CH 85

They walk into the dining room that was also in the kitchen. Sam went and got a vase and filled it with water then Jack passed her the flowers and she put them in it, then she put them on the counter, then she put the jug on.

"Samantha you're a guest sit down"

"I don't mind" they look at each other

"You so much like your father"

"Ya think" she laugh

"Sit down grandma"

"Ok" she walked over and sat down then she put her walking stick on the chair next to her.

"Oh Grandma, this is Jack, Jack this is my grandmother Grace Carter"

"Hello you look much better in person than in the photos" Sam smile

"Ah thank you… I think"

"she just teasing Jack, sit down"

"Oh, ok" then he sat down

"Jack, you listen to me, I want you to look after my granddaughter, she the only one I got"

"I promise, but I know she can take care of herself"

"I know but you know what I mean"

"Yes I do"

"Good" then Sam put everything on the table before sitting down.

"So what been happening with you Sam, Mark wouldn't say, said to ask you and that you got some news for me?"

"Yes grandma… we are getting married"

"Samantha" she was shock

"Grandma, trust me… us, we going to wait till after I get my doctor degree before we get married by then I'll be sixteen"

"Ok what about your dreams?"

"Well I got a head start"

"Meaning"

"I'm working for the government till I'm seventeen then I'll be able to join the airforce"

"What are you doing working for the government, doing what?"

"Testing each level of the new simulations for the air force, army and navy… I do get paid for it"

"Really wow, what else?" she took a sip of her tea while looking at Sam

"I negotiated with the top brass and I got what I wanted"

"Which is?"

"I'm a qualified air force pilot and the best shoot the country has ever seen and I'm also study at the air force academy in three subjects and I got three civilian medals for heroism and I'm two times champion in tai-quan-do and karate, how that for starts"

"You doing all of that?" she was shock just hearing what her only granddaughter been doing

"Yep oh and I'm a full qualified first aid instructor and now I'm working to get my paramedic certificate"

"You have been busy, what about fun, do you have any time for fun?"

"Yes when I do have time, I love to shop"

"Samantha, are you happy?"

"Yes grandma, I am" she looked into Sam eyes and could tell she is happy.

"So why are you here in Washington for?"

"Testing the next levels of the simulations"

"Ah and you decided to come and visit me"

"Yep"

"Ok" then she lean ford

"Has he got you a ring" Sam giggled

"Grandma… yes" then she show her the ring

"It lovely ring, it must of cost you a bit Jack"

"Money is not important to me"

"Then what is" she looked at him

"Love is" she nodded in agreeance, then she turned and looked at Sam.

"Samantha, I would like to know what is going on with the family, Mark won't tell me a thing and when I spoke to Phillip this morning, he said to ask you, so…" Sam look at her grand mother and she shook her head

"Excuse me" then she stood up and look at Jack, he could see she was just about to cry and she ran out of the house

"Samantha" Grace called out but it was too late, then she turn and look at Jack

"What is wrong with her, I never seen her like this since my late husband died" she said looking at Jack.

"Mrs Carter"

"Call me Grace"

"Ok Grace can I ask you a question"

"Of cause"

"What do you think of your son Jacob" she smile

"He is a good respected man and I'm proud of what he has done for himself… did you know he just been promoted to general"

"No, I didn't"

"Yes, just last week" she said smiling, then said

"His father would be proud of him, Elizabeth his wife, lovely girl it was love at first sight for them both, then there Mark and Samantha, lovely kids, different from Phillip and Tracey five sons" Jack though about what Grace just said

"Grace if you think Jacob is a perfect family man… he not, sorry"

"Excuse me how dear you say some thing about Jacob" she said angry

"Would you know why Sam is up set?"

"Yes, Why?" Jack look into Grace eyes

"Your so good perfect son isn't perfect at all, your son hasn't said one word" he lifted up one finger

"To Sam since she was six years old and if you look at the high school graduations photos you would only see one out of the two photos that hasn't got Jacob and Elizabeth in them. They are more prod of Mark than they are with Sam"

"No your lie"

"As god as my witness, it's true, Sam hasn't seen her parents in three years and not just that, they sign legal guardianship to Mark since he turned eighteen. They have push both Mark and Sam out of their lives"

"No it not true?" she shook her head

"It's true, they didn't show up at Mark's engagement party last month, it shook Mark up, he thought that they would be proud of him, well he soon woke up and smelled the coffee. At lest the rest of the family was there for them"

