Skipping ahead now, and thought a conversation with her mom would be something our Sammy would need before she ever went through with an engagement. :)
Sam barely registered when her mother entered the kitchen. Or, her sister for that matter, who had been standing behind her by the fridge grabbing her iced tea.
"She's been sitting there for a half hour," she heard Melanie say, addressing their mom. "Figured she'd be more likely to listen to you..."
She turned around in her chair. "I can hear you guys. You know that, right?"
"Sorry, Sam, I love you, but you know how stubborn you can be and I-"
"Mel," Pam cut in. "Can you..." She trailed off and Melanie nodded.
"Say no more. I'll be upstairs."
Sam gave a wave of dismissal as her sister walked away. "Chao."
"Cut her some slack, Kid. She's just looking out for you."
The only response she offered back was an aggravated huff. "Look, I didn't ask for her advice okay?" she added after a minute, still glancing down at her palm.
"Whoa daisy," her mom observed, putting her hand over eyes for dramatic effect. "That is definitely some rock you got there. I think," she stopped and felt her eye, "yeah, my cornea is bruised," she finished nodding.
She glared."You're hilarious, Ma."
"I like to think so."
Sighing, Sam drummed her free hand on the wood table. "He, um, he wanted me to keep it while I made up my mind."
"Smart boy," Pam mused. "Hard to say no with that on your finger."
Sam glared.
"Sorry, but I'm not really seeing the down side here, kiddo."
"You know, I didn't really ask for your advice either."
Why couldn't they just leave her alone?
Now it was her mother's turn to glare. "Well, that's too bad, 'cause you're going to it anyway - free of charge. Because I'm just that generous."
She rolled her eyes, now wishing that a hole would suddenly appear beneath her feet and swallow her up. "Joy."
"You're not me, Sam."
Jarred by the statement, Sam shifted in her chair to meet her mom's gaze. "What?"
"You're not me," Pam repeated, slowly, moving forward to brush a strand of hair away from Sam's face. "I know that..." She paused and took a deep breath. "I know I haven't been the best person for you to look up to when it comes to this...stuff. I drove your father away -"
"Mom-"
"And I've had more men come in and out of here than I have shoes," she pressed on before tilting her head. "More than the amount of times Carmine's been in prison..."
Her uncle did get incarcerated a lot...
Leave it to her mother to make this all about her.
"Okay, mom, you really need to stop. Like now." Sam got up from the table, walking over to the sink, absently stating to look out the window. "Just let me think in peace, will you?"
Her mom got up after her, placing her hand on the small of her back. "You know, they always say you fight the most with the one that's most like you."
Sam sighed and turned around, resigned to the fact that her mom wasn't about to listen to her and let this drop. "Is that so?"
"Yeah, that is so." She smiled, twirling a strand of Sam's hair. "I love Mel-Bell from here to the next Fourth of July, okay...but you? You're the daughter that I see myself in."
She smirked. "Lucky me?"
Pam rolled her eyes at her. "And there's my undeniable wit! How charming."
Sam just turned back around pretending to be fascinated by the squirrel currently climbing up their tree.
"Kid, I'm going to say this to you as kindly as I possibly can...Don't be an idiot, alright?"
She laughed. "And that's as kind as you can?"
"Are you in love with him?"
"Ma, that's not the-"
"Sam," her mom cut her off, "simple question. Easy as pie. Do. You. Love. Him?"
"Yes."
"Do you believe that he really loves you?"
"Yes," she shot back automatically.
"Well then, yes," Pam responded, with a shrug. "That was as kind as I could possibly be."
Sam just looked down at her shoes. "Since when do you get to be right?" she mumbled.
"Hey, I'm always right!"
"Like the time when I was twelve and you dated that animal wrangler from North Dakota and he-"
She shrugged. "Okay, okay so I've been wrong a time or two in my lifetime. Sue me."
"Yeah," Sam nodded, "that's exactly what the zoo did when he tried to free all the animals and-"
"Riiiiight," Pam stopped her, holding up her palm, "well, let's focus on the matter at hand, alright, Miss?"
She tilted her head. "No, I'm good. I think we're done here."
"Alight, alright, I get the message loud and clear," her mom, conceded. "I'll butt out. But Sam?"
"Yes, mother?" she droned, albeit, over-dramatically.
"Whatever your fears are, Kiddo, you're just gonna have to get over it and plow right on through. 'Cause I assure you if you don't, you'll look back and find yourself...Alone. Wishing you hadn't given up on what made you happy."
Sam blinked, getting a glimpse of a rare sincere Pam that she was never really sure how to react to when she showed up.
"There won't be a second chance, Sammy. Trust me."
She pulled her mom into a hug, whispering a quiet "thanks," before walking back over to the kitchen table. She took a breath before picking up the ring from off the place mat and slipping it on her finger.
A perfect fit.
"Oh, and mom?" She glanced back at Pam who was about to head upstairs. "Dad was an idiot."
Her mom laughed and shook her head. "Good to know." She smiled, issuing a final wave. "G'Night, my little monster...I gotta get a wax in the morning."
She smiled. "Good night, Ma."
Alas, at least she knew, some things would never change.
1.) Hope Pam is IC!:)
2.) Thinking of a prequel with Freddie proposing, and a sequel with Sam finally accepting. Interested?
3.) New episode tomorrow! So psyched. 3