CHAPTER 4: The Mutual Decision
*~ A lone pair of watchful eyes oversee the living ~ Feel the presence all around ~ A tortured soul ~ A wound unhealing ~*
Sam's parents cringed as they listened to the all too familiar sound of a door slamming. "God, I hate it when he does that!"
"We should all be used to it by now," Robin answered sadly. "One of these days, he'll slam the door so hard that the hinges will snap and we could easily go in and out of his room to check up on him."
Peter gave his wife a cold, hard look. Robin shrugged. "I just don't know what do about that son of yours anymore," Peter sighed. "It's just too much for this family."
"Peter," Robin said. "He's your son too. Well, maybe your stepson, but still your son nonetheless. So, what do you propose we do?"
"Robin, you know him better than I do," Peter replied. "You've noticed that the boy and I just aren't compatible. You're his mother. Anything concerning him will have to be your own decision."
"You must be joking! Peter, if you recall, who was the one who decided that it was best for Sam to stay at George's place last year?"
"Uh. . .I do believe George himself was the one who arrived on that decision."
Robin groaned. "Alright, alright, so maybe you're right. George did make that decision for me when all I did was protest. But you never even had a say to what would happen to Sam that summer, did you?"
"No Robin, I did not," Peter answered tersely.
"See?! Don't you understand? Just because I'm his mother doesn't mean that I have to make every decision that concerns him."
"Well forgive me, but I would help you make some decisions if I only knew what to do about that boy. . ."
"Sam," Robin said softly.
"What?"
"Sam," Robin repeated. "His name is Sam."
"Yes, I know that, but. . ."
"He is your stepson and every bit of your responsibility just as he is mine," Robin interrupted. "When you married me, you agreed that me having a son from a previous marriage would not be a problem."
"It didn't seem like it would be a problem," Peter answered. "But of course, back then, I never expected Sam to be such a huge burden on me, you, and all of MY children."
"Neither did I," Robin said sadly. "Please Peter, help me. I'm just as lost as you are. I can't make this kind of decision on my own."
For a long time, nobody spoke. Then, Peter broke the piercing silence by saying, "Last year Sam stayed at George's for the summer. I admit, I didn't think it would help at all. I was just glad that I could have at least one summer away from him. Why don't we have him stay at someone's house this summer?"
Robin glared at her husband incredulously. "That's your idea of making things better for this family?! You want to send him away?"
"That way, neither of us would have to deal with him," Peter explained. "Look, it's not like I want to get rid of him completely, it's just that I believe that if Sam spends some time away from us, like he did last summer, whatever might be bothering him right now might blow over as if it never happened."
Robin was speechless. Peter continued, "You remember how Sam was shortly after George died? That Sam was the stepson that I could actually tolerate. It was as if he became a whole new person. He changed, Robin. It should be able to happen again."
"And what if it doesn't? How do you know that the time he'll spend away from us will make him a better person? How do you know that it just won't make things worse?"
"Because we have no other choice," Peter said simply. "Besides, Adam and Ryan won't want to have to deal with his crankiness, you don't want to anymore, and neither do I. We've had enough, Robin. It's time that somebody else gets to deal with him."
After awhile, Robin said, "Okay, although I realize this decision is inevitable, how much thought have you really given it?" She paused to stare at her husband's confused expression. "Look, the stay he had at George's last year benefited him. Now that George has unfortunately died, who do you suppose Sam can stay with?"
Peter shook his head and sighed. "You're right, I haven't really given this idea much thought. All I know is that we have to do it. Just give me some time. I know I'll come up with someone who'll be willing to. . . Wait. . ."
"Wait what?"
"I got it! He could stay at Debra's place!"
"Uh, who is Debra?" Robin asked suspiciously.
"She's my co-worker. We dated a while back," Peter admitted. "But don't worry, that was a really, really long time ago and she's been married to this man named Joseph for seventeen years."
"How well do you even know this woman? Even though you did go out with her years ago?"
"Don't worry," Peter said. "She's a very nice woman. Your son will be in very good hands."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Robin muttered.
"What?"
"Nothing. Anyway, how do you know she'll accept your request? If neither of us want to deal with Sam, what makes you think she'll want to?"
"She owes me a favor," Peter answered. Robin gave him another suspicious look. "Don't ask. It's a long story."
"Well, I've got time," Robin said. "As soon as you call Debra, you can explain everything to me."
Author's Note: So, now Peter and Robin want to send Sam away for the summer. Is this the miracle they've been expecting for so long, or is it just a plan waiting to backfire? Find out when I update again!
