Chapter 36
"You're going out?" Maxine asked Jake later when the three boys came through the family room. She sounded surprised.
Jake nodded.
"What about Samantha?" Luke asked him.
"She's in Bryan's room," Jake responded.
"You're leaving your wife at home while you go out on the town?" Maxine stated.
"It's not like they have a real marriage," Quinn put in.
"No, but…," Maxine looked at Luke who shrugged slightly. He didn't want to get in the middle of Sam's and Jake's marriage, real or not.
"Have a good time," Maxine said instead, watching as her three sons went out of the room. A few minutes later she heard the door shut behind them as they left the house.
"Poor Samantha," Maxine murmured to her husband.
"Quinn's right," Luke glanced at her. "They aren't really married. It's just for Bryan's child."
"You men are ridiculous," Maxine huffed, going back to her knitting.
"Just realistic, dear," Luke murmured.
"Realistic?" Maxine yelped. "Your daughter-in-law is home in her room while her husband is out with a group of girls?"
"She knew what she was getting into," Luke reminded her. "If Bryan were alive, they would be married now instead of her marrying Jake. There's not any love there, just one son taking care of another son's girlfriend and child."
Maxine didn't say anything and Luke looked over at her.
"Am I wrong?" Luke asked.
"No, I guess not," Maxine murmured, looking towards the boys' rooms.
Sam was laying on Bryan's bed, propped up with his pillows behind her and watching a movie on her laptop. It was about Native American who was a boxer. The actor reminded her of Jake when he was younger, right down to the attitude and the long hair.
She gasped when the plot continued and the young man was also good with horses. When his hair was loose, flowing around his face in the wind, it reminded Sam of the time when Jake had broken his leg. That day his hair was long and whipping around his face in the wind from the storm.
Sam was so into the movie, she didn't hear the knock on the door at first.
"Sam?" Maxine's voice called out as she knocked again.
"Come in," Sam hit the pause button and put the laptop next to her on the bed.
"Are you all right, honey?" Maxine came into Bryan's room.
"Yes, I'm sorry," Sam nodded. "I was watching a movie on my laptop."
Maxine noticed that Sam was wearing pajama bottoms alone with one of Bryan's shirts. Sam glanced down at the shirt, running her hands over the front of it.
"You don't mind, do you?" Sam looked up at her mother-in-law.
"Of course not," Maxine smiled at the young woman. She came to sit down on the edge of the bed. "How are you really, Samantha?"
Sam sighed.
"I'm surviving," Sam told her.
"Just surviving?" Maxine asked.
Sam nodded. "That's all I can hope for at the moment."
"You need to do more than survive for your child," Maxine chided her.
"I know," Sam sighed again. "I'm trying." She looked down and wrung her hands until Maxine put her hand over Sam's.
Sam looked up through her tears to see Maxine's eyes were tearful also.
"Oh Sam," Maxine scooted closer and the two women held each other as they wept.
"I miss him so much," Sam managed to say when they had cried themselves out.
"I know you do, honey," Maxine brushed Sam's auburn hair back from her face.
"I just feel so lost," Sam whispered.
"Why do you feel lost?" Maxine wondered. "We love you and are happy you're here with us."
Sam shook her head.
"We don't want you here?" Maxine asked.
"I feel so out of place," Sam said. "Like I'm intruding."
"You're not intruding," Maxine was firm. "You are my son's wife and carrying my son's baby."
Sam made a noise, surprising Maxine.
"Not the same son," Sam reminded her.
"Regardless," Maxine waved her hand in the air. "You are."
Both women thought of Jake out with his brothers and quite possibly with another woman. Sam glanced at Maxine from underneath her bangs.
"We love you, Samantha," Maxine assured her.
Sam nodded, but didn't say anything. The man who loved her was gone. Nobody loved her anymore and the thought of it made Sam choke back a sob.
I will strangle that son of mine, Maxine vowed as she saw Sam's face.