DISCLAIMER: Look on first chapter.
Sorry it's late! I suffered from an extreme case of post-vacation exhaustion and writer's block. Haha. I'm leaving for a week in Iowa in less than 24 hours and I still haven't packed. Lol. I'll try to update while I'm at my brother's house, but I can't make any promises. Lol. Happy reading!
May 9, 2011 (Monday)
Lynn's House
Lima, Ohio
4:47PM
Lynn wrapped Mercedes into a hug as soon as she appeared at the bottom of the stairs. "I've missed you, sweetheart," she told the girl and Mercedes laughed.
"You saw me at church yesterday, Auntie!" she replied and Lynn just squeezed her a bit tighter.
"That was a long time ago, darlin'," Lynn said and Mercedes smiled. Lynn pulled away from Mercedes and looked up at Sam, who was standing awkwardly on the stairs. She beamed at him and he blushed before giving her a smile back.
"Sam!" she greeted as she opened her arms to him. Sam walked into her hug with pink cheeks and Mercedes couldn't help but laugh.
Her aunt would be good for the Evans' family. She was so loving and accepting and motherly; just what they needed right now. She watched as Lynn pulled away from Sam and asked, "Have you seen your room yet, darlin'?"
Sam nodded. "I hope you like it—I only picked that one because the walls were red and Mercy told me that was your favorite color," she rambled and Mercedes had to bite back a laugh. It was so obvious that Lynn was just as nervous as Sam was about this whole situation.
She babbled when she was excited and nervous. "It's great," Sam replied, "Thank you for all this—"
Lynn held up a hand. "Don't start that now," she told him, "We were friends before this and we're friends now. I don't want you to walk around here kissing my bottom constantly for doing something that needed to be done."
Sam blushed, but he grinned at her. "Okay," he told her and Lynn smiled.
"What have you two been up to?" she questioned and Mercedes' eyes narrowed at the twinkle she saw in those hazel eyes. Sam's blushing distracted her though.
"I gave him his present," Mercedes piped up and Lynn glanced at her.
"The one with all the posters?" she asked and Mercedes nodded. "Did you like it?" she inquired of Sam, whose green eyes lit up with excitement.
"It was the best present ever!" Sam told them. He opened his mouth to say something else, but they were interrupted by the sound of a dog barking.
"Marley!" Mercedes exclaimed as she rushed over to the glass doors that opened to the backyard. She hadn't seen Marley in forever. The golden Labrador retriever was nosing the glass—most likely trying to get Lynn's attention, but when Mercedes got closer—the dog started barking like crazy and pawing at the glass.
She heard Lynn laugh from behind her as she pulled open the glass door. The dog came clambering inside noisily and practically pounced on Mercedes.
It was embarrassing to know that she was just as excited as the dog. She dropped to her knees and Marley wasted no time in giving doggy kisses as Mercedes pulled her into a hug.
She forgot about her audience as she cooed at Marley and scratched behind her floppy ears. She was brought back to reality by Sam sitting down next to her on the ground; Marley—being the curious dog that she was—trotted over to Sam to investigate this new person.
"She's sniffing me like I'm an alien," Sam said and Mercedes laughed. She watched as Marley circled Sam—sticking her head over Sam's shoulder and sniffing his back and chest and hands. She was being very thorough in this investigation.
"She hasn't been around very many people besides my family and Lynn—I don't think she's ever seen a white person before," Mercedes told him causing Sam to laugh, "So you kind of are like an alien."
"She seems to like me so far," Sam replied as Marley practically crawled into his lap to sniff at his hair. Sam rubbed his fingers through her soft fur and placed a kiss on the dog's head. Marley cocked her head to the side before she nosed Sam on the mouth. He leant away from her with a chuckle.
"I don't kiss on the first date," he told the dog and Marley barked at him. Mercedes couldn't help but smirk at the thought that he'd certainly kiss before the first date if their interaction was anything to go by. "I'm Sam—and I hear that you're Marley."
He was talking to the dog as if he could understand her barking. Mercedes thought it was cute and Lynn apparently did too—by the way she was grinning from where she was standing. Mercedes and Lynn watched Sam and Marley get further acquainted for a few moments, before Lynn spoke up, "Have you guys done homework?"
Mercedes shook her head and Sam said, "Not yet—we just got here a little while ago."
"Well," Lynn began, "how about you two get your homework out of the way while I go do some more laundry?"
At the mention of laundry, Sam stopped playing with Marley and his cheeks turned red. Mercedes laughed heartily at his embarrassment. Lynn eyed them curiously for a moment, before Mercedes replied, "That sounds good, Auntie."
"Are you planning on staying for dinner, Mercedes?" The woman asked and the chocolate skinned diva shook her head.
"Mama is making a big dinner for my brothers' return home tonight," she replied, "I was ordered to be home by seven o'clock to help out."
"I forgot they were coming home today!" Lynn muttered, "I'll have to make them some of those chocolate chip cookies they like so much. Can you take a container home with you, darlin'?"
"Of course," Mercedes said and Lynn nodded.
"Alright—well, I'll leave the two of you to your homework," she told them with a smile, "I'm going to start those cookies and then the laundry; if you two need anything just holler for me."
Mercedes and Sam watched Lynn turn on her heel and move into the kitchen. Mercedes looked back over at Sam, who was absently rubbing Marley's head. Sam seemed to be good with animals and children. She wasn't really surprised.
"Let's go grab our books," Mercedes stated as she stood from the floor. Sam followed her lead after giving Marley another hug. "We can study outside on the patio table—it's nice out."
Sam nodded before he followed Mercedes up the stairs.
May 9, 2011 (Monday)
Lynn's House
Lima, Ohio
5:14PM
"Do you think we should tell anyone?" Sam asked suddenly.
The question had been eating at him for the last couple of days. They weren't an official couple yet, and they hadn't even gone on a date, but they had kissed and admitted their feelings for one another. That meant something—didn't it?
"Tell anyone what?" Mercedes replied as she looked up from her Biology homework.
