Hey, so as you know I've started all the chapters with a flashback. Well, after the last chapter, Naomi's flashback storlyline caught up to where her story began in the present. I still wanted to do flashbacks so for the next several chapters, I will be doing them from Sam's point of view. However, the present day part of the story will still be from Naomi's perspective. I hope you guys like this chapter, I made it really nice and long. XOXO
Chapter Nine
The sun had broken the horizon by the time Sam finally pulled into the driveway. Turning off the car engine, he sat back in his seat and stared off into the distance. In a matter of hours, his life had been flipped upside down. He had a son; the most beautiful six month old baby boy; a boy who looked just like him, except around the eyes. He had Naomi's eyes and her father's dimples. Sam was so immediately taken with Isaiah, he hadn't wanted to leave the hospital. He would have still been there had Naomi not convinced him to go home and get some rest. Sam was tempted to argue with her until she had added that she needed to leave in the few hours to pick up her mother from the airport and that she wanted him to be there while she was gone. He would be spending his first hours alone with his son; they could start forming a bond without the outside world and other people interfering. He wouldn't have to concentrate so hard on repressing his anger towards Naomi; a deep volatile anger that was growing every second. How could she have kept his son away from him?
Slowly, getting out of the car, Sam ran his hand down his face as he headed inside. Instead of getting sleep like he should, he was about to face another dilemma; Addison. He had wanted so badly to run after her last night, tell her how much he loved her, how hard he would work to make sure their relationship wouldn't be affected. But he couldn't. Point blank, he had cheated on her. No matter how sorry or remorseful he felt, he couldn't change that one simple fact. Babies, on the other hand, changed everything; he could no longer put Addison first. Children needed their parents; they took precedence over everyone and everything. But there had to be a way to make this right. Sam loved Addison too much to let her go without at least putting up a hard fight.
Opening the door, Sam immediately headed for the stairs and was surprised to see Addison sitting on the bottom step waiting for him. She was sipping on a mug of hot tea, her eyes were red rimmed and swollen from crying. "Addison" Sam whispered.
"I was wondering when you were going to come home, if you even bothered to come home at all" she said, her voice hoarse and raw. "I half expected you to be already moved into Naomi's house".
Sam knelt in front of Addison, tried to reach for her but she blocked him. "It was a mistake Addy, I never meant for any of this to happen".
Addison stood up, stepped around him, and walked into the kitchen. "How exactly did it happen Sam? It's still not making any sense to me".
Following her, he answered "I told you. I was too drunk to remember where my hotel was so Maya gave the taxi driver Naomi's address. Everything else is blurry".
"So, you're telling me you showed up at her door and conveniently forgot the rest of the night? It's been over a year Sam. You must've remembered something else by now".
Sam paused. Every now and then, flashes came to him, more like sensations; a soft kiss, his whispered name on Naomi's lips, skin soft to the touch, loud moans, or the lustful look in her eyes. But what was most vivid was the next morning; he'd always remembered that part...
He'd awoken to the feel of his arms wrapped around a woman's nude body. A dull headache forming, he kept his eyes closed and pulled her closer. Her skin felt so smooth and silky; her curves were so enticing. The scents emanating off her body were so intoxicating. Absentmindedly, his hands began to wander up and down her body, touching her legs, massaging her thighs, cupping her ass, squeezing her breasts. She began to stir in her sleep; the passionate unconscious moan that came from her aroused him; he felt the strongest urge to be living inside her. Something was different about her this morning; she felt, smelled and sounded different; yet she was still so familiar. If Sam didn't know any better, he would have thought he was in bed with his ex-wife instead of Addison.
His eyes popped open; instead of seeing his girlfriend, his sight landed on Naomi's sleeping face. Her lips were slightly parted, her nipples at full attention from being stimulated in her slumber. Still asleep, but aroused, she stirred some more and turned over on her back before she went motionless. Sam released the small breath he didn't even know he had been holding. Sitting up quickly, he dropped his feet over the side of the bed. How the hell did this happen? How did he and his ex-wife wind up in bed together? They were still friends, really good friends, but their days as lovers were far behind them. It made no sense. They didn't even live in the same city anymore.
