The Gift
Part XXX
"Will, I'm so glad that you could meet me for lunch," Sami kissed her son's cheek when he entered the Brady Pub before they sat down in a booth.
Neither one of them needing menus, they ordered the daily special, both of them sure they would enjoy anything that Caroline Brady would prepare for them.
"I thought you'd be giving me a call," Will slouched down in the booth, his expression dark and foreboding.
"Why would you think that?" Sami asked instantly thinking Lucas had told Will that she had asked him for a divorce.
"Mom, you've barely had time to take a breather from the hospital since you've found out Madison has leukemia, then out of the blue you call me up and want to have lunch.
"Will I hope you don't think I'm neglecting you," Sami reached out her hand to grasp her son's.
"Mom, I completely understand, you need to be there with Madison," Will gave her a reassuring smile, one that erased the dark mood that had crossed his facial features only moments before. "I'm not jealous of the time you are spending with her. I only wish I had more time to see her before I go back to college after winter break, but since I'm working full time in Uncle Mickey's law firm to earn more spending money for when I get back to school, my free time has been severely limited."
"Honey, it's okay, Madison knows you are busy and you do come by to see her almost everyday if you possibly can," Sami smiled as she recalled how happy Madison was to see Will even if it were only for a few short minutes when he came to visit her in the hospital. "Also, I want you to know how proud I am of you for working at the law firm. Do you like it? Do you think this might end up being something you might pursue in the future?"
"Well it is interesting, but now that all this has come up with Madison, I'm leaning a bit more towards pre-med instead of law."
"Really Will? I thought you were dead set on becoming a lawyer," Sami said then she took a sip of her water.
Will was picking at his food, thinking at least talking about what his future career choices was better than the inevitable. He didn't want his mother to start talking about his father because he still felt sick to his stomach over what he had discovered days earlier about him and Mimi.
"I don't know," he shrugged his shoulders. "I kept thinking that I would like to be able to help kids like Madison because now that this has happened to her, I realize how terrible this disease is and I want to be able to do something more than I have been able to do with her. I feel so helpless Mom."
"Honey, you being Madison's big brother is all that she needs. Believe me there are days where I feel like I should be doing more, but we just have to stay strong and positive. Our love and support for her while she is going through this traumatic experience is the best medicine she could get. We just have to stay positive for her sake."
Will shook his head with understanding, "I realize that Mom, but I want to do more. Would you be upset if I changed to pre-med? I mean it will take longer for me to graduate college, but in the long run I think I would be happier if I chose a profession in the medical field."
"You don't worry about the money, your father and I will do whatever it takes for you to have the best possible education."
"Mom, I'm going to get student loans," Will assured her so that would be one less thing she would have to worry about. "My GPA is 4.0 and I am not going to let it drop even if I have to live in the library."
Sami shared a chuckle with Will as they thought about his study skills. "Well now you have to have some time for fun."
"Mom, I can balance both, but school has to come first."
"My serious child," Sami reached across the table to ruffle his hair, a gesture she was seldom allowed since he had grown up. "What am I going to do with you?"
"I don't know Mom. Seriously I am so unlike you and dad sometimes that it is scary."
"That isn't a bad thing," Sami noted with a melancholy smile.
"Mom, don't get all sad on me."
"I need to get to the reason why I asked you to meet me here today," Sami knew it was time to get into this discussion with her son, but she didn't want to disappoint him, she had done it so much in his lifetime that it was hard to come up with the right words to tell him that she was choosing a different path for her life, one that wouldn't include his father.
"Mom I know what you're going to say."
"Have you already spoken with Lucas?"
"You mean he finally manned up and told you the truth?" Will's voice was harsh; Sami wasn't used to Will using this tone of voice when he spoke of his father.
"What are you talking about Will? I asked you here today to tell you that I asked your father for a divorce."
"I'm glad," Will pushed his plate away from him, glad to know that his mother wasn't going to put up with his father's crap. If he was going to cheat on her, then she deserved better.
"Glad? I thought you would be upset with me," Sami gave Will a confused look; she totally didn't understand his reaction. She had thought he would be angry at her, but it seemed like he was upset with his father instead.
"Upset with you? No way Mom, you don't have to put up with this BS from him."
"Will what are you talking about?"
"I'm the one who caught him in the act with Mimi. I guess he thought that he better tell you before I decided to do so."
"Excuse me? What did you just say?"
"Mom, you don't have to protect me. I am pissed at Dad for cheating on you. I think you telling him to hit the road is purely poetic justice."
"Will, is your father having an affair?"
"Mom, you just told me you were getting a divorce. I assumed that he actually came clean and told you the truth. I caught him and Mimi at one of the construction sites a few nights ago."
"I asked him for a divorce because I have feelings for someone else," Sami said as she tried to wrap her mind around what Will had just said to her. "I didn't ask him for a divorce because of him, of him…"
"Him cheating on you? Mom, I am so mad at him that I haven't spoken to him since that night. I don't care how many messages he leaves on my cell phone. I'm not forgiving him for doing this to you. To think I blamed so much of your and dad's problems on you while I was growing up when he is the one who needs to get a good dose of a reality check. I mean for god's sake, this kind of relationship is not what I want for me in the future."
"Will, I didn't know Lucas was cheating on me." Sami's voice trailed off as the realization of what her child was saying hit her.
"Oh Mom, I'm sorry. It was just when you said that you were going to get a divorce that I just assumed he had told you before I said anything to you about it."
"Listen, don't you worry about it. We were going to get divorced whether or not that I found out about this, it just is taking me by surprise. I mean I have been in agony over making this decision and now knowing this…"
"Mom, you do what you have to do, but please don't try to tell me not to be angry with him because right now even with you telling me that you asked him for a divorce without knowing just makes me even madder that he let you ask him for one when he didn't even offer up that he was having an affair with another woman behind your back."
"Will, relationships are complicated," Sami tried to diffuse his anger at his father at least to a smaller degree, but Will was not accepting any of her logic.
