Sorry this took so long to post. I actually finished it about a week ago but it took me forever to type and edit it. I'm practically asleep as soon as I get home from work, LOL. Anyways, this chapter is long to make up for it. As always thanks for reading! XOXO :)

Chapter Thirteen

Sam felt like he'd only done three things in the past two weeks; spend time with his son, beg for Addison's forgiveness, and sleep. He was currently on activity number two. He and Addison were sitting on the couch in his house discussing the same subject for the countless time. "Come on Addy; I love you and you know you love me. How do we know if we'll ever be able to get past this unless we try"?

Addison was weakening. A week ago, she wouldn't have even agreed to walk the few steps it took to his house. Sam was right; she loved him and love made you do things against your better judgment. However, Addison's love for Sam still didn't stop her from being scared. Her heart had been trampled on too many times to be careless with it again. "Love isn't the issue Sam. Naomi is the problem. I risked my friendship with her for you and then you went and slept with her. In so many ways, this would have been easier to take if you had slept with a random stranger. But you didn't; you slept with your ex-wife, someone you share an incredibly long history with, someone I share a long history with. What is the point of us being together if she's not out of your system? How do I know it won't happen again"?

He would've loved to pacify Addison and tell her it wouldn't, but Sam couldn't. Even though he was angrier with Naomi than ever, he'd learned the hard way that anything was possible. Lying to Addison would only come back to haunt them in the long run. Sam grabbed Addison's hand and placed it on his chest, over his heart. "Addison, I can't guarantee that it won't happen again. Life is too unpredictable; that's the beauty and tragedy of it all. But I can promise you this; I'm committed to you, I love you. Naomi is out of my system; sleeping with her was an accident that I never want to happen again".

Addison felt his heart beating wildly underneath her hand; she imagined her heart was racing at the same erratic pace. God, she loved him so much and almost wanted to forgive him right there on the spot. But they still had one more issue standing in their way. "What about kids? If we decided to make this work, I need to know where you stand once and for all". If he had Isaiah, surely Sam wouldn't refuse her his own child she hoped.

Sam sighed. He knew how desperately Addison wanted children and he couldn't help but feel like she was using this disastrous situation as leverage against him. If he said no, she would continuously throw Isaiah up in his face. He felt tormented; Sam wanted to be able to tell Addison yes because he genuinely wanted more kids, not because he had been manipulated or blackmailed. Unfortunately, he didn't feel that way no matter how much he wanted to; he still needed more time. "I'll tell you what. I'm still not ready to make a decision either way but I'm willing to start the process of looking into fertility treatments, getting our blood work done. If we know all our options, I'll be more motivated to make up my mind".

That was better than nothing; much more of an answer than Sam would have given weeks ago Addison thought. Maybe if she showed just a little more patience, her dreams would eventually come true. Placing her free hand on his knee, she took a deep breath. "Sam…" she didn't get further than his name. An angry knock at the front door interrupted them.

Sam groaned loudly in frustration. "Give me a sec, I'll get rid of whoever it is" he said, running to the door. But when he opened the door, he knew he'd just told a lie. There was no way he was going to get rid of his mother. "Mom"?!

"Hello son" Dee said, forging her way into the house.

Addison immediately stood up and straightened her appearance. "Ms. Bennett, it's so great to see you. I wasn't aware you were coming".

"Of course not dear, why would I tell you" Dee smiled, though there was no warmth behind it. "As a matter of fact, I didn't even tell my son. Speaking of which, I need to talk to him in private. Do you mind" she asked, effectively dismissing Addison.

"Mom, you can't just show up out of nowhere and disrespect my girlfriend. Addison, you're more than welcome to stay".

"Oh, I can't disrespect her but you can by cheating on her? By the way, thank you for telling me I had a grandson" Dee said sarcastically.

"You know" Sam exclaimed, his hands balling into fists. "I can't believe Naomi…."

"My, my, my. Aren't we in a hurry to blame Naomi for everything. Check your facts son. It was Ruth who told me about Isaiah. She figured you were spending too much time being angry at your ex-wife to tell me anything. Apparently she was right".

