"I will when we get back. We should head out." I grab my bag and Jack
takes his to the car. "We can take my car," I offer, dropping my bag into
the trunk and letting Jack do the same with his.
"Sounds good," he nods and we slip into my car and make my way to my mother's home.
**********
It's been years since I've seen her, and months since I've talked to her. I feel awful for the lack of communication, in part because it's my fault. I'm the one who always insists on coming to visit, but never do. I'm the one who doesn't answer the phone, or makes an excuse to get off the line. I'm the one who's running away from home, even after all these years-some things never change.
"Jack," I glance towards him and then back towards the road as I get off at the exit.
"Yeah?"
"Have you thought about what might happen when I tell Martin we're seeing each other?"
"You mean do I think he'll go running to his father?" Jack's gaze is on me.
"Yeah," I laugh softly.
"I think if you're honest with him, he'll understand-at least I hope he will." Jack's voice is soft and reassuring. "You're not getting cold feet about breaking his heart, are you?"
"No, I can handle it," I answer. We pull up in front of my mother's home and step out from the car. "Coming?" I question towards Jack, as he stands by the vehicle.
"Yeah." He follows me up the porch and to the front door. I knock briskly and then use the key to get in.
"Mom?" I glance around the house and shut the door behind Jack.
"Samantha, is that you?" I hear her footsteps coming down the stairs. She opens her arms to give me a hug and asks, "Who'd you bring home with you?"
"Jack Malone," he puts out his hand to introduce himself.
"Come in, make yourselves at home. I was worried about you, Samantha. You hadn't called on Christmas and then they sent two FBI Agents to the house," she lets out a breath. "I thought something happened to you."
"I'm fine," I reassure her and take a seat beside Jack on the sofa.
The room is quiet for several moments before I feel Jack's hand squeeze mine.
"I'm surprised to see you," my mother tells me as she heads into the kitchen. "Can I get you both anything?"
"No, I'm fine."
"What about you, Jack?" My mother eyes him intently.
"No, thank you."
"We found dad," I tell her, biting down on my lower lip.
"You did?" She stops on her way back into the living room. "Is he all right?"
"He's married, and they have a daughter."
She nods her head and lets out a breath. "He's okay then?"
"He was in the hospital after what Uncle Marcus did." I eye her.
"Yes," she lets out a sigh, "I suspected as much when they came to arrest him." She's quiet, and her eyes meet mine. She glances towards Jack.
"I'll be back," he tells me, standing up and looking for the bathroom.
As soon as he's out of the room my mother asks the questions she's been wanting to. "Did he tell you why he left us?"
"Mom," I move towards her, resting my hand on her shoulder. "It was over twenty-five years ago," I remind her.
"Did he tell you why?"
"I don't want to get into it," I answer. "You can call him if you really want to know. I'll leave you the number."
"Samantha," my mother captures my hand in hers, "are you happy?"
"Mom?" My gaze is questioning. "I don't understand--?
"With Jack? Does he make you happy?"
"We're not getting married," I answer with a soft laugh. "But, yes, he makes me happy." I see Jack coming down the hall, his eyes on mine. "There's no one else I'd rather spend the rest of my life with."
"And imagine how you would feel if he left you."
"Mom," I let out a soft breath and feel Jack's hands on my shoulders.
"I would never leave your daughter," he tells my mother. "I can't begin to fathom what you're going through, not knowing where your husband was for all those years. I do know and understand what Sam went through, though. I lost my mother when I was young."
"She didn't walk out on your family though, did she?" My mother's eyes look cold and lonely as I let out a soft breath, feeling my stomach ache for Jack.
"No, she committed suicide. I'd have rather she'd left us. At least then she could have been happy."
"Is that what you think? My husband left so he could be happy?" My mother's voice rises as Jack's grip on my shoulders tightens.
"I think we should go." I wiggle my way from Jack's grip and take his hand in mine.
"You're going to leave already? You just got here."
"I can't be around you right now," I tell her.
"Right now? You're never around," she retorts.
"Whose fault is that?" I eye her sternly. "Do you think I wanted to come home and see Marcus? Do you think I enjoyed living under this roof?"
