Chapter 4: "Just give him one more chance."
Samantha closed the front door behind her, hung her jacket in the closet in
the front hallway and placed her purse and keys on the small table in the
foyer.
Jennifer turned her head as she heard Samantha come in. "Hey there."
Samantha collapsed beside her on the couch, exhausted. She felt drained these days. She knew why, the whole world must know, she wore her despair on her face like a big, blinking sign.
Jennifer abruptly turned off the television. "He's called about eight thousand times. There are five messages from him on the machine. When are you going to talk to him?" She asked, the concern obvious in her tone.
Samantha let out a deep sigh. She wasn't in the mood for this. She knew she would have to deal with it eventually, but she wasn't ready yet. "I'll erase the messages. I'm sure he'll stop calling after a few more days." She answered, avoiding the true issue at hand.
Jennifer had been skeptical of Samantha's relationship at first. She often had wondered if Matt was with Sam just because she reminded him of MacKenzie. Over time, she saw how happy they were and it seemed natural that they be together. Jennifer knew Sam was hurting, but she could also hear the pain in Matt's voice each time he called. Whatever was going on between them, it was tearing them apart inside. "A few more days? Sam, it's been three weeks!" Jennifer was getting heated herself. She took a moment to calm her emotions before beginning again. "Besides, that's not the point. I don't care how many times a day he calls or how many messages he leaves. You two belong together. I don't know what Matt did to make you so upset. I can't even begin to imagine what could possibly have happened to cause you to put yourself and Matt through all this heartache, but you need to do something about it."
"He doesn't love me!" Samantha blurted out, tears welling up in her eyes. "Alright? The trust is he doesn't see me, I'm just a stand in! Matt has never gotten over losing MacKenzie! He knows he can't have her, but I'm the next best thing, her best friend!" She couldn't stop the tears as hard as she tried. "I've known that he felt this way for a long time, but I never allowed myself to see it. Honestly, I tricked myself into believing he loved me. You remember how in love he and MacKenzie were. I was always jealous of that. I wanted to know what it was like to love someone whole- heartedly and have them love you like that in return. I was foolish, but not anymore."
Jennifer was shocked. * She can't really believe that Matt doesn't love her. After all this time?* "Sam, I'm going to be honest with you. When you and Matt first started seeing each other, I have to admit, I thought it would never work. I thought what you're thinking now, it's just a way to keep MacKenzie alive and in your hearts. Over time, I learned that I was wrong. And so are you. Maybe that's how your relationship started, but look at you two, look at how long you've been together. That's more than just grief. Sure MacKenzie and Matt were good together, but you and he are so much more. It's more than just finishing each other's sentences and spending time together, it's the way you talk about one another when you're with other people, the things you enjoy about each other. It's hard to figure out where one ends and the other begins." Jennifer stopped, waiting for Samantha's reaction.
Sam sat beside, trying to hold back the tears, saying nothing.
Jennifer sighed before continuing. "You probably don't believe me now because I know you and I know you don't want to hear any of this. Just listen to his messages . . . really listen. His heart is broken, not because he can't be with Mac, but because he's lost you. Just hear what he has to say, he may surprise you. I want you to be happy and if this is what will make you happy, then okay, I'll support you. Just give him one more chance." With that, Jennifer got up and went to her room, closing the door behind her, leaving Samantha to think out what she had said.
Jennifer turned her head as she heard Samantha come in. "Hey there."
Samantha collapsed beside her on the couch, exhausted. She felt drained these days. She knew why, the whole world must know, she wore her despair on her face like a big, blinking sign.
Jennifer abruptly turned off the television. "He's called about eight thousand times. There are five messages from him on the machine. When are you going to talk to him?" She asked, the concern obvious in her tone.
Samantha let out a deep sigh. She wasn't in the mood for this. She knew she would have to deal with it eventually, but she wasn't ready yet. "I'll erase the messages. I'm sure he'll stop calling after a few more days." She answered, avoiding the true issue at hand.
Jennifer had been skeptical of Samantha's relationship at first. She often had wondered if Matt was with Sam just because she reminded him of MacKenzie. Over time, she saw how happy they were and it seemed natural that they be together. Jennifer knew Sam was hurting, but she could also hear the pain in Matt's voice each time he called. Whatever was going on between them, it was tearing them apart inside. "A few more days? Sam, it's been three weeks!" Jennifer was getting heated herself. She took a moment to calm her emotions before beginning again. "Besides, that's not the point. I don't care how many times a day he calls or how many messages he leaves. You two belong together. I don't know what Matt did to make you so upset. I can't even begin to imagine what could possibly have happened to cause you to put yourself and Matt through all this heartache, but you need to do something about it."
"He doesn't love me!" Samantha blurted out, tears welling up in her eyes. "Alright? The trust is he doesn't see me, I'm just a stand in! Matt has never gotten over losing MacKenzie! He knows he can't have her, but I'm the next best thing, her best friend!" She couldn't stop the tears as hard as she tried. "I've known that he felt this way for a long time, but I never allowed myself to see it. Honestly, I tricked myself into believing he loved me. You remember how in love he and MacKenzie were. I was always jealous of that. I wanted to know what it was like to love someone whole- heartedly and have them love you like that in return. I was foolish, but not anymore."
Jennifer was shocked. * She can't really believe that Matt doesn't love her. After all this time?* "Sam, I'm going to be honest with you. When you and Matt first started seeing each other, I have to admit, I thought it would never work. I thought what you're thinking now, it's just a way to keep MacKenzie alive and in your hearts. Over time, I learned that I was wrong. And so are you. Maybe that's how your relationship started, but look at you two, look at how long you've been together. That's more than just grief. Sure MacKenzie and Matt were good together, but you and he are so much more. It's more than just finishing each other's sentences and spending time together, it's the way you talk about one another when you're with other people, the things you enjoy about each other. It's hard to figure out where one ends and the other begins." Jennifer stopped, waiting for Samantha's reaction.
Sam sat beside, trying to hold back the tears, saying nothing.
Jennifer sighed before continuing. "You probably don't believe me now because I know you and I know you don't want to hear any of this. Just listen to his messages . . . really listen. His heart is broken, not because he can't be with Mac, but because he's lost you. Just hear what he has to say, he may surprise you. I want you to be happy and if this is what will make you happy, then okay, I'll support you. Just give him one more chance." With that, Jennifer got up and went to her room, closing the door behind her, leaving Samantha to think out what she had said.