Moonlit Wishes
Book II, Part X
"I don't care how busy Mr. Black is at the moment, I'm his sister and I need to see him!"
Well Brady didn't have to guess who was about to barge into his office, in three, two, one…
His very irritated sister followed by his slightly harried personal assistant burst into his office.
"Miss Sami I've already told you," Tammy began only to have Sami cut her off before she could say another word.
Sami widely gestured towards Brady, "Look he isn't busy, he's just sitting there on his as…"
"Pleasure as always Sami, come in," Brady smiled and winked at Tammy who stalked off in a huff while Sami rolled her eyes at her retreating figure.
"And you wonder sometimes why people dread to see you coming," Brady commented as Sami started to pace the room.
"People do not dread to see me coming," Sami paused midstride to argue with her younger step-brother, but over the past years it had seemed liked he was a true brother to her or at least she was hoping he would be and help her out. "They don't Brady!"
"Whatever you say," Brady leaned back in his chair to study her, something was up because she never came by his work just to talk to him and she had this nervous energy flowing about her from the pacing and the wringing of her hands. "So what brings you here today beyond wanting to harass Tammy into letting you in my office?"
"She needs to chill out, when I need to see my brother," Sami began tersely than stopped and gave Brady a sugary sweet smile, one that he knew she used when she wanted something.
"Let's cut to the chase, you don't have to use that smile on me," Brady commented as Sami finally sat down in a chair to face him. "So spill, what's going on with you? Something with Rafe, the kids, god forbid EJ?"
"All of the above and more," Sami sighed dropping the fake smile she was giving Brady, she needed his help more than anything if she wanted this new plan for her life to succeed.
"What has EJ done now?" Brady asked immediately on the defensive, he hated EJ DiMera and all the misery he seemed to cause in his wake.
"This isn't really EJ per se," Sami faltered, thinking of how best to get what she wanted from Brady without making him say no outright to her idea.
"Then what would it be, are you and Rafe still having trouble? Has he hurt you?" Brady felt a dread growing within him, his sister had dealt with enough over the past few years and he wished her life could be a better one without all the heartache and pain that seemed to surround her most times.
"Yes and no," Sami answered cryptically which only made Brady's brow furrow. "Let me explain, I've thought about it for a while and I don't think Rafe and I are going to be able to overcome this latest hurdle that arose, so I'm getting a divorce."
"Seriously Sami, I thought you said Rafe was the love of your life," Brady mimicked the words she had told him before concerning what she hoped would soon be her ex-husband.
Sami shook her head, knowing she was going to be hearing this a lot today when she faced other members of her family, but right now she needed to focus on this one thing and that was for Brady to come through for her when she needed it the most.
"Brady, I know you don't have time to hear about my love life," Sami stated not wanting to recount the hows and whys she and Rafe weren't going to make it together as a couple to Brady.
"Well I do have a meeting in about thirty minutes, so you might be right," Brady tried to tease her a little bit knowing eventually when she needed to tell him what had happened she would given time.
"I'm just going to lay it out here for you. I need a job," Sami said quickly hoping Brady wasn't going to dissolve into peals of laughter over her request.
The good thing she guessed was no instant laughter coming forth from him, rather he just looked at her like she had grown a third eye right in the middle of her forehead.
"Brady, say something, anything," Sami hated the silence worse than the supposed laughter she had thought he might have when she asked for a job.
"Why do you need a job and more importantly why would you think I would give you one?"
"Because you owe me," Sami leaned over the desk, her hands splayed across the papers that littered Brady's workspace.
"How do I owe you?" Brady gave her a curious glance, wondering what crazy scheme his sister was trying to come up with that apparently involved him giving her a job.
"I was understanding when you were in that tramp's corner, allowing her to steal my baby," Sami stated matter of fact, trying not to let her voice rise because even now the thought of what Nicole had done to her could make her blood pressure jump instantly.
"Sami we've been through this before, you know I didn't know it was Sydney," Brady was on the verge of an apology, one of many he had tried to give Sami concerning the whole Nicole/Sydney incident.
"Look, I need a job, I'm going to start over without a man in my life," Sami cut him off before he could finish with his platitudes concerning the woman Sami despised even more than she did Kate DiMera and that was saying a lot. "I have a place to live, but I'm going to need a job to support the kids."
"Don't give me a guilt trip, using the kids…"
"I'm not using the kids, just telling you how it is, how it is going to be for me. Brady this is my one chance to prove to myself that I have what it takes, that I can provide for my children without having some man to come in to rescue me. I am strong and I can do this, you know I am smart and when I put my mind to it, nothing can stop me. Please I need for you to believe in me." Sami reached out to grasp his hand, looking him square in the eyes.
She was serious, Brady could tell, this wasn't some hair brained scheme his sister was concocting. He hated to tell her no, but Victor would have a fit if Sami worked for Titan Industries. "Sami, I do believe in you, yet you know Victor wouldn't stand for you working for Titan."
"I thought you ran Titan now or was that just some bs you were spouting," Sami raised her brow at him knowing exactly what to say to him to bring out a rise.
"I do run Titan," Brady declared to her.
