6. One Big Happy Family
On the ride to the doctor's office, Mercedes and Sam sat in the backseat and talked amongst themselves as the nurse drove and watched them in the mirror. Mr. Evans was one strange man. He was quite the sweetheart, unless he was in pain – then he became moody and snapped at people a lot, repeatedly apologizing to his imaginary companion for his tone and responses. But, what really made the nurse consider him strange was not his dementia at all.
She thought that it was strange that he had such an empire beneath him, yet he remained humble and gracious. He was perfectly loving, even to strangers and very helpful to those in need. Even as an old man who could easily be hurt, she had witnessed him jump to the defense of a complete stranger being hassled. "Mr. Evans, how is your hip feeling?"
"Feels like somebody rocked it out of place!" He said with a chuckle and leaned forward, blowing a raspberry at his wife, next to him. The nurse smiled and shook her head. He is something else.
"Well, at least she's still letting you get at that, Mr. Evans. I've worked with a lot of people your age and some even younger who either weren't able to have fun like that anymore or didn't have the drive!" She laughed at how red in the face the old man became when she said this, but he laughed too, even while holding on to his pelvis. It clearly still hurt.
"I figured that your parents would never want me anywhere near you again that day," Sam said quietly to Mercedes. The nurse did her best to tune them out, unless she heard key words. She loved the elderly and letting them have peace in their later years was a kindness that she didn't mind extending for all of the wisdom that she had gotten from them over the course of her career.
Sam awoke to the sound of some rumbling in the apartment. He looked at Mercedes. The noise hadn't stirred her one bit, but it alarmed him. What the? Who the hell was here? Then, he heard a crashing sound and some voices. Sam threw the covers off of himself and reached for a bat that he kept near the bed for such an occasion. For one of what Mercedes called these "I wish a mutha would" moments. Somebody had broken into their apartment and was in there crashing stuff! He came out of the room slowly, still undressed. Yep, I'm about to whup somebody down, buck naked.. Break into my house. Threaten my woman's safety and the security of our home…
But then, he heard a familiar voice and he remembered – Mercedes' parents still had keys. Mrs. Jones' voice was nearby, but he figured he could make a break back into the bedroom without notice. No such luck – her voice came closer then she screamed, "Oh my Lord!" Sam, instead of running, turned and faced her, looking frightened stiff, and unfortunately, literally stiff (it was morning after all).
The woman's eyes reflexively went down to the area, then she gasped at her action and covered her eyes with both hands. Simultaneously, he dropped the bat and covered himself with both hands. "What is it?" He heard his mother's voice ask and as he backed away, apologizing repeatedly. From bad to worse, Mr. Evans and Mr. Jones appeared and Sam simply took off running, naked behind out.
When Sam ran back intot he bedroom and shut the door, Mercedes jumped up with her hair matted to her head and stared at him with open wide eyes, "What is this noise?" She asked.
"I was just seen by both of our parents!" He spun around in a circle and threw his hands up, "Just like this!" He said.
Her lip dropped and she covered her mouth with both hands. "Oh, God! I'm sorry, Sam. My mom told me last night that they would be by this morning. I guess I had too much to drink..." Her eyes suddenly widened and she jumped out of the bed, "Oh no! They know that you spent the night!"
He looked at her, confused, "Spent the night? I live here."
Mercedes climbed out of bed, started scrambling for clothes and explained, "When I first got here, there was this rule that no guys could spend the night and that you could not move in. When we started making money, we changed the lease, but my folks still made me promise that I wouldn't have sex here, have guys sleepover and most importantly, not let you move in."
Sam stopped Mercedes from running into the bathroom and said, "Your parents think that we have been living in separate homes for the past three years? You kept up a lie to them for that long?"
"You know how they are. Kurt and Unique can be my best friends all day long, but God forbid I ever have a homosexual attraction to another woman. Quinn was able to live with us for a while, but they would flip, even today if I have a child out of wedlock. They probably most likely know that you and I have sex, but knowing that you live here – where it's a regular practice and not a slip up while we're waiting to get married. Ugh!" She shook her head. "I've got to rush to get ready and try to go out there and do some damage control."
"You mean make up a lie," Sam said, disappointed in what she had just told him.
The two of them came out of the room, cleaned up and dressed and looking bashful and embarrassed. "I'm sorry about this morning," Sam said. "We had the old Glee club here until late and fell to sleep. Mercedes forgot to tell me to set the alarm and when I heard crashing in here, I presumed that we were being robbed. This is that type of neighborhood," he said.
