He had taken more than one hit from someone, whether as a fight as a kid or from a mother who had just lost a child and took it out on the nearest person or even Maria, but no hit to the chest had hurt as bad as when Samantha threw a hit to his chest. The actual blow hadn't hurt, it was the tears coming from her eyes that had hurt, he actually hadn't felt the blow considering he had gone totally numb in the process of delivering the bad news. Samantha's brother whom they had been looking for had been found dead, shot to death and they had picked Jack of all people to deliver the news to her.
He tried to tell her in the least painful way possible but she had figured it out as soon as she opened the door to reveal Jack, with that face, that face that she had seen deliver bad news more than once. She had closed her eyes and tried to pretend it was all a bad dream, but she knew it wasn't. She repeatedly shook her head and mumbled a pleading 'no' before she had gradually gotten louder and the fists started flying. He took the first couple of blows before grabbing her arms and pulling her tight against his chest, mumbling words of comfort into her ear.
Now he stood beside her and watched as they had lowered her brother into the ground, he laid a comforting hand on her shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze. Everyone else had left, leaving them standing alone in the cool fall air.
"He told me the day that he left home that goodbyes were forever. So I guess this is what goodbye really feels like." she sniffled.
"I'm so sorry Sam." he mumbled pulling her into a hug and holding her tight for what seemed like hours. He finally released her with a sigh. "Come on, let's get you home."
She nodded and sniffled a few times to get rid of the evidence she had been crying.
He pulled out his keys to open her apartment and she wondered to herself why he still had a key to her apartment, she guessed for emergencies, which wouldn't be a bad thing. He unlocked the door and ushered her inside before coming in himself and closing the door. She sat down on the couch and pulled her knees to her chest, burying her face into her arms. The sight of her grieving always tore his heart in half, he sighed and made his way to the couch, taking a seat beside her. She looked at him and sniffed a few time, the look he had for her was a look of love and concern, he held his arm out gesturing for her to sit next to him. She took his offer scooted close to him, laying her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her shoulder and hugged her close. Everything had seemed to be going wrong for the both of them the past year. Samantha had broken up with Martin, Jack and Maria had gotten a divorce, Jack had lost his father, Samantha had lost her brother and there they sat, together one almost as lost as the other. She shook her head and let out a humorless laugh.
"Everything seems to be going wrong." She said.
"Yeah I know." He sympathized. "Trust me, I know." He kissed the top of her head before laying his on the back of the couch.
"Do you ever feel like you're so alone? Like you have no one else in the world." She asked.
"Yeah…I used to. But I'm not alone anymore. I've got you." He stated with a half smile. "Yeah…I guess that means I'm not alone either, huh?" She tilted her head up and kissed his chin. At least one thing had gone right in the past year they had each other.
