A Fresh Start
Chapter Forty Six
A couple hours later, Jeffrey and Sam are lying together. He is idly playing with the hair that is gently caressing her shoulder as she draws designs on his chest. After a few more minutes of silence, Sam asks. "What are you thinking about?"
"Russia." Jeffrey says softly, watching the ring glittering on her left hand.
"Russia, why?" She asks, leaning up to look down at him.
"I was thinking about the night you went missing." Jeffrey says, reaching for her hand as she lies down beside him again.
"What about it?" Sam asks, moving closer to him.
"After I made up my mind that I was going to ask you to marry me, I spent weeks looking for the ring and I found it in a tiny jewelry store about four blocks from our apartment. I picked it up the night you went missing. It was in my pocket when the agents came to take me to headquarters.
When I got back to the apartment after they told me that you had missed your check in time, I sat on the couch in our living room, staring at it. I did that for most of the two days before the accident, at first I tried to sneak out of the apartment, but the agency had agents posted outside the apartment and in the alleyway behind, so all I could do was, sit there and stare at the ring and pray that you would come back."
Sam listens quietly as he talks. She can hear the pain in his voice, pain she wished that she could take away, but they can't go back and change the past, so saying I'm sorry again, did little to change what had happened, or the pain he had been in. Laying her arm across his waist, she snuggles in closer to him. And he realizes it's her way of saying that she's sorry without saying the words, because after a while, the words sound hollow. "What made you pick this ring?" Sam asks
"I looked at so many of them, big ones in elaborate sittings, little bitty ones, with almost no stone at all. I looked at rings that Richard could buy Cassie, but I couldn't afford on what the agency was paying me at the time. But when I saw this one, I knew that it was the one, it was simple, just a simple solitaire diamond set in gold, some would say it was too simple, but to me it simply said that I love you." Jeffrey replies, fiddling with the ring on her finger. "The guy at the jewelry store was really old and he spoke very little English, so I had to talk to him in the little Russian, I learned at the agency and being at the club. He tried to get me to buy a big elaborate ring, but I insisted on this one."
"And you kept it all this time?" Sam asks, leaning up to look at him.
"Yes, like I told you, every time I tried to get rid of it, I couldn't. I knew, at the time, that I would never get to put it on your finger, but something inside me just wouldn't let me part with it, even after I left San Cristobel, after Cassie, and Richard. When I was in Europe, I almost went back to the jewelry store where I bought it to see if he would buy it back, but I couldn't even do that."
"I'm glad you didn't get rid of it." Sam says, looking down at the ring and then back up at him.
"So am I."
"I think the reason you couldn't get rid of it was because the universe wouldn't let you, or something in the universe wouldn't let you because I wasn't gone, even though you thought I was." Sam says, lying back down beside him on her back this time.
"Maybe so." Jeffrey says, rolling to his side "So do you have any idea how you want this to go?"
"The wedding?"
"Yes, I guess the first thing we have to do is to set a date."
"Why not the weekend after Labor Day?" She says, looking at him
"That soon!"
"I guess that is a little soon, okay but it's coming up on fall and I'd like to have an outdoor wedding. I don't really want to get married in a church." Sam says, rolling to her side and facing him.
"I can understand that, but if we're going to have an outdoor wedding we'll have to go some where, where it's warm."
"You mean like out of state."
"Yes, or out of the country."
"San Cristobel, I don't know. I know you spent a lot of time there, and I wouldn't mind going there for our honeymoon or something, but I'd like to get married in the States."
"That leaves Florida, California, or waiting till next year."
"After the baby's already here. I would sort of like to be your wife before he or she gets here."
"We don't have to decide right now. We can talk about it some more when we get to Springfield." Jeffrey replies, moving to his back and drawing her over to him.
"Where would you want to get married?" Sam asks, laying her head on his shoulder.
"I've never actually thought about it." Jeffrey says, playing with the hair on her shoulder again. "I'll be happy with wherever it is, as long as you're the one I'm marrying."
"Would you like to go back to Chicago?"
"No, everything I had in Chicago was gone the night my mom died."
"I know you have no family, well beside Ava. So is there anyone you'll want to invite to the wedding?"
"Ava is obviously invited. I'll invite Richard and Cassie along with Reva and some of the people I work with at the Mayor's office and the DA's office, and a couple of agents that I worked closely with, besides you." Jeffrey replies, with a smile.
"Will you invite Noah?"
"No, considering how awkward everything was when Reva was in DC, I think it's best if we don't invite him."
