18 years on
All Characters apart from Sam Deneley don't belong to me. I am just borrowing them for a while
"If I die before you then my love will linger forever around you. And when you change your mind, and wish to be with me, I will greet you at heaven's gates with the same love and the same loving arms we knew in life."
Tom Delaney sat in his office with his good friend, Ken Melvin. It was eighteen years since Tom's partner; Samantha had been killed when the corrupt DS, Caroline Ferrelly had shot her. Sam had been pregnant and the baby had been saved when they were trying to save Sam. Tom was grief stricken and refused to see the baby. Beth Glover and Joanna Graham, an old friend of Tom's had eventually persuaded Tom to spend some time with the baby. Tom decided to call the baby Samuel. By the third day Tom was holding Samuel and loved him already. He'd seen that Samuel was not the cause of Sam's death, Ferrelly was. Ken, Beth and Joanna were pleased. In the following months Tom often came to Ken when he needed a chat and felt he couldn't talk to Beth or Jo.Tom always thought Ken knew a lot about grieving. What Tom didn't know is that Ken had suffered the loss of his wife, Cathy ten years ago.
As the years passed things got easier for Tom. He took it upon himself to make sure Samuel knew about his mum. When there things Tom either found too hard to explain or didn't know Ken would tell Samuel these things. Ken had watched in admiration as Tom raised Samuel or Sam as he started to call himself. Ken knew he couldn't bring his children on his own without Joanna. One day near to Sam's fourteenth birthday Sam asked Tom how his mum had died. Still fourteen years on it hurt Tom to talk about that night but eventually he summoned up the courage to tell his son what happened. They went to Sam's grave in the cemetery and Tom told him what had happened. Tom could not hold back the tears any longer and father and son cried together next to their partner's and mother's grave.
That night after Sam had gone to bed, Tom was sitting in the lounge with a bottle of wine, watching the TV, when he smelt Sam's perfume something that he hadn't smelt in fourteen years. His heart ached for her. He assumed he was tired when he heard her voice telling him that she loved him and that he'd done a good job with Sam. But when Tom saw her out of the corner of his eye he knew he wasn't dreaming. But when he looked round again she was gone. Tom felt a cold rush of air of his forehead and knew Sam was still with him.
Two years passed and Sam got his GCSE results.He got two A's in RE and English, three B's in Science, Maths and PE.two C's in Geography and IT and a D in History. Tom was proud of his son and when Sam announced he wanted to be a Police Officer, Tom was supportive of him but worried about him getting hurt or worse killed.
As the pair of old friends finished reminiscing Sam came into the room. Tom looked up at his son and saw how mature he looked. He had Tom's black hair and Sam's brilliant green eyes. Tom asked him 'Are you ready to go, Sam?' .Sam nodded confidently and the three left.
When they got to the pub Joanna was waiting for them. As Ken and Sam went to get the drinks, Tom and Joanna remembered the last eighteen years with sadness, but happiness as well.At the bar Ken handed Sam a letter.Sam recoginised it as his mum's handwriting.Ken said to him 'Your mum wrote this letter while she was pregnant with you..just in case anything happened.Ken struggled to say the words as memories of the night he lost his best friend.He continued 'Guard it with your life,Sam.It's all I had left of her.Sam turned to him and said 'Thanks,Uncle Ken,I'll look after it''.
THE END