"Then prove it, give me a job. Who cares if Victor gets pissy about it because I need this more than you can even imagine."
"If I do this, we are even, no more bringing up the past about Nicole," Brady said knowing if he didn't give her a job he was never going to hear the end of it from her and she could hold a grudge longer than almost anyone he knew.
"Nicole who?" Sami smiled innocently.
Innocent my ass, Brady thought hating that Victor was going to be mad, but as Sami said he ran Titan now. Victor would just have to deal with it.
God help them all.
Moonlit Wishes
Book II, Part XI
"What da hell do you mean Sami? Have you lost your mind?" Roman looked at his daughter frowning as he circled around her. His anger growing with each new revelation his daughter was providing to him.
"Yes, Daddy I have," Sami replied sarcastically, sick of this already, but she had tough skin, she could deal with whatever he said to her because she knew what he was going to say.
"Just when I think you are getting your life together, you go pull another crazy stunt," he ranted while her grandmother sat by quietly, listening to her son berate his daughter. Not once trying to intervene or provide her opinion on the matter at hand.
"So I'm crazy if I want to divorce Rafe? Daddy I've tried and it just isn't working," Sami really didn't want to go into specifics on why it wasn't working, but if he kept on with this tirade of her failures she'd tell him and her grandmother and they could just stew over the gory details themselves.
"You've tried?" Roman asked skeptically, his face contorting is disbelief.
"Daddy, I have to do what is right for me and my children," Sami stressed, wanting to get her three youngest immediately and leave the pub. She wanted to explain to them first, she didn't know how Will would react; in fact she was kind of scared to tell him of her plans because his reaction would probably not be favorable.
"Rafe is a respectable guy, you were lucky to get him," Roman remarked, wishing he could get through to his stubborn daughter.
"Lucky? I was lucky to get Rafe?" Sami asked, her ire slowly coming to the surface. "You know what Daddy. I have tried my entire life to please you, but that statement right there just sums it up."
"What are you talking about? I'm trying to make you see Rafe is your chance to have a decent and good life and yet once again you are determined to throw it all away and for what this time? What has got in your fool head that is so important that you need to leave the one man who would be good to you?"
"Well my fool head as you so aptly put it is saying this, I'm not settling on anything or anybody anymore just to make you and the entire Brady clan proud of me. I am sick and tired of trying to model my life after something I'm clearly not. You say I was lucky to get Rafe just proves my point. I want to be a person that someone feels lucky to be with me. Don't you get it? I've searched my whole life for acceptance in this family, trying to defer to your wishes and it's made and making me miserable."
"Don't you go blaming us! We've bent over backwards for you all these years…" Roman started his tirade again, only to have Caroline finally speak.
"Roman, stop it right now." Caroline spoke in a manner much like her late husband Shawn Sr. causing both Roman and Sami to look her way.
"Ma, you know I am right," Roman looked to her for her to back him up, not go against him. Sami was going to ruin her life if she left Rafe.
"No, this is the time we need to listen to Sami. She has a right to live her own life the way she sees fit and it isn't fair of us to expect her to stay with someone she clearly does not want to be with and furthermore we have to respect her wishes." Caroline beckoned Sami to come over to her, which she did. Caroline took her by both hands and looked into her eyes. "Sami girl, are you sure about this? You really want to divorce Rafe?"
Sami nodded her head, she wasn't going to cry, she'd done enough of that reading the letters and she knew what she was going to have to do. It wasn't going to be easy by any stretch of the imagination, but she knew she could do it. She was going to be the woman she always knew she could be, one that was strong, not someone who was dependant on a man to define who she was in this life.
"I am Grandma," Sami tightened the grip on their hands and felt a strength flow between them. Maybe her dad wasn't ever going to understand her, but she felt like her grandmother could see what she was trying to do even if she didn't have a clear cut plan finalized.
"Okay, then I'll support you," Caroline pulled her into a hug.
"Thank you Grandma," Sami whispered in her ear before releasing her and turned to face her father once again. "Daddy, I know what I am doing. You are just going to have to trust me on this one."
Roman shook his head and turned his back on her walking out the door of the pub without another word to either one of them.
"He'll come around Sami. He just worries about you," Caroline said trying to soften the blow of her father's current rejection.
"Either he will or he won't, but I am determined to do this my way," Sami said confidently, more confident than what she felt like at the moment, but she'd show them all, especially her dad, for once she was following her heart instead of a plan mapped out for her by her family.
She turned and smiled again at her grandmother, and then started up the stairs to retrieve Johnny, Allie and Sydney. Tonight they were going to their new home. She hoped they would like it and was up for the many questions she knew would come from them.
After she got them settled, she'd call Will. She wasn't looking forward to that conversation either, yet it had to be done. At least he was living in the dorms at Salem University so if he didn't like her decision to move into the house EJ bought then so be it, she'd deal with it too.
One step at a time, this new beginning was going to be a huge challenge, but she could do it. She knew she could.
Moonlit Wishes
Book II, Part XII
He wandered around the city for quite a while remembering different places he had been in his childhood, a very placid one, that was until his real father had come to claim him from his mother and step father. His very powerful father who had promised him of a better life if he came with him and left his mother behind, promises of gaining an education worthy of his station in life, of career choices he would have if he went with him.
