Settling In
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"Mom? Mom?" Sam opens her eyes and sees Anna standing next to the couch. I must have fallen asleep on the couch; I don't even remember falling asleep.
"Yeah honey?" Sam asks.
"Our fridge is empty" Anna says, "And I'm hungry"
"Oh yeah, we need to go shopping. I'll call Carly and Freddie and see if they want to go out for breakfast. You may get to meet Carly's kids" She says.
"Okay" Anna says with a smile.
"Yeah okay calling now" Sam says to herself, trying to wake herself up more and she grabs her phone.
"I need coffee" Sam says walking into the café. Sam looks around the tables for Carly.
"Sam" Carly calls her from the booth.
"Hey" Sam says, hugging her friend hello.
"Sam, this is Brandon and Connor" She says gesturing to the two boys next to her.
"Hi" Sam kneels to them and hugs them.
"And this little guy is Seth" Carly says, holding him in her arms.
"Carly they are amazing" Sam says.
"Thanks. Boys this is your Aunt Sam and Matthew and Anna" Carly tells them.
"Hi" Matthew and Anna both say. Brandon and Connor smile and wave.
"No Nick?" Sam asks.
"He has to work. Emergency rooms are always busy" Carly says. Nick is an emergency room medic, Sam remembers him talking about what he was in school for the day she met him. They all sit down and order their food.
"Is Freddie coming?" Matthew asks, eating his waffles.
"No, he is busy, but he will make it next time" Sam tells Matthew.
"Darn" He says. I like Freddie, he is cool.
"So why is he really not here?" Carly whispers to Sam.
"He didn't answer his phone or call me back" She says. Carly notices how sad she looks when she says that.
"That's weird" Carly says. Sam just shrugs. "I'll be right back" Carly says, getting up from the booth and walking into the bathroom. She dials Freddie's number.
"Hello?" Freddie answers the phone.
"Why aren't you here?" Carly asks.
"Carly…" He sighs.
"Look I don't know what happened, but you can't ignore her phone calls. She just got home, do not push her away. If you do, that would be the biggest mistake of your life. Now, get down here" She says.
"I'll be there in 10" He says and hangs up the phone.
"You guys ready to go?" Sam asks, as they all finish breakfast.
"Yep" Matthew says.
"Hi Freddie!" Anna says, looking at the door. Sam turns and sees Freddie standing by the door. They all get up from the booth to leave the café.
"Hey" Carly says to Freddie.
"Morning, everyone" Freddie says.
"You're late. We are going grocery shopping now" Matthew says.
"Oh, yeah I'm sorry about that. You guys are going shopping?" Freddie asks.
"Yeah, empty fridge, remember" Sam says.
"Yeah" He says.
"Do you want to come with?" Anna asks him.
"Ummmmm…. I don't know." Freddie says.
"Come on, it will be fun…. Kind of" Matthew says. Freddie looks hesitant and Sam doesn't say anything.
"You know I think that would be a great idea. Sam you'll need help getting all those groceries, I mean your kitchen is completely empty. I have to stop home and get some things for the boys, so I'll do that when you shop, then we can all meet back at the house. The kids can play, while we fix some things up" Carly says.
"Yeah, that sounds good" Sam says, not that excited.
"Okay" Freddie says.
"Well then just call me when you are home from shopping and we will come over." Carly says.
"I will. See you later" Sam says and they leave the café.
"Mom, can we get these?" Anna asks, carrying armfuls of fruit snacks and cupcakes.
"Haha, how about two of each?" Sam tells her. Anna nods and throws her junk food into the cart.
"Milk" Freddie says, dropping two gallons into the cart.
"Check" Sam says, crossing it off the list. "We should get some juice and yogurt"
"Okay" He says and they walk to the section. Anna is looking at the chips next to them. Sam starts grabbing some food.
"Hey, Freddie can I get this?" Matthew asks, holding a bag of Cheese Puffs.
"I think you have to ask your mom on that one" Freddie says.
"We don't have to tell her" He says. Sam laughs at hearing that.
"You know I can hear you right?" Sam says, facing them.
"Busted" Freddie jokes.
"Can I get this?" Matthew asks his mother.
"Oh so you're telling now?" She jokes, "Go ahead" Matthew throws it in the cart and him and Anna go look down another aisle.
"A few more things and I think we are good. I don't think I have ever bought this many groceries, ever" Sam says.
"Empty kitchen, remember?" Freddie says.
"Yeah" She says.
"Sam, I want to apologize for last night" He says.
"You don't have to apologize"
"Yes I do. I was upset and angry, I took it out on you and I shouldn't have. I'm sorry. I… I don't want to push you away." Freddie tells her. Sam looks at him and grabs his hand.
"You could never push me away" She says, "I think we are ready to go" Sam drops his hand.
"Yeah, let's go" He says.
"Matthew, Anna, time to check out" Matthew and Anna walk back to them, dropping a few more things in the cart.
"Freddie, when are we going to go to the comic shop?" Matthew asks.
"Excited much? You have only been here for one day" Freddie says, smiling.
"All my comics are old" He says.
"Comic shop? What is that about?" Sam asks.
"Freddie said he would take me to the comic shop" Matthew says.
"He did?" Sam asks Freddie.
"Yeah, I saw he liked comics so I said I'd take him. How does tomorrow sound?" He asks.
"Good" Matthew says. Freddie looks at Sam to make sure that is okay.
"That could work" Sam says.