*~ A lone pair of watchful eyes oversee the living ~ Feel the presence all around ~ A tortured soul ~ A wound unhealing ~*
Sam's parents cringed as they listened to the all too familiar sound of a door slamming. "God, I hate it when he does that!"
"We should all be used to it by now," Robin answered sadly. "One of these days, he'll slam the door so hard that the hinges will snap and we could easily go in and out of his room to check up on him."
Peter gave his wife a cold, hard look. Robin shrugged. "I just don't know what do about that son of yours anymore," Peter sighed. "It's just too much for this family."
"Peter," Robin said. "He's your son too. Well, maybe your stepson, but still your son nonetheless. So, what do you propose we do?"
"Robin, you know him better than I do," Peter replied. "You've noticed that the boy and I just aren't compatible. You're his mother. Anything concerning him will have to be your own decision."
"You must be joking! Peter, if you recall, who was the one who decided that it was best for Sam to stay at George's place last year?"
"Uh. . .I do believe George himself was the one who arrived on that decision."
Robin groaned. "Alright, alright, so maybe you're right. George did make that decision for me when all I did was protest. But you never even had a say to what would happen to Sam that summer, did you?"
"No Robin, I did not," Peter answered tersely.
"See?! Don't you understand? Just because I'm his mother doesn't mean that I have to make every decision that concerns him."
"Well forgive me, but I would help you make some decisions if I only knew what to do about that boy. . ."
"Sam," Robin said softly.
"What?"
"Sam," Robin repeated. "His name is Sam."
"Yes, I know that, but. . ."
"He is your stepson and every bit of your responsibility just as he is mine," Robin interrupted. "When you married me, you agreed that me having a son from a previous marriage would not be a problem."
"It didn't seem like it would be a problem," Peter answered. "But of course, back then, I never expected Sam to be such a huge burden on me, you, and all of MY children."
"Neither did I," Robin said sadly. "Please Peter, help me. I'm just as lost as you are. I can't make this kind of decision on my own."
For a long time, nobody spoke. Then, Peter broke the piercing silence by saying, "Last year Sam stayed at George's for the summer. I admit, I didn't think it would help at all. I was just glad that I could have at least one summer away from him. Why don't we have him stay at someone's house this summer?"
Robin glared at her husband incredulously. "That's your idea of making things better for this family?! You want to send him away?"
"That way, neither of us would have to deal with him," Peter explained. "Look, it's not like I want to get rid of him completely, it's just that I believe that if Sam spends some time away from us, like he did last summer, whatever might be bothering him right now might blow over as if it never happened."
Robin was speechless. Peter continued, "You remember how Sam was shortly after George died? That Sam was the stepson that I could actually tolerate. It was as if he became a whole new person. He changed, Robin. It should be able to happen again."
"And what if it doesn't? How do you know that the time he'll spend away from us will make him a better person? How do you know that it just won't make things worse?"
"Because we have no other choice," Peter said simply. "Besides, Adam and Ryan won't want to have to deal with his crankiness, you don't want to anymore, and neither do I. We've had enough, Robin. It's time that somebody else gets to deal with him."
After awhile, Robin said, "Okay, although I realize this decision is inevitable, how much thought have you really given it?" She paused to stare at her husband's confused expression. "Look, the stay he had at George's last year benefited him. Now that George has unfortunately died, who do you suppose Sam can stay with?"
Peter shook his head and sighed. "You're right, I haven't really given this idea much thought. All I know is that we have to do it. Just give me some time. I know I'll come up with someone who'll be willing to. . . Wait. . ."
"Wait what?"
"I got it! He could stay at Debra's place!"
"Uh, who is Debra?" Robin asked suspiciously.
"She's my co-worker. We dated a while back," Peter admitted. "But don't worry, that was a really, really long time ago and she's been married to this man named Joseph for seventeen years."
"How well do you even know this woman? Even though you did go out with her years ago?"
"Don't worry," Peter said. "She's a very nice woman. Your son will be in very good hands."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Robin muttered.
"What?"
"Nothing. Anyway, how do you know she'll accept your request? If neither of us want to deal with Sam, what makes you think she'll want to?"
"She owes me a favor," Peter answered. Robin gave him another suspicious look. "Don't ask. It's a long story."
"Well, I've got time," Robin said. "As soon as you call Debra, you can explain everything to me."
Author's Note: So, now Peter and Robin want to send Sam away for the summer. Is this the miracle they've been expecting for so long, or is it just a plan waiting to backfire? Find out when I update again!