They had been working on homework for a total of about fifteen minutes before Sam got distracted by his own musings. He wasn't ashamed of how he felt for Mercedes, but he hadn't wanted to say anything until he was completely positive about what he felt for her. But now—the situation had changed.
"About us," he said and Mercedes' eyebrows rose in surprise.
Things were different now. He lived with her aunt! That had to have changed the rules somehow. Their growing relationship would be more difficult to hide—especially because she and Lynn were so close, and Mercedes lived about ten minutes away. He felt weird that he'd be lying to Lynn if they had to explain something away. Just the thought filled him with guilt.
"Sam," Mercedes said—and he heard the undercurrent bite in her tone, "We don't even know what we are. I mean—how are we supposed to tell someone else when we can't even define ourselves?"
Sam hid a wince. He was positive that Mercedes cared about him in a romantic way, but that didn't mean that she didn't want to be more than whatever it was that they were. She deserved the girlfriend title more than anything, but Sam was holding off.
Somewhere inside her—he knew that she was nervous about his hesitancy, and it made him feel like a jerk, but it also made him more determined to get this right.
"I'm working on it, Cede," he replied softly and Mercedes' brown eyes closed as she let out a sigh.
"I know you are, Sam," she told him, "but that doesn't make this waiting game any less terrifying for me. I just want an answer—one that comes with a title: friend or girlfriend."
His stomach clenched and Sam looked away from her. The silence between them became tense, but Mercedes broke it before an argument could begin. "I'm sorry," she said, "I don't want to rush you, but—even though I don't have any other prospects—I'm not going to wait forever."
Sam felt his eyes water. Damn it. He just wanted to figure his feelings out first. Or at least that was the excuse he kept telling himself.
"Give me until Saturday," he said and Mercedes stared at him.
"You want me to wait until the day of Nationals to get an answer?" she asked incredulously and Sam nodded. In his head, he was totally freaking out. "Okay," she replied, "We won't let this bring us down anymore. So no more talking about this until Saturday."
Sam smiled at her and she smiled back. He was relieved that he'd gotten time, but panicked that he had no idea what to do when Saturday came around. He really needed to talk to someone about this.
They lapsed into a comfortable silence as they did their homework together.
May 9, 2011 (Monday)
Lynn's House
Lima, Ohio
11:54PM
Lynn was flipping through a huge book of fabric samples when Jeff ambled into the living room wearing a pair of plaid pajama pants and a black v-necked t-shirt. He sat down next to her on the floor and she noticed the plate in his hands.
She stared at it for a moment and Jeff blinked at her. "What is that?" she asked—her voice tinged with disbelief and Jeff's eyebrows rose.
"It's a sandwich," he replied slowly and Lynn felt her lips twitch.
"That looks more like a mess than a sandwich, Jeffrey," she replied as she stared at his plate. The bread looked mutilated and there was lettuce everywhere.
"Hey!" he protested, "This is culinary genius on two slices of bread."
"It looks like it went through a chain saw massacre," she told him in amusement and Jeff pouted at her. She rolled her eyes as he picked at the mangled bread.
"I can kind of see it," Jeff said as he examined his sandwich. "I'm thinking more Jeepers Creepers action here, you know—intense birdman pecking."
Lynn couldn't help but laugh and Jeff chuckled too. "You are ridiculous," she told him as she resumed flipping through her fabric samples. Jeff munched on his sandwich in silence for a few moments.
Lynn got absorbed in her work for a minute until she felt Jeff peer over her shoulder. "What are you doing?" he asked and Lynn jumped at the sound of his voice.
"I'm trying to find a fabric for the chair cushions," she replied, "but none of these are what I want. None of them feel right for the theme that I'm going for."
"I'm sure you'll figure it out, Lynn," he told her, "You've done a great job so far."
Lynn sat back with a sigh. She knew he was right, but she sometimes hated finding things by accident. It made her panic and worry and stress about things not getting done when they needed to be done and she was not a fan of that feeling.
She rested her head against the suede sofa cushion as Jeff ate his sandwich beside her. Speaking of Jeffrey, she wondered where he had been that afternoon. He'd left saying he was going to pick up Stevie and Stacey, but he hadn't returned until right before dinner.
But she didn't feel that it was her place to ask. She wasn't his wife or girlfriend—she was his friend and Jeff was a grown man who could do whatever he wanted.
"Stevie and Stacey really love their rooms," Jeff said suddenly and Lynn grinned. Seeing their faces light up with wonder and joy made every cent that she had spent worth it. Stacey had even hugged her tightly when she found the brand new softball and mitt in her night stand. It made her feel warm inside that they felt comfortable in her home and she was happy that she'd been able to make their day. "They told me to tell you thank you again."
"I'm really grateful that you've done all this for my kids, Lynn," Jeff told her—and she heard the sincerity in his tone. "I don't know how I can possibly repay you."
Lynn waved him off. "I've got this all figured out," she said, "You and your family can live in my house for free until next January. I will pay for everything until then. In January, if you haven't saved enough to get your own place, I'll charge you four hundred a month to cover rent, bills, and food."
Jeff stared for a moment. "You're going to let us stay here for free for seven months?"
"Yes," Lynn replied, "Sound good to you?"
"It sounds great," Jeff said with a nervous chuckle, "but a little bit crazy. How are you going to afford to pay me, open a brand new café, feed and house four other people, and take care of yourself?"
Lynn sighed. Maybe she should've told him about this sooner. "I don't see why it matters, Jeff," she said, "but I didn't spend seven years being idle you know."
How could she phrase this without him flipping out? "I own over a third of the Google Corporation and Apple, Inc." Jeff's jaw dropped and his eyes practically bugged out of his head.
She couldn't help but giggle as he choked out, "Say that again?"
"Before I found out about Davis' affair—I was really into the stock market," she admitted, "And I thought those companies had promise so I purchased a bunch of their stock when it was cheap. After Davis divorced me those corporations skyrocketed and I earned thousands within days. I don't have to work a day in my life, but I don't think money makes you happy and I want to. So no worries about that kind of stuff, okay?"
Jeff still looked like he'd been struck by lightning. "Why is it that you keep surprising me?"