"I was going to tell you, I promise. But I'm still coming to terms with the whole thing myself. I didn't know how to tell you".

"It's simple. All you had to do was pick up the phone and tell me. I get that you're angry that you missed so much time with him. So how do you think I feel missing just as much time plus two weeks? Especially, when he is the most amazing little boy; I couldn't get enough of him last night or this morning".

"Wait, you've seen him? You've been over Naomi's house since last night? Why didn't she call me"?

"You're really intent on blaming everything on her, aren't you? Do you really think none of this is your fault" Dee asked, shaking her head in disbelief. She turned to Addison. "I don't care where you go, but you need to leave. And this time it's not a request or a suggestion. I need to talk to my son NOW".

"Su…sure" Addison stuttered. Sam's mother had always made her nervous. Addison could never figure out why the woman didn't like her. And since she had gotten with Sam, things had only gotten worse. Dee would always be on Naomi's side. "I'll just go home. Sam, feel free to stop next door when you're finished here" she said, as she walked out of the sliding back door.

"I will, I'm sorry about this" Sam apologized before turning back to his mother. "What…"

"No, I don't want to hear what you have to say. You're going to listen to me. I've only been here for two minutes and already this blame Naomi game is getting old. It's time you took responsibility for the role you played in this situation".

"Mom, what are you talking about? I've already admitted it was a mistake and apologized for sleeping with Naomi. What else is there to take responsibility for? Why aren't you mad at her? She's the one who had a baby and kept it from everyone. I didn't give her any reason to keep my son from me and she did it anyway".

"So you didn't sneak out while she was still asleep or neglect to call her ever again" Dee asked, calling him out.

Sam puffed up his chest in indignation. Going on the defense, he avoided answering the question and countered with his own theory. "She could have called me".

"But why would she call after you left her alone wondering where the two of you stood? I'm not excusing her actions Samuel, and I am angry with her, she knows that, but for you to put this all on her….I'm disappointed in you son".

"I didn't know what to say" Sam shouted, throwing his hands up. "I had a hangover and had no idea how I wound up in bed with my ex-wife. I panicked, okay? Is that what you want to hear"?

"No, I want to hear the truth. I want you to get over yourself and stop pretending you're not still in love with Naomi" Dee shouted back.

Sam stumbled back, completely caught off guard. "What did you say" he whispered.

"You heard me. You're still in love with her Sam. I don't even know why you two got a divorce in the first place; but whatever the reason, it was a mistake. Stop living in denial and clinging to Addison to convince yourself that you don't want her back. Mistakes can be fixed; fight for your wife".

"Okay, look mom. I know how close you are with Naomi and how much you love her. But you're way off base. If I was still in love with Naomi, I would still be married to her".

Dee continued as if Sam hadn't said anything. "She's still in love with you too Sam" she said quietly.

"MOM! Are you listening? We are divorced and have moved on! We are not in love with each other. I can't even stand to be in the same room with her" Sam yelled, hoping it would finally sink into his mother's head.

"Then why does Isaiah exist" Dee asked point blank. "You can keep telling this story about being drunk all you like, I'm not buying it. Being drunk did not cause you to sleep with Naomi; it just gave you a good excuse to hide from your real feelings. And the more I think about it, I can't help but wonder why you got drunk in the first place. Were you fighting with Addison? Or was the thought of being in New York and not being able to talk to Naomi killing you"?

Sam bowed his head and shook it. He and his mom were going in circles and he was tired of fighting. "Mom, I love you but I'm not having this conversation with you anymore. I know you don't agree with the decisions I've made in recent years, but I'm an adult. This is my life. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Isaiah sooner, but coming over my house and making all these accusations isn't fair. I'm hurting too".

Dee took a deep breath and finally relaxed a little. She stepped closer to Sam and touched his arm. "I love you Samuel, I love you so much. I don't want you to ever doubt that. I know it seems like I'm being hard on you but it's because I love you so much that I'm saying these things. You don't have to take what I say or think to heart, but I wouldn't be a good mother, your mother, if I didn't give you my perspective.