"Yes, they are, but you don't go sneaking around having sex with someone else when you are married to another. At least I won't make that same mistake."
"Never say never," Sami's eyes were sad and for the first time ever Will realized his mother was growing older and wiser in his eyes than he had ever gave her credit for before.
"Mom, you do what you have to do. Go find happiness before it is too late," Will got up and made his mother scoot over on her side of the booth.
"Even if it turns out to be a man most of my family despises?"
"You do what is right in your heart and tell everyone else that can't understand your decisions to go to hell." Will hugged his mother as she felt her tears start to flow. His words reminding her of someone so long ago trying to tell her the same advice, but she had been too scared to take it, until now.
"I love you Will," Sami said between her tears, a fierce pride within her heart for her son who saw beyond what many could see.
"I love you too Mom and no matter what you decide to do, I'll still love you." Will said with a surety that was a balm to his mother's heart which had taken quite a beating with the shock of Will's confession of his father's affair to Mimi to her.
"I want you to forgive you father. I may not have been physically unfaithful to him, but emotionally I've strayed a long time ago."
"Is this one of the reasons why you say relationships are so complicated?"
"Yes, one of many, but I know you have to get back to Mickey's office, so I guess that conversation will have to wait for another time."
"It will," he said as he looked at his watch noting the time. He started to reach for his wallet to pay for the bill when his mother stopped him.
"No, lunch is on me," Sami said as she wiped the tears away from her eyes.
"This time," Will agreed as he arose, "but next time I get to treat you."
"Okay, I'll let you do that," Sami picked up the bill to take it to the counter to pay her grandparents. She watched him walk out the door and reached for her wallet. When had her son grown up and become so caring? She felt old and broken, the news of Lucas having an affair affected her far more than she thought, but she'd deal with that later. At least her guilt over asking Lucas for a divorce was slowly dissipating, but her anger over finding out that he had cheated on her was another matter entirely.
Will took a deep breath after leaving his mother in the Pub. He hadn't realized that she didn't know about the affair, but at least he had told her the truth, which was something his father hadn't afforded her. He guessed he would break the news of his relationship with Arthur to his mother at another time. One big confession was enough for today, he wasn't sure his mother was up to hearing another.
The Gift
Part XXXI
The rest of the day went by in a blur for Sami. After speaking with Will at lunch, she harbored mixed feelings over the matter concerning Lucas. Returning to the home they had shared with one another now made her almost feel like a stranger surveying the rooms as she walked into their bedroom to retrieve some of her clothes.
Where should she go? After learning of Lucas' affair with Mimi, she no longer wanted any part of living here even if it was only until the divorce was final. Lucas could have the house without her contesting the fact, this wasn't a haven for her anymore, only a reminder of so many wasted years that she could have spent better off somewhere else.
No, she chastised herself, she shouldn't even be thinking of how things could have been different if she had married EJ instead of Lucas. They had both chosen different paths and now if Madison had not been sick, she doubted that she would have ever had the courage to leave Lucas, but at least she had been the one to ask for a divorce even without the knowledge of Lucas' affair.
She didn't want to see Lucas, at least not yet, so she'd either go check into the Salem Inn or ask her grandparents about staying in a room above the Brady Pub. She was almost didn't want to ask her grandparents for anything because she knew how disappointed they would be in her decision to divorce Lucas, not to even mention how they would react knowing that she was entertaining thoughts about one certain member of the DiMera family.
While Shawn Sr. and Caroline adored Madison, they still couldn't stand the sight of EJ and chose to ignore him entirely. Once Sami had even mentioned to them that the child they loved so was part DiMera, they dismissed that sentiment entirely, saying she was more Brady than she would ever be part of that other family. Madison was still young enough not to notice the slights Sami's family usually cut to EJ with the exception of Belle, but Sami knew that soon enough her daughter would start to realize that her family didn't like EJ.
Sami only imagined what they would say if they knew she was going out to dinner with him. Granted, they had tolerated his presence at the hospital, they knew EJ loved his daughter, but even with them knowing how much he cared for Madison, most times he was given the cold shoulder.
Even she had been known on most occasions to try her best to ignore him too, but these past few weeks, there had been no denying the fact that she was still attracted to him, that she wanted him in her life, but would she be brave enough to tell him that or would she chose to let him believe that she was only considering having another child with him just for the sake of trying to save Madison.
While she had hinted at the possibility of them becoming a family at the church earlier, she wondered if EJ had even considered that she wanted more from him or that she was only trying to assuage his fears and anguish over Madison. The more she thought about things, the more she second guessed herself. What if EJ wanted no part of her in his life beyond being a surrogate for a child to help his beloved daughter Madison? Her head started to spin with all the different scenarios that might play out.
She decided to go get a manicure and a pedicure. She needed to chill out, not make herself even more stressed with all these crazy thoughts she was having concerning EJ. Going to have her nails done helped some, but her mind was still racing when she decided to get a room at the Salem Inn instead of facing her grandparents. She didn't need a lecture on marital values from them because they would want her to try to patch things up with Lucas and now Sami knew in her heart that she didn't want to waste another day being married to Lucas, she wanted out even if she didn't have a chance of being with EJ.
A few hours later after half way arranging the hotel suite to be a bit homier and also informing Will that she had decided to move into the Inn for the time being, Sami changed into a clingy dress, one that accentuated her curves. Arranging her hair into a suitable coiffure, one that showcased her curls to accentuate her face and to give it a bit of wild tousled look she turned over her head and ran her fingers through her tresses. Shaking her head as she straightened up to look at her reflection she smiled, her makeup was flawless, why one would even think she was looking forward to this date if she wasn't so mixed up over her feelings about EJ.
Looking at her reflection one thing was for sure, if EJ had harbored any doubts over what she wanted from him, she bet after he looked over her appearance tonight that she could keep him on his toes for a change guessing exactly what she had in mind for him. EJ Wells-DiMera was going to have a very interesting night whether he knew it or not.