"I would be boring otherwise," Lynn joked and Jeff shook his head with a rueful smile on his face. She was happy to see that he looked a little bit less guilty about the situation. Lynn refocused on her work as Jeff made quick work of his sandwich.
"I dropped by a law consultation firm today after I picked up the twins from school," Jeff confessed and Lynn looked over at him. "I had some questions about divorcing a wife who'd abandoned her family—especially because I have no idea where to find her."
That made sense. And for the first time, Lynn started to wonder about his divorce-could he even get divorced without both parties present? The dread built quickly in her stomach.
"And what'd they say?" she asked. Jeff let out a bitter chuckle.
"I outlined my potential case—abandonment, adultery, robbery, emotional abuse," he said, "And they told me that there was legally nothing I could do without her here."
Lynn closed her eyes—damn it all.
When she reopened them; she could clearly see the frustration and anger on Jeffrey's face. Lynn dropped her fabric book and scooted closer to him until they were sitting side by side. "Are they positive that there's nothing you can do?"
"Well, there's one thing—but I'm not sure that I can," Jeff admitted and Lynn rubbed his arm soothingly.
"What is it?" she asked in concern and Jeff looked at the empty plate in his lap.
"If I actually try to locate her and still come up with nothing—I can present my attempts to a judge and he will decide if I can sign the divorce papers without her signature."
"That doesn't sound so bad," she told him and Jeff nodded.
"You're right, it doesn't," he replied, "The only problem is that I'm sure I could find her if I tried hard enough—I just don't want to find her."
Lynn wrapped her arms around Jeff in sympathy. Elizabeth had stomped all over his emotions, but to get away from her—he would have to confront her and he didn't look like he wanted to even think about the woman—much less have to actively search for her.
Sometimes she wondered if the Evans family would ever get a break.
May 10, 2011 (Tuesday)
Lynn's House
Lima, Ohio
7:03AM
"What is all this?" Jeff asked as soon as he stepped into the kitchen. Lynn was in front of the stove wearing a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, a fitted light yellow t-shirt that had cool-colored leaves stitched up the sides, and some silver Toms.
He eyed the row of plates beside her on the counter and he noticed the toast and—was that bacon? Jeff walked over to her and his eyes bugged out when he saw the crazy awesome looking breakfast she had made.
"It's breakfast, darlin'," Lynn said as she cooked up the last of the scrambled eggs and started separating scoops onto plates. Jeff stared as he watched her turn off the stove, run some cold water into the pan and put it in the sink.
"You cooked us breakfast?" Jeff repeated—still in shock. "Why?" he asked.
Lynn smacked him with the towel she was drying her hands on. "Would you stop gaping, Jeffrey?" she chided, "You and your kids need a balanced breakfast to start off the day. And I like cooking so there's nothing wrong with me preparing a meal."
"Bacon is a part of a balanced breakfast?" he asked incredulously and Lynn quirked her lips at him.
"It's turkey bacon," she replied and Jeff smirked at her.
"It's still bacon," he said, "And you are totally in mommy mode right now."
Lynn's jaw dropped slightly and her hands fell on her hips. "I am not!" she protested, "I'm just helping out a friend's family. Everybody has to eat."
Jeff just stared at her in amusement. Lynn threw her hands in the air and said, "Stop smirking and help me carry these plates into the dining room." Jeff did as he was told, but he still smirked whenever her back was turned.
As Lynn set the table, Jeff went to round up the kids. It didn't take long to get them downstairs and seated at the table. They said grace and the meal was consumed quickly—with loads of thank yous from his children to Lynn. Sam complimented her to high heaven though and Lynn's hazel eyes were glowing with joy by the end.
"Alright guys—time to pack lunches and—"Jeff started, but Lynn interrupted him with a sheepish smile.
"I packed a lunch for them," she admitted and Jeffrey could barely contain his laughter. She shot him the stink eye and said, "Not a word from you!" He had to bite the inside of his cheeks to stop himself from laughing.
Lynn rose from her chair and herded the kids into the kitchen where she handed each of them their lunches—Sam got a plain new lunch box though. "There's a turkey sandwich, yogurt, a cookie, some veggies in a Ziploc and a bottle of water." The kids were staring at her in shock and Jeff was fighting to hold back his appreciation.
She was such an amazing woman. He couldn't believe that she was doing all this for his family—and no matter what she said; being a mother came naturally to Lynn. He watched her be embraced by Stacey and Stevie—and he couldn't imagine the happiness they felt at being able to eat real food for lunch.
The meager portions had saddened them often and to have a real lunch in their lunch boxes—it must've been a dream come true.
Lynn's fingers ran through Stacey's hair as the girl clung to her for a moment. "Darlin', you've got some serious split ends going on here," she said in concern and Stacey pulled back. Lynn knelt in front of his little girl and examined her hair. "It's getting pretty long, isn't it? And this damage could slow down your hair growth."
Stacey was biting her lip nervously and Lynn finally noticed. "Will my hair fall out?" Stacey asked and Lynn shook her head.
"Oh no, sweetheart," she told her, "It just needs a good trim and some strong conditioning."
His little girl had never looked more relieved. "How about this?" Lynn began, "After dinner tonight—I'll trim your hair and get it all healthy again. How does that sound to you?"
Lynn could cut hair? Stacey's mind was apparently thinking the same thing as Jeffrey because she asked, "You know how to cut hair?"
"Sure do," Lynn replied with a smile, "When I was in college—my best friends had hair just like yours and we took a salon class together to learn how to take care of it. I cut their hair for years after that."
Stacey's eyes were bright with excitement. "I'd love that!" she cried and Lynn grinned at her.
"Alright then," Lynn said before she looked over at Stevie, Sam, and Jeff. "I can give everyone a hair cut tonight—if you'd like me to."
This woman just never stopped being amazing. There were enthusiastic nods from around the room and Lynn laughed. "Tired of having hair flop into your eyes, boys?" she asked teasingly.
"I don't know how girls do it," Stevie complained and Lynn laughed again.
"At least now you'll have a stronger appreciation for all the crap girls go through to impress you," she told the boy causing Jeff to laugh and Sam to grin.