"Jacob wouldn't abandoned his children"

"He did, the reason why Jacob stop talking to Sam cause she told him her dreams, his reply was the air force is a man world and he told her that she not joining and that was the last time he spoke to her"

"No, he would support her and her dreams"

"He is not, he is crushing them. That is why Sam is doing what she is doing now, she is trying to prove to him that she is officer material and she can handleanything. That is why she is working, studying so hard, she doing all of this to prove him wrong and if he finds out, he might do anything to stop her from following her dream"

"I can't believe he would do that, not to Samantha"

"It true grandma" they turn to see Sam in the door way she walk in

"What Jack said is all true, and I realized the last time I saw them and found out about the guardianship papers, that they have washed their hands of me."

"Samantha, why would they do that?"

"I don't know"

"Sam" she turned and looked at Jack, he didn't like to see her crying

"Come here" she walked around the table and he pulled her down on his lap so he could hug her while looking at Grace.

"Next time you see them, ask them about Mark and Sam, you look at their faces, watch their reaction. If they said that they are fine, well how would they know?"

"I'll do that… I'm just shock to find out, I just can't believe that they would do that to both Sam and Mark"

"Now you know grandma"

"So you are doing all these things to prove Jacob wrong?"

"Yes… and to prove to myself that I can do it and I have, time and time again"

"I'm sorry Samantha, you should have told me in your letters?"

"I know, but it better said face to face this way"

"When you do join the airforce, where would you be station at?"

"Most properly Colorado Springs for starts but" then she smile

"I'll be out ranking Mark"

"How so?"

"With all the training I'm getting now, by the time I'm seventeen and join up I'll be the youngest first lieutenant in air force history"

"Wow, sound like you already made history"

"I have"

"Jack what do you think of Sam doing what she is doing?"

"I'm proud of her and she gets reward every time, I just love spoiling her"

"Well so long as you keep her happy, then it makes me happy"

"I will"

"What have you spoil her with?"

"Her own computer which is at home for when she uses it for her studies and her own typewriter she uses at university"

"Ok sounds like you have been spoil alright"

"That not all"

"Oh?"

"I take her to a beauty spa so she could get pampered, she buys clothes cassette tapes so she could listen to her music. Now she get money of her own from the government she boughtherself a cell phone so she could use it to call me and if the top brass wants to contact her"

"Don't they have phones at the dorms?"

"Yes but I gotta watch what I say when I'm talking to the chief of staff or Jack"

"Ok, that understanding" Sam look at her watch then to her grandmother

"Grandma would you like some KFC for lunch?"

"Oh I haven't had that in years" Sam stood up and grab her bag

"Ok I'll go and get us some for lunch" Jack went to get his wallet out and she put her hand on top of his

"Put it back Jack, you spoil me enough"

"Sam"

"Jack"

She bends over and looked at him in the eyes then she gave him kisses then stood up and look at her grandmother

"I'll be back" then she walked out of the kitchen then they heard the door open, then close. Jack and Grace look at each other

"She is so much like her father and grandfather"

"Yeah, I know"

"So Jack tell me about yourself" Jack smiled.

Over the next fifteen minutes while Sam was out, Jack told Grace about him and his family. By the time Sam returned, he just finished telling her about what happened to his father and where he is buried. When Sam walked in she could hear them talking.

"Jack I'm sorry for you loss, I didn't know"

"It's alright, Sam was with me through all of this, every thing"

"Well she got a heart of gold that girl has, she gets that from me" she said smiling.

"I knew she got it from someone and I can smell chicken" they turn to the doorway to see Sam there. Sam walked in and put the bags on the table and her bag on the bench

"I heard everything when I walk in"

"Well Sam now I know who you take after"

"Yes you do, so grandma what do you think of Jack"

"I can see he is a good man but I need to get to know him a but longer"

"I'm sure we can arrange something"

Sam went and got plates, knives and forks out while Jack took out all the containers and boxes from the bag and put them on the table. After Sam put the plates and cutlery on the table she took the cups and other things off the table and put them in the sink then she returned with table spoons and sat down.

They talk while dishing up their own lunch. Sam got potato and gravy, coleslaw, bean salad; a corn on the cob, hot chips and chicken pieces. They talk while enjoying their lunch. Grace told Jack some stories about Sam from when she was little which made Sam blush and Jack chuckled, trying not to laugh.