The glamorous life his father portrayed to him had been that, yet he had to relinquish ties to his more than slightly eccentric mother and kindly stepfather. His father had told him several times a choice had to be made, that he needed to think of his future, if he stayed here he would never be the man he was destined to be.
Maybe he shouldn't have been lured by the promises of wealth, then again growing up as a young boy with very modest parents he had always dreamed there was more to life than the simplistic one his parents had given to him. Stefano had promised so many things, yet those promises had come with many price tags, not monetary ones, but they had cost him none the less.
He had basically sold his soul to the devil when he had left here a mere teenager who had thought he was a man, but he had been oh so wrong about many things. He should have never turned his back on this side of his family because this side was the one who had shown him love, taught him true respect and kindness to others and now he didn't know if he could find any part of the idealistic young man he had been before he had told his father yes, he would leave and come with him, allowing him to mold him into part of the man he was today.
He only hoped somehow by coming back here he could find the good qualities he had managed to bury deep inside himself and sadly he wondered if his mum would even be happy to see him return or would she turn her back on him like he had done to her so many years before?
Well he could either continue walking around looking like some kind of lost tourist or go into the pub, a place he knew so well growing up, especially since he had spent almost as much time there as he had his home. He looked to the sign; well the name was the same, although he wondered if she would still be there? He had let so much time go past she might not even be able to work any longer. He felt a quick flash of regret wash over him. He had not even bothered to stay in touch with any of them. Would they even be happy to see him or banish him away just like the rest of his family?
Well he wouldn't ever know if he continued to stay outside and now it was drizzling rain, it wasn't a heavy one yet, but it would be shortly. So with more than a bit of mild trepidation in his heart he opened the door.
He felt like that shy and awkward teenager he used to be, ducking his head so as not to hit the top of the doorframe as he made his way into the place which hadn't seemed to change much in the way of decoration from the time he had left.
He wondered if she'd be there, she always had time for him, and of course a smile and she had never ever seemed to run out of hugs when it came to him. She had always told him he was special. Too bad she had been wrong, terribly wrong.
He wasn't special at all. After all that had happened to him these last few years he had no reason to believe otherwise.
Maybe this was a bad idea he thought as he didn't see her where he remembered her to be and he almost turned on his heel and left, that was until he heard her voice.
"Elvis, is that you?" She asked her voice cracking slightly almost as if she didn't believe who was standing in her pub.
She may have aged some, but some things hadn't changed, her eyes were still the vibrant shade of violet that she had been aptly named for and she still had such a sweet smile, one apparently for him.
"Yes, Nanny Crumb it is me," EJ nodded his head as the tiny woman then proceeded to launch herself into his arms to give him a hug.
"Welcome home son, welcome home," she gave him an extra squeeze before leading him to what she used to call their talk table at the pub, a tiny spot close to the kitchen where they always used to sit and talk about all kinds of things, talks he could still recall to this day.
Maybe he had done the right thing by coming here after all. At least one person in this world was happy to see him and that had to count for something.
Moonlit Wishes
Book II, Part XIII
Johnny noticed they were not turning onto the road that led to the loft apartment, "Where are we going Mommy?"
"A new place," Sami answered and continued driving. It had been a long day and she was dead tired, but they were going to their new home. She had went to the drive-through at McDonald's and ordered the kids happy meals, something she didn't normally do, then again this wasn't a normal day. She would have to go grocery shopping tomorrow after she figured out a budget for them. She didn't have a lot left in savings, but she wasn't taking another dime from Rafe for anything.
The children chattered aimlessly amongst themselves, giving Sami time to concentrate on driving. She was sure they would have more than enough questions for her about their new living situation as soon as they arrived at the house.
They would just have to wing it tonight. She didn't know what supplies were in the house or how many bedrooms either. She was just going on faith that things would be all right. It was kind of scary and exciting all at the same time.
The good thing was tomorrow was Saturday; she'd have the weekend to get the children settled before the twins headed back to school on Monday. Sydney had pre-K classes three days a week so she would have to come up with a plan on how to get her picked up and where she would go in the afternoons along where she would stay since Sami now had a job beginning Monday too.
It was a lot she needed to accomplish this weekend; more than she had been challenged to do in quite some time. It was a good thing though, she had needed to get her act together long before now, this past year had been one mistake after another for her. It was like she was coming out of a fog, sure she still couldn't see which path she needed to choose beyond what she had done today, but she could take things one day at a time.
What was it Grandpa Shawn used to say to her? Don't borrow trouble from tomorrow, do your best today and let the chips fall where they may.
Well the chips were falling; Sami thought as she pulled into the driveway and parked her SUV. She had placed the key EJ had given to her on a lone key ring, one that she had kept in her pocketbook for a long time. It was a shamrock; Grandpa Shawn had given her years before telling her when she found her home to use it.
Today had seemed fitting to place the key on it. She hoped to make this house a home, a real home for her and the kids. She looked to the night sky and saw the stars sparkling, one a little brighter than the rest. Maybe that was Grandpa Shawn giving her a wink from the sky, letting her know she was doing the right thing for a change.