Suddenly, it hit him. He was in New York visiting Maya and Olivia! He had gone out with some friends last night and then….it was so fuzzy. Vaguely, he remembered talking to his daughter, telling her he didn't remember where here his hotel was. Maya had demanded he hand the phone over to the taxi driver. Then what happened? Sam squeezed his eyes shut and tried to remember. The only image he could conjure was a surprised Naomi opening the door; then everything went black. He remembered being happy to see her but that was it. It was now apparent that he had been more than happy; alcohol had made him horny. He glanced back at Naomi and stared at her gorgeous naked body as she slept. They were divorced but he wasn't blind. She was still every bit as beautiful as the day he met her; and every bit as attractive. Without remembering last night, he was fairly confident the sex must have been mind-blowing. His body felt exhausted from too much exertion, like he'd run a marathon. Plus, even after years of divorce, the memories of their lovemaking hadn't faded. He was all too familiar with the magic between her thighs, the taste of her skin, the magnetism of her lips. Just the thought of her blessed gifts sent blood rushing to his penis; immediately a strong surge of guilt consumed him. This was wrong; he was in love with Addison. The instant pain in his gut he felt at the thought of hurting her nearly crippled him. How could he have let this happen?
In a near state of panic, not knowing what to do, he silently crept around the room, looking for his clothes. They were nowhere to be found. He walked out into the hallway, the sun coming from the living room windows nearly blinding him and intensifying his headache. As he kept moving, he passed by the couch, saw a glass of red wine on the coffee table. It looked like Naomi had been doing some drinking of her own. Where were his clothes? Finally, he reached the kitchen and saw his and Naomi's clothes strewn everywhere. Had they really had sex in the kitchen? Collecting his garments and dressing quickly, he started for the front door. When his hand touched the doorknob, he hesitated. He couldn't leave like this; he needed to discuss what had happened with Naomi. They needed to decide what all of this meant, what they should do. Sam walked back to the entrance of Naomi's bedroom and stared at her for a moment. His heart skipped a beat; the thought of waking her up, them staring at each other in awkward silence was too much. Sam didn't want their relationship to suffer; she was too important. He was afraid of losing Naomi as a friend almost as much as losing Addison as a girlfriend. Going back to the front door, he told himself he would call her later as he hurried into the hall. He and Naomi probably needed space anyways; they could figure everything out later once they individually had time to let last night's events digest. Right now, he had to get in contact with Addison; she would undoubtedly be worried about him after not hearing from him the previous night. As he jogged down the stairs of the apartment building, Sam prayed everything would be ok, that this one indiscretion wouldn't ruin all of their lives.
"Sam. SAM! Can you even hear me or are you too busy remembering how great it was sleeping with Naomi behind my back" Addison yelled, snapping her fingers in front of his face, trying to get his attention.
Shaking his head and coming back to the present, Sam pleaded "No! I was trying to remember what happened but I don't. The next memory I have is waking up the next morning and wondering what happened. I felt so guilty and was angry at myself for betraying you. I didn't even bother to wake Naomi; I just grabbed my things and got out of there. Then I called you".
"Don't insult my intelligence. You were thinking about more than that".
Sam sighed. "This whole situation is just so complicated Addison. Naomi isn't a stranger to either of us. Right now, the very thought of her enrages me but that morning, it was different story. When I woke up, part of me wondered what would happen to my friendship with her" he confessed. "We had just made a stupid mistake that not only could affect our relationship with you, but with each other. But after that thought passed, all I could think about was you and how much I didn't want to lose you. All I can think about now is how much I don't want to lose you; I love you Addison".
"Have you slept with Naomi since then"?
"Come on Addison! No! We didn't even exchange one email after the incident. She must've been too nervous to make contact and discuss what happened just like me. I didn't see or talk to her again until she rejoined the practice. And the first words out of my mouth were out of concern for you. We mutually decided to keep our indiscretion a secret to protect you".
"Protect lil' ole me" Addison asked in a southern accent. "Well, how sweet of yall" she said, her words dripping with sarcasm. Dropping the accent, her face went hard. "Protecting me and my feelings would have been never having sex in the first place. How could you both do that to me? You keep saying it was an accident, but things like that don't happen on accident".
Sam knew he had a long way to go to earn Addison's forgiveness and he was willing to do the work. However, at the same time, he was getting frustrated. He would like to think Addison would be a little more understanding. "You tell me Addison. What motivated you to cheat on Derek? Or Kevin? Why did you almost sleep with your patient's husband" he lashed out at her.
Addison felt like Sam had just slapped her in the face; she stumbled back as if a blow to her face had knocked her off balance. Tears began streaming down her face. "How dare you use my past against me" she whispered.