"Girls?" Stevie questioned, "Impress me? Ha!" The seven year old looked disgusted. "Girls are nothing but trouble."
"I'm sure they say the same thing about you, Superman," Sam said as he walked past Lynn after giving her a quick hug. That started an argument that could be heard all the way out to his truck. Jeff chuckled as his three kids bickered with one another.
Lynn looked over at him, before she tossed him a lunch box. "I even made a lunch for you," she said with a smile, "And the sandwich hasn't been murdered."
Jeff laughed on his way out of the door.
May 10, 2011 (Tuesday)
McKinley High School
Lima, Ohio
4:43PM
Sam had to rush to his locker after Glee club rehearsal today. His mind was completely focused on catching Mercedes before she got to her truck. His dad had reminded him this morning that he needed to pack for his New York trip because he was leaving tomorrow, and that was something that Sam hadn't even thought about.
And he hadn't gotten the chance to talk to Mercedes this morning, because by the time his dad dropped him off—the bell for first period had rung. He would've asked her during lunch but he got sidetracked by his English teacher wanting to talk to him about the rough draft of his final paper that he'd turned in last week.
Apparently, he'd done much better than normal, but there was still room for improvement and she told him that if he made a B+ on this next paper—he would get a B in the class.
And that would be a dream come true. Sam couldn't remember the last time he'd gotten anything higher than a C in an English class; and it was all because of Mercedes' help.
Their conversation took a while so he had been really late to meeting Mercedes in the auditorium and he only had time to scarf down the delicious lunch Lynn had made him and ask her for a ride home before the bell rang.
Glee club was a frantic mess of attempted song-writing and Finn/Quinn stare downs. Whatever Finn had done to Quinn—she was pissed as hell. And that small girl was terrifying when she was angry. No one had been able to get off task—and yet, all of their songs sucked something fierce. Mr. Schue had been a raging ball of nerves by the end of the rehearsal and he just let them go home because they weren't getting anywhere.
Now Sam had to find Mercedes to beg her for some help with packing. After dumping the books he'd need for his homework into his backpack—which was all of them because the teachers had given them their make-up assignments for the days they would miss—and slammed his locker door closed before he speed-walked down the hallway towards Mercedes' locker.
He reached her just as Mercedes closed her door. "Cede!" he called and she looked over at him with a smile.
"Hey Blondie," she greeted and Sam came to a stop in front of her. "What's the rush?"
Sam needed a moment to catch his breath and he said, "There's something that I need to ask you." He was too busy trying to slow his heart rate to notice the disbelieving hope sprouting in Mercedes' eyes. "Can you please help me pack for the New York trip?" he asked.
Sam looked up at her with a pleading pout on his lips, and even though he hadn't see the hope—he certainly saw the flash of disappointment that went through her brown eyes. For a second his heart stopped as he tried to puzzle out what she'd be disappointed about, before it hit him.
She thought I was going to ask her to be my girlfriend. Shit. The guilt was crushing, but Sam pretended like he didn't notice as Mercedes gave him a sarcastic look. "Can't you pack for yourself?" she asked.
Sam shook his head. "You know I suck at packing, Cede." He told her. "Organizing anything is not my strong suit."
Mercedes sighed and told him, "Fine!"
Sam cheered.
"But I get to make fun of your comic book boxers," she finished as she started walking down the hall. And Sam deflated.
"What? Cede!" he protested as he hurried after her.
Their afternoon passed in teasing—Mercedes made good on making fun of his superhero underpants—and chattering about the upcoming trip. It only took them about forty-five minutes to pack everything, and Mercedes had to leave to go finish packing her own stuff—or that's what she told Sam after they'd finished. He could tell that she was actually hurt over what had happened earlier.
Sam had leaned over and kissed her gently—hoping to soothe that hurt, but he couldn't tell if he'd made things worse or better. Sam watched her walk out of his room and he couldn't get her disappointed eyes out of his head. He felt bad that he'd accidently led her on. He never intended to hurt her.
He apparently did a lot of things that he never intended to do around Mercedes Jones.
May 10, 2011 (Tuesday)
Lynn's House
Lima, Ohio
6:04PM
"How much is thirteen plus twenty-two?" Lynn asked as she sat next to Stacey at the island in the center of the kitchen. She had left Jeff at the shop around three because he was in the process of cutting wood for the bar and she had gone to pick up the twins from school.
They had spent the last two hours playing with Marley out in the backyard and Lynn figured that they should probably get their homework out of the way before dinner. She had brought them inside and then she went to start on dinner.
Imagine her surprise when the two of them wandered into the kitchen with their notebooks and worksheets and sat down at the kitchen island. They had worked quietly—sitting a seat apart on the side of the island farthest away from the stove.
She had been preparing the sauce to make garlic bread for tonight's dinner when Stacey had asked for her help on math homework. So she'd been sidetracked for the last ten minutes with helping the two of them. She looked up when Sam walked into the kitchen though and it wasn't hard to tell that he was preoccupied by something that was worrying him.
She frowned a bit, but forced a smile on her face. "Hi, darlin'," she said and Sam glanced over at her. He gave her a small smile as he made his way over. "Is Mercy still here?" she asked.
Sam faltered for a moment, but he replied, "No. She had to go home and pack for New York."
So this did have something to do with Mercedes. She figured, but she decided that she'd rather talk to him alone than ask him right now. So she went with the new topic. "Are you excited?" she questioned and Sam's green eyes brightened.
"Definitely!" he told her, "I've never been to such a big city before. It's going to be cool to see one of the most famous cities in the world."
"I've been to New York before," Lynn replied, "I actually lived there for a year."
Sam, Stacey and Stevie stared at her. "You did?" Stevie asked in awe and Lynn had to laugh at the surprise on his face.
"How was it?" Sam inquired and Lynn smiled.
"Wonderful," she replied, "But it wasn't for me. I had fun staying there, but I've found a home in Lima. While you're there—if you get the chance—you should go to Rosalinda's café. It's fairly well priced, and the food is incredible. I'll give you their address in the morning so if you find yourself nearby—definitely go and tell them my name."