"You could have come home to see me."
"You never made my life any easier," I answer.
"And you think you did, Samantha? Do you think it was easy working full- time and raising a child?"
"That was your decision," I point out. "I never asked for any of this." I head for the front door.
"You think I did?"
"You brought it upon yourself. You let Marcus move in, which was one of the worst things you could have done."
"What was I supposed to do? I couldn't afford childcare when you were growing up. He was the only free help I could get."
"Free help? By letting Marcus inside your home, it cost you more then you can imagine. He spent half of what you earned on liquor. Did you ever stop to think that maybe if he left you, it would have been a good thing?"
"No," my mother shakes her head at the thought. "Marcus is a good man."
"He tried to kill Stephen!" I remind her, opening the front door to leave.
"He thought he was doing what was best for this family."
"Yeah, well he did one hell of a job," I respond angrily, stepping out to the porch with Jack beside me.
I see the look in Jack's eyes and give in, handing him the keys to drive. I know he thinks I'm too emotional to be behind the wheel right now and he's probably right.
I take a seat beside him and buckle in, as I feel the car start and we pull out onto the road.
"I'm sorry," I whisper, feeling tears in my eyes. I bite down on my lip, holding the pain inside.
"You have nothing to be sorry for, Sam." I feel his hand in mine and he squeezes it reassuringly. "We should head back to the hotel and get my car."
"Yeah, right." I let out a soft breath.
"You going to be all right to drive home?"
"I think I can manage," I answer. "You going to drop by tonight or--"
"I'll be late. I don't want to wake you, though." His eyes glance towards mine as we pull into the parking lot of the hotel.
"I'll be up," I answer, stepping out of the car to head for the driver's seat while Jack heads into his car. He gives me a soft kiss on the lips as his arms snake around my waist.
"See you later," he whispers into my ear and heads for his car.
"What about lunch?" I glance towards him. "Or an early dinner?"
"I need to get back." He eyes his watch. "We'll go out for a real dinner next week, just the two of us."
"All right," I let out a breath and get into my car, heading for the highway. I make a stop for fast food, grabbing something quick to eat and head back towards home.
"Sounds good," he nods and we slip into my car and make my way to my mother's home.
**********
It's been years since I've seen her, and months since I've talked to her. I feel awful for the lack of communication, in part because it's my fault. I'm the one who always insists on coming to visit, but never do. I'm the one who doesn't answer the phone, or makes an excuse to get off the line. I'm the one who's running away from home, even after all these years-some things never change.
"Jack," I glance towards him and then back towards the road as I get off at the exit.
"Yeah?"
"Have you thought about what might happen when I tell Martin we're seeing each other?"
"You mean do I think he'll go running to his father?" Jack's gaze is on me.
"Yeah," I laugh softly.
"I think if you're honest with him, he'll understand-at least I hope he will." Jack's voice is soft and reassuring. "You're not getting cold feet about breaking his heart, are you?"
"No, I can handle it," I answer. We pull up in front of my mother's home and step out from the car. "Coming?" I question towards Jack, as he stands by the vehicle.
"Yeah." He follows me up the porch and to the front door. I knock briskly and then use the key to get in.
"Mom?" I glance around the house and shut the door behind Jack.
"Samantha, is that you?" I hear her footsteps coming down the stairs. She opens her arms to give me a hug and asks, "Who'd you bring home with you?"
"Jack Malone," he puts out his hand to introduce himself.
"Come in, make yourselves at home. I was worried about you, Samantha. You hadn't called on Christmas and then they sent two FBI Agents to the house," she lets out a breath. "I thought something happened to you."
"I'm fine," I reassure her and take a seat beside Jack on the sofa.
The room is quiet for several moments before I feel Jack's hand squeeze mine.
"I'm surprised to see you," my mother tells me as she heads into the kitchen. "Can I get you both anything?"
"No, I'm fine."
"What about you, Jack?" My mother eyes him intently.
"No, thank you."
"We found dad," I tell her, biting down on my lower lip.
"You did?" She stops on her way back into the living room. "Is he all right?"
"He's married, and they have a daughter."