"So you only have Ava and your friends here and in Springfield, Richard, Cassie, and Reva, which probably includes Josh."
"Probably."
"And the agents and colleagues from the DA and Mayor's office, now that leaves me, and the only ones I'm inviting are Megan and her family. I would invite Dr. Frost, but he's getting a little too old to travel that far, and LaKeisha. Are you sure we couldn't pull this off by Labor Day?"
"With that small of a guest list that might be doable. Where would we have it, you want it outside."
"What about at the light house? We could have the ceremony at that spot by the lake, with the light house in the background and the lake in front of us."
"We'll have to talk the Lighthouse Committee and see if they have anything going on, on Labor Day. This short of notice, someone might have already booked it."
"Okay, if it's booked. Where else could we have it?"
"There's the chapel at the botanical gardens."
"I…."
"You don't want to get married in a church, but the chapel at the gardens is made of glass, it's almost like you're outside."
"Have you been in there before?"
"One of the girls in the DA's office got married there a few years ago and I made an appearance."
"An appearance, don't try to sound aloof to me Jeffrey O'Neill." Sam says, leaning up on one elbow.
"Alright, she invited me. It kind of surprised me that she did."
"Why… never mind." Sam says, reading the expression on his face.
"It was brief, really only…."
"You don't have to explain, but if you don't mind can we find somewhere, where one of your ex's hasn't tied the knot."
"Yes ma'am." Jeffrey says, leaning over to kiss the side of her neck when she lies down beside him. "Why don't I call the Lighthouse Committee tomorrow while you're at the hospital and see if they have anything planned for that weekend?"
"Okay." Sam says, stifling a yawn.
"Roll over."
"Why?"
"Because you're tired and I'm going to sing you to sleep." Jeffrey replies, as Sam moves to her side.
Moving in behind her, he puts his arm across her waist, laying his hand on her stomach as she lays hers on top of his. Softly he begins to sing. A few minutes later, he leans up and looks down and smiles, she is fast asleep with a smile playing at her lips. Leaning over, he lightly kisses her cheek before he lies down behind her again. Closing his eyes, he's asleep a few minutes later.
The next morning they are both up early, Sam packs up a couple bags to take with her to the hotel, since they wouldn't be staying at the apartment after tonight. Noah and the agents from the agency will be there in the morning to start packing everything up and getting it loaded onto a truck that will move it to Springfield.
A few minutes after seven, they walk out of the apartment. Stopping at one of the local restaurants, Jeffrey runs in and gets them both something to eat before they head for the hospital. Sam has to finish going over her files with Dr. Westbrook and Jeffrey promises to behave himself while they are working.
"So that wraps up the current patients. Do you have any questions" Sam asks Dr. Westbrook, as Jeffrey puts stuff into a box.
"No, I think I've got it all, and I'll have copies of your notes."
"Yes, I'll have my assistant make those for you."
"I guess I'll get out of your way." Jacob says, looking over at Jeffrey.
"Okay." Sam says, walking him to the door. Jacob leaves as Sam turns to Jeffrey. "You behaved very well." She says, as he walks over to her.
"Yes, well it was quite hard not to punch him every time he touched your hand." Jeffrey says, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"You controlled yourself nicely." Sam says, leaning up to give him a quick kiss. "But now that he's gone, I have a phone call I need to make." She says, releasing him and walking over to the desk.
"To whom?" Jeffrey asks.
"The Lighthouse Committee."
"Oh."
"Do you know the number?" Sam asks, sitting down at her desk.
"Ah, I think its 555-1984." Jeffrey replies, putting some more stuff in the box and then closing it up. "I'm going to take these to the car."
"Okay." Sam says, nodding as someone answers on the other end.
"Springfield Lighthouse Committee."
"Ah yes, hi. My name is Sam and I'm calling to see if you have any activities planned for Labor Day weekend."
"Actually, we have a full calendar for that weekend. We have the Lake Springfield Regatta and Festival that weekend. The Spaulding's are hosting…."
"All weekend, it doesn't have to be on Labor Day, just that weekend."
"I'm sorry, but Mr. Spaulding has events and concerts planned all weekend."
"Okay." Sam says, sounding disappointed as Jeffrey walks in the door. "Thank you for your time." She says, hanging up the phone.
"So?" He asks, walking over to the desk.
"They don't have any time available that weekend. She said that the Spaulding's have some sort of Regatta and Festival that weekend and Alan has events planned for the whole weekend."
"Did you tell them who you were and that the mayor was asking?" Jeffrey asks.
