Chapter 4
Kelly walked into her house with Brandon following closely behind holding her hand. Jim and Cindy were sitting in the living room watching a late night TV show. Jim immediately turned off the TV and they both stood up as soon as they saw Brandon. "Brandon" Cindy gasps.
Brandon lets go of Kelly's hand so he can give his parents the long-waited hug they have been waiting for. "Mom, Dad….it's great to see you," he said relieved.
"You too, son," Jim says.
Kelly is watching from the door with tears in her eyes, but she knows these are good tears. Brandon breaks away from his parents to turn to Kelly, "Can I…"
Before Brandon is able to finish his sentence, Kelly says, "of course, follow me, he should be sleeping let me check first."
Jim and Cindy understood and follow them to Sammy's room. Kelly quietly opened Sammy's door and sees he is sleeping soundly. She picks up some toys on the floor moving them to their place on the shelf and sees Brandon's signed baseball that Jim gave to Sammy this last summer when he went to his first game with his grandfather. Kelly comes back to the door, allowing Brandon to enter. He sits down on a chair nearby; he isn't able to take his eyes off of his son. He has so many thoughts and questions running through his head about if Sammy is anything like him. The whole time Kelly is watching Brandon, trying to figure out what he is thinking. After about 5 minutes, Sammy starts to cry, scream, and kick in his sleep.
Kelly immediately runs into the room, whispering to Brandon, "Brandon you should go back to the living room." As Brandon exits the room, he stays by the door but out of sight, so he can still hear. Kelly picks Sammy up to cradle him in her lap, waking him up from his bad dream.
"Shh, it's alright, Mommy's here honey. You're safe. I love you so much; no one is going to hurt you." Kelly continues calming Sammy down until he stops crying. "Can you tell me about your dream?"
Sammy begins to speak but now has the hiccups, "Austin…at school….was making fun of me because….I don't have….a daddy. He called me bad names….and told me it was my fault that I ….don't have a daddy. Mommy, why don't….I have a daddy like Uncle Steve is Brett's daddy? What did I do?"
Outside, Jim and Cindy are still with Brandon listening to Sammy. Brandon wanted to go to Sammy and tell him he does have a daddy, nothing is his fault, and that he doesn't ever have to wondering where his father is anymore, but Jim laid his hand on Brandon's shoulder, stopping him. "Let Kelly handle this for tonight, Sammy needs to get his sleep for his big day tomorrow."
Back inside Sammy's room Kelly responds, "Oh baby, you do have a daddy. He is very hansom just like you. I know he loves you very much. It's not your fault babe; it's no one faults, things just always happen the way they are supposed to work. You remember going to your first baseball game this summer?"
"Yeah," Sammy says with a sniffle.
Kelly continues, "That baseball your grandfather gave you, that was your fathers."
"Really," Sammy says as he jumps out of Kelly's lap with a huge grin running to the baseball, but he isn't able to reach it. "Mommy, I can't reach it."
Kelly gets up to hand Sammy the baseball and crouches down to Sammy's level. "You know, your father caught that ball when he was a bit older than you are now."
"Really, wow," Sammy says not wanting to ever put the ball down.
"Okay, you need to get back to sleep now, you have a big day tomorrow," Kelly tells Sammy.
"But can't you tell me more about my daddy instead?" Sammy asks with big pleading eyes.
"I will in the morning, first thing when you wake up. Would you like to sleep in the big bed with me tonight?" Kelly asks.
Sammy responds with, "Yes, please Mommy."
Kelly carries Sammy into her room to tuck him into her bed, and then comes back into the living room hearing Brandon explaining to his parents what he has told her so far. At that moment, Silver walks into the house, not expecting anyone to be still awake. "Oh my goodness, Kel is that?"
Silver is completely in shock that she isn't able to finish her sentence. Brandon breaks the silence, "I guess I should be getting use to that look on people's faces," Brandon says with a laugh as he reaches his hand behind his head, scratching it because he's nervous of how everyone else is going to react. "Erin, you have grown up so much, how are you?"
"I'm good and I like going by Silver now," Silver replies.
Brandon says, "Good, I'm glad, well it's getting really late, I should probably get back to the hotel and let you two talk."
Cindy speaks up, "Hotel? Brandon, I don't think you should be staying at a hotel; you of course are staying at the house. Your father brought back the old house from Steve. You can sleep in Brenda's old room."
"What about my old room?" Brandon asks.
Jim replies laughing, "The bed is too small for you, its Sammy's room when he stays over."
After nodding to his father, he turns to Kelly, "Kel can we talk outside quick first? Mom, Dad, I'll see you back at the house."
Jim and Cindy nod their head and leave. Kelly follows Brandon outside, "Kel is he okay?"
"Yeah, he will be. Brandon, I don't know how we are supposed to do this?"
"Neither do I, Kel. I honestly still don't know the first thing about kids. Yeah, there were tons on the island, but that was totally different. And there will be so many people here tomorrow, I just don't know. I'm still not use to tons of people anymore. I thought I was going to die in the airport," Brandon said pacing along her front porch.
Kelly asks, "Brandon, what are you trying to say?"
"Kel, I guess, I just…I just don't know if telling him about me would be the best thing right before tons of people come over. I want to be able to spend time with him, and I mean really spend time without any distractions. There will be so many old friends asking me and you questions, I guess I just feel like, Sammy will just get hurt. I just want it to be you, me, and Sammy."
Kelly can't believe what Brandon just said, "Brandon, I think you are already a great father because you are thinking of him first. Thank you." As Kelly puts her hands on Brandon's arms to make him stop moving.
Kelly gives him a gently kiss. "Sunday, the three of us can spend all day together, and then we can take it from there," Kelly tells Brandon.
Brandon responds, "I love you" and kisses Kelly good night.
Brandon drives back to Casa Walsh. Kelly explains the information about Brandon that she knows to Silver, and then goes to her room to find Sammy sound sleep and taken up most of the bed.
When Brandon arrives at Casa Walsh, he is amazed at how things look mostly the same from over 15 years ago when he lived here with his parents. He isn't able to sleep that night; instead he went into his old room and saw pictures of Kelly and Sammy. He eventually tried to lie down, but his mind had so many thoughts about Sammy and Kelly during the last 6 years.