The Gift
Part XXXII
"Thank you both so much for coming to stay with Madison," EJ shook Tony's hand in greeting while Anna gathered EJ in for a hug when Tony had stepped aside.
"We wouldn't want to be anywhere else, would we Tony?" Anna asked as she looked over to the sleeping Madison, taking in her frail features while trying not to cry.
Tony caressed Anna's shoulder and gave her a smile, silently encouraging her not to cry, they shared a look with one another and she nodded with a smile of her own. EJ only wished he had someone in his life like his brother had because their love for one another shined through whatever room they seemed to be in at the moment.
"I only wished we had been in town when you got the news about Madison. How are you holding up EJ?" Tony asked noting how tired EJ looked, the dark circles under his eyes were faint, but they were there none the less.
"You don't have to worry about me, I'll be fine. I just pray that Madison will come out of all of this unscathed." EJ was starting to have second thoughts about leaving her tonight until he saw Samantha walk into the hospital room.
"Oh my, Samantha darling you are truly a vision," Tony remarked taking her hand to give her a kiss upon it as Anna walked over to give her a hug after she came into the room.
"Thank you," Sami replied, hoping that EJ would feel the same. The time off this afternoon from the hospital had done her some good, even if she had learned some very disconcerting things about Lucas from Will.
"Now you two go on and have a good time," Anna urged them both to go because she could see EJ's hesitation to leave Madison right before Sami had entered the room. "We promise if anything happens while you are away, we will call immediately."
"Thank you Anna," EJ leaned in to kiss her cheek and she gave him a warm smile. "And you too Tony," EJ added before he stopped to look at Sami. The woman took his breath away; she was so beautiful that he almost forgot to breathe.
EJ's pause as he took in her appearance was noticeable to everyone in the room and Sami felt a slight blush rise upon her cheeks. EJ leaned over to kiss her on the cheek also, "You look beautiful Samantha."
The admiration shining in his eyes when he stepped back away from her was worth all the extra time Sami had taken getting ready, "Thank you EJ."
"Well we'll be off then," EJ said extending his arm to Sami, which she tentatively accepted. She really felt like they were going on a date now and that they were venturing into new territory with one another.
"We will see you when you return," Tony and Anna stood in the doorway watching them walk down the hallway; they made such a striking couple that people noticed them as soon as they passed their way.
"It's almost as if we're getting to see our son go on his first date," Anna noted with a sigh as they watched them disappear.
"Anna," Tony warned, giving her a look that suggested she not say anything else.
"Tony, don't you think it is way past time that we told EJ the truth?"
"Anna, we have been over this countless times…"
"And once again I think you are wrong to keep this knowledge from EJ. We are his parents, not Stefano and that lame brained Susan and while I know we found this information out by mere chance, I truly believe that EJ needs to know that we are more to him than just brother and sister in law. Do you know how bad I want to claim that sweet child lying there in that bed as my grandchild? Madison may end up being my only one considering that Carrie and Austin haven't been as fortunate to have any children of their own."
"Do you really want to face the wrath of Stefano? I mean look what he has done to us in the past, ripped us apart, stole our child from us and claimed it as his own. I had no idea that our child had not died and neither had you until we stumbled upon the truth." Tony glanced over at Madison to make sure she was still asleep, that sweet innocent child did not need to be brought into this tangled web that Stefano had weaved several years ago.
"While I know you have kept my quiet with the hopes that Stefano would die, the reality is that the mean old bastard hasn't died and just keeps living. Why it is almost as if he has made a pact with the devil himself." Anna huffed, once again disagreeing with Tony over the matter of EJ.
It had been sheer torture these past few years not to let him know that he was their son, they were close, but Tony had always cautioned that Anna keep a slight distance from him to prevent his over zealous wife from spouting off the truth to their son. Tony had no doubt that if Stefano had any inkling that they knew of his treachery that there would be hell to pay.
Neither of them realizing that Madison wasn't asleep as they spoke with one another in their hushed tones, the knowledge they had unknowingly imparted to her while they spoke was one of enormous impact, so she kept her eyes tightly closed and hoped they would speak more about this secret they were keeping from her daddy.
The Gift
Part XXXIII
"You look nice," Sami commented as EJ drove his eyes on the road for the most part, but occasionally straying over to her during the drive to the restaurant. "How did you have time to get ready? I thought you didn't have any extra outfits at the hospital."
"My personal assistant Sheri is a godsend," EJ noted as he turned into the restaurant's parking lot.
"Sheri? I don't think I know her," Sami picked at a nonexistent spot of lint upon EJ's suit after he had stopped the car.
"No, I don't think that you do," EJ gently brushed her hand away with a smirk. He liked how Sami was trying to finagle information from him, subtle and Sami rarely if ever mixed.
"So, is she nice?" Sami reached to open her car door, but EJ grasped her hand, preventing her from trying to open the door.
"Very nice," EJ smiled as he exited the car and went over to Sami's door to open it for her.
"Thank you," Sami said, once again the striking differences between EJ and Lucas were coming into her mind. Why she hadn't had the car door opened for her in ages, and she realized it was a very welcome change to be in the presence of a gentleman. One thing for certain, EJ had impeccable manners.
Sami looked at the restaurants sign, Biba's. It was a place she had never been to before and she was curious as to what type of place it would be before they walked inside.
"You've never been here before?" EJ asked, Sami was scoping out the place on their walk from the car
"No, it is good?"
"Very good," EJ answered, opening the door for her.
Before Sami had a chance to ask him anything else, EJ was greeted with a very boisterous welcome from what had to be the owner of the establishment, "EJ DiMera! It has been way too long since we have seen your smiling face around here!"
"Arturo! It is good to be here!" EJ smiled at the man, one he apparently knew very well.
"Chi è la bella signora con voi?" Arturo asked EJ with an upraised eyebrow.