"I know. But we've never been on opposite sides before which is what makes this so frustrating. As much as you want me to reconcile with Naomi, I love Addison".

Dee sighed. She had obviously spoken too soon; Sam wasn't ready to face the truth. "I want you to be happy and I want my grandson to have parents who get along. If I'm wrong about your feelings for Naomi, I apologize. But I will say this; you have got to let go of your anger and start getting along with her for Isaiah's sake".

"How can I? You said so yourself; Isaiah is amazing and she kept him from me. How could I ever forgive that"?

"Sam, what she did was wrong but you're not perfect either. I'm sure Naomi has had to forgive you for a lot of things".

"But mom…"

"But nothing. If you can't do it for yourself, do it for Isaiah. Speaking of which, I have to go. I wanted to come over here to speak to you but I want to spend some more time with my grandson. Like I said, you're not the only one who has catching up to do. I'll be back over here tomorrow to spend some one on one time with you".

Sam sighed. "Okay mom".

Dee hugged her son tightly, relieved when he hugged her back just as strongly. "I love you, I truly do. No matter how much we disagree, you are my son and I will always love you".

"I love you too mom".

Reluctantly letting go, Dee headed for the door. Right before she opened the door, she turned back to Sam and gave him one last piece of advice. "I know you say you're over Naomi, but on the off chance you aren't…don't wait too long. A woman like her won't be available forever" Dee cautioned; and then she was gone.

Feeling dizzy from the whirlwind atmosphere his mom had just created, Sam drifted towards his backyard patio. Stepping out onto the deck, he was startled when he saw Addison standing there. The look on her face said it all; she'd heard every word his mother had said. "It's not true Addison. I'm not in love with Naomi; I'm in love with you".

Addison stared at him for a moment then walked into his arms and kissed him. She wasn't sure what the truth was, but overhearing that conversation had given her a new resolve. It reaffirmed how much she loved Sam, how desperately afraid she was of losing him, how much she wanted them to work….and how hard she was willing to fight to keep him. Breaking the kiss, she whispered in his ear "take me to bed".

…

It was a quarter after two and Naomi was pacing impatiently back and forth at the bottom of the stairs. In a few minutes, she would get to see Isaiah for the first time in over twenty four hours. Though Jake had successfully kept her occupied yesterday, it had still been a long and agonizing night and morning for Naomi. Walking into Isaiah's room and seeing his crib empty that morning had been a tough pill to swallow. Nothing felt right without him.

The doorbell rang, stopping Naomi dead in her tracks. Scurrying to the door, she flung it open; her eyes bypassed Sam and immediately found Isaiah. "Zay" she shouted with glee as they reached for each other at the same time. Naomi drew him in and squeezed him as tight as she possibly could without suffocating him. "I missed you so much, did you miss me" she cooed, as she kissed him all over. Isaiah responded by giving a deep dimpled grin and grabbing her face; leaning in, he rubbed his face against hers and planted a big sloppy kiss on her cheek. "I'll take that as a yes" Naomi laughed. "I'm so glad you didn't forget about me" she confessed out loud, turning around and walking into the living room with her son safely in her arms.

Sam was left in the open doorway with Isaiah's bag, completely ignored and unsure of what to do. But surprisingly, he wasn't angry. If anything, he could understand Naomi's actions considering the way he'd been unfairly treating her lately. Everything that had occurred had not all been Naomi's fault; Sam was realizing he did share part of the blame. His mother had been right. Once that epiphany hit him, his anger had magically dissipated. Scratch that, it wasn't magic, it was all Isaiah's doing; his son had helped him see the error of his ways. Isaiah was a content, friendly, and well-adjusted baby; he didn't want for anything. Since Sam had only been in Isaiah's life for less than a month, that made Naomi responsible for his happiness. Judging by how his son had kept him on his toes, Sam knew that couldn't have been an easy feat; and she'd done it alone. At least he'd had Addison's help, even if it was in a limited capacity. She'd tried to be a good sport, and Sam new she genuinely liked Isaiah, but it was obvious that the whole situation was still hard for her. How could it not be when she so desperately wanted a child of her own? Sam hated to admit it, but Naomi's reasons for keeping Isaiah a secret had some validity. He hated even more to admit that underneath the mask of outrage were his real feelings; hurt. Isaiah's presence had finally broken through his false shell of anger and exposed his true emotions and forced underlying reasons he'd buried to surface. And now he owed his ex-wife a huge apology and an explanation for his actions. After a few moments' hesitation, Sam stepped into the house, closed the door behind him, and followed her into the living room.