She nods her head and lets out a breath. "He's okay then?"
"He was in the hospital after what Uncle Marcus did." I eye her.
"Yes," she lets out a sigh, "I suspected as much when they came to arrest him." She's quiet, and her eyes meet mine. She glances towards Jack.
"I'll be back," he tells me, standing up and looking for the bathroom.
As soon as he's out of the room my mother asks the questions she's been wanting to. "Did he tell you why he left us?"
"Mom," I move towards her, resting my hand on her shoulder. "It was over twenty-five years ago," I remind her.
"Did he tell you why?"
"I don't want to get into it," I answer. "You can call him if you really want to know. I'll leave you the number."
"Samantha," my mother captures my hand in hers, "are you happy?"
"Mom?" My gaze is questioning. "I don't understand--?
"With Jack? Does he make you happy?"
"We're not getting married," I answer with a soft laugh. "But, yes, he makes me happy." I see Jack coming down the hall, his eyes on mine. "There's no one else I'd rather spend the rest of my life with."
"And imagine how you would feel if he left you."
"Mom," I let out a soft breath and feel Jack's hands on my shoulders.
"I would never leave your daughter," he tells my mother. "I can't begin to fathom what you're going through, not knowing where your husband was for all those years. I do know and understand what Sam went through, though. I lost my mother when I was young."
"She didn't walk out on your family though, did she?" My mother's eyes look cold and lonely as I let out a soft breath, feeling my stomach ache for Jack.
"No, she committed suicide. I'd have rather she'd left us. At least then she could have been happy."
"Is that what you think? My husband left so he could be happy?" My mother's voice rises as Jack's grip on my shoulders tightens.
"I think we should go." I wiggle my way from Jack's grip and take his hand in mine.
"You're going to leave already? You just got here."
"I can't be around you right now," I tell her.
"Right now? You're never around," she retorts.
"Whose fault is that?" I eye her sternly. "Do you think I wanted to come home and see Marcus? Do you think I enjoyed living under this roof?"
"You could have come home to see me."
"You never made my life any easier," I answer.
"And you think you did, Samantha? Do you think it was easy working full- time and raising a child?"
"That was your decision," I point out. "I never asked for any of this." I head for the front door.
"You think I did?"
"You brought it upon yourself. You let Marcus move in, which was one of the worst things you could have done."
"What was I supposed to do? I couldn't afford childcare when you were growing up. He was the only free help I could get."
"Free help? By letting Marcus inside your home, it cost you more then you can imagine. He spent half of what you earned on liquor. Did you ever stop to think that maybe if he left you, it would have been a good thing?"
"No," my mother shakes her head at the thought. "Marcus is a good man."
"He tried to kill Stephen!" I remind her, opening the front door to leave.
"He thought he was doing what was best for this family."
"Yeah, well he did one hell of a job," I respond angrily, stepping out to the porch with Jack beside me.
I see the look in Jack's eyes and give in, handing him the keys to drive. I know he thinks I'm too emotional to be behind the wheel right now and he's probably right.
I take a seat beside him and buckle in, as I feel the car start and we pull out onto the road.
"I'm sorry," I whisper, feeling tears in my eyes. I bite down on my lip, holding the pain inside.
"You have nothing to be sorry for, Sam." I feel his hand in mine and he squeezes it reassuringly. "We should head back to the hotel and get my car."
"Yeah, right." I let out a soft breath.
"You going to be all right to drive home?"
"I think I can manage," I answer. "You going to drop by tonight or--"
"I'll be late. I don't want to wake you, though." His eyes glance towards mine as we pull into the parking lot of the hotel.
"I'll be up," I answer, stepping out of the car to head for the driver's seat while Jack heads into his car. He gives me a soft kiss on the lips as his arms snake around my waist.
"See you later," he whispers into my ear and heads for his car.
"What about lunch?" I glance towards him. "Or an early dinner?"
"I need to get back." He eyes his watch. "We'll go out for a real dinner next week, just the two of us."
"All right," I let out a breath and get into my car, heading for the highway. I make a stop for fast food, grabbing something quick to eat and head back towards home.