"La madre di Madison." EJ replied, leaving Sami to wonder exactly what they were saying to one another.
"È molto bello."
"Grazie, penso che sia molto bello." EJ smiled in Sami's direction as Arturo once again spoke in English. "Enzo, our best table for Mr. Dimera and his lovely companion."
"Arturo, please make no special arrangements for us. We really need a private place to talk for a while." EJ wanted seclusion for their dinner, not to be put in a place of honor in the restaurant.
"Okay, if it is privacy that you require, say no more. Enzo, please show Mr. Dimera to a table near the back, one that is preferably away from the constant traffic that our restaurant sometimes has during the busy hours of operation."
"Yes sir," Enzo took EJ and Sami to a table, one far away from the hustle and bustle of the lively Italian restaurant.
EJ looked to Sami after he had pulled out her chair to sit, "Do you mind if I order for us?"
"Go ahead," Sami doubted she would even be able to eat a bite of her meal so it really didn't matter what they ordered. Her appetite had been lacking lately, her worry over Madison so great that she barely ate anything more than a few bites of anything and nothing had appealed to her senses in weeks.
EJ ordered their meal in Italian to Enzo so Sami really had no clue as to what would arrive at their table.
"You speak Italian nicely," Sami complimented EJ although she had no idea what he had spoken to Arturo or Enzo.
"Thank you, Father was insistent that I learn as many languages that I possibly could. It really has paid off although at the time I was very angry over the constant lessons I had to endure growing up."
"I am glad that I can speak Spanish," Sami offered up, "but the Italian sounds so romantic to the ear."
"Maybe I'll speak some to you sometime," EJ raised his wine glass to Sami's, their glasses touching briefly before they both took a sip of their wine.
"Maybe, maybe not," Sami shrugged her shoulders as if she didn't care one way or another if EJ ever spoke Italian to her.
"One can never tell what the future may hold," EJ teased gently as Sami tried to give him the evil eye.
"Especially if one has such a great personal assistant," Sami tossed down the rest of her drink in one gulp.
"Oh come now Samantha, you can't be jealous of Sheri. Why you don't even know her."
"She seems to know you very well," Sami huffed, hating that her jealous streak was rearing its ugly head.
"She is one of my most valued employees. Honestly I couldn't do without her on my staff. She has helped keep things running smoothly while I've been out with Madison."
"I bet she does," Sami raised her eyebrow in mock disbelief.
"Samantha, Sheri is happily married with three children of her own," EJ winked at her, "Come on darling, you have to have a little faith in me."
"So you don't mess around with your personal assistant, should I give you a medal for good behavior?"
EJ laughed, it was always a treat to get Sami riled up and he hadn't even been trying yet.
"Are you asking if I've been celibate these past few years?"
"Have you?" Sami asked before she thought better of it.
"Hardly, but rest assured I've been discreet," EJ refilled Sami's glass, but not his own, he didn't need to drink anymore since he was driving and he also needed a clear head to deal with Samantha.
"No one special?" Sami asked her curiosity growing wondering what type of women had been in EJ's life since they had parted ways so very long ago.
"No one special enough for me to even consider introducing them to Madison if that is what you were worried about," EJ took a bite of his food that had been brought to the table while Sami mulled over the answer to her question to him.
"I wasn't worried," Sami picked at her food although the aroma emitting from her dish smelled delicious.
"I don't ask you about your and Lucas' sex life," EJ speared a shrimp with his fork before popping it into his mouth.
Sami almost choked on her sip of wine. She put her glass down on the table and was about to leave the table when EJ stopped her.
"I apologize Samantha, that was uncalled for," EJ put his fork down and reached over to touch her hand.
"It's okay," Sami nodded. "I guess I should tell you that I asked Lucas for a divorce."
"Really? So that is why you aren't wearing your wedding rings?"
"Well it has been coming for a long time; I guess I just wasn't ready to accept that I had failed at my marriage."
"Maybe you weren't meant to be with Lucas like you thought you were," EJ's fingers caressed her hand, causing unexpected shivers to run down Sami just from this basic gesture.
"Sometimes I guess we think we know what is right for us when we really don't have a clue," Sami scooted her hand back away from his touch. She didn't really want to disclose that Lucas had been cheating on her; the pain was still too much for her to digest at the moment, much less to be revealing it to EJ.
"I'm sorry you're hurt," EJ said softly, wishing he could make things better for Sami, but he knew it would take time. She and Lucas had been through a lot together and while he had wished for them to break up for years he still didn't want to see her hurt.
"This thing Dr. Lykens suggested for us to do wasn't the reason you are divorcing is it?"
"This thing meaning for us to try to have another child together?"
"Yes, when you put it like that, it does seem that Lucas wouldn't be receptive to the idea."
"He has no clue that we have even considered it to be an option. Lucas and I don't talk much anymore. If he knew, he would have been enraged, but now it really doesn't matter to me what he thinks because I'm going to do what is best for my child."
"Our child," EJ gently corrected her.
"Yes, our child," Sami agreed. "So I guess I'm wondering if you are willing to try to conceive another child with me to help Madison."
"Are we talking In Vitro fertilization or are we talking about going the other route?" EJ asked not really knowing what Sami's answer would be to him.
"I thought we might try the good old fashioned way," Sami said cautiously, trying to gauge what EJ's reaction would be to her words.
"Excuse me?" EJ almost wished he had poured himself another glass of wine; he really needed some since this conversation had veered off into a place he hadn't imagined it would go tonight.
"We try for at least a few months and then if nothing happens, we do In Vitro," Sami said as naturally as if she were talking about going to the grocery store to pick up more milk.
"Are you serious?"
"Look sometimes you have to take one for the team," Sami drained the rest of her glass and held it out for EJ to refill it.
EJ refilled her glass although he urged her to eat something because if she didn't Sami was well on the way to becoming tipsy and he had no doubt how hard it would be for him to handle her if she were drunk.