Then, he hugged his parents and awkwardly shook his future in-laws' hands. He had told Mercedes not to mention his living there unless they brought it up. So, she hugged everyone hello and took her seat, as well. "You two aren't going to eat? Seems like you had a long night," Mr. Jones said, eyeing Sam with a glare.
Sam shrugged and said, "Yeah. Mercedes had that show, and I had that proposal. It was a long night." He jumped up from the table and when Mercedes do so, as well, he said, "No, baby. Allow me. I know exactly what you like." Mr. Jones made a grunt sound and Sam realized how messed up his comment might have sounded to the man. "This smells delicious. Was breakfast a team effort?"
"The ladies did us a wonderful kindness," Mr. Jones said. Mercedes smiled at her mom and Mary Evans. "So… you spend the night frequently?" Marvin Jones finally asked Sam, though he was studying Mercedes. Her smiled vanished and she choked on nothing.
"Yes, Sir. You need some water, Cedes?" Sam answered and tried to move on.
"How frequently?" Marvin asked.
The Evans looked highly uncomfortable. They had known that the couple lived together literally the entire time Sam had been in California.
"Some juice, if you don't mind," Mercedes said, trying to clear her throat.
Sam poured the juice and when he went to the table to bring it and the plate to Mercedes, he took a deep breath and said, "Mr. Jones, I'm sorry. I have actually been living here. My name is on the lease and everything." He rubbed Mercedes' back gently and said, "I wish that we would've told you sooner, but Mercy was under a lot of stress with trying to go to school and work on her music career and she was worried about disappointing you. I just couldn't afford to live elsewhere, at first – but I couldn't stand the thought of being away from her while I tried to."
Mercedes eyes studied the food on her plate and she wanted to eat, very badly. She was starving, but she could not move to even lift her fork. Marvin rolled his eyes and gave them a small smile, "Sam, I understand that you love each other and that you want to be together. It's just that I don't appreciate being lied to or secrets being kept from me."
"I know, Sir. I am really sorry that we did that to you," he replied.
"You need to learn how to stop doing that. I've always taught my daughter to take responsibility for what she does wrong. She's the one who agreed not to let this happen and I'm relatively sure that you didn't even know about it. But, here you are, trying to take the blame."
"I… need to stop?" Sam asked.
"She's a big girl," Mrs. Jones commented. "She doesn't need you to shield her."
"Maybe not," Sam said, "But, I'll never stop." He shrugged his shoulders, then squeezed one of Mercedes' and kissed her on the top of the head. "My baby deserves nothing less than happiness." He went back to the food to make himself a plate as Mercedes apologized to her parents and by the time he returned to the table, all was forgiven and the proposal and upcoming wedding became topics.
After a while, there was a knock on the door and Mary said, "That's probably Quinn with the kids."
Mercedes and Sam both cheered, in each other's faces, "Stevie and Stacey!" And the couple got up and ran to the front door like children to Christmas. Christina, Mercedes' mother laughed at the two grown people acting like children. When Sam opened the door, Puck stormed in and began fussing, "Quinn is pissing me off!" He froze when he saw the Evans and the Jones and covered his mouth with one hand, "I'm sorry. Um… Sam, can I see you outside?" He walked back out and Sam sighed.
Mercedes abruptly let Puck know, "We're having some family time, so if it's gonna upset, worry or preoccupy my fiancé, then please, at least wait until our families are headed back to Lima."
"It's alright," Sam said and nudged his head outside to indicate to Puck he was coming.
Mercedes whispered, "Do not get in the middle of any of his Quinn drama, Sam."
"I won't. He was really upset last night. I just have to make sure he's gonna be okay," Sam said softly. "This is a part of our life – helping other people out when they need it, even if it interferes with something else."
"Praise," she said and leaned up to give him a proud, but chaste kiss. Sam went outside and shut the door behind him. Mercedes returned to the table with the parents and they began to talk more about Sam and Mercedes' careers.
Sam placed his hands on Puck's shoulders and asked, "What is it?"
"Did you know that Quinn has this Blake dude in Beth's life? When Shelby lets her come to see Beth, she b rings this guy! Tell me that you didn't know that, Sam." Puck practically choked the words out.
