Chapter Five
"Hello Beautiful." Tommy said when he came in the door.
"Hello Handsome, how was you're day?" she asked. He sat down next to her and put his arms around her. She laid her head in his lap and he brushed her hair out of her face.
"My day was long, dull, and boring. Full of teenage kids and homework papers." Tommy said, "How was yours?"
"My day was full of fun…..I got to chase a four year old around and watch hours of Dora the Explorer." Kim said. She snuggled closer to him.
"Where is Sami?" Tommy asked.
"Upstairs, in her room." Kim answered.
"I see. So what do you wanna do for dinner?" he asked. Kim sat up and stared at a spot on the wall.
"You know, I hadn't really thought about it. What do you feel like?" she asked him. Tommy stared at the spot on the wall and thought about it. He realized that this was the perfect moment, so he reached into his pocket while Kim was looking away.
"Actually, I feel like cake." He said.
"Huh?" she said, confusedly looking at him. He held up a beautiful diamond ring.
"You wanna marry me?" he asked. She just stared at it, like she'd never seen a ring before. Then she looked at him. He looked scared and nervous because she hadn't answered. She smiled at him and kissed him.
"Yes, I will marry you." She whispered in his ear. He smiled, almost in relief. She rested her head on his shoulder and watched him slide the ring onto her left ring finger. Then he pulled her even closer to him and just there, wrapped in each other's arms, for what felt like hours.
"Mommy, where are we going?" Sami asked impatiently. Kim looked at her daughter in her rearview mirror. She was staring at Kim intently from the back seat.
"We are going to meet Tommy's parents in Angel Grove. That's where Mommy and Tommy met. I grew up there." Kim said, averting her eyes back to the road.
Kim and Sami reached the Oliver home an hour later. Kim walked to the door hand in hand with Sami, nervous as all hell, hoping that his parents didn't hate her for the hell she'd put their son through. She got to the door and hesitated before knocking.
Jan Oliver walked over to the front door and opened it. She knew who would be standing there. She opened the door and found Kim staring at the ground. Kim looked up at her and Jan thought she saw a hint of fear in her eyes.
"Kimberly, sweetheart, come on in." Jan said with a warm smile and open arms. Jan threw her arms around Kim and held her close. Kim smiled in relief.
"Hello Mrs. Oliver." Kim said, trying hard to hold back tears.
"Oh, honey how many times have I told you to call me mom? You know you've always been family." Jan said warmheartedly.
"I lost that a long time ago. Or at least that's what I thought." Kim said.
"Tommy told us everything, sweetheart. You have nothing to be ashamed of. You saved his life, and you went through hell for it, there is no shame or blame in that. I'm just glad you came to him for help when you did." Jan said to her, looking her in the eyes and caressing her cheek the way a mother would. Kim lost control of her emotions and let the tears fall. Jan pulled her closer and held her.
"It's okay, sweetie. It's okay." Jan whispered in her ear. Kim held on to Jan as if for dear life. Finally, after five minutes, Kim stopped crying and wiped her eyes and pulled Sami in front of her.
"Mom, this is my daughter, Sami." Kim said. Jan knelt down to meet the little girl. She gasped at the site of her.
"My Lord….i…if I didn't know any better, well, I'd say she was Tommy's." Jan said to Kim.
"I know. I thought the same thing." Kim said, "He treats her like it though." Jan smiled at Sami. Sami smiled back.
"Hi sweetie." Jan said. Kim knelt down beside Sami.
"Sami, this is your Nana Jan. This is Tommy's mommy." Kim told her. Sami smiled at Jan and turned to look at Kim. Then she turned back to Jan.
"You look like my mommy." Sami said to her.