"I told them my name, but I didn't mention you." Sam replies, as Jeffrey reaches for the phone, dialing the number again as she asks. "What are you doing?"
"I'm calling them back, I'm sure that if they know it's for the mayor, they'll find some time for us." Jeffrey replies, as the phone starts to ring on the other end and the same lady answers the phone on the second ring.
"Hello, Springfield Lighthouse Committee, how can I help you?"
"Ah, yes this is Jeffrey O'Neill…."
"Yes, Mr. Mayor." The lady says,
"Yes, I understand that you have a Regatta and Festival planned for the light house over the Labor Day weekend, is that correct?"
"Yes Sir, the Spaulding's are sponsoring it."
"Yes, they always are. I have some friends that want to get married on that day at the spot by the lake, just east of the light house. They're planning a very small wedding, maybe fifteen people. I was wondering if…."
"Yes Sir, we can work around your schedule Sir." The lady replies
"Good, so Labor Day around six pm." Jeffrey says, looking at Sam as she nods.
"Yes Sir that will work out fine Sir."
"Thank you." Jeffrey says, hanging up the phone.
"It's almost like being engaged to the President or Richard." Sam says, getting up and walking around the desk
Sitting down on Jeffrey's lap, she leans over and kisses him. After a short time, she sits back, breathing faster than before as Jeffrey asks. "What was that for?"
"Because you got what I wanted." Leaning up, he kisses her again and then sits back smiling. "Okay, so how much more do we have?" She asks, looking around the office.
While Sam had been busy with Dr. Westbrook, Jeffrey had taken several boxes to Sam's car. "Wow, you did a lot." Sam says, realizing that they only had a couple of boxes to carry out.
After taking care of that, Sam makes one last round with her patients. It takes her longer than usual, because she had to say good-bye to them and to all the nurses and doctor's that she met. Walking back into her office, she finds LaKeisha and a couple of the other nurses waiting for her.
"We knew that you wouldn't want a big party thrown, so we got together and we bought you this." LaKeisha says, handing her a little bag.
"Girls." Sam says, staring to tear up as she opens the bag and pulls out a small jewelry box. Opening it, she finds a small sterling silver charm of the Washington Monument. "It's beautiful." Sam says, smiling as she shows it to Jeffrey "Thank you." She says, putting it back in the bag before giving each of them a hug.
"You're welcome." They all say, as one by one they leave Sam's office, leaving only Jeffrey, Sam and LaKeisha.
"Okay, now that they are gone. I have a present for you." LaKeisha says, handing Sam one more bag. "Since, I probably won't be there when he or she comes into this world."
"What to do you mean you won't be there?" Sam says, taking the bag, Sam pulls out another box, opening it and inside is a sterling silver baby's spoon. "Keisha." Sam says, really crying now as they hug.
When they step back, LaKeisha says, "I didn't have it engraved so you can have that done when he or she gets here."
"Thank you and I will." Sam says reaching up to wipe her tears, as Jeffrey puts his arm across her shoulder and squeezing. She moves closer to him
"I need to get back on the floor. You know how Nurse Nutty is."
"You're bad, LaKeisha Myers." Sam says, smiling as she opens the door to Sam's office.
"I'll see you."
"Of course." Sam says
She leaves as Sam looks down at the baby spoon lying in the box in her hand. There are a few minutes of silence before Jeffrey asks. "Are you okay?"
"Yes." She says, smiling up at him as she closes the box and puts it back in the bag.
They finish packing up the few items in her office and carrying it out to her car. A few minutes later, she leaves the hospital for the final time. Thirty minutes later, she pulls up at the apartment. Getting out, they start unloading her car. After a couple trips, they have the last of her stuff in her apartment. As Jeffrey is carrying in the last box Sam's cell phone rings, "Hello." She says, answering on the second ring.
"Sam."
"Hi, Megan, what's going on?"
"We're cooking out tonight, and I thought maybe you and Jeffrey would like to come over. He did come…?"
"Yes, he's here." Sam says, smiling as she looks over at Jeffrey. "That's sounds like fun, hang on a minute and let me ask him." Sam says, taking the phone away from her ear "It's Megan, and she's invited us to come over and have dinner, they're cooking out. Do you want to go?"
"That's fine with me."
Getting back on the phone, "Okay, we'll be there. Give us an hour to get cleaned up."
"Only an hour." Megan teases.
"Yes." Sam says, smiling.
"Alright, we'll see you when you get here."