"They would remember you?" Sam asked dubiously and Lynn laughed.
"Of course," she said, "I still talk to the owner's every few weeks. I used to be their star performer."
"Performer?" Stacey asked, "You sing?"
"Sing and dance," Lynn replied, "Dancing was my specialty, though. I did quite a few shows during my stay there. Every weekend I would perform at their restaurant. They say that I put them on the map, but I think their food did that."
Stacey was beaming. Lynn's heart melted at the interest she saw in the little girl's eyes. "Do you remember any of the songs you did?"
"Of course I do, darlin'," Lynn said dramatically, "I am an artist!" Stacey giggled at her antics and Sam smiled. Stevie tried to hide his interest as he glanced between his homework and Lynn.
"Can you sing one?" she asked shyly and Lynn blinked. She hadn't expected that.
"Right now?" Lynn responded. She hadn't sung in a long while—at least not in front of others. And she wasn't quite sure if she still had it. But the hopeful look on the kids' faces won her over.
Damn those baby faces.
"I guess, one won't hurt," she said finally and Stacey clapped her hands together in excitement. "But after that, I'll have to explain the chore chart and you guys need to get your homework done while I get dinner started."
Lynn turned around on her stool and hopped down to the floor. She closed her eyes and tried to find the beat of the song that she hadn't sung since she was twenty-two years old—and she couldn't believe that had been twenty-one years ago. She hadn't realized that it had been so long since she graduated from college.
"Are you listening?Hear me talk, Hear me sing. Open up the door,is it less, is it more?" she sang. It had been such a rush—to just pack up her things and move to New York City fresh out of college. That same rush filled her every time she opened her mouth to sing. It had been far too long.
"When you tell me to beware, are you here? Are you there?Is it something I should know? Easy come, Easy go.Nodding your head, don't hear a word I said; can't communicate, when you wait, don't relate.I try to talk to you, but you never even knew, so, what's it gonna be, tell me can you hear me?"
Lynn's hips started moving as Sam drummed his fingers on the counter to match her lyrics. She grinned at him as she voiced, "Hear me, can you hear me? I'm so sick of it, your attention deficit. Never listen, you never listen.I'm so sick of it, so I'm throwing on a fit. Never listen, you never listen."
"I scream your name, it always stays the same.I scream and shout, so what I'm gonna do now
is freak the freak out, hey!Whoa oh oh, Whoa oh oh,Whoa oh oh, Whoa oh oh oh!"Lynn danced around the kitchen island—totally rocking out.
"Patience running thin, running thin, come again. Tell me what I get; Opposite, opposite. Show me what is real. If it breaks does it heal? Open up your ear. Why you think that I'm here? Keep me in the dark. Are you even thinking of me?Is someone else above me?" Lynn tore up that song as she showed Stacey how to do the wipeout dance. The little girl was giggling, but she totally joined in.
"Gotta know, gotta know!" Sam was bobbing his head to the music—and when Lynn did an epic hip shake, he burst out laughing. The smile on her face widened as she heard his amusement.
"What am I gonna do?Cause I can't get through to you. So what's it gonna be? Tell me can you hear me?"
Lynn grabbed Stacey's hands and started dancing with the little girl who joined in periodically—not knowing the words but having too much fun to not sing along. "I'm so sick of it, your attention deficit. Never listen, you never listen.I'm so sick of it. So I'll throw another fit. Never listen, you never listen."
"I scream your name, it always stays the same.I scream and shout. So what I'm gonna do now is freak the freak out, Hey!Whoa oh oh, Whoa oh oh, Whoa oh oh, Whoa oh oh ohhhhhh..." She finished the song with a punch in the air.
The three kids broke into applause as Lynn tried to catch her breath. She jokingly bowed. "That was so good, Lynn!" Stacey said and Lynn had to smile at the girl.
"Thank you, sweetheart," she replied, "but no amount of compliments is getting you out of that chore chart." Lynn cracked up when all three of them made the same put-out expression. She took the next few moments to explain who had what job and how the entire thing worked. By the end of her explanation, the kids were fine with everything.
The twins went back to their homework and Lynn moved to start cooking dinner. She was surprised when she saw Sam watching her—a curious expression on his face. "What are you making?"
"Spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, and brownies for dessert," she replied and Sam bit his lip.
"Can I help?" he asked and Lynn smiled at him. She could tell that he wasn't in the mood to do homework and there would be plenty of time after dinner for him to work on it.
"Sure, darlin'," she replied as she tossed an apron to him. It took him a minute to figure out how it went on, but he walked over once he got it tied. Lynn had gathered everything she needed. "Have you ever cooked before?" she asked and Sam shrugged.
"The most I've done is microwaveable Mac n' cheese and making sandwiches," he replied. Lynn looked at him in amusement. If his sandwich making skills were anything like his father's, then this would be an interesting evening.
"Alright, well," she began, "You always want to start with the thing that will take the longest to make and that would be the spaghetti noodles. Can you grab that bag over there?" She instructed as she filled the pot with hot water.
"Rotini noodles?" Sam asked and Lynn nodded. "You don't use regular pasta?"
"I'm not a big fan of the regular pasta noodles, unless they're angel hair," Lynn replied, "It's a personal preference." Sam shrugged again and Lynn talked him through putting the noodles in the pot, salting the water lightly and preparing it for boil.
Once that was done, she had him pouring tomato sauce into a sauce pan while she chopped green onions, bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes. Lynn tried to show Sam how to mince and dice, but he was far too nervous and clumsy. She thought her heart would explode when he almost cut himself. She took the knife away from him as she said, "Alright samurai Sam, I think your battle is over."
Sam was embarrassed, but he couldn't help but laugh at the joke. He expressed his disbelief that she even knew what a samurai was. The teaching continued and after an incident where the noodles almost boiled over—Lynn realized that Sam would need a lot of help in the kitchen because he was currently a terrible cook. He had totally freaked out; thinking he had ruined everything, but Lynn only laughed and told him to calm down—it happened to everyone.
He was well aware of the fact that he was a walking disaster in the kitchen. Lynn only encouraged him to keep trying after she talked him down from his embarrassment.