She smiled and helped the kids out of the car, hoping they would be able to see what she felt in her heart, they were home.
Moonlit Wishes
Book II, Part XIV
She took both of his hands in hers, clasping them tightly even though her hands were so very small as they covered his, "I have prayed for years this day would come."
"For me to come home with my tail tucked between my legs?" EJ tried to joke, but the smile didn't quite reach to his eyes, ones that had seen way too much pain over the past several years he had been in Salem.
"Well you always were a cheeky child," Nanny Crumb reflected with affection in the tone of her voice as she now looked upon the man he had become. What had happened to this sweet boy after he had left London? She could see without him even speaking that his heart was broken. Oh how she hated that because she loved him with a fierceness that was born from the first day Susan had brought him around. She had know from the moment their eyes met that he was something special and he was, but she could sense he had lost his way.
"Cheeky you say?" EJ inquired with a lift of his brow, as he recalled the many times this woman would be the first to tell him when his actions were less than par.
"That and more, but when you flashed those pretty eyes in my direction how could I ever tell you no for anything you wanted? How could any woman for that matter?"
"Nanny, my eyes are not pretty," EJ stated flatly, there wasn't anything pretty about him, it was all dark now, and his life seemed like nothing of the sort to conjure up visions of anything remotely connected to the word.
"Tell me another one even though you've lost your lovely accent living amongst those Yanks all this time," Nanny shook her head sadly; her boy didn't even sound the same anymore. What had those people done to him?
""Nanny, I speak the Queen's English quite well, thank you very much," EJ argued with her, granted his accent wasn't as pronounced as it used to be, but there was no doubt he had been raised in England.
"Oh no don't be getting your pants all bunched up in wad," she patted his hand with a comforting gesture to convey she was only kidding with him. "How about a cuppa and a few of your favorite biscuits for us to share while we get reacquainted again? I mean you still do take tea don't you or have you put aside all of your upbringing?"
"That would be wonderful Nanny," EJ was ready to rise from his chair to help her when she primly told him to sit back down, just because she was elderly she could still bring him some tea.
EJ smiled his first real smile of the day as she bustled away from the table, shouting orders at the barmaid to help her round up some tea and biscuits for her favorite grandson, at least some things never changed even though he wasn't too sure he wanted to hear what Nanny Crumb thought of his life now especially since he was running away from it.
Or rather running away from the one woman he still couldn't quite get out of his heart, but maybe by coming here he would be able to think more clearly and see that Samantha wasn't the woman for him. She just couldn't be, not anymore.
Moonlit Wishes
Book II, Part XV
Sami led them in one by one, each child marveling over the sheet draped furniture in the living room.
"Are we moving into a haunted house?" Johnny asked with excitement in his voice.
"Johnny, this house isn't haunted," Sami said turning on all the lights surrounding them so that the girls wouldn't get scared after they had heard Johnny's question.
"Why are there sheets on everything?" Allie chimed in looking around nervously after they all sat in the floor with their happy meals. She hadn't even opened up her box yet, only taking a small sip of her milk instead.
Sydney crawled into Sami's lap, tearing into her box of food, Sami guessed her youngest wasn't worried about anything being haunted rather she wanted to see what her toy prize was going to be when she opened the box, never mind the French fries that scattered as she dug around to retrieve her prize.
"Got it," Sydney exclaimed triumphantly, then her little brow furrowed. "What is it Mommy?"
Sami looked at the plastic encased toy, not really knowing either as she took the task of opening it for Sydney without her even having to ask.
"It's junk," Johnny proclaimed, opting instead to eat his chicken nuggets, girls were so silly worrying about what kind of prize you got instead of eating as he reached over to snag some of the fries that had been flung out when Sydney was trying to get to her toy.
"Just because you think you are so smart Johnny doesn't mean you know everything," Allie stated ready to take up for her little sister when she saw her eyes begin to well up in tears over the thought of getting junk instead of a prize with her happy meal.
"I know more than you," Johnny proclaimed finishing his meal in record time and ready to take their leftovers if they weren't going to eat them. "Boys always know more than girls."
"Hold on little man," Sami said giving Johnny a stern look. "We don't put each other down in this family. Girls are as smart as boys."
"If not more so," Allie added only to have her mother give her a warning look also.
"Neither one of you are going to be arguing with each other," Sami told them both while Sydney nodded her head. Sami touched Sydney on the nose, "You either missy."
"Okay," Sydney leaned back further into Sami's arms opting to finally eat a solitary nugget before handing Johnny her box which he readily took from her.
"Why are we here Mommy?" Allie asked hoping the place wasn't haunted while she thought to herself that anywhere would be better than the loft. She hated it there. It always made her nervous when she had to stay there especially if her mommy wasn't around.
"Well I have something very important to tell you," Sami began as their little eyes turned to her and she started to tell them of her plan so that they could understand they were going to start a new life together here.
Moonlit Wishes
Book II, Part XVI
"Your mother and Edmund are going to be thrilled to see you," Nanny exclaimed after pouring the tea for both her and EJ along with providing them each with some sweet treats from her kitchen.