"Alright." Sam says, hanging up as she shakes her head.
An hour and a half later, Sam is pulling into Megan's driveway. Getting out of the car, Jeffrey walks around as two young boys run up to Sam's car as he opens Sam's door.
"Sam." They cry, latching on to her as soon as she's out of the car.
"Hi, boys." Sam says, smiling as she leans down to hug them.
"We haven't seen you in so long." They say, looking up at her with dirty, sweaty faces.
"I've been busy." Sam says, looking up at Jeffrey and drawing the boy's attention away from her and to him. "Mark, Matt, this is Jeffrey."
"Hi." They both say, looking up at him.
"Hi." Jeffrey replies, reaching out to shake their hands.
"Is your momma inside?" Sam asks, as they continue to watch Jeffrey
"Yes ma'am, she's betting Daddy that it'll take you a couple hours to get over here." Matt says. "She said it would probably take you three or four, if you two take…."
"Okay, let's go." Sam says putting her hands on the boys shoulders and turning them towards the door as Jeffrey starts to chuckle.
"What are you laughing at? This is something you have to look forward to." Sam says, as Mark opens the door and they walk in.
"Mom, Sam is here." Matt yells.
"You have to look forward to it too." Jeffrey says, as Megan walks into the living room.
She and Megan hug and then taking a step back, Megan looks at the man standing behind Sam. "You must be the infamous Jeffrey." Megan says, holding out her hand.
"I don't know if I'm infamous, but yes. Jeffrey O'Neill." He says, holding out his hand as Megan steps over and hugs him, much to his surprise as her husband walks into the room.
"Sam." He says, walking over to her. "How are you?"
"I'm good." Sam says hugging him as Jeffrey steps over beside her. "Patrick, this is Jeffrey. Jeffrey this is my cousin Patrick.
"Hi." Jeffrey says, holding out his hand.
They shake hands as Megan asks, "Anyone want a beer?"
"No." Sam says, shaking her head.
"That'll be good." Jeffrey says, as she goes to get the beers.
"So, Megan says that you too used to be partners." Patrick says.
"Yes, we worked in Europe together before momma died and I came back home." Sam says, as Megan comes back in from the kitchen.
"Honey, don't you think you should get the steaks on the grill? She says, handing him and Jeffrey a beer
"Ah, yeah sure. Jeffrey you want too….
"Sure." Jeffrey says, following Patrick through the house and out to the back deck.
"Smooth Meggie." Sam says, as they sit down on the couch.
"So how has everything been?" Megan asks, sitting down beside her.
"Just fine, he flew in yesterday and surprised me." Sam says, reaching up to scratch her nose with her left hand, not thinking about the ring.
"Oh my god!" Megan exclaims, reaching for Sam's hand and staring at the ring, before she looks up at her. "You didn't tell…."
"It didn't happen until he came last night." Sam says, smiling as she fiddles with the ring.
"He asked you to marry him?"
"Well, he gave me the ring before I left Springfield the last time and told me to think about it, while I was here."
"So, you've had the ring. How did he get a ring so fast?"
"It's the ring he bought for me in Russia, before the…."
"He kept it."
"Yes, he couldn't, or something kept him from getting rid of it." She says, looking down at it.
"So, he's had it all this time."
"Yes."
"You're not doing this simply because….
"No, no. We're getting married because we love each other, the baby only seals it."
"Oh Sam, I'm so happy for you." Megan says, throwing her arms around her neck and hugging her.
"Thank you. You know this is going pretty fast?" Sam says, looking at her.
"You love him right?"
"Of course I love him. I've loved him since…."
"Russia, I know."
"Well before that, but he's the reason I could never go out with anyone else, no one was him."
"I'm so happy you got him back. I know I tried to get you to let go, but I'm so glad you didn't listen to me." Megan says, as Jeffrey and Patrick walk in from outside.
"Are you ladies going to join us?" Patrick asks, sitting down next to Megan.
"We were…." Megan says
"You know it's kind of warm outside, maybe you need to stay inside Sam." Jeffrey says, sitting down beside her.
"I'm fine, if you guys want to go outside."
"No, we can stay inside. It is warm out there and I remember how the heat affected Megan when she was first pregnant." Patrick says
"I wasn't that bad."
"Grouchier than a…."
"If you want what I promised you. I suggest you be quiet. Sam do you want to help me get the rest of dinner fixed?" Megan asks, standing up.
"Sure." Sam replies getting up and following her into the kitchen.