"Since you are speaking of teamwork, I have a huge favor to ask of you," EJ refused to refill her wine glass again and prompted her to drink water while she only took a few bites of her meal.
"What would that be?" Sami smiled, her eyes trying to focus on EJ while he talked to her.
"Dr. Lykens came in while you were out," EJ began causing Sami to instantly become more alert.
"Oh god, is something else wrong with Madison?" Sami almost felt the bile rising in her throat, surely there wasn't something else they didn't know about going on with their daughter.
"No, this is good news, Dr. Lykens said Madison could go home and we would bring her back for her chemo treatments, that we could get a home health care nurse to assist us while she is away from the hospital to make sure she is okay."
"EJ, I can't take her back to my house, I honestly don't even know if I ever want to go back there myself. I ended up booking a room at the Salem Inn this afternoon."
"Let me take her home with me," EJ urged, taking Sami's hand once more from across the table.
"EJ, I don't want to leave her," Sami wanted to cry; this dinner date had not turned out the way she had expected it to at all.
"I want you to come too," EJ's eyes searched hers for an answer, for some glimmer of hope to spark between them. He saw the confusion there, but he wasn't sure if there was anything else lurking there for him.
"EJ, I don't know," Sami's voice faltered.
"Look, you'll have your own bedroom, as much privacy as you want and we will need to be in close proximity if we are going to try to…"
"If I do this, I'm only doing it for Madison," Sami blurted out causing EJ to withdraw his hand from hers.
"Of course," EJ nodded with understanding, realizing his hopes for something more for Samantha were apparently one sided just like they had been for years.
"You're okay with that?" Sami asked thinking she had saw a flicker of disappointment cross EJ's features, but it was gone so quickly that she could have imagined it.
"More than okay, I'm only doing this for Madison's sake too," EJ chimed in, his demeanor becoming more resolute; he'd not have Sami thinking he still had feelings for her when it was apparent that she didn't harbor any for him. He guessed her grand gesture at the church earlier today had been to pull him out of the depths of his sorrow and for that he was grateful to her. He only wished she wanted to be with him because she cared for him, not just to save Madison, but he guessed it was too much to ask for, he knew DiMera's never got their hearts desires and this time was no exception.
The Gift
Part XXXIV
Madison had no luck trying to hear anything else about her daddy from Anna and Tony. She was not the most patient person in the world and after a few minutes of hearing them speak softly of other things she finally opened her eyes to see them. They both gushed over her, telling her how much they had missed her on their latest trip abroad.
"I've missed you too," Madison said as she sat up in her bed, adjusting one of her new hats upon her head.
"I have a surprise for you," Anna announced, reaching to retrieve a shopping bag to hand to Madison.
"Aunt Anna, it is not Christmas yet." Madison was tempted to look into the bag because gifts from Tony and Anna were always something wonderful, but she knew that Christmas was only in a week.
"This isn't for Christmas, this is a just because gift," Anna said hoping that Madison would open up the present from them and not wait until Christmas.
"Because I am sick?"
"No sweetheart, Anna and I saw this at one of the shops in Paris and we both knew immediately that you would love it."
Madison couldn't resist the temptation especially when Uncle Tony said it that way, her curiosity was as great or greater than her mother's won out and she reached into the bag to see the most exquisite doll.
"Henri made this especially for you," Anna said watching the gleam in Madison's eye as she gingerly held her new doll.
"She looks just like me," Madison said, amazed over how much her doll favored her.
"Henri has worked on her for months perfecting her appearance from pictures that I had sent to him of you over the summer and of course I designed her outfit." Anna smiled proudly thinking that maybe this might be another angle she could use in her designing business.
"Or she did look like me," Madison's eyes welled up with a hint of tears as she pulled off her hat, showing them both her loss of hair.
"Sweetheart, we did not mean to upset you," Tony quickly rushed to her side.
"You know your hair will come back," Anna added softly, leaning over to kiss this child she loved so much that it made her heart break not to be able to claim her as her own granddaughter.
"That is what daddy and Dr. Likey say too," Madison wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, refusing to cry anymore. "I'm not going to be a crybaby."
"It's okay to cry," Anna sat down on the bed with Madison, uncaring if her outfit got wrinkled in the process. This child seemed to bring out motherly feelings and emotions in her that she had thought she had suppressed long ago.
"You've have a lot to deal with lately," Tony felt an ache in his heart also over all the things Madison had been subjected to in the past few weeks since she had been diagnosed with leukemia.
"I do have some good news," Madison went from sadness to a glint of mischievousness.
"What?" Tony and Anna both asked at the same time.
"Dr. Likey said I could go home tomorrow, so daddy is talking to mommy about her coming home with us! I think daddy was taking her to dinner to… what do you call it?" Madison was in deep thought of trying to find the correct phrase when she snapped her fingers and smiled, "Drop the bomb on her!"
Tony and Anna's laughter broke out simultaneously. Without a doubt this child was definitely a product of EJ and Samantha. She would be a force to be reckoned with in the future.
The ride back to the Salem Inn was quiet, neither one of them having much to say, both longing to say more, but afraid at the same time that something else would end up being misconstrued.
Sami felt terrible as soon as she had said she was only doing all this to save Madison. She knew it wasn't true, but she had spent the majority of her life denying her true self so why would this time be any different? Then when EJ had agreed that he too was only in this for Madison's sake, and then she really couldn't backtrack on her original statement. EJ had only confirmed her worst fear that he only saw her now as a means to help Madison, nothing more, nothing less.
"I'll just be a few minutes," Sami said after she had asked EJ to let her go by the Salem Inn to inform them that she would no longer need a room after tomorrow.
"I'll help you retrieve your things," EJ offered even if he did feel like his heart had been stomped on once again by Sami. The woman was a like a tornado that swiftly touched down and left chaos reigning everywhere that she had touched.
"You don't have to," Sami started to object when EJ held up his hand to stop her from saying any more.