EJ gave her a doubtful glance, "I'm not so sure thrilled is the correct word to use with my impromptu homecoming."
"They never wanted you to leave in the first place…"
"Another reason that makes me look foolish in their eyes I'm sure," EJ took a sip of tea savoring the flavor, no one made tea like his nanny and he had missed it.
"When people love you, they don't stop even if you have made some rather questionable decisions regarding your life," Nanny said softly.
"Questionable that is putting it lightly," EJ shook his head. "Nanny if you only knew the things I have done. I'm not a very good man."
"Rubbish," Nanny spouted out causing EJ to look at her more closely. "You can't hide behind such remarks and toss out all you have done and meant to our family. Yes, you turned your back on us, but that didn't cause us to turn off our love to you like some kind of faucet. Love doesn't work that way. Have you forgotten all that I tried to teach you over the years?"
"You just don't understand, I've been horrid, my actions have been deplorable on many, many occasions."
"I'm not giving you a free pass on what you have done, but I know how you are, when you get hurt you want to hurt back."
"And hurt I did," EJ thought back to his leaving here was just the start of hurting people. Stefano had convinced him he would be stuck in this town the rest of his life if he hadn't come with him and he had left without a backward glance. His parents in tears, his Nanny telling him he'd be back one day and now he was feeling more sorrow and regret than ever.
"You've been hurt too, and before you can try to deny it, just know I can see it in your eyes," Nanny took his hand again. "Talk to me, I can help you. I would give anything I have to see you truly happy."
"I don't think anyone can help me." EJ withdrew his hand; she just didn't understand what kind of man he had become, one on many days he didn't recognize himself.
"You doubt your nanny? Please child, I have seen and heard it all. So out with it or there will be no more tea or biscuits for you."
The woman drove a hard bargain and he knew she meant it. Some things you just couldn't give up and nanny's tea and biscuits were things he couldn't get anywhere else but from her.
"You're not going to like what you hear," EJ warned as she rolled her eyes at him and he started to tell her about Samantha and the children.
Moonlit Wishes
Book II, Part XVII
Sami awoke with a slight ache in her neck, but she guessed that was due to her children's idea of camping out in the living room last night all together. She looked around for them as she yawned and stretched as she arose. Well she could hear their laughter as they were discovering the rest of the house without her.
She ambled around until she found them upstairs, following the sound of their sweet voices; they were probably making some kind of game of what they might find in the house. She hoped she was making the right decision by staying here.
EJ had told her she could consider this her sanctuary and somehow she felt from deep within it was true. This was a place that held promise for her and the children as she found her three youngest scampering about it what must be the master bedroom due to its size and location at the farthest end of the house.
"Good morning," Sami called out to them instantly causing them to stop jumping around on the bed; she tried not to wince at the dust that was flying up in the air amidst their jumping on the bed like it was a trampoline. The entire house was going to need a cleaning from top to bottom.
"Mommy you were a sleepyhead this morning," Johnny noted while attempting a flip on the bed which immediately made Sami worry, ever since he'd had the surgery to remove one of his eyes, she was always cautious with him, too cautious Rafe had remarked to her on more than one occasion.
She didn't want to think of Rafe, he'd tried to influence way too many of her decisions regarding the children this past year. She felt a pang of regret as she thought of how she had pushed EJ out of their lives, with Lucas it was different he had left of his own accord, wanting to start over in the business world after his marriage to Chloe had fell apart.
Lucas never should have married that tramp in the first place Sami thought uncharitably then again it had been his choice. She hadn't loved him enough to fight to stay married to him, opting to marry EJ in what she had claimed was to stop the DiMera/Brady feud, but deep down it had been more than that even though she wouldn't admit it.
Maybe if she had been more forthcoming with the truth things might all be different now. She wouldn't have divorced EJ and end up marrying another man who hadn't been good for her or her children either. She was slowing coming out of her Rafe induced fog where she had thought he could do no wrong. Why did she keep making bad decisions when it came to men? She should have been alone instead of trying to make an instant family with Rafe. What had she been thinking?
She knew the answer to that question she hadn't been thinking, she had been hurt at EJ, furious with him and more than slightly crazed when she had found out EJ had been behind Sydney's kidnapping. She had snapped and even to this day she had a difficult time reconciling her actions from that time. So she had done what she did best, jumped from the frying pan into the fire.
She knew marrying Rafe would hurt EJ, she wanted him alone and miserable while she was happily married, but it had kind of backfired on her in the worst possible way. EJ had turned to Nicole again; her worst enemy besides Kate and the vicious cycle had started all over again.
"Mommy, did you hear what I said?" Allie asked her looking at her sadly.
"No sweetheart, I'm sorry, Mommy was thinking about things," Sami went over to sit on the bed, hoping her presence in the room would stop them from jumping and maybe breaking what might be weak bedsprings depending on how old they were, plus the furniture was so pretty, she loved antiques and this bed was beautiful, it was a sleigh bed with high curling edges at the top and the bottom, the carvings where intricate. It would be a shame if it were broken in any way.
