Sam sat on his bed, his fingers running over to glossy business card that Quinn had given him. He now knew three things about his sponsor. First thing was that her name was Quinn Fabray. He didn't know the Fabray part until she had handed him her business card. The second was her phone number. But he was going to get that anyways. She was his sponsor and if they ever wanted to get in contact again before the meeting, he would have to call her. The last thing he found out was that she was a counselor. The last part shocked him a bit, considering her outburst at the meeting that night. He didn't understand how someone who helped people with their addictions could also snap and yell at them in the next breath.
His hand reached for his wallet, sliding the business card into it before falling asleep. He had a big day the next day. He had a job interview with a school as a substitute teacher for two months while their teacher was on maternity leave. He would definitely need his rest.
Quinn Fabray hung her keys up on the key rack as she walked into her home, hoping not to disturb the babysitter and her daughter. Of course, her daughter came running to her as soon as the door opened. "Momma," the little girl exclaimed. Quinn bent down and picked her up, holding her tightly. "Hi, honey. How's mommy's little Lisbeth?" Lisbeth giggled and nodded. "I'm okay. I missed you." The blonde girl snuggled her face into Quinn's shoulder as Quinn's lips pressed to the top of her head. "I missed you too. But it's past bedtime." She put the girl down and ruffled her hair. "Go upstairs now and I'll be up to sing in a minute."
The single mother watched as her daughter ran up the stairs, chuckling softly before walking into the kitchen to find her best friend Rachel eating her dinner. "Rachel, are you just now eating your dinner?" The brunette nodded and took a bite of her veggie burger before tossing her hair off of her shoulder. Quinn chuckled and turned to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water. "How was she?"
"She was paranoid as always, Q. I know you think you can help her and keep her out of therapy, but you need to send her to someone," was Rachel's response. Quinn looked wearily at her best friend and sighed before rubbing the temples of her head.
"I know, but I'm scared that recalling the memories of everything will be too much for her… She's only four years old for God's sake."
"Quinn, she might be young but she was just returned to you the last week. I know you hate the fact that Trevor kidnapped her and kept her from you for two years, but think about how she's dealing with it."
Quinn sighed and looked down at her bottle of water before whispering, "I don't understand how they let him walk. He held her in captivity for two years and tortured her whenever she cried for me. What happens if he comes after her again?"
"If he comes back, which is a big if as long as I'm here, then you know to call the cops. But you need to have her see a child psychologist. I'll go with her on her appointments and make sure she's okay."
Quinn swallowed the lump in her throat and put the bottle of water down on the counter. "I have to go sing to her." She turned from the kitchen and walked to the stairs, gripping onto the railing as she trudged up the stairs. She turned down the hallway and knocked on the door before walking into Lisbeth's bedroom. "What are you doing out of bed, monkey?"
Lisbeth's giggles rang through the room as Quinn tickled her, putting her in bed. She sat on the chair that was next to her bed and held her daughter's hand. "What song did you want momma to sing to you tonight?"
"You pick," the four year old said to Quinn, looking at her with the big blue eyes she inherited from her father. Quinn nodded and bit her lower lip as she pondered what song to sing to her little girl. She finally decided on which song and took a deep breath in.
"Sleep, my child, and peace attend thee
All through the night
Guardian angels God will send thee
All through the night
Soft the drowsy hours are creeping
Hill and dale in slumber sleeping
I my loving vigil keeping
All through the night
While the moon her watch is keeping
All through the night
While the weary world is sleeping
All through the night
O'er thy spirit gently stealing
Visions of delight revealing
Breathes a pure and holy feeling
All through the night
Though I roam a minstrel lonely
All through the night
My true harp shall praise sing only
All through the night
Love's young dream, alas, is over
Yet my strains of love shall hover
Near the presence of my lover
All through the night
Hark, a solemn bell is ringing
Clear through the night
Thou, my love, art heavenward winging
Home through the night
Earthly dust from off thee shaken
Soul immortal shalt thou awaken
With thy last dim journey taken
Home through the night."