Naomi was sitting on the couch playing peak-a-boo with Isaiah. Each time she uncovered her eyes, he squealed and jumped in delight. Tickling his ribcage, Naomi made him laugh even harder. "You're so silly" she teased.

Sam cleared his throat and managed to get Naomi's attention. "I don't mean to interrupt but I still had Isaiah's bag. Where did you want me to put it"?

"You could have left it by the door" Naomi said bluntly, her face devoid of any emotion. She was determined to keep her feelings private from her ex-husband.

This wasn't going to be easy; Sam hadn't expected it to. Nodding his head, Sam said "I suppose I could have but I wanted to talk to you".

Naomi turned her attention back to Isaiah. While making funny faces to entertain him, she responded "Do we have to right now? I'm not in the mood for another verbal sparring match with you".

"I don't want to fight, I want to talk. Please" Sam pleaded.

Something about the sound of his voice made Naomi turn back to Sam, study him. He was serious. He really didn't want to fight. "Have a seat" she said, gesturing him to sit on the couch next to her.

Keeping an appropriate distance, Sam sat down. Feeling a little nervous, he continuously rubbed his damp hands on the thighs of his jeans.

Naomi watched him fidget for a minute, confused by his behavior. Isaiah sensed his nervousness too. Wiggling off of Naomi's lap, he crawled over to Sam and used his father's arm to pull himself up. Clinging to Sam's shoulder, he jumped up and down and made indistinguishable noises as if trying to cheer his father up. Both Sam and Naomi smiled at the same time; Naomi also couldn't help but feel a little jealous as well. Isaiah had bonded so quickly with Sam. "What did you have to say" she finally asked.

Sam picked Isaiah up and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks buddy" he whispered before handing him back to Naomi. He took a deep breath. "This is really hard for me to say but I came here to apologize".

She must've heard him wrong. "Excuse me" Naomi blurted loudly, in shock.

"I'm sorry Naomi. Having Isaiah this weekend gave me an opportunity to really sit down and think, to evaluate what I was really feeling. And while anger was a part of it, it was only a small part. I was mostly hurt; hurt that you didn't tell me, that you never gave me a chance to be Isaiah's father from the beginning". Sam took another deep breath. "And I was equally hurt that you don't trust me anymore. Despite everything we've been through, we used to be such good friends, confide in each other about everything. Over the last few years, there has been a shift. I think I deluded myself into thinking our friendship was the same, but it isn't. It hasn't been the same since..."

"You started dating Addison" Naomi finished for him.

"I'd say even before that. I think our friendship first took a hit when you first slept with Archer".

That reveal threw Naomi for a loop. Addison had thrown Archer in her face, but Naomi had thought she was just trying to justify her own actions. Had Sam really been that bothered by it? It just didn't make sense; he'd never loved her so how could he be bothered? "Sam...I don't what to say".

"You don't have to say anything. I know you dating Archer isn't the same as me dating Addison, but at the time, it felt like it. Archer and I have never been friends, we despise each other, but we've all known each other for over twenty years. We were newly divorced and I knew we both had to move on, but I never expected you to be first or for it to be with Archer. So when I saw you fall under his spell, it was impossible to think of you as a friend; all I saw was my ex-wife sleeping with someone who didn't deserve her. And then you started going on dates with more men, men I knew and did consider friends. But I valued our friendship so much, I kept my cool; much like you were doing with me and Addison. And I got so used to pretending everything was normal, I started to believe we were okay. Finding out about Isaiah made me realize we weren't. You don't confide in or trust me anymore. You couldn't even tell me about my own son".

