Samantha POV:
"My son?" he whispers, shaking his head and staring at the little boy. He must see the resemblance. I was certain he realized it the moment I opened the door and he saw me holding Caleb in my arms. "Samantha, you have to give me a chance to be the father. If I would have known--"
"I didn't want you to find out."
"Why?"
My eyes stare at Caleb. I can't face Jack right now.
"I didn't want you to take him away from me. After everything that's happened--." I pull Caleb in for a hug. "He's my life. He's all that I live for."
"So, that's why all of this," he nods his head.
"What?"
"The neighborhood, the house, the suburbs." He chuckles softly and a smile grows on my lips. "Your sister helps with the rent?"
"Yeah," I nod.
"And your fiancé?"
I pause, staring at Caleb. His hand reaches my face, playing with my lips. I spin him around, letting him sit on my lap, and I face Jack.
"There is no fiancé."
"What? You lied to me?"
"Oh come on, like you're really divorced," I quip.
"After you left, I didn't care about anything. I haven't seen my daughters in over a month. Maria's fighting for full custody."
"I'm sorry," I whisper in response, watching as Caleb climbs out of my lap and moves towards Jack.
"So, this is why Danny came to visit every month?"
"Yeah, he's been a great uncle to Caleb."
"I imagine," Jack answers with a smile as Caleb climbs onto his lap. "Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?"
"Would it have made any bit of difference? Besides, I didn't want you to come out of obligation or because you knocked up your mistress."
"Sam," his eyes meet mine. "You have always meant more to me than that."
"I know," I answer. "When I found out I was pregnant, I realized it gave me a chance for a new life. I wouldn't have called up Julia otherwise."
"I'm glad you did," he tells me, giving Caleb a hug. Caleb climbs downs and back to my lap, resting his eyes. He clings to me like there's no tomorrow.
"I'm going to put him to bed. Give me a few minutes?"
"Can I come up with you?"
I let out a soft sigh and nod my head. Caleb has his thumb in his mouth and his eyes are shut as he rests his head on my shoulder. I carefully carry him up the stairs, lay him down in his crib and give him a gentle kiss goodnight.
I escort Jack out of Caleb's room and quietly shut the door.
We head back downstairs and I notice Julia sitting on the back porch. "Give me a minute?" I eye Jack and he nods as I head outside to see Julia.
"So he's Jack Malone?" I nod my head with a sigh. "What are you going to do?" She eyes me intently.
"I have no idea. I'm not leaving, though—not again."
"Even after everything you two have been through together?"
"If he wants to be a part of my life, he'll have to move here."
"That's asking a lot, Samantha. He's got two kids," she reminds me.
"I guess I'll see how much Caleb and I mean to him," I quip, and she rolls her eyes.
"You never learn!" she says with a laugh as I head back inside the house.
"Sibling rivalry?" he teases.
"Nah, we're past that. She's just looking out for what's in my best interest and Caleb's."
Jack nods his head, and I take a seat beside him on the sofa.
"Come home with me."
"I am home," I answer. "This is where I belong, Jack."
"Caleb deserves to know his father."
"You can come and visit him."
"Samantha," his voice warns.
"I'm not taking him away from everything he knows and loves. Besides, I'm happy here, Jack. In all the years I lived in New York, it never felt this right."
"That's because we were having an affair. If you come back home with me--"
"Jack, no." I shake my head and he closes his eyes, becoming slightly stressed out.
"We could find a house in the suburbs—just the three of us." I hear the back door open.
"She won't go with you, Jack." Julia chimes. "Haven't you figured it out yet?"
"What? Samantha?" I eye Julia to shut up, and she gives me a grin and heads upstairs. I roll my eyes, slightly annoyed at my older sister for sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. Jack eyes me, confused. "I don't understand."
"I don't belong in New York. This is my home," I answer. "You can be in it as much or as little as you want, but I'm not going anywhere."
"You want me to move to Chicago?"
"I want you to do what you want, Jack. I'm not making decisions for you."
He closes his eyes, frustrated. "Do you still love me?"
"Jack," I glance away, not meeting his eyes.
"Just tell me—yes or no?"
"Jack." I don't want to answer his question because it shows how vulnerable I've been for the past two years. It reminds me how every time I tried to go on a date, I kept thinking of 'him'. How the moment I saw my son, I wanted Jack there with me.
He leans into me, his eyes staring at mine as his mouth hovers—letting me back away. "How long has it been for you?" he whispers, his breath teasing me.
My lips part in anticipation, wanting to feel his mouth against mine and his body above me. My eyes shut as I feel his mouth move over mine, and I remember how great we were together. I moan, trying to keep my voice down, but his hands are over my breasts and down my back, feeling our bodies against one another.
My fingers comb through his hair as I pull my head back, staring at his face and the sheer look of lust in his eyes.
"There's really no fiancé?" he questions, eyeing my ring. I slip it from my finger and hand it to him.
"My sister has the other half." I grin, leaning up and devouring his lips.