Sam asked a lot of questions and Lynn had to explain about how different vegetables flavored different things. She had him taste a lot of the raw veggies so she could show him the difference between sweet, tangy, and sharp.
She had Sam pull out the brown turkey and she had to explain that it tasted very similar to brown beef but it was much healthier. Lynn taught him how to season the meat before they put it in the skillet to cook. He was a bit disturbed that she added soy sauce and honey barbeque sauce to the mixture of meat and vegetables, but she reminded him about flavor.
When it started frying, Lynn had a ball laughing at the terror on Sam's face as she let him stir the meat with a spatula while she sliced a loaf of French bread to make the garlic bread. She turned on the oven and made her garlic sauce with freshly ground garlic and parsley leaves and unsalted butter.
She pulled out two long pans and finally relieved Sam of meat duty. She talked him through spraying down the baking pans, and placing each piece of bread on them. Then she showed him how to spread the sauce on each piece with her brush.
It took him a few minutes to get the hang of it, but he did well. He was grinning like a loon once the bread was in the oven and sizzling. She had him stir the noodles as she put the pot on simmer and her meat on low.
Then they worked on the sauce together. Sam was in charge of stirring as she added vegetables to the tomato sauce. She even helped him add spices. He looked so proud of himself when they put the sauce pan on the stove that Lynn couldn't help but smile.
Lynn had just walked from the pantry where she'd gone to grab a box of brownie mix when Stacey spoke up, "Sammy, can you help me with this? I don't know what it says." She couldn't have imagined the flash of shame that slid across Sam's face, but he put the spatula down and walked over to his sister.
Lynn opened the cabinet and grabbed a mixing bowl from the shelf before her apron was tugged on. She looked down and saw Stevie standing there with a hesitant look on his face. "I finished my homework," he said quietly, "Can I help you cook too?"
Lynn's heart completely melted. It was official. Jeff Evans had the most adorable kids ever. Those blue and green eyes threatened to break her heart every time she glanced at them. She couldn't understand how Elizabeth had ever been strong enough to walk out on them.
"Of course, sweetheart," she said brightly as she placed the mixing bowl on the counter. "Dinner's all cooking now, but you can help me make dessert."
Stevie gave her a small grin. "Brownies, right?" he asked and Lynn nodded.
"Can you grab me the carton of eggs, milk, and a wooden spoon from the drawer over there?" she asked and Stevie nodded, before hurrying to do as she asked. His eagerness was endearing, but her attention was drawn when she heard Sam reading.
He struggled with the larger words on the page and Lynn took a chance to glance at him over her shoulder. His face was pink and she could practically feel the shame and humiliation rolling off him in waves. She looked away before he could feel her gaze on him.
She had no doubt that he was dyslexic. She would have to talk to him later on. But for now, Stevie was coming her way with their ingredients and he deserved her full attention as well. He placed everything on the counter and without thinking about it—Lynn lifted him up onto the counter by his underarms.
Stevie stared at her for a moment, but he was quickly distracted by the brownie making. She had him read the instructions on the back of the box. Lynn thought reading was important and there was no better way to improve than to work on it in practical situations.
They slowly worked their way through each step, and by the time they got to the last step—Sam had helped Stacey finish her homework. She had Sam pull out another baking pan and he showed Stacey how to spray the pan down while Stevie mixed the ingredients in the bowl.
Lynn then had Stacey and Sam grab graham crackers from the pantry and fresh strawberries from the fridge. While Stacey and Stevie crushed graham crackers for sundae toppings, Lynn had Sam slicing strawberries. She watched him closely to make sure he didn't injure himself.
She poured the brownies into the pan and spread it around evenly before she put them into the oven. When all the dessert toppings were made—she had them washing fruit for a fruit salad and Sam chopping.
Lynn was making a nice salad with organic lettuce and seasoned croutons for everyone when a piece of pineapple went flying. It missed her face by a few inches and she glanced over to see Sam, Stacey, and Stevie gaping in her direction, looking chagrined.
"It was an accident, I swear!" Sam said right before Lynn burst out laughing. The kids looked relieved before they started laughing with her. Of course this was the moment when Jeff walked into the kitchen looking worn out.
"Daddy!" Stacey said excitedly as she hopped off the counter to run to her father. He scooped her up in his arms and Lynn smiled as Stacey started talking his ears off about everything they'd done today.
Sam picked up the pineapple as Jeff made his way over to the three of them with Stacey on his hip. Stevie gave him a hug from his spot on the counter as Lynn pulled the bread from the oven and placed each pan on counter protectors.
She placed a slice on each plate before putting the rest on a big plate as the Evans family chatted. She turned off the stove and made up the spaghetti by straining the noodles and putting the sauce on the freshly buttered noodles. Lynn mixed the meat in next and put it all in a bowl.
She scooped some onto each plate along with some salad. When the plates were done, she was surprised when Sam grabbed two plates and Stevie grabbed forks from the drawer. "Time to set the table, right?" Sam asked and Lynn gave him a soft smile as she nodded.
Stacey got glasses from the cabinet and filled each with ice and water. Lynn felt like a proud mother—except she wasn't their mom and she never would be. For some reason, that realization hurt much more than she thought it would.
While the kids set the table, Jeff stood next to Lynn. "It smells amazing." He said and Lynn nudged his shoulder.
"You're just hungry," she replied.
"Of course I am," he told her, "but that doesn't mean that my nose is suddenly deceiving me. It smells like heaven in a skillet."
Lynn laughed as she wrapped him in a quick hug. Jeff opened his mouth and Lynn held up a hand to stop him. "You thank me again and I will beat you with my spatula," she said sternly and Jeff chuckled.
"Okay," he replied as Lynn took off her apron and followed the kids into the dining room. Dinner that night was a fun affair. Even better than it had been the night before.
May 10, 2011 (Tuesday)
Lynn's House
Lima, Ohio
8:05PM
Lynn was trimming Stacey's hair while Sam lounged on the floor doing his homework after taking the trash out. Stevie had loaded the dishwasher with Jeff's help and Stacey had wiped down the counter and tables. Lynn started another load of laundry and swept the floors.