"I didn't realize that Quinn seeing someone would be such an issue for you, Man. I wish that I could say that it's nothing, but I think this is the guy she's going to be with, ultimately."
"You knew," Puck said.
"I thought that you knew!" Sam said. "Look, I have no idea why women are so secretive, but they obviously are, because I found out today that Mercedes' mom and dad thought that I lived with you all this time."
Puck chuckled slightly, then remembered that he was pissed off and grimaced, "They're secretive because they're selfish snakes and they can't be trusted."
"Watch it, Puck. That almost sounded like you were insulting Mercy," Sam said, with his face immediately reddening.
"I'm obviously talking about Quinn. What is she trying to prove. Beth's at the age where her memory is beginning to get mad overactive, and she's giving her all these memories with her perfect, flawless, rich, awesome Yale boy. How am I supposed to compete with that. I may not be able to ever have Quinn, but if I lose Beth's love and respect to some other guy… Sam," Puck just shook his head and Sam's features softened.
"Puck, that little girl knows that you're her daddy, and she loves you. Even if Quinn brought the richest most handsome Yale or whatever preppy school guy home to the kid – Beth would always realize that you're her dad and she's always going to love you. You're great with her and you're good to her," Sam reassured his friend.
"I didn't mean to bother family time. I've literally been text fighting with Quinn for like three hours and the last one I got was 'I'm out with friends. Leave me in peace.' Then she never responded again. I sent her like fifteen texts after that. Sam's eyes widened at his friend's confession, but Puck waved a wand and said, "I'm not crazy, Bro. The last thing that I asked her was if she thought she might marry this guy, and that was her response. Of course, I'm gonna think that means she might want to have a family with Beth… without me, Sam!"
Once again, Sam placed his hands on Puck's shoulders and said, "Not gonna happen. Shelby's not letting go of Beth and even if she did, I know Quinn. She wouldn't try to just have a family with Beth and someone else."
"Didn't she proposition you for just that when you came back to Lima?" Puck asked.
"That was high school Quinn. She's done some major changing. Just give her some space and when you're calm, talk to her again, tell her your concerns, but don't blow up. You'll make her think she has to be less than honest with you." Sam's green eyes followed the sound of an approaching vehicle and he took a swallow. It was Quinn. Great timing.
Stevie and Stacey rushed out of the car to hug Sam and he tousled with the preteens as he tried to force them into the apartment before any scenes broke out between Quinn and Puck. When they finally came in, Mercedes gasped a long, hard gasp and both of the kids rushed to hug her and practically tackled her out of her chair. "SIS!" Stacey cheered upon seeing her. Sam had told his siblings before anyone else that he was going to propose and they were charged with keeping it a secret until today.
Sam sat in the doctor's office with his nurse, rocking his legs back and firth and studying his hands. They were shaking – but that was normal for him, now. He was amazed at how wrinkled they were and he noticed that he had another random bruise. He bruised so easily, now. He used to be so tough and unbreakable. Now, everything was a threat to his person. He studied his arm and saw that he was bleeding. He frowned at the scratch and glanced at the nurse. She quickly went into her bag for something to quickly cleanse and cover the scratch. "How'd you get that, Mr. Evans?"
"I have no earthly idea," he answered honestly. She patted the old man on the leg and smiled gently at him. That made him look over to Mercy, who didn't look all too pleased with the younger black woman, who was not as short, but had as many curves as she did. If Mercedes was Sam's type, then Miss Thang probably was, too. "I'm not remotely interested in this woman," he told his wife. "Stop making that face." He shook his head at the nurse and laughed, "You'd better keep your hands to yourself. My little lady sometimes gets territorial."
"She's seems so sweet and secure in your love, though," the nurse commented with a quick smile towards Mercedes' seat and a wink.
"Don't let the soft voice fool you. I will reach across this man's lap and slap that eye right out of your socket!" Mercedes snapped. Sam smiled proudly and boldly.
The nurse asked, "What did she say?"
"Just thinking out loud," Sam said and squeezed Mercy's knee to laugh her giggle, in spite of herself.
The pain was arthritis related. He knew that things could be worse, but arthritis affecting his pelvis worried him. He sometimes had it to bother his ankles and knees. Damn it, his pelvis might keep him down for longer than he could appreciate being down. But, at least nothing was pulled or broken. At his age, that could be a complete catastrophe. But even this would be difficult to endure. This pain was quite something. God, there used to be a time when he thought that he was invincible.