He regretted it immediately. "I'm sorry Addison, I didn't mean to hit below the belt. I know it doesn't change the fact that I'm in the wrong. But if anyone can understand making an error in judgment, it's you. Why do you refuse to believe that I honestly made a mistake when you've been in the same position? I'm not asking you to forgive me right away, but at least give me a chance. I truly am sorry".
Addison shook her head. "It's not the same Sam".
"How is it not the same"?
"She's your ex-wife and she had your baby" Addison screamed, her throat on fire. "We've been going round and round for months about having a baby. I've been practically begging you and she didn't even have to ask. Do you have any idea how that makes me feel"?
"It is the same. Mark was Derek's best friend and he got you pregnant" Sam argued.
"No, it isn't the same. By then, Derek was gone and Mark and I were in a relationship. And I ultimately decided not to have the baby; the timing and the circumstances just weren't right. You, on the other hand, jump into bed with Naomi for one night and a baby is created. How do you expect me to get past that? Especially, when you refuse to give me my own child?
"I'm not refusing you anything Addison; I said I needed time to think. It's not like I went out and purposely had a baby with Naomi. We made a mistake" Sam repeated, feeling like a broken record. "I had no idea about Isaiah; if I could kill Naomi right now and get away with it, I would. She took matters into her own hands and left me out of the decision making process".
"Sort of how like you cheated on me and neglected to tell me. Or how you agreed to have a child with me and then changed your mind".
"Don't go rewriting history. I said I was open to discussion but I never said it was a definite possibility. I'm still in the middle, I'm not leaning one way or the other. There's nothing wrong with practicing patience Addison. Why does it always have to be what you want when you want it"?
"You want to talk to me about patience? Sam, I've always wanted kids; this is not some bright idea I came up with yesterday. But, somehow I've wound up in my forties, nearly unfertile, with a boyfriend who not only doesn't want to have kids with me, but goes and has one with his ex-wife.
"What would you have me do" Sam shouted. "I know it's hurting you but I can't change what happened. I can't make my son disappear because it bothers you. Nor can I ignore him because it bothers you. Isaiah exists and he's my responsibility. Just because Naomi tried to keep him away from me doesn't mean I get a free pass to not be his father. Besides, I'm not that kind of man".
Taking a deep shaky breath, Addison blew out a strong gust of air. She knew he was right; Isaiah wasn't going anywhere. Now, the ball was in her court. She had to make a decision on whether she could live with Sam having a son or not. Maybe if she could get a straight answer concerning whether their future might include kids, she would have a clearer sense of things. "So, what does this mean for you and me? Are you ever going to be ready to have a child with me"?
"I just found out less than twelve hours ago that I have a six month old son. My mind is exploding, I can barely think. Do I really have to answer that right now"?
"When are you going to be ready to give me an answer Sam? It's been months and I don't exactly have a lot of time. Mother nature is not on my side".
"I don't know Addison. Right now I have to concentrate on Isaiah".
"Concentrate on Isaiah or Naomi" Addison accused, her temper flaring.
"Naomi" Sam asked, surprised. "Why does our conversation keep circling back to her? We're supposed to be discussing if you can forgive me and if we have a future together. Yes, she played a part in me making a huge mistake, but our relationship has nothing to do with Naomi and furthermore, I don't want anything to do with her. My friendship with her is no longer important; it's over. If I could get away with seeing Isaiah and not have to deal with her, I would".
Addison squinted her eyes and scrutinized Sam more closely. "She's the mother of your child, both your children Sam. This has everything to do with her and why you chose to sleep with her. You're a good looking guy; you could have practically slept with anyone you wanted yet you chose your ex-wife who was living three thousand miles away. How can you not see how big a deal that is? Are you still in love with her"?
It was Sam's turn to feel like he'd been slapped; more like sucker punched. "No" he gasped. "I love you".
"So you're saying you don't love her at all".
"I mean I guess I love her but not like that" Sam stumbled, really thrown for a loop. "I'll always love her in a way but I'm not in love with her; right now, I might even hate her. Regardless, I'm in love with you".
