It didn't take long for them to wash the dishes.
Sam was still feeling a little nervous, so she was being extra careful to not
drop any of her china. They were down to the last two plates, when she reached
to put the glass she'd just finished in the drainer.
Bailey was drying a salad bowl and turned to put it in the cabinet while reaching
for the next dish. His hand closed over Sam's wrist making her drop the glass.
It bounced, then clanked against the dishes in the drainer. And she jumped.
"Easy Sam, nothing broken." Bailey with drew his hand from around her arm.
"I'm sorry, day dreaming I guess." She lied. She'd jumped because of his touch.
"Am I making you nervous?" Bailey asked studying her, as he dried the next
plate.
"No, of course not, I've known you forever. What makes you ask?" Sam finished
the last plate and carerfully placed it in the drainer.
"You're jumpy, and you haven't looked me in the eyes since I arrived."
Bailey knew she was nervous he just didn't know why.
"I have, just now when Chloe was asking to sing." Sam defended herself.
"Sam, if you'd rather I not stay the night I can make an excuse and leave. Chloe knows
my job pulls me away at all hours."
"Don't be silly, of course you should stay." She slipped past him and walked towards the front
porch.
Bailey hung the dish towel over the small rack on the side of the sink and followed her.
He was puzzled by her sudden shift in behavior.
Sam was leaning against the porch rail, looking out over the valley across from her home.
"It's a pretty view from here."
"Yes, it is." Bailey agreed but he was to busy looking at her in the soft light, the sun low on the
horizon. He leaned on the rail down from her, his hip resting against the wood, his eyes half
on her but also looking at the view in the distance.
"Tell me how your life has been since you moved up here?"
"It's different, Chloe has improved greatly, but she still sees the doctor twice a week. I've been
keeping busy, taking photos. I've had a few published in the local paper, and I've sent several
off to an agent for consideration." Sam explained.
"That's wonderful Sam. You always enjoyed photography." He was happy for her.
"What about you? Have you spoken with your doctor? Are you healing from all the things that
happened?"
"Yes, I think so, but it's going to take time."
"Have you made any friends? You left us all behind, but you need someone to talk to besides
Chloe, Sam." He reminded her.
"I see Angel all the time. She has a studio near here. I'm friends with one of Chloe's friends mother.
Michelle Tinker we have lunch every now and then."
Bailey nodded, he wasn't so sure she was healing from the past. She still seemed so sad to him.
She was putting up a front, even Chloe had told him his mom was missing home.
"Sam I'm still here for you, even if you'd have to talk to me on the phone most of the time."
He reached a hand to tough her arm.
"I know you are, I'm the one that treated you poorly..." She started to apologise.
Bailey moved swiftly to stop her from getting down on herself, moving to stand behind her
and embracing her shoulders in his hands.
"Sam it was a very turbulant time, Chloe needed her mother more than ever. She needed professional
help to deal with all of the things that happened. You did what you needed to do for her."
Bailey turned her to face him, "Now you need to heal yourself, staying in this house alone isn't going
to accomplish that, you need to get out meet people."
Sam nodded, "I know, but I'm afraid."
"Then we can start while I'm here, I'll hold your hand until you get your feet under you."
He smiled encouragingly at her.
"I can't ask you to do that Bail."
"I'm offering, you didn't ask. Now come here." Bailey wrapped both arms around her and hugged her
close. Sam melted into him, loving the feeling of his arms around her and her face pressed into his chest.
Sam was still feeling a little nervous, so she was being extra careful to not
drop any of her china. They were down to the last two plates, when she reached
to put the glass she'd just finished in the drainer.
Bailey was drying a salad bowl and turned to put it in the cabinet while reaching
for the next dish. His hand closed over Sam's wrist making her drop the glass.
It bounced, then clanked against the dishes in the drainer. And she jumped.
"Easy Sam, nothing broken." Bailey with drew his hand from around her arm.
"I'm sorry, day dreaming I guess." She lied. She'd jumped because of his touch.
"Am I making you nervous?" Bailey asked studying her, as he dried the next
plate.
"No, of course not, I've known you forever. What makes you ask?" Sam finished
the last plate and carerfully placed it in the drainer.
"You're jumpy, and you haven't looked me in the eyes since I arrived."
Bailey knew she was nervous he just didn't know why.
"I have, just now when Chloe was asking to sing." Sam defended herself.
"Sam, if you'd rather I not stay the night I can make an excuse and leave. Chloe knows
my job pulls me away at all hours."
"Don't be silly, of course you should stay." She slipped past him and walked towards the front
porch.
Bailey hung the dish towel over the small rack on the side of the sink and followed her.
He was puzzled by her sudden shift in behavior.
Sam was leaning against the porch rail, looking out over the valley across from her home.
"It's a pretty view from here."
"Yes, it is." Bailey agreed but he was to busy looking at her in the soft light, the sun low on the
horizon. He leaned on the rail down from her, his hip resting against the wood, his eyes half
on her but also looking at the view in the distance.
"Tell me how your life has been since you moved up here?"
"It's different, Chloe has improved greatly, but she still sees the doctor twice a week. I've been
keeping busy, taking photos. I've had a few published in the local paper, and I've sent several
off to an agent for consideration." Sam explained.
"That's wonderful Sam. You always enjoyed photography." He was happy for her.
"What about you? Have you spoken with your doctor? Are you healing from all the things that
happened?"
"Yes, I think so, but it's going to take time."
"Have you made any friends? You left us all behind, but you need someone to talk to besides
Chloe, Sam." He reminded her.
"I see Angel all the time. She has a studio near here. I'm friends with one of Chloe's friends mother.
Michelle Tinker we have lunch every now and then."
Bailey nodded, he wasn't so sure she was healing from the past. She still seemed so sad to him.
She was putting up a front, even Chloe had told him his mom was missing home.
"Sam I'm still here for you, even if you'd have to talk to me on the phone most of the time."
He reached a hand to tough her arm.
"I know you are, I'm the one that treated you poorly..." She started to apologise.
Bailey moved swiftly to stop her from getting down on herself, moving to stand behind her
and embracing her shoulders in his hands.
"Sam it was a very turbulant time, Chloe needed her mother more than ever. She needed professional
help to deal with all of the things that happened. You did what you needed to do for her."
Bailey turned her to face him, "Now you need to heal yourself, staying in this house alone isn't going
to accomplish that, you need to get out meet people."
Sam nodded, "I know, but I'm afraid."
"Then we can start while I'm here, I'll hold your hand until you get your feet under you."
He smiled encouragingly at her.
"I can't ask you to do that Bail."
"I'm offering, you didn't ask. Now come here." Bailey wrapped both arms around her and hugged her
close. Sam melted into him, loving the feeling of his arms around her and her face pressed into his chest.