"Mommy ok?" Sydney came to snuggle up next to her, making Sami instantly smile, she had worried so long that Sydney would never warm up to her and now her baby girl made her feel like things would be all right given time.
She looked at them, they all seemed fine, and it was like they hadn't even been fazed by her decision to move them here. They were all so smart and strong, they were the reason she wanted to do better, to be a stable person, she had wandered too far away from who she was and now she was going to make things better for them all, they would find their way together.
Sami smiled at them all as they gathered around her on the bed, "Yes, Mommy is better than ok, she is great because I have all of you with me."
"And we are going to have an adventure working on the house," Johnny added as he tried to get past Allie to be beside his mother, but she wasn't budging her spot.
"Yes, we are and we need to get started today, we have to choose bedrooms and do lots of cleaning, washing things and…"
"Ugh, girl stuff," Johnny groaned only to have Sami pull him into a hug shaking her head.
"Family stuff," Sami corrected placing a kiss on his forehead and then to the girls too. They had a lot to do today and the sooner they started on it the more head way they would make in turning this house into a home for them all.
Moonlit Wishes
Book II, Part XVIII
"Maybe you should have warned me we would need stronger drinks than my specially brewed afternoon tea," Nanny remarked after summoning up one of her girls that worked at the bar to bring her and EJ some bourbon as they continued their discussion which lasted for the rest of the afternoon.
"You wanted to know the truth so I tried to give you the condensed version," EJ shrugged his shoulders wishing he could have told her of kinder things, but his life these past five years had been little of kindness, more of calculating especially where Samantha had been concerned.
"If you wanted me to see you as a villain, you have not succeeded." While she thought many of the choices he had brought to light for her to try and understand his motives had been less than savory she could also see EJ had done things out of a misguided sense of love for the woman he apparently couldn't win over no matter what he had tried to do for her.
"You'd be one of the few who do not view me that way," EJ didn't want her to feel sorry for him, but at least with her he could be totally honest and upfront. Nanny had seen many things in her life and while sometimes her words had cut him, he knew she only wanted the best for him.
"So you've been battered and bruised," she finished her drink and motioned for EJ to pour her another which he readily did and then also poured him some. "The main thing is that you are still here to tell the tale even if you've took some hard knocks along the way."
EJ thought how nice it was to be able to talk to her again, he had missed her most of all even more than his mother and Edmund. "Getting shot multiple times and having the life almost beaten out of you can make you change your perspective that much is for sure."
"See at least you can still find some humor amongst the carnage," Nanny had tried her best not to burst into tears during some parts of his story; she hated what those people had tried to do to the one person whom she loved so fiercely. She was ready to go to Salem herself and talk some sense into this Samantha person, really was the girl blind? She had to be because Nanny had to quell the laughter from bubbling up sometimes this afternoon when various women some of her employees too had tried to get her grandson's attention.
Sad thing was EJ didn't even seem to notice that his presence garnered attention of almost the entire female population of the pub and she thought wryly even some of the males too. It was like he didn't even seem to notice them at all, he must love this Samantha something fierce even for all his declarations to her this afternoon that he was done with love once and for all. Maybe all he needed was some time away to heal his wounds and then he'd be able to move forward even if he couldn't have the one woman who had managed to steal his heart.
"Well I have to say that while I don't agree with some of your tactics you chose to use I think this Samantha girl may see the light especially after you wrote her those missives…"
"I didn't write the letters to Samantha to get her back Nanny," EJ began only to pause momentarily trying to give a name to what he had hoped to accomplish when had had poured his heart and soul out to the most stubborn woman in the world when Nanny interjected with her words to him.
"While you may be an expert at fooling other people you can't get much past me," Nanny gave him a knowing look, one she used to use when he was a small child trying to convince her of something that he wanted or needed especially when his parents had already told him no.
"I've never seemed to be able to fool you," EJ agreed with her and a ghost of a smile started to form on his face.
"No you haven't," Nanny finished her drink and signaled for EJ to pour her another when he raised his brow questioningly. "Well you may be right; we might need to stop drinking so that when you see your parents we aren't both three sheets to the wind."
"I don't know if I'm going to see them," EJ informed his grandmother to which she cast him a frown. "I didn't even know if I'd have the courage to see you today."
"You are not a coward so don't start acting like one now. They deserve to see you, it's been far too long as it is, plus you need to be around us. We are the ones who truly love you and want what is best for you even when your choices have broken all of our hearts. So before you start to tell me what you are going to do I have a few suggestions myself." Nanny crossed her arms across her chest just daring him to defy her.
EJ knew that he wouldn't dare go against her, his nanny was many things to him, but he didn't want to disappoint her anymore than he already had so he'd go see his mother and step father. Maybe they could help him see that his life wasn't a total disaster even though by his standards he knew it was, but who knew this time away from Salem might be the best thing for him, it sure had to beat having his heart tramped upon time and time again.
But he didn't want to think about that now, he wanted to get over the heartache and somehow try to become a man his children would be proud of instead of a man they might be ashamed of later on if or when they discovered his misdeeds. Johnny turning away from him had been the catalyst for him to change, if his son didn't want him around at this young age what would it be like in the years to come?