Addison's head dropped in contemplation. She knew Sam believed what he was saying but somehow she wasn't reassured. Most days it hadn't bothered her, but when she was honest with herself, Addison had to admit that Sam and Naomi's history was intimidating. Though she'd kept it in check, after getting with Sam, seeing them just have a discussion had made her nervous. Even as friends, there was a chemistry between them that couldn't be denied. When Naomi had moved to New York, Addison felt ashamed that along with her sadness, relief had swept over her. Sam and Naomi's love had been one for the ages; Addison had witnessed it with her own eyes. Before she fell for Sam, she'd always secretly hoped and believed they would get back together. Now, that was her worst nightmare. "Look Sam; this is a lot to take in. I love you so much but I don't know if we can get past this. And even if we can, at the end of the day, I'm still going to want a baby. You and Naomi didn't even want more kids and yet you have one. There's no reason why I should be denied my own child; I deserve a baby. We're just on two different pages right now Sam; so, I think it would be best if you spent some time at your house for a while".
Freaking out, Sam immediately reached out for Addison, ignoring the fight she put up to keep him away. "Are you breaking up with me? Please don't Addison. You have to believe me when I say I love you. I know we haven't been agreeing on the baby subject, but I can get there. Just give me time. I don't want to lose you".
Addison tried to push Sam away but he refused to loosen his grip. Sighing, she rested her hands against his chest and stared at him. "I know you love me but Sam; you betrayed me, hurt me so deeply, and no amount of love can erase the type of pain I feel. For god's sake, she had your baby" she whispered in tortured agony. No matter how many times she said that, Addison couldn't wrap her head around it. Yet, the pain of that revelation continued to deepen. It was like pouring salt in an open wound until it overflowed. Not only did Naomi have what she wanted, but Addison still had no guarantee that she would ever have the same thing for herself. It was like her nightmare was slowly turning into reality. And Sam's half-assed overtures weren't helping; she wanted him to have a baby with her because he wanted to, not because she had worn him down or he felt guilty. Part of Addison felt like she should cut her losses and walk away but even now, looking at Sam's face, the love she felt for him kept her from pulling the trigger. "I'm not breaking up with you but we need space; time to figure out how much we're both willing to do to make this work". She gently touched his face. "I'm going to get ready for work; and I'm assuming you'll be spending the day at the hospital with your son". And Naomi Addison thought. "Please don't be here when I get home" she said sadly. This time when she pushed against Sam, his hands easily fell away. She walked past him.
All Sam could do was watch her walk up the stairs in silence.
…
"Mama Dee" Naomi exclaimed, in shock. Her tone was so off kilter, it made Isaiah curious enough to lift his head and look back.
Dee's heart melted when her eyes made contact with Isaiah's. He was absolutely beautiful. She smiled at him and was delighted when he smiled back. Thinking about all the time she had missed with him, a painful ache formed in her chest. Dropping her smile and turning back to Naomi, she said "aren't you going to invite me in"?
"Of…of course" Naomi sputtered, stepping back and allowing Dee to enter. "Would you like to hold him" she asked, closing the door behind her former mother-in-law.
"Of course I would, that's why I'm here. I came straight from the airport" Dee said, dropping her bags by the door. She held out her hands and let Naomi place her grandson in her arms. "Hey Isaiah, it's nice to meet you" she cooed. "I'm your grandma Dee".
So, I'm guessing Sam finally told you about Isaiah" Naomi said, still finding it hard to believe Dee was there.
"No, I guess he's still too busy being mad at you. I can't really say I blame him but a phone call would have still been nice. Your mother told me" Dee revealed, as they walked into the living room. "Hello Ruth".
"Hey Dee. How was your flight"?
"Wait, you told her" Naomi asked, looking at her mom. "And you knew she was coming" she added, looking back at Dee. It all felt so sneaky; what plan were they conspiring against her? When would this evening from hell end?
"Yes, someone had to" Ruth said defensively. "You made me promise not to say anything to Dee so Sam wouldn't find out, but now that he knows, there was no reason to keep her in the dark anymore".
Naomi nodded, knowing she had just been put in her place. "Yes, of course. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about him Dee. I really wanted to, it's just…" she didn't finish, letting her words trail off.
"You didn't think I would be able to keep my mouth shut. I understand Naomi, I do. I don't like it or agree with it, but I understand. But do you have any idea what this last year has been like? Your mother is one of my dearest friends and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why she was being so distant. I thought I had done something wrong". Dee paused to smile back at her grandson, tickle his ribcage. "And now that I know the truth, it's almost worse. I've missed so much time with Isaiah while Ruth has been here for every precious moment".
"Oh Dee" Ruth lamented.
Naomi didn't know what to say. "I…I'm sorry" she mumbled. There was an uneasy silence that filled the air as the three women stared at each other. The tension didn't break until Isaiah began to make a lot of noises.
