Peace
They spent a good deal of the night looking through albums with Sam recounting stories she hadn't told in years and some she barely realized she had locked in her heart. She had been Daddy's girl, loved and idealized and all Jacob hadn't achieved in his life he had wished for her. And the more Sam recounted Jacob's life to Jack the more she realized how well loved she had been. Of course, at times in one's life this can feel smothering but, in fact, it was meant to be a firm foundation, an incentive and most of all, a liberating force. Sam shed a few tears and laughed and late in the night fell asleep against a warm shoulder. Jack sat there loathe to move lest he wake her. If he were honest he wanted to enjoy this peaceful moment with Sam held close as the soft strains of music in the background filling his soul.
Eventually Jack laid her down on the couch. He put the warm pillow from behind his back under her head and covered her with an afghan. And not wanting to leave her alone, he kicked off his boots, stretched the kinks out of his back and lay down on the guest room bed for a few hours.
Jack woke in the morning to the smell of freshly brewing coffee. He was covered with the blanket that he was sure he had covered Carter with just a few short hours ago. In the sunny kitchen was Sam, looking better than she had for some days.
She smiled at him and offered him a cup of coffee and simple said "Thank you".
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Ralph Vaughan Williams - The Lark Ascending