He didn't want to be estranged from his children, he missed them fiercely and it had only been a short time they had been apart. He couldn't imagine years of this anguish residing in his heart. He knew better than to expect anything else from Samantha even if she had come to the airport before he left Salem. He had tried not to put much stock into her appearance there and request for them to talk.
He didn't want to think of her anymore, she had been such a huge part of his life for years and he needed to get her out of his heart for good. He hadn't been lying to his nanny he was done with love, Samantha was married to that buffoon Rafe and he had to accept it and finally move on without trying to hurt her for not choosing to be with him.
Samantha had made it plain time and time again that she didn't want him and he was going to try to find a way to forget her. Surely if she could do it, he could too. All he needed was some time and hopefully when he returned to Salem they both could be adult about things enough for her to let him see the children again.
Right now he needed to concentrate on finding the good things in his life and what was important to him and nothing was more important than having his children back in some kind of capacity in his life. He just had to show Samantha he could be the kind of man that would put his children first no matter what else was happening in his life.
He could do it, he knew he could. Maybe Nanny would help show him the way. God knew he needed some guidance that wasn't tainted by the DiMera way of doing things. He had to learn to find a balance between who he used to be and the man he had become and hopefully he'd find the man he'd lost somewhere along the way.
Moonlit Wishes
Book II, Part XIX
The weekend had passed by quickly, almost too quickly Sami surmised as she made her way into the corporate offices of Titan Industries. She was more than a tad bit nervous even if her morning had been hectic getting the kids off to school, dropping Sydney off at her pre-K class and making sure Grandma was going to be able to pick them up today.
She had worked on a schedule that she thought would work, but the true test would be this week, if they could all get where they needed to be and when they needed to be there it would be fine. She just needed to quit worrying about things so much.
Then again, this was her first job in years; it had been ages since she'd been in the corporate world and even with these pre morning jitters clamoring around in her head, she was actually excited. Brady had told her to go to HR first thing this morning to get set up in the system as an employee and afterwards he'd take her around to her new office.
She was going to have her own office! She got through the initial HR questionnaires despite the lingering stares some of the girls had when she had entered the room, she guessed the rumor mill would be running rampant with the news of Brady hiring his half sister to work at the company.
Well she'd prove he'd done the right thing by hiring her even if she had resorted to making him feel all sorts of guilty, but he was her little brother and she could get away with it with him. With Eric, she almost never gained the upper hand, her twin brother saw through every scheme she had been known to come up with usually before anyone else even thought she was capable of such things.
But her scheming days were behind her, or so she hoped they were at least to some degree, right now it was all about providing a stable home environment for the children, or rather her three youngest, since Will hadn't been too happy when he had heard of her latest plans for the future.
"Are you serious Mom? Did you just say you were leaving Rafe and moving into some kind of house EJ bought? Are you insane?" Will had turned those brown eyes on her with more than a modicum of suspicion while he looked at her.
"Will I know what I am doing!" Sami replied sternly, god she hated it when he got all cocky with her, he thought he knew it all especially now that he was a freshman in college. But there was so much he didn't understand of what had gone wrong with her and Rafe, of her life in general for that matter.
"Sure you do, just like the last time you got involved with EJ," Will huffed while pushing a lock of hair out from his eyes, not wanting his mother to also mention he needed a haircut which he clearly didn't but that was beside the point.
"EJ isn't even in Salem," Sami offered up, thinking this might help be a selling point of why she was choosing to live in a house that he had bought. She had considered not telling Will the truth about who owned the house, that she was renting it instead, but her days of lying were over, well for the most part they were especially when it came to the children.
"He wise up and leave town just like Dad did?" Will asked in a harsh tone, one that belied the hurt he still felt whenever he realized things were never going to work out for his parents. Lucas had been truthful with him, he had told him that neither he nor Sami had any kind of desire to try again and his moving to Japan for Home and Hearth was his decision. He had needed to leave Salem for his peace of mind and he wasn't coming back ever for more than visits to see the family.
"That was low Will," Sami said his words reminding her of the way Lucas used to cut her down to size whenever they had a disagreement over how things were going.
"I learned from the best, you and Dad," Will shrugged and started to turn on his heel, he really didn't care if EJ was gone or not, but he felt bad for Johnny and Sydney, now they didn't have their father around either and it was all due to the woman standing here in front of him, his mother who was notorious for lying and driving men to the point of insanity.
He knew one thing was for certain, he was never going to fall in love with anyone, he'd seen firsthand what happened when you gave your heart to someone and it wasn't pretty, no it tore you and your family apart.
"William," Sami began ready to berate him when she realized it was pointless, he was upset with her and hopefully he'd get over it soon. Maybe in time he would come to understand why she was doing this, it was the best option she had right now to get her life back in order.
"I'm outta here," Will pushed on the door to the student center and left his mother standing there wishing there was some way she could bridge this ever growing gap that was growing between them. Well one thing at a time, Will would come around, he just had to because she and the kids really needed him to be on board with this new phase in their lives.