Naomi's head was swirling; the barrage of information Sam was throwing at her was too much to digest. He was telling her things she'd never known or thought about. Her confusion also deepened. Part of his story still didn't make sense. Why would he care who she dated? "Sam" she whispered, breathless, not finding the words.

Sam saw the lost look on Naomi's face, the look of denial in her eyes. "Do you really not believe I would be jealous of other men touching you? You were my wife for over a decade".

"You were only with me because Addison rejected you in medical school" Naomi responded before she had time to think about what she was saying.

"Aaah, I see" Sam said, nodding his head. "I was afraid Addison's little bombshell would make you jump to the wrong conclusion, but I was too angry to set the record straight. I regret that now; because I was in love with you, so intensely I couldn't find the words to describe it.

Naomi's look of disbelief didn't change.

"You really don't believe me, do you" Sam asked, surprised.

"I don't doubt you cared about me, I know you cared. But Sam, we're divorced and you're with Addison. I think that makes it clear who you've always wanted. I won't deny that it hurts, but does it really matter? Our relationship is in the past" Naomi argued.

"Yes, it matters. It matters a great deal to me" Sam uttered, his seriousness forcing Naomi to maintain eye contact with him. "Yes, I asked Addison out but I didn't fall for her. There was no love at first sight until I laid eyes on you. Back then, I fell in love with you Naomi, not Addison. You were my life".

Isaiah tugging at her shirt gave Naomi a valid excuse to look away from Sam's intense gaze and breathe. Their conversation had gotten so serious, she'd nearly forgotten her son was in the room. Naomi looked down at hem and saw him puckering his lips. Without thinking twice, she lifted her shirt and pulled down her bra. Isaiah immediately cradled against her chest and latched on. Curiously, without Addison present, Naomi didn't feel any embarrassment from being exposed. Besides, it wasn't like Sam hadn't seen her body before. Maya and Isaiah were proof of that. Slowly, Naomi looked back towards Sam. The man she supposedly knew better than anyone was becoming a stranger to her. She couldn't figure him out. "Why is this so important to you"?

Sam managed to keep his eyes on Naomi's face. He wanted to get his point across. "Because, if you would just believe how much I loved you, you would believe just how sorry I am for acting like an ass when I found out about Isaiah and for hurting you in general. Getting with Addison was unplanned and unexpected, and if there was any way to spare your feelings, I would have. I also wanted to apologize for my lack of sensitivity in talking about my relationship with her to you. If anyone should know better, its' me. Watching you date other men wasn't easy for me".

Unfortunately, Naomi still didn't believe Sam had loved her. No matter what his explanation was, him being with Addison was too much evidence to ignore. She did, however, believe his apology was sincere. Sam had made some boneheaded decisions over the years, but he'd never purposely hurt her. And he couldn't read minds. There was no way for Sam to know that while he was starting a relationship with her best friend, Naomi was in the process of discovering she was still in love with him. Maybe watching her date other men had bruised Sam's ego, but Naomi watching him fawn over Addison had tortured her soul. That had been her cross to bear, her problem to deal with. Sam was honestly trying to make amends now; that's what counted. If she truly wanted to move on with her life, how could she not accept his apology? Or confront her own bad decisions? "I believe your apology, and I'll accept it on one condition. I want you to accept my apology in return. I'm sorry I kept Isaiah from you. Given my state of mind at the time, I'm not sure I was capable of making a different decision, but now I wish I had. Isaiah adores you and it's clear your feel the same. And if I've also shown any insensitivity towards you regarding my dating history, I apologize for that as well, truly".

Sam sensed Naomi's remaining skepticism about his feelings for her, but he decided to let it drop for the moment. She had accepted his apology and solicited her own. They were already making progress. He smiled. "Does this mean we can be friends again? I know it can't and won't be the same but maybe we could start over; earn each other's trust back. If not for our sake, then at least for Isaiah's sake. He needs both of us; getting along would make things so much easier".