She clipped and snipped and combed Stacey's hair until she was sure that it was cut evenly and all the split ends were gone. She cut Stacey's bangs before she washed and conditioned the young girl's hair in the bathtub while Stacey wore her swimsuit. While she was letting the deep-conditioner soak into Stacey's locks, Lynn trimmed both Stevie's and Jeff's hair.
When the excess hair was gone, both of them looked relieved. Jeff's was the shortest of course and he loved it when Lynn was done. Stevie conned Jeff into reading a book to him and Lynn had to wash Stacey's hair out before she could get to Sam.
So Lynn rinsed the conditioner out of the young girl's hair and she put some Moroccan oil in it to keep the shiny and smooth texture as she brushed and blow dried her hair. Stacey's golden hair was gleaming by the time Lynn was finished and the girl absolutely loved it.
She took a moment to admire her new hair cut in the mirror. "I look so pretty," she whispered and Lynn smiled.
"You have always been beautiful, darlin'," she told her and Stacey beamed at her before throwing her arms around Lynn in a tight hug. She returned the embrace, before Jeff looked at the clock. It was just after nine and the twins still needed to shower and brush their teeth.
He herded them upstairs to help them get ready; leaving Sam and Lynn alone. She led him outside to the same place where she had cut his father's and sibling's hair. It was quiet as she got started.
May 10, 2011 (Tuesday)
Lynn's House
Lima, Ohio
9:13PM
Sam felt Lynn's soft hands massage his scalp as she tried to get a feel for his hair length. It had been so long since he'd had a hair cut that it felt strange and when he heard the first snip of the scissors—he had to blink away a bit of shock.
"There something on your mind, darlin'?" Lynn asked as she cut a couple of inches off his hair. His head felt lighter already and the rhythmic snipping of the hair shears was actually comforting to the chaos going on in his head.
He hadn't been able to stop thinking about Mercedes since she'd left earlier that evening. She had looked so sad that he hadn't asked her something else that afternoon. She had tried to hide the disappointment, but it had flashed through her brown eyes and Sam had seen it as clear as day.
It made his heart hurt. He felt so guilty about making her wait this long. He was so up and down with his feelings and his actions that he was surprised that she hadn't given up on him already. But to visibly notice that his confusion and hesitance was causing her such pain—it made him feel like the worst not boyfriend ever.
And here was Lynn—the woman who had taken his mind off of his relationship problem by trying to teach him how to cook—asking if there was something on his mind. When did solutions to his problems ever appear so quickly?
Sam knew that he needed to talk to someone about all of this, and the person he usually went to was the reason he needed to talk to someone. He'd considered his dad, but his father didn't even know that he and Mercedes were into each other—much less about them dating or not dating at the moment.
Should he talk to Lynn? She had been there before when he'd spilled all his secrets a few weeks ago. She was known for giving great advice and she'd always been patient with him before. But would she hate him for tugging Mercedes' emotions around like this? What if she kicked them out because she was angry?
Sam shook that irrational thought off quickly. Lynn wouldn't do anything like that, and he had the feeling that he was over thinking this way too much. But Lynn was Mercedes' aunt; fuck, he didn't know what to do, and if he didn't figure this out now—he probably never would.
"Actually, yeah," he admitted softly as Lynn moved to the side of his head. She trimmed some more of his hair off.
"Want to tell me about it?" she questioned as she combed her fingers through his hair again. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and noticed that she was concentrating intently on his hair as she snipped away split ends. "Or would you rather talking to your dad?"
Sam felt like his heart was in his throat. He was so nervous. He really liked Lynn, and the last thing he wanted to do was make her hate him, but he needed to get this off his chest. She was his only option.
"I'd rather talk to you," he confessed—his voice shaking and Lynn paused for a moment to look down at him in concern.
"Is everything alright?" she asked and Mercedes' disappointed brown eyes flashed through his mind. He shook his head. Lynn frowned in concerned and her hazel eyes focused completely on him. "What's wrong, darlin'?"
"It's kind of a long story," Sam told her, "You might want to finish cutting my hair first." He was totally stalling. Sam was mentally preparing himself to get reamed out by Lynn, so he figured he might as well soak up her kindness while it lasted.
Lynn's frown deepened, but she resumed cutting his hair. It only took about ten minutes for her to finish it all up and she brushed the loose hair off Sam's shoulders and neck with a small towel.
"How about we go sit in the porch swing?" she asked and Sam nodded. He stood from the chair and glanced at his reflection in the mirror. His hair looked great—almost exactly like he'd had it when he first moved to Lima. He was quite impressed.
Lynn was already seated by the time he shuffled over and sat next to her on the floral cushion. They swung in silence for a few moments as Sam tried to gather his thoughts. "I don't know where to begin," he said sheepishly and Lynn gave him a gentle smile.
"The beginning is often the best place," she replied and Sam nodded. He took a deep breath and let it all out. He told her from the beginning about how Mercedes had apologized and about all the things she had done for him. He told her about cleaning, and prom shopping. He talked on and on about prom and about what had happened after. He told her about their fight and the funeral and him kissing her. He talked about his feelings for her, and that was the hardest part.
Lynn just listened quietly and idly pushed the swing back and forth with her feet.
"I just don't know how I feel, you know," Sam said—his fingers picking at the loose threads on his jeans, "I know that I care about her in a romantic way, but I'm not sure if it's because it just happened that way or if these feelings are coming from me being so grateful for everything she's done for me."
Sam couldn't meet Lynn's gaze. He was so frustrated with himself. "She deserves certainty. She deserves someone's whole heart. And I'm not sure if I'm the guy who can give it to her."
"You certainly took a risk," Lynn said, "talking to me about this." Sam froze. He couldn't decipher her tone. Was she pissed? Was she sad? He didn't know. "But I'm glad you did."
His eyes snapped to hers and she smiled lightly at him. "I've known about you and Mercedes since yesterday," she admitted and Sam couldn't stop himself from gaping.
"How-?" he stammered and Lynn laughed.