"This will just save us time tomorrow. I'm sure Madison is going to be hard pressed to keep at the hospital any longer than necessary tomorrow. She talked of nothing else the entire afternoon."
"Are you sure you want me to move in? I mean even though we agreed to do this…"
"Are you having second thoughts?" EJ didn't know what he would do if Sami would not let him take Madison home with him tomorrow.
"I know it is the best thing for Madison," Sami said with a sigh, even though it would be torturous for her to live in the same house with EJ. She wanted him, but she was still so afraid of her feelings for him and now it appeared that she would mean nothing to him beyond being a partner to help Madison try to survive this disease that she had been afflicted with at such a young age.
"But for you? I don't want you to be uncomfortable Samantha. I promise I will do my very best to make you feel at home."
"EJ, it's not that, it's just…"
"Complicated?"
"Exactly, I don't know how I feel other than my life is spinning out of control."
"Let's just take things one step at a time and see where it goes." EJ reached out to brush back a strand of her hair that had fallen over her beautiful blue eyes, ones that their precious daughter also had acquired and he leaned over to kiss her cheek. "It will be okay Samantha, remember we have to trust one another. Everything we have to do is worth it if it helps make Madison better."
Sami didn't know what to say for fear that she'd tell EJ that she wanted a lot more from him than finding a way to help cure their daughter, so she just nodded and they both went to get her things from the suite, both realizing that tomorrow life was going to change drastically. All three of them living under one roof was going to be a major lifestyle change for them all.
The Gift
Part XXXV
Tony and Anna could sense the tension between EJ and Sami even though neither one of them would admit that anything was wrong. They left Madison's room shortly after EJ and Sami arrived and once again they were divided over what they thought EJ needed to know about his true parentage. Anna was not going to give up trying to convince Tony that EJ needed to be told and Tony was just as determined to keep this information a secret until he thought the time would be right so they were at an impasse.
Madison had tried to wait up for parent's return, but she had succumbed to sleep shortly before they came back to her room. Sami finally convinced EJ to go home that she would stay the night and reluctantly EJ agreed realizing that he needed to get his home ready for both Madison and Sami's advent upon it.
That night Sami had little to no sleep, as soon as she closed her eyes she would jerk wide awake again, thinking either something was wrong with Madison only to find her sleeping peacefully for a change or wondering what EJ was doing since he wasn't there with them. Then the thoughts of what they had agreed upon doing to ensure Madison's recovery was also weighing heavily on her mind. How was she ever going to be able to go through with this without losing her mind was a mystery she was hesitant to delve into too much.
The morning finally came and when EJ appeared in the doorway, he looked as if he hadn't had a wink of sleep either. Luckily they didn't have to get into another conversation with each other due to Madison waking up and commanding their full attention. Her enthusiasm over the prospect of going home with both of them was infectious and it was good to see her so happy for a chance since she had been subjected to so much bad news lately that both pushed aside their reservations over what would possibly take place once they were all living in the same household.
The paperwork Sami and EJ received from Dr. Lykens appeared mountainous. They either had to look over to keep or sign so many forms that morning in his office that it was more than a little bit intimidating. Then they had to decide on a home health care nurse that would be allowed to come into their home to help care for Madison on a daily basis to ensure in between doctor visits and chemo treatments that Madison was being monitored closely in case she would need to return to the hospital.
The worse of it was when Dr. Lykens had Dr. Bailey one of the new gynecologists on staff at Salem University Hospital come in to speak with Sami and EJ about if they had any questions about their trying to conceive another child. Sami felt as if she would die of embarrassment before they left Dr Lykens office, now armed with ovulation kits, more information about In Vitro Fertilization in case their efforts in trying to get pregnant were not fruitful.
She wouldn't even make eye contact with EJ during the entire time Dr. Bailey had spoken to them. EJ pretended not to notice her discomfort, but all the while he was thinking if this was making Sami uncomfortable just discussing their situation with the doctor then how in the world would they get to an intimate stage with one another.
EJ just prayed that somehow he'd be able to make Sami see that he was a different man than he used to be, the man who'd made her the indecent proposal that had ultimately led to Madison being conceived was long gone or at least he hoped that man wouldn't resurface. He just couldn't lose Madison, she was his only stronghold that kept him slipping back into that dark creature he had been so many years ago. Without her, he really didn't know what kind of man he would become.
Now he knew what true desperation felt like being faced with the task of trying to help Madison survive and that somehow fate had seemed to intervene once more bringing he and Sami back into each others lives. Funny how he'd managed to push aside his desires for Sami giving up all hope of ever being with her only to have the chance resurface to have her back into his life and in his bed.
He glanced over at her as they walked back to Madison's room, they would be leaving to go home together and suddenly he didn't know if fate was such a good thing or not. EJ knew without a doubt that having Sami move into his home was going to be a challenge unlike anything he had ever known before. He only hoped he would be able to survive what he was sure would be a tempest in his home because he wasn't sure his heart would be able to take having her this close to him and losing it all again.
The Gift
Part XXXVI
Sami thought they would never leave the hospital, but now as she pulled in her SUV behind EJ's Jaguar in the driveway, she suddenly wished they had stayed all day at the hospital instead. She felt a sense of dread wash over her; she guessed it was just the feeling of the unknown. While her daughter was as familiar in this home as she was living in the home with Sami and Lucas, Sami was the odd one out, almost like being a foreigner in a strange country.
Seeing EJ go to open up the door for their daughter who had insisted that it had been far too long since she had ridden in her daddy's fancy sports car, Sami tried to smile as Madison waved for her to come into the house with them. While her daughter was more than ready to go into the house, Sami was not.
EJ sensed Sami's hesitation and gave her a reassuring smile; one he hoped would ease her fears. He had enough fears for them both, but he would try not to let them show. He had to remember the training of his youth, never to let your innermost fears be revealed, it only weakened you, then he chastised himself for thinking that way. It was hard to push out the years of instruction his father Stefano had insisted that he learn, somehow having Sami come into his home had brought up unwanted memories he had long ago learned to suppress.