"Not getting enough attention" Dee teased, kissing him on the cheek. But her affection didn't appease him. He became fussier, wriggling in her arms. His hands balled into tiny fists and he used them to rub his eyes repeatedly.
"He's sleepy. He's had a long day and it's past his bedtime" Naomi said, recognizing the warning signs. "Did he take a nap at all while Sam was here" she asked her mother.
"He didn't. Sam tried to put him down but Isaiah always gets so excited when Sam visits, he doesn't want to miss a minute".
"Great, just great" Naomi griped. Not taking a nap most likely meant Isaiah would not only sleep through the night, but into late morning; which was great for tonight. However, sleeping later would throw off his schedule for the next day and make the next night's bedtime adventure completely unpredictable. Hopefully, Isaiah would still go to sleep on time but it was equally as possible he would be wide awake and ready to play. Naomi had learned this the hard way from the few times she had let him skip his naptime. "Well, I better get him to bed now and pray this won't affect him too much tomorrow".
"I can take him up" Dee volunteered. "I want to soak up every possible minute I can with him. We have a lot of catching up to do, don't we Isaiah" Dee said, rocking him. His eyes were already closing as his head rested on her shoulder. She kissed him again; they'd met less than ten minutes ago and already he had stolen her heart.
"Sure, I'll just show you where the nursery is" Naomi agreed.
"Lead the way". Dee followed Naomi upstairs and down the hall. When they reached the nursery, Naomi pointed inside but respectfully stayed at the door while Dee walked inside towards the crib. Isaiah's room was painted in shades of blues, whites, and grays. In random spots on the walls, there were life-size images of Looney Tune characters from Bugs Bunny to Daffy Duck. It was a little boy's dream room. Dee momentarily wondered if Naomi had chosen that theme because she knew it was Sam's favorite cartoon as a child; or had it been a mere coincidence? Gently she laid Isaiah down in the crib; he was giving one stubborn last effort to keep his heavy eyelids from closing but he was losing the battle. She rubbed his tummy, soothing him until he finally succumbed and fell into a deep slumber. "Goodnight Isaiah; I already love you so much. I'll see you when you wake up in the morning". Kissing his hand, she turned off the lamp by his crib and left the room.
Naomi was still standing by the door when Dee exited and closed the bedroom door behind her. "So, did you want to stay her tonight or are you going to…" she didn't get a chance to finish her question.
The boiling anger Dee had kept locked up since her phone conversation with Ruth the previous day had steadily been rising to the surface since the moment Naomi answered the door. She couldn't hold back any longer. As soon as the door had clicked shut, she hauled her right arm back and slapped Naomi so hard, her hand burned. "How dare you keep Isaiah away from me and my son" she said in low choppy angry tones, her breathing ragged. "You know Sam hated not having a father in his life. Why would you inflict the same thing on his own child? And what about me? I have loved you like a daughter since the day I met you; the divorce changed nothing for me. Yet, not only did you not have the common decency to tell me about my grandson, you caused a wedge between your mother and I by forcing her to keep your secret. Luckily, we're older and have lived longer to not let something like this ruin our friendship, but for you to even put your mother in that position….why Naomi? Why would you do this? WHY"?!
Falling against the wall in shock, Naomi held her stinging cheek. It felt hot to the touch. Had Dee really hit her? She wanted to respond, explain her reasons but she was too stunned; and the pain that radiated in Dee's eyes told her no explanation would ever be good enough. For the first time, Naomi truly understood how her actions had affected other people. Even on her worse day, she'd never meant to hurt anyone. This was all too much; this evening, the last few months, hell, the last year. The weight and the pressure of everything that had happened, everything she had endured was finally catching up with her. She felt deflated and defeated. Tears sprang forth and she collapsed, sliding down the wall and crumpling into a sobbing lunatic on the floor. Dee hitting her had knocked something lose and she couldn't pull herself back together, not this time. All the pent up emotions were pouring out of her in droves. "I…I'm…I'm so….so sorry" Naomi blubbered as she tried to gasp for air.
Dee knelt in front of Naomi, a little taken aback. Naomi rarely lost her cool; she usually managed to control her emotions in front of other people. Only close friends and family had seen her break down and even those instances were almost unheard of. She didn't like looking weak. Sam used to be the only person she willingly let see her in a vulnerable state. For Naomi to lose it like this in in front of her, even if she was family, spoke volumes to Dee. Slowly reaching out to touch her arm, Dee asked quietly "Naomi, what is going on with you"?
Naomi couldn't stop her overflowing tears long enough to answer. She buried her face in her hands and shook her head.