"I was home when the two of you came inside the other day," she told him, "I didn't hear you at first because I was out back feeding Marley, and when I came in—I heard voices so I went to say hi. Only when I saw you—your lips were busy doing something else."
Sam blushed furiously and Lynn smiled at him. "Are you mad?" he asked and Lynn shook her head.
"No, darlin'," she replied, "And no, I haven't told your father." Sam hadn't even thought of that yet, but now that she mentioned it, he freaked out for a moment before he realized what she'd said. The relief he felt had him slouching into the seat cushions.
Now that he knew she was okay with him having feelings for Mercedes—he really wanted her opinion on the situation. So he asked for it and boy, did she give it to him.
"I think that what you're saying is noble," Lynn began and Sam nodded, "Noble but stupid."
He blinked at her in shock and Lynn's hazel eyes focused on him intently. It made him squirm.
"What you're telling Mercedes is an excuse, Sam," she told him, "And you can have a thousand excuses, but still no reason. I want the reason that you're making yourself and her miserable."
Sam looked at Lynn, speechless. "I-I don't know," he said and Lynn sighed.
"I think you're afraid," she started, "I think you're terrified that you're going to get into a relationship with a girl who you never dreamed you'd ever end up with and she's going to see the fact that you're homeless, and poor, and motherless and leave you hanging."
His heart rate picked up as Lynn spoke. He could feel his jaw clench. "I think that you're ashamed of the fact that your family is having money problems, and you believe that Mercedes deserves better than whatever you can give her."
"She does deserve better than whatever I can give her," Sam snapped and Lynn gave him a harsh look. The fire in her eyes smothered any thoughts of yelling at her immediately. Lynn was a small woman but she demanded respect like nothing he'd ever seen before.
"She deserves better than what you can give her, Sam," Lynn told him firmly and Sam's heart shattered and the tears flooded his eyes so quickly that he didn't have a chance to stop them. Hearing what he'd been so afraid of spoken out loud hurt much more than he'd thought it would.
He turned away from Lynn—not wanting her to see him burst into tears like the pathetic crybaby he was. Her hand on his cheek stopped him and she forced his gaze back to her.
"But Mercedes doesn't want what you can give her," Lynn told him softly and she wiped off the tears that had escaped his eyes with her thumb, "She just wants you."
Sam stared at Lynn. "I don't understand."
"You've been so concerned about what you can give Mercedes, but you're forgetting that she has every material possession she could ever want," Lynn said, "She doesn't need money or gifts—she just wants your company, your friendship and your heart. And every time you push her away—she's probably thinking that you don't want her for those reasons."
"That's not true at all!" Sam protested and Lynn shushed him.
"I know sweetheart," she replied, "but think about it from her perspective. You've been giving her one excuse—and not the reason. She's giving you time, and from what you've told me—she really cares about you. Mercedes doesn't put up with snubs from anyone; and for her feelings to not be affected by that—she has some strong romantic interest in you."
Lynn's hand left his face and he leaned forward until his elbows touched his knees. He buried his face in his hands and just tried to sort his thoughts. When Lynn's hand rubbed soothing circles on his back—he let out a sigh.
"I'm an idiot," he told her and Lynn patted his back.
"No, you're not," she said, "You're just a teenager who has had to face some hard times. And it's okay to feel confused. You've been through so much in such a short time that it makes sense that something like this would be difficult for you to process."
"So what should I do?" he asked as he turned his head to look at Lynn.
"Take things one step at a time, and be completely honest with Mercedes about how you're feeling," Lynn responded, "It's never easy to put your heart on the line, but I know that Mercedes won't let you down. You just have to have faith in that."
Sam scoffed. "Faith? What good does that do anyone?"
"A lot," Lynn said sternly, "When you have nothing left—all you have is faith. It may not be in God or in people, but you have to have faith in something. And it may not make you happy all the time, but it gives you something to live for."
Sam could see the honesty in her expression and he nodded in her direction. "Maybe I should give it a try," he replied.
"You never know until you do," she said. There was a comfortable silence between the two of them before Lynn spoke up again. "And Mercedes doesn't care that you have dyslexia."
Sam froze. How did Lynn know that he had dyslexia?
He stared at her and Lynn gave him a gentle smile. "I know all the signs, Sam."
"Were you a doctor too?" he asked with a sarcastic quirk of the lips. He didn't mean to be rude, but he hated his dyslexia with a passion. It always made him feel subpar. And to have someone he respected so much know about his weakness was humiliating.
"No," she said with a pointed look, "I have dyslexia."
"What?" he demanded and Lynn met his eyes.
"There's a reason why I hate doing my financial profiles for work—it's because the numbers get mixed up constantly and it takes me forever to get through all of the paperwork," she said, "You're not alone in this battle, Sam. And you are not stupid."
Sam avoided her eyes. "I can help you," she told him, "I went through therapy for years over this and I know lots of ways to make things better for you."
His embarrassment knew no bounds. Mercedes and Lynn certainly had a knack for seeing right through him. But to have someone offering free help; was it even possible that this would get better?
"Can you really help me?" he asked and Lynn nodded.
"It's going to take a lot of hard work, but I know we can make this slightly better for you," she told him, "It's not going to drastically change anything, but it will make it easier for you to read and comprehend. The illness will still impair you, but you'll know how to work with it more."
She stopped talking and Sam was left with his thoughts. He could open his life to a world of embarrassment and frustration and allow Lynn to watch him stumble and fail through all this or he could reject her offer and suffer in silence.
Mercedes' words from a few weeks ago popped into his mind. It takes more strength to ask for help than to suffer in silence. He could choose the easy way out or he could try and do something about it. Before he spoke, his mind was already made up.
"Okay," he stated firmly and the encouraging smile on Lynn's features made his decision seem that much more correct. Somewhere inside he knew that he had made the right choice in opening up to her. Maybe it was time that he started facing those inner demons that he'd kept buried for so long.
"But first—"he said, "Can you help me plan a date for Mercedes in New York?"
Lynn's hazel eyes lit up with excitement and Sam grinned back.
REVIEW! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Until next time! :D The lyrics in this chapter belong to the song "Freak the Freak Out" by Victoria Justice.