Quinn looked at her daughter, Lisbeth's eyes twitching in while she dreamed. Quinn stood up and pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead and whispered, "Momma loves you, Lisbeth." She then turned on the girl's nightlight and walked out of the room and going into the hallway. She walked into her bed room and changed into her pajamas. When she was straightening out her jeans, she couldn't help but remember the piece of paper on which Sam Evans had written his number. She looked at the handwriting on the paper before grabbing her cell phone from the pocket of her pants, putting the number in. She sent him a quick text saying, 'Coffee 2morrow? –Q'.
She then climbed into her bed, covering up before letting her eyes surrender to the sleep that fought its way through.
Sam came out of his interview with a satisfied look on his face. He thought that he had done a good job as they asked him questions about why he wanted the job and how he heard about it. They said they'd call in a few days with news on whether he had the job or not.
Sam checked his phone to see an unread text message from the night before. It was from Quinn. He smiled as soon as he read it, replying back quickly, 'Ya. Meet me the Starbucks on 10th in 5. –S'.
He then turned down Eighth Street and made his way through New York's foot traffic. He passed by Ninth Street before finally reaching Tenth. He turned onto the block and then proceeded into Starbucks. He walked up to the barista and grabbed his wallet. "Coffee. Black." The girl nodded and poured it into his mug and handed it to him. He paid her and gave a dollar tip before finding a booth towards the front of the shop and waited for Quinn.
Quinn rushed through the door and smiled at the barista, giving her the five dollars as the girl prepared her drink. Sam was a bit confused by this but then decided that she probably came here often. When Quinn got her frappucino, she turned back to the front before seeing Sam. She smiled and walked over to him, sliding into the seat across from him. "Sorry I'm late. Foot traffic's a bitch."
Sam's chuckle sent a warm feeling to her center, loving the melodic tones that were hinted in them. "How are you, Quinn?" Sam's gaze met hers as she took a sip of the caramel covered drink as she swallowed and nodded.
"I'm good, thank you. How about yourself? You haven't had any urges since last night, right?"
She was pleasantly surprised as he shook his head no and replied with, "I'm fine. I just got out of an interview."
She proceeded to ask him questions about the interview, asking him about how it went and what it was for. She smiled when he told her that he had always longed to be a high school teacher and thought that this was an opening for him.
"What about you? What do you do with your life?"
Quinn looked down and then shrugged. "I'm a therapist and a mother. Once a week I'm a sponsor." She chuckled and then notice Sam's frown. She didn't know which part he was frowning about.
Sam knew that she had noticed his frown and he asked, "So you live with your boyfriend or something?" He couldn't help it if he was jealous of her child's father. He got to explore every part of that body and caress it and be a part of it.
Quinn choked on her drink at his question and shook her head. "No. I left the father three years ago because he told me he didn't believe in marriage. I want a commitment, especially if I'm going to have a child with the person." She sighed and then looked at him, a relieved look on Sam's face.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know." Sam felt like an idiot for asking, but he was glad that he did. Now he knew that if he made a pass on her, he had a higher chance of getting accepted since there was no boyfriend to cock-block him.
Quinn shook her head and laughed. "No, don't be sorry. You deserve to know about my life much like I should know about yours. After all, I need to be able to know the triggers of your drinking. I'll need to know what makes you tick and such." She checked her watch and quickly stood, grabbing her coffee. "I have an appointment in twenty minutes. I have to go."
"Let me walk you back to your office," was the first thing that came from Sam's mouth. He could tell that Quinn was shocked by what he said, but he was happy when she nodded and whispered, "Okay." He grabbed his coffee and walked out of the coffee shop with her, meshing into the foot traffic of New York.
The walk was painfully quiet between the two. The only noises that came from them were the courtesies that they would say if they bumped into someone. They turned and stopped in front of a building and she turned to him and smiled. "Well, this is it. Thank you for the conversation and I hope to see you soon." She turned to walk in until he called out, "Quinn, wait." She turned back to see him running up the cement stairs to meet her.
"Thank you for telling me everything and taking me under your wing. Rehab will be much easier with you there to support me."
She smiled and nodded before whispering, "It's my pleasure." She turned to walk away before he grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear and kissing her lips softly.
To both of their surprise, she kissed him back.