, she had put it there to greet Mike with a hug and then directly walking inside to greet him, with a tender kiss and a teasing-banter remark concerning his longer-than-usual hair.
She had then began baking after a quick shower, forgetting about the white coat and it's location. She was a messy woman, still, but Michael liked that, after a lifetime spent apart, he embraced the mundanity of cleaning up her mess with all his heart.
He'll put it back in their closet winning an opportunity to smell her the scent of antiseptic and hospital mixed with a tenderly delighting and familiar scent that was just her, just like she smelled in Fox River.
She's so beautiful. With the time, in those seven long years, Sara had become a memory, a memory he was so deeply, madly grasped onto but still a memory.
When he had seen her again, he had been taken aback by how his memory and usually sharp mind failed to capture her beauty.
Michael's heart had broken at the thought of all the time he'd missed with her beautiful, caring, loving and strong being, a sad smile take place on his lips, he could never bring time back, but they were together now, and that's all that mattered.
He watches as she takes a bite from the pie to taste it before she looks up and realises his presence, she smiles, her ever so radiant smile, he wanted it to be the last thing he saw before he died.
Dying, again. It was crazy for Michael to think he'd have endless moments with her where he could see her, makes her smile and laugh forever. Sadly, their moments of joy were always counted. But not anymore.
Sara's eyes are bright and she makes a small wave with the hand she's holding the knife with, a gesture for him to join her. Michael smiles, an idea coming to him. ''Wait.'' He mouth smiling before disappearing inside the house with a light frown from Sara.
He comes back with his smartphone, lock screen a picture of the three of them and home screen an old one of Mike and Sara, when he was still a toddler.
Michael never got to see Mike growing up, seeing him as a baby at least in pictures made him feel like he knows him a little better.
Sara frowned, for, she didn't like the use of the object during family moments and meals, Mike would copy that and she wanted them to enjoy their time together.
Before she could protest, Michael spoke.
''Can I take a picture of you?'' He asked with that tender, gentle voice she could never deny anything to.
''What?'' She blurted caught off guard by the demand, she laughed slightly.
''Please.'' He requested and her heart melted. She chuckled.
''Michael? Have you seen me? I look like shit after the long day I had at work. And I've just taken my make up off.'' Sara wasn't one to think about apparences, but taking a picture in her not-so-good-looking apparence did made her protest slightly.
''You look beautiful.'' He spoke with seriousness and Sara laughed.
''You're a liar.'' Michael smiled to himself at her reiteration of the conversation they once had in others circumstances.
''Where do you want me to stand?'' She asked, not having the heart to refuse this devoted man anything, and even less such an innocent demand.
Michael scanned the space around him. ''There, right under the tree.'' Michael pointed to a cherry tree, with pale pink flowers blossoming in this early spring.
''Okay.'' Sara smiled and walked ahead of him to stand in the spot he requested, Michael followed her steps.
''Stop, right there.'' Sara stopped and turned, she stood normally, wrists held together in front of her.
''Will this work?'' She asked seeing him begin to take a picture, he examined it and Sara could observe the deep frown of concentration she always saw in him appear on his forehead.
''Uh..move slightly to the left, the light's better.'' Sara followed his instructions. ''Alright, now turn your head three centimeters to the right.'' Sara burst in a laugher. ''Michael this isn't a blueprint, it's a picture.''
''Yeah but you're so perfect, I want the the picture to be perfect too.'' Sara rolled her eyes.
''I'm far from perfect Michael, but I'm sure if you could, you would have patched me up too. Middle finger two millimeters shorter, nose one millimeter narrower.'' Sara mimicked his voice.
''You're caricaturing me, and there's nothing to patch up about you, I wouldn't want you to change a thing, I meant it, you're perfection to me.''
''My, my, you're a good talker Scofield.''
''I've got some great motivations. Now will you please make a better pose than standing-in-the-boss's-office .'' Sara chuckled.
''That's not how I would stand in my boss' office, let's say it'd be a little more..'' she left the sentence unfinished and Michael smiled seeing her make an elegant pose, she held her hair in one hand and pushed her head back. Michael took a couple of pictures in different poses he'd instructed and he saw Sara sigh.
''What's this for anyway?'' She asked.
''Well I uh..remember that wall in the hallway we'd decided looked too blank, I might have found something to brighten it.''
Sara raised an eyebrow but before she could even think of a response, she was slightly pushed to the sight as Mike crushed into her after the run he'd made while they were too busy to listen.
''You're taking pictures!'' He exclaimed excitedly.
''Yes we are, stand right there with mom Mike.'' Michael said as Mike stilled, still in the hug position and Sara rested a hand in his hair, stroking it slowly.
Michael found the sight mesmerising, Sara, and his amazingly intelligent, cute and beautiful baby boy.
''Mike? Can you hold the ball in your other arm?'' Michael requested still chasing perfection and Sara shook her head. Mike shifted the soccer ball to his left arm and giggled at his father's obsession.
''Ssh..stay still!'' Sara playfully hushed her son.
Mike went still for a few seconds and then laughed again, Michael didn't seem to care as he took candids of them.
Sara's smile altered after a while. ''Michael?''
''Uh...yeah?'' Michael looked up from the phone.
''Do you know there is a selfie option too?'' Sara suggested with a small smile.
Michael looked at her clueless and Sara left Mike's side to retrieve the phone from him, with her other hand, she held his wrist and brought him where Mike stood.
Michael looked at her as she stood beside him, sneaking an arm behind his back and holding the phone in the other, Mike stood between them and Michael's heart warmed at the sight in the screen of the phone.
He hadn't yet realised that he didn't needed to be an outsider watching his family from afar, he could actually be a part from it.
Sara smiled to the camera and he smiled too, placing a hand on his son's shoulder and the other on Sara's. He leant closer to her and Sara clicked the button a couple of times, changing the angle in between.
''Can I go eat the pie now?'' Mike asked eagerly earning a laugh from Sara.
''Yes you can.'' She smiled and looked at the picture she just took before handing the phone to Michael.
''This is going on the wall.'' Sara watched the picture with a fond smile.
Michael smiled looking at the picture too, he looked at Sara and pulled her in a quick embrace, he kissed her lips briefly before smiling at her with happiness, Sara knew looking in those eyes, that there was longing hidden, longing for her and their son, yet he was happy at finding them again and finally be together.
''I love you.''
She brought a hand to his chest, a familiar gesture she had grown used too. ''I love you too.'' Sara whispered smiling at her husband, her eyes shining too with the gratitude of having him back.