"Yes!" Matthew exclaims. Matthew continues to talk with Freddie. Freddie is so good with him. I have never seen Matthew get along so well with someone before. Sam thinks, watching them.
"Did you buy the whole store?" Carly jokes, helping Sam unload the groceries.
"Actually I bought two stores, duh" Sam jokes back.
"Where does the peanut butter go?" Carly asks.
"Third cabinet" Sam and Freddie say together. They both glance at each other. He remembers. She remembers, they both think.
"Excuse me" Freddie says and walks out of the kitchen. Sam sighs and keeps putting groceries away.
"So what's going on with you two?" Carly asks.
"Nothing" Sam says, not looking at her.
"That's my point" Carly says.
"What?"
"You and Freddie are together again. Am I the only one that gets it?" Carly exclaims.
"Gets what?" Sam says, putting food in the refrigerator.
"Urrrggghh, look I love you guys, but you both need to stop tip toeing around each other."
"Carly, I have kids, it has been fourteen years."
"You sound like Freddie" Carly says, "Look your kids love you and I know they like Freddie, so don't think about them, what do you want?"
"I can't not think about Matthew and Anna, they are my life, Carly! Freddie and I are…. are…"
"Are what?" Carly says, "You love him and he loves you! He spent the last fourteen years looking for you and missing you. He hardly slept without dreaming about you, he was going to propose for god's sake!" Carly covers her mouth when she realizes she told Sam that Freddie was going to propose. Sam feels tears well up in her eyes.
"I KNOW THAT! I found the ring! I… I know" Sam says, wiping her eyes.
"Sam, I didn't know, I'm sorry. I should have stopped pushing" Carly whispers and comforts her friend, "You love him"
"Of course I love him" Sam says, "but I don't know where to go from here, we can't just go back"
"I'm not saying go back. I'm saying move forward" Carly says quietly, "Anyone else would have not waited this long"
"Yeah" Sam says.
Freddie runs a hand through his hair, trying to clear his head. He heard everything; he didn't mean to eavesdrop, but he heard Carly say something about them tiptoeing around each other and he didn't want to interrupt the conversation, so he just stood there, listening by accident. She knew about the ring…. She knew, this whole time. Get it together, you cannot go in there like you heard everything, just be normal. Freddie takes a deep breath and steps into the kitchen.
"Hey guys, you done?" He asks. Sam turns away from him and clears her throat.
"Yep, all done" Carly says with a smile.
"Okay, well we could start cleaning around if you guys want?" He asks.
"That's a good idea" Sam says.
"Alright, let's get to it" Carly says.
"Mom, there is someone at the door!" Matthew shouts from the living room. All three of them walk out the kitchen and towards the door.
"Who could that be?" Sam wonders.
"Were you expecting anyone?" Carly asks.
"No" Sam says. Chris... Sam freezes at the thought of Chris being at the door.
"Oh, it's Allison" Freddie says and opens the door. Allison and another officer are at the door. "Hey" Freddie says.
"Hey everyone" Allison says.
"What are you doing here?" Sam asks.
"We actually have the things from your hou- from Colorado" She says.
"That was quick" Sam says.
"The unit worked through night, now all the boxes are labeled by room. Where should we bring them?" Allison asks.
"The living room is fine" Sam says.
"Sweet! All my clothes are here and my whole room" Anna says.
"Okay well let's start unpacking." Sam says.
"Whew, that was definitely a long day" Carly says, putting on her coat to leave.
"Thanks so much for helping" Sam says.
"No problem, it was a good time and the boys had a lot of fun too"
"Yeah, we wore them out" Sam says.
"It's way past their bed time" Carly and Sam hug goodbye.
"Tell Nick I say hi" Sam says.
"I will. After work tomorrow, we will come by, there is still a lot of work to do here" Carly says.
"Yeah there is, but it's looking good" Sam says.
"It looks great. I'll see you tomorrow" She says and leaves out the door. Sam walks into the kitchen and starts putting plates in the cabinet and empting the boxes.
"Need help?" Freddie asks.
"No it's fine, I'm almost finished. You should probably be heading home anyway" She says.
"I got time" He says and starts putting things away. He reaches for a plate, but accidently knocks it off the counter and it breaks into pieces. "Crap! Sorry" He says and sees Sam smiling. "You are smiling, why are you smiling?"
"I always hated these dishes. I mean, I really really hate them" Sam says, she takes another plate and throws it to the ground, breaking it. Sam laughs.
"You know they are pretty ugly" He says, throwing another one to the floor. Sam knocks a whole pile to the ground and it shatters, pieces flying everywhere. Sam bursts out laughing.
"Shhhh, you're kids are sleeping" Freddie points out, but even he can't help but to laugh. Sam tries to step around the broken plates when she accidently slips on a piece and falls into Freddie.
"Whoa there" He says, holding Sam, laughing. She looks up at him, We are so close.
"Freddie, I need to tell you something and you have to believe me" She whispers, "I never blamed you"
"Sam…" He says, holding her tight.
"I love you" Sam whispers. Freddie's heart stops upon hearing those words.
"I love you too" He says, "God, it's been so long since I've said that" Freddie runs a hand through her hair. Sam looks at him.
"Stay" She says.
"What?"
"This is your home too, it's our home" Sam says. Freddie cups her face in his hands; he leans in closer, bringing his face to hers.
"Freddie" She whispers and then feels his lips on hers. Sam leans in and deepens the kiss. "Upstairs" She whispers and they head up to the room. Their room.
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Thoughts? :)