"Daddy, I'm so glad to be home!" Madison hugged him as soon as they entered the front door.
"I'm glad you are home too. How about we help your Mum get situated if you feel like it?"
"This will be fun. Is Mommy going to stay in your room with you or mine with me?" Madison asked, the innocence upon her face was endearing and it was the only thing that kept Sami from turning around and running straight back out the door with the small travel bag she had grabbed from the passenger seat of her car and leaving before she thought better of it.
"Your mum is going to stay in her own room," EJ did his best not to laugh after seeing Sami's eyes widen as big as saucers over the mention of her sharing a bedroom with him by Madison.
"Which bedroom will she stay in then Daddy?"
"How about the bedroom with the pretty view of the gardens that is located in the backyard?"
"That would be perfect!" Madison smiled with joy as she thought of the pretty flowers that grew in her daddy's garden.
Sami only hoped she would be as enthusiastic over the room as Madison seemed to be at EJ's suggestion. She pasted on what she hoped would pass as a smile and started to follow Madison's lead into what she guessed would be her room while she stayed here in EJ's home.
This wasn't going to be easy, EJ surmised as he watched Sami try to smile. He sighed and went out to retrieve Sami's suitcase from her SUV, noting that she had only packed one suitcase. He guessed she was only taking the necessities in case she couldn't stand living here. Grasping the handle of the suitcase EJ was determined that she would love it here if she only gave it time.
Then again, time was a luxury they did not have in mass quantities of at the moment. Every day that went by could mean one less day they would have with Madison. EJ shook his head, there was no way he was going to give up on helping his daughter and if he was determined that he would anything to help her, even if that help meant the risk of losing his heart again to the only woman he had ever loved.
Sami surveyed the bedroom with an appreciative glance. It was apparent EJ did nothing halfway, all the rooms in his home were beautiful and the guest bedroom was no exception. He hadn't been kidding about the view from the terrace that opened up from the French doors of the bedroom. Even though it was wintertime, the gardens were simply breathtaking.
Madison was tugging on her hand to see the bathroom adjoining the bedroom, the antique claw foot bathtub she saw made her want to squeal in delight. She had wanted one of those for herself for such a very long time, but didn't feel right about asking Lucas to get her one when they had so many other expenses in their already stretched budget. Well at least she knew without a doubt that she would enjoy taking a bath tonight. After Madison was asleep, Sami planned a long luxurious bubble bath. Then her thoughts clouded, how would she ever be able to relax in the tub knowing that EJ was somewhere in the house only a few rooms away from her?
Her thoughts were disrupted when he came into the room, his presence filling up the room that had seemed so spacious before. She quickly turned her attention back to the matter at hand, which would be unpacking her suitcase that EJ had brought into her room. It wouldn't do for him to know that she was thinking of him during her tenure in his home.
EJ had seen her look longingly at the tub before she had noticed him in the room, lord what he wouldn't like to do with her in that tub? He quickly dismissed those wayward thoughts, trying to remember that Samantha was only here to help save Madison, nothing more. He had to try to stay focused on the goal of saving Madison. This wasn't going to be a home for Samantha and him to raise children together. He needed to get his mind away from romantic thoughts of Samantha, but it was a very difficult thing to do.
"Daddy, what have you done in my room?" Madison's question resounded bringing EJ out of his reverie of Samantha.
EJ gave Sami a quick smile and then headed off to Madison's room, his daughter's laughter echoing in the hallway as he walked to her bedroom. He stood in the doorway as she looked at the new additions in her room. Just watching her was a balm to his weary soul as Madison jumped on her new bed with glee.
"I take it you like your new bed?"
"Daddy, you bought exactly what I wanted!" Madison admired her new furniture, the purple comforter which was her new favorite color, a desk that she had requested one day after she had begun kindergarten, informing her father that she needed a place to study now that she was in school.
"Thank you Daddy!" Madison came over to hug him, and he was glad that she liked it. When she pulled back from her hug she said, "I've got to show Mommy how grown up my bedroom is now."
"You don't want to get rid of your murals on your walls do you?" EJ asked, his heart sinking a bit when he realized that one day Madison would be too old for the fairy tales that they now shared with one another.
"Are you crazy Daddy? I love my murals!" Madison shook her head in a way EJ had seen her mother do many times and he smiled, thinking at least his baby girl wasn't growing up so much that she that their stories were babyish.
"Okay, just checking," EJ watched her scamper off to Samantha's room and heard her urging her mother to come check out the new things in her room. When they appeared in the hall together, mother and daughter, he only wished they could really and truly be a family together, but he guessed that he needed to give up those foolish dreams and accept that the only reason Samantha was even in his home was for their daughter, not him.
"Oh Madison, your room is beautiful!" Sami exclaimed as they walked past EJ and entered Madison's bedroom. She looked back to mouth a thank you to him when she saw how excited Madison was to have the new furniture in her room.
"Well I think I'll leave you two ladies alone for a while and I'll fix us something for lunch," EJ announced as he left them alone. Sami stayed with Madison as she continued showing her mother all the cool things in her room.
He called to them a little while later, Sami having to encourage Madison to come to the breakfast nook to eat.
"I'm not hungry," Madison argued after she had sat down in a chair, Sami taking the one next to her as EJ handed out the plates to them.
"You have to at least try to eat something," Sami urged Madison, noting their daughter's weight loss since she had begun chemo treatments.
"I'll just get sick," Madison's eyes filled with tears, she didn't want to eat, she was having fun with her mom and now they had to go and do this to her.
"Maybe not," EJ handed Madison a glass that looked like a milkshake.
Madison shook her head, she didn't want to eat. Her bottom lip began to tremble as she tried her best not to cry.
"Take a sip of this," EJ motioned to the glass he had handed Madison.