"My son?" he whispers, shaking his head and staring at the little boy. He must see the resemblance. I was certain he realized it the moment I opened the door and he saw me holding Caleb in my arms. "Samantha, you have to give me a chance to be the father. If I would have known--"
"I didn't want you to find out."
"Why?"
My eyes stare at Caleb. I can't face Jack right now.
"I didn't want you to take him away from me. After everything that's happened--." I pull Caleb in for a hug. "He's my life. He's all that I live for."
"So, that's why all of this," he nods his head.
"What?"
"The neighborhood, the house, the suburbs." He chuckles softly and a smile grows on my lips. "Your sister helps with the rent?"
"Yeah," I nod.
"And your fiancé?"
I pause, staring at Caleb. His hand reaches my face, playing with my lips. I spin him around, letting him sit on my lap, and I face Jack.
"There is no fiancé."
"What? You lied to me?"
"Oh come on, like you're really divorced," I quip.
"After you left, I didn't care about anything. I haven't seen my daughters in over a month. Maria's fighting for full custody."
"I'm sorry," I whisper in response, watching as Caleb climbs out of my lap and moves towards Jack.
"So, this is why Danny came to visit every month?"
"Yeah, he's been a great uncle to Caleb."
"I imagine," Jack answers with a smile as Caleb climbs onto his lap. "Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?"
"Would it have made any bit of difference? Besides, I didn't want you to come out of obligation or because you knocked up your mistress."
"Sam," his eyes meet mine. "You have always meant more to me than that."
"I know," I answer. "When I found out I was pregnant, I realized it gave me a chance for a new life. I wouldn't have called up Julia otherwise."
"I'm glad you did," he tells me, giving Caleb a hug. Caleb climbs downs and back to my lap, resting his eyes. He clings to me like there's no tomorrow.
"I'm going to put him to bed. Give me a few minutes?"
"Can I come up with you?"
I let out a soft sigh and nod my head. Caleb has his thumb in his mouth and his eyes are shut as he rests his head on my shoulder. I carefully carry him up the stairs, lay him down in his crib and give him a gentle kiss goodnight.
I escort Jack out of Caleb's room and quietly shut the door.
We head back downstairs and I notice Julia sitting on the back porch. "Give me a minute?" I eye Jack and he nods as I head outside to see Julia.
"So he's Jack Malone?" I nod my head with a sigh. "What are you going to do?" She eyes me intently.
"I have no idea. I'm not leaving, though—not again."
"Even after everything you two have been through together?"
"If he wants to be a part of my life, he'll have to move here."
"That's asking a lot, Samantha. He's got two kids," she reminds me.
"I guess I'll see how much Caleb and I mean to him," I quip, and she rolls her eyes.
"You never learn!" she says with a laugh as I head back inside the house.
"Sibling rivalry?" he teases.
"Nah, we're past that. She's just looking out for what's in my best interest and Caleb's."
Jack nods his head, and I take a seat beside him on the sofa.
"Come home with me."
"I am home," I answer. "This is where I belong, Jack."
"Caleb deserves to know his father."
"You can come and visit him."
"Samantha," his voice warns.
"I'm not taking him away from everything he knows and loves. Besides, I'm happy here, Jack. In all the years I lived in New York, it never felt this right."
"That's because we were having an affair. If you come back home with me--"
"Jack, no." I shake my head and he closes his eyes, becoming slightly stressed out.
"We could find a house in the suburbs—just the three of us." I hear the back door open.
"She won't go with you, Jack." Julia chimes. "Haven't you figured it out yet?"
"What? Samantha?" I eye Julia to shut up, and she gives me a grin and heads upstairs. I roll my eyes, slightly annoyed at my older sister for sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. Jack eyes me, confused. "I don't understand."
"I don't belong in New York. This is my home," I answer. "You can be in it as much or as little as you want, but I'm not going anywhere."
"You want me to move to Chicago?"
"I want you to do what you want, Jack. I'm not making decisions for you."
He closes his eyes, frustrated. "Do you still love me?"
"Jack," I glance away, not meeting his eyes.
"Just tell me—yes or no?"
"Jack." I don't want to answer his question because it shows how vulnerable I've been for the past two years. It reminds me how every time I tried to go on a date, I kept thinking of 'him'. How the moment I saw my son, I wanted Jack there with me.
He leans into me, his eyes staring at mine as his mouth hovers—letting me back away. "How long has it been for you?" he whispers, his breath teasing me.
My lips part in anticipation, wanting to feel his mouth against mine and his body above me. My eyes shut as I feel his mouth move over mine, and I remember how great we were together. I moan, trying to keep my voice down, but his hands are over my breasts and down my back, feeling our bodies against one another.
My fingers comb through his hair as I pull my head back, staring at his face and the sheer look of lust in his eyes.
"There's really no fiancé?" he questions, eyeing my ring. I slip it from my finger and hand it to him.
"My sister has the other half." I grin, leaning up and devouring his lips.