"There you are," Brady came up behind Sami touching her shoulders before he came around to his desk to face her while she was lost in thought recalling her and Will's conversation yesterday at Salem University. Brady took one look at her face knowing something was up before asking, "Are you all right?"
Sami gave him a brief smile, trying to get the argument with Will out of her mind, she needed to focus on work today, push her problems to the background for the time being.
"I'm fine, more than fine actually I'm ready to see where I'll be working," Sami felt her enthusiasm trying to bubble it's way to the surface, despite whatever problems she may be facing, this was going to be good for her, she knew it.
"All right, I'll lead the way," Brady held out his hand for her and she took it readily. They walked down the hallway, took a few turns and then Brady stopped at the door of the last office and gestured for her to enter.
Well she thought she was going to have an office all to herself, but apparently she was going to be sharing one with someone and whoever it was their side of the office was tastefully decorated, while her side was painfully bare, devoid of anything personal.
"So who am I sharing office space with and what will I be doing?" Sami asked as Brady broke into a huge smile, he just couldn't help himself even though he knew this wasn't abating Sami's fears of having to share an office with anyone.
"Oh my god, as I live and breathe, it's you honey," a somewhat familiar voice broke into the room as he arrived with a flourish.
"I know you," Sami began trying to place exactly where she had seen this man before.
"Of course you do, we were exercise buddies!" Chris exclaimed merrily before telling Brady he could take it from here that he'd take excellent care of his sister. Brady taking his cue, left them alone hoping he was making the right choice by placing Sami in Chris' office, most people had a hard time dealing with him, he was harmless really unless Brady counted the times he had tried to personally hit on him, but he had been amused more than alarmed and let it pass.
Yes, Sami working with Chris would do wonders for her, she needed a friend outside of their family who could be objective and this man was just the one who might be able to take on his sister and teach her a thing or two about the shark pool she was entering by taking this job. While he had no doubts of his sister's abilities, he knew she might need some help with her people skills and when Chris was on your side at least it was never boring.
He guessed he would know for sure, either Sami would be ready to quit within a week's time or she would be able to do this job that so far had proven to him that it was quite tough to do. At least the last three girls hadn't made it, but this was Sami, she might just surprise him.
Before Sami had time to catch her breath, Chris took her by the hands and led her to chair, eyeing her outfit critically while he spun her chair around making her slightly dizzy.
"Girlfriend this just won't do," Chris said with a tsk.
"What won't do?" Sami asked not knowing what Chris was talking about. Did she have something in her teeth, she thought she had brushed carefully before leaving the house this morning.
Chris swirled his hands all around her, "This ensemble, did you really think this went together when you got up to get ready for work this morning?"
Sami felt a blush come over her, really what was wrong with her outfit? Granted she hadn't had money to buy a new wardrobe and she hadn't had time to get her clothes from the loft, she thought this was ok, although apparently Chris had other ideas.
"Well," she began not really knowing what to say, no one had ever confronted her about her choice of clothing beyond Nicole and she was a bitch so she never even listened to any kind of advice she had offered up to her.
"Wait a minute! Are Stacy and Clinton here in the building?" Chris asked excitement building in his voice as he took a step back in the hallway hoping a camera crew was outside waiting, but to his chagrin no one was in the hall beyond a few harried employees of Titan.
"Who are Stacy and Clinton?" Sami asked thinking her new office mate was quite deranged.
"Oh my god, this is worse than I thought," Chris shook his head sadly, this girl really had no clue and her brother had hired her to work for a fashion magazine.
"What are you talking about?"
"What Not to Wear, Stacy London and Clinton Kelly, anything ringing a bell for you sweetie?" Chris asked with the hopes that this might bring her around.
"Not a clue," Sami shook her head, yep it was official Brady had put her with a crazy person, why hadn't she seen it at the gym that day? Then again she had been trying to make EJ jealous or rather keep him away from that skank Nicole not that it had helped in the long run, but still.
"Well I'm calling Brady to inform him we'll be back after lunch," Chris said taking her by the hand and pulling her up.
"It's morning and I just got here ready to start my new job," Sami said thinking even if she was Brady's sister he wouldn't put up with her already leaving the office especially before lunch.
"Honey, we are working on the magazine staff of Bellasome of these women in this office are downright vicious, we have to present them with your best not your hand me downs," Chris noted as he pulled on Sami's garment before she swatted his hand away.
"Chris I can't just go out and buy new clothes, I'm a single mom," Sami said a little self consciously, she had to budget her money wisely, she wasn't going to take any money from EJ, it was enough that she was staying at the house, but right now she didn't have plenty of options to choose from so she was going with her gut instinct.
"We have a company credit card for emergencies, and honey this is an emergency," Chris ushered her out of the room before those hags could see her, no way was he going to let them tear into her like they had so many others before. This was going to be such a fun day, he was going to do his very own makeover, he didn't need Stacy and Clinton's help he knew what worked in the fashion world and what did not.
Sami was so pretty if she had the right clothes she'd be unstoppable and so off they went, Sami still unsure and Chris brimming full of enthusiasm and energy. Well Sami thought after they returned to the office much later on during the day that one thing was for certain working at Titan was going to be one surprise after another, at least it was as long as she was hanging out with Chris.