Madison gave him a wary glance as she smelled of the contents before taking a sip. Even Sami noted the resemblance to herself in their daughter seeing as she had given EJ this same look many times before.
"I made me one too," EJ produced a glass of his own that looked the same as Madison's.
"What is in this Daddy?" Madison wouldn't take a sip of it even if her daddy had one just like hers.
"I promise you there is no medicine in it," EJ took a sip of his drink; it wasn't too bad even if it did have protein powder along with Ensure mixed into it.
Madison still didn't look convinced, but she took a small sip of it. The taste wasn't exactly like a vanilla milkshake, but it wasn't too terribly bad. She took another sip before putting the glass back down on the table.
"See it isn't bad," EJ drank more of it, hoping Madison would do the same, but he'd take her even trying it as a small victory. He had read up on how you could help add nutrients back into a patient's system that they had loss due to treatments they had taken. He just didn't want Madison to get so weak that she wouldn't be able to get around. She needed all the strength and stamina to fight off this disease that she could possibly get.
"It wasn't that good either," Madison countered with defiance that both parents knew she could muster up when she felt the need.
"I'll keep coming up with different things for you to try," EJ took the glass from her, satisfied that she had least took a few sips of the drink. Thinking if it had been her mother he was trying to get to drink the concoction that she would have flat out refused.
"Madison, look you have mail," Sami pointed out trying to get her daughter to smile. Sami reached over to the counter to see the mail addressed to her daughter; Belle had brought it by to them before they left the hospital.
"There is also a card for Madison here from one of her teachers," EJ noted as he pulled a brightly colored envelope from the stack of mail he had gotten when they had returned home.
"Let me see," Madison grabbed for the envelope, smiling as she opened it to reveal a Christmas card with glitter adorned on the outside of card. When she opened it, a picture of her class fell to the table along with what appeared to be a cd. It looked liked they were singing. Madison handed the card to Sami since she could not read all the words yet. Her sight words were coming very good or at least they had until she had become sick. "Please read it to me Mommy."
"Okay," Sami took the card, trying not to frown when she realized who the card was from, a fact that EJ didn't fail to notice either.
"Who is it from Mommy?" Madison asked when her mother hadn't read her the card as quickly as Madison thought she should.
"Miss Chloe," Sami tried to keep her voice light, but it was hard to hide her disdain for the woman. "She wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas and to let you know the class was thinking of you. They made you a cd of songs."
"That was so nice of Miss Chloe," EJ remarked loving how Sami's eyes started to roll over his comment of Madison's music teacher from school.
"Guess she thought she would send it to your address instead of mine for Madison," Sami wanted to gag, Chloe Lane never did anything without some kind of hidden motive behind it, too bad EJ couldn't see through her any better than what he was letting on to Sami right now.
"Maybe she wanted Madison to actually receive it," EJ replied sweetly, a bit too sweetly for Sami's liking.
"Mommy thinks Miss Chloe is a hoochie mama," Madison explained with a directness that had EJ ready to bowl over with laughter.
"Madison, pray tell what exactly is a hoochie mama?" EJ posed the question to his daughter as he tried to keep his laughter from erupting. The daggers Samantha was throwing in his direction was meant to be a warning, but he couldn't refrain from asking Madison the question.
"Well I don't know exactly, but Claire and I overhead Mommy and Aunt Belle call Miss Chloe a hoochie mama one afternoon when we went over to see Aunt Belle and Claire at their house. We asked them what it meant, but they told us not to ever call her that, so I guess it must be something really bad. The only thing we could figure out was that Miss Chloe likes to flirt with Philip which makes Aunt Belle mad. I know Claire doesn't like for Miss Chloe to be sweet to her daddy. Then again it might have something to do with her wearing really short skirts and trying to show her hooties off in front of god and everyone else in creation. Mommy said that a teacher shouldn't dress that way in front of little kids, but she didn't know I had heard her say that to Aunt Belle too." Madison shrugged her shoulders after she had finished her explanation.
EJ couldn't hold it back any longer, he howled with laugher much to Madison's confusion and Sami's chagrin. In fact Sami was blushing profusely over Madison's recollection of the conversation she had heard between Belle and her mother.
"Madison you and Claire aren't supposed to be listening to adult conversations," Sami did her best to stop blushing, but EJ continued to laugh which only infuriated Sami even more.
"Then how am I ever supposed to learn about hoochie mamas and such?" Madison asked so sweetly that it made EJ laugh even harder. "Daddy you need to stop laughing, I'm being very serious!"
"I know you are and I'm sorry sweetheart," EJ wiped the tears from his eyes. He hadn't really and truly laughed since he had found out that Madison was ill and this conversation was a welcome change even if it had made Sami want to crawl under the table from embarrassment.
"Mommy I didn't mean to make you mad," Madison leaned over to give her mother a hug, not wanting her feelings to be hurt over her revelation about hoochie mamas and what Sami and Aunt Belle thought of her music teacher.
"I'm not mad sweetie," Sami hugged Madison back, she couldn't be angry with Madison over revealing something that she had actually said to Belle, she just hadn't thought that Madison would bring up this bit of information in front of EJ.
"I'm glad," Madison took her cd from the table along with the card and picture of her class. "I'm going to go listen to the songs on my cd player."
"Okay," Sami nodded, thankful that she wouldn't have to listen to Chloe's voice and try to pretend like she liked the woman when in fact she couldn't stand to even be anywhere near her for any amount of time.
Madison left the room and Sami wished she could escape without having to look at EJ. She hated that he was doing his best to stop laughing, but she could tell it would only take something minor for him to start up again.
"I guess I'll go finish unpacking," Sami announced, not looking in EJ's direction and failed to notice he had come up right behind her.
"See you later," EJ smirked causing Sami to huff off in exasperation, but not before she heard the comment from him over her being one hot mama herself.
She tried to block out his laughter as she slammed the door to her bedroom, but it was a proving harder to do than she anticipated.