A couple hours later, the boys have gone upstairs to get their baths and get ready for bed. Sam and Megan are finishing cleaning up the kitchen when Patrick asks "So, Jeffrey want to you do?"
"I'm actually a lawyer, but right now I'm…."
"He's the mayor of Springfield." Sam says, walking into the living room, followed by Megan.
"Mayor, you didn't tell me that." Megan says
"I didn't, I thought I did. Well, anyway. He is mayor. He got to ride in the back of a vintage Mercedes for the Fourth of July parade this year." Sam says, sitting down next to Jeffrey on the couch.
"Didn't you ride with him?" Megan says,
"No." Sam replies.
"So, you're mayor. Do you have bigger political aspirations than Mayor?" Patrick asks.
"No, I think that with everything that's happening, when my terms up I'll go back to private practice." Jeffrey says, as Sam looks over at him.
"Well, I think it's awesome that my cousin is marrying the mayor of Springfield. Your dad…."
"I know." Sam says quickly, not wanting to think about her father and how he would react to her marrying a mayor. "I'm not doing this for…."
"We know." Jeffrey says, reaching over and taking Sam's hand.
"I still think it's cool." Megan says
"When are you leaving?" Patrick asks
"Sunday morning, we have all day tomorrow to pack up everything that's left and then we'll load it up and then leave early Sunday morning." Jeffrey replies
"So, how are you getting your car to Springfield?" Megan asks.
"We're actually going to drive it to Springfield." Sam says, as the boys come downstairs from their baths.
"Sam." They ask.
"Yes." She replies, turning to them.
"Can you read us a story?"
"I'd love too." Sam says, turning to Jeffrey.
"I'll be fine." He says, reading her mind before she asks. "Go read to them."
"I'll be right back." Sam says getting up as the boys gives their parents a hug goodnight and telling Jeffrey goodnight as they walk out of the room.
Sam is upstairs for about twenty minutes, when she comes back downstairs Megan is alone in the living room. "Where did they go?" Sam asks, sitting back down on the couch.
"Out to the garage." Megan replies. "So, when's the big day?"
"Big day, oh you mean the wedding date. September 4th." Sam says, as Megan nods. "Labor Day weekend, we're having it at the light house." Sam says, sitting back.
"So, do you have anything else planned or picked out?"
"No, I haven't really had time to sit down and think about it." Sam says. "It's and outdoor wedding so it'll probably be causal."
"You're not going to do the church…."
"No, I can't stomach it, after watching all the people Daddy married, and knowing all the things about him. I can't do the church thing." Sam says, reaching for one of the throw pillows, as she tucks her feet under her.
"I can understand that. I only got married in the church because Patrick, well his mother wanted it so much. If I had my way, I would have been married anywhere but a church."
"I know. Have you talked to anyone back home?"
"Not lately. They all seem to have forgotten we exist. I guess its better that way. Now that Gran's gone, I've got no reason to go down there or to speak to anyone from there."
"I know, but sometimes I wonder how Jeremiah is. We were so close when we were growing up, after Momma left."
"But then you left and they turned him against you." Megan says as Patrick and Jeffrey walk back into the room.
"Turn who against whom?" Jeffrey asks, sitting down next to Sam
"Jeremiah, we were talking about the wedding and where we would have it."
"And I can assume that…."
"Yes, she knows we're not having a church wedding. That's how we go on the subject of Jeremiah and the people back home."
"You know you can invite him, if you want too." Jeffrey says, taking her hand. "I don't have a problem…."
"No, he wouldn't come if I invited him anyway. I'm a sinner, not worthy of his time or attention."
"Sam."
"I know that's not what I am, but that's what the church would tell him, even now that Daddy's gone, he's still controlled by them."
"I know." He says, putting his arms around her and drawing her closer to him. "We'll have our own family soon. I know it can't replace…."
"It's okay." Sam says, leaning up to kiss him softly. "I think it's time for us to go." She says, sitting back and yawning.
"Okay."
"When will you be up tomorrow?" Megan asks, as they stand up.
"We'll probably be up early." Sam says.
"Okay, I might come over and help while the boys are in school and Patrick's at work."
"What about the shop?" Sam asks.
"The girls can handle it, most of my regular's came in today anyway."
"Then I'll see you in the morning." Sam says, as they hug and Jeffrey and Patrick shake hands.
"Okay." Megan says, as Patrick opens the front door.
Sam walks out, followed by Jeffrey. Putting his arm across her shoulders, they walk off the porch while Megan and Patrick stand there watching, waving as they pull out of the driveway.
46.11