Sitting down next to Naomi, Dee pulled her into her arms and rocked her. Naomi's unhinged state was a little frightening. "Come on Naomi, it can't be that bad. I'm sorry I hit you; I just couldn't believe what you'd done; it's not like you. I still love you like a daughter. No, you are my daughter. I just want to know why".
She still couldn't say anything, couldn't stop the tears from falling. Naomi's whole body shook from the sheer force of her sobs.
"Naomi…" Dee pulled Naomi's hands away from her face. "Look at me, everything is going to be okay between us, I promise. Just tell me why".
"I…because…I…" Naomi stuttered, unable to find the words, unable to stop crying.
Dee didn't need any words. She looked into Naomi's eyes and immediately saw her answer. "Oh my God" she gasped. "You're in love with Sam, aren't you"?
Naomi finally found her voice. "No…yes…I mean no, but I was at the time. Oh Mama Dee" she cried as her head fell on the older woman's shoulder. "He showed up to my place in New York drunk and talking nonsense. But I wanted so badly to believe he still loved me as much as I loved him, I went against my better judgment. This is all my fault, I handled everything so terribly".
Dee rubbed her hair and continued to rock her. "You could have done better but my son is an idiot. One day he'll realize the mistake he's making by dating Addison; he'll regret the day he ever let you get away, just like you regret the day you let him get away".
Her tears finally ebbing, Naomi shook her head. "It doesn't matter anymore. Sam and I are over and I've accepted it, moved on. All that matters is Isaiah. I know no amount of apologizing in the world can make up for what I did, but I want you to know that it had nothing to do with you. I love you Dee; if I could have told you without Sam knowing, I would have done it in a heartbeat".
"I know sweetheart, I know. But it was wrong for you to keep Isaiah from Sam in the first place".
"I know, but I couldn't…I just couldn't…."
"Raise a child with a man you were in love with" Dee finished for her.
Naomi nodded.
"And now"?
"Now I can; I don't love him anymore. Sam may hate me but I'm stronger now; Isaiah makes me strong. I'll do whatever I have to for my son's sake because as much as I hate to admit it, Isaiah needs him".
Dee wiped Naomi's tears. "That's my girl; that's the Naomi I know and love" she smiled. Looking at her surrogate daughter, Dee saw how much this conversation was taking out of her. She looked physically and emotionally drained. "You look tired; we can continue our talk in the morning. Why don't you go get some sleep"?
"No, I have tons of things to do".
"They can wait until the morning".
"Well, what about you? Are you staying? Let me get the other guest bedroom ready for you".
"I'd love to stay, thank you for extending an invitation to me. But you need some rest. I can manage for the most part and what I can't, I'll recruit Ruth to help me".
Naomi looked doubtful. "Are you sure"?
"Yes, go get some rest" she said, kissing Naomi on the cheek.
"Okay, I love you" Naomi said softly, kissing Dee back on the cheek before getting up and walking to the end of the hallway, going into her room, and closing it behind her.
Dee sat where she was for a minute, staring at the direction Naomi had gone. After a few more moments, she rose and headed back towards the stairs, not surprised when she saw Ruth sitting on a step halfway up the staircase.
"Did you have to hit my child" Ruth asked.
"Would you have rather me hit you" Dee replied, walking down the stairs and sitting next to Ruth.
"No, but she's been through so much. I know what she did was wrong but she had her reasons".
"Like still being in love with my son despite her saying otherwise? You were right, there was a lot more to the story than I was aware of. I'm still not happy with what she did but I have a better understanding. And now I also understand why you didn't tell me her reasons over the phone; you wanted me to see for myself".
"I think Sam is still in love with her too".
"I'm sure he is. Because if he can't recognize how beautiful and special Naomi is, even on a subconscious level, than he is a bigger idiot than I gave him credit for. I don't know how they ever got away from each other. They were the perfect couple".
Ruth shook her head and sighed. "What are we going to do with them"?
Dee laughed. "I wish I knew".
"Are we really okay? You don't know how many times I wanted to tell you about Isaiah, but I couldn't betray my daughter's trust".
"I know. If the roles were reversed, I probably would have done the same thing. It still hurts, but we'll be okay" Dee said, grabbing Ruth's hand. "We are okay old friend".
The two women smiled at each other, happy knowing their friendship would survive. Ruth looked behind her up the stairs, with Dee following her glance. "Now if only we could get our children on the same page".
"If only" Dee repeated, sighing.