Naomi couldn't help but return his smile. "I've been saying we need to get along for weeks now".

Sam shrugged sheepishly. "I guess I'm a slow learner and I was too angry to listen to reason. Plus, I finally realized that had our previous friendship been as strong as we pretended it to be, you would've felt comfortable telling me about Isaiah; you would still be able to confide in me. I want to get back to that place. So what do you say? Friends"?

That wasn't quite true. She would've still found it extremely hard to tell Sam given her unrequited feelings for him. But again, that was in the past. Naomi seriously contemplated Sam's offer. If she was real with herself, a part of her really missed his friendship. And not only would it be beneficial for Isaiah, but this new friendship could possible help Naomi find the complete peacefulness that had been eluding her. "Friends" she agreed.

"Great" Sam exclaimed. He looked down at Isaiah, who was still breastfeeding. "Did you hear that buddy? Mommy and daddy are going to be friends; no more fighting". He tickled Isaiah's foot and laughed as his son quickly pulled it out of reach. He didn't like to be teased when he was eating. "He's so amazing Nae. You've done such an incredible job with him". Reaching over, Sam touched Isaiah's face, his thumb accidentally grazing Naomi's breast.

They both went rigid like mannequins. A strange yet familiar current passed between them; neither admitted or acknowledged it. "Thank you" Naomi said, too overcome with the sensation to look at Sam.

Sam snatched his hand back, equally jarred. "You're welcome". An awkward silence descended on them; the only noise in the room was Isaiah's sucking noises. But even that sound disappeared when he finally stopped eating.

It took a moment for Naomi to realize it. When she did, she quickly covered herself. "You all done Zay-Zay" she asked rhetorically. As she began to burp him, Naomi tried to lessen the tension and loud silence in the room by starting another conversation with Sam. "So how was this weekend? Did Isaiah give you a lot of trouble or did he take it easy on you"?

"He was very...active. He definitely kept me on my toes, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. I was happy just to be spending time with him".

"So in other words, he gave you hell" Naomi teased.

Sam laughed. "No, he didn't. I won't deny he was a challenge but again, nothing I couldn't handle".

"And did he get along with Addison" Naomi asked quietly, some of the tense atmosphere returning. But if she didn't ask, it would drive her crazy.

"Yes" Sam said, slightly subdued. "They didn't spend that much time together but Isaiah was friendly towards her".

"That's our son" Naomi said, forcing a smile. "I've never met a person Isaiah didn't like; and if I did, I'd be worried. "The only time he gets fussy around new people is when he's sick. I was so surprised that first night in the hospital when he went to you with no hassle".

"He must've sensed who I was".

"Must have. Babies can be so perceptive. They don't have emotions and life experience clouding their judgment. It's all instinct for them".

"What do you think Isaiah's instinct picked up on" Sam asked, looking back up at Naomi, his gaze once again unnerving.

Naomi fidgeted slightly. "I don't know".

"I know what my mother would say".

"What" Naomi asked, guessing she knew the answer.

"That I was still in love with you. Can you believe that? Here I am trying to convince you that I ever loved you in the first place and my mother claims that I never stopped"! Sam paused. "She says you still love me too".

Naomi was internally squirming; she didn't feel comfortable with this subject, but she tried to appear unaffected. "I wouldn't pay it much mind. My mother says the same thing. It's probably a conspiracy theory the two of them cooked up to mess with us. But we've both moved on; I'm enjoying being a single mother and you're in love with Addison" Naomi rambled.

"I am" Sam said, but his words came out sounding more like a question than an affirmation. Naomi revealing that Ruth felt the same as his mother had thrown him. Clearing his throat, he stated more firmly "I am". He really did love Addison.

"Exactly" Naomi said, staring at Sam's weird expression. Before she could think about it too deeply, the phone rang. "I should get that" Naomi said, standing up. She looked at Isaiah, who was rubbing his eyes with his fists and desperately trying to stay awake. "Do you mind holding him? I'll be right back".

"Sure" Sam agreed, holding his arms out for his son. Isaiah immediately went to him and rested his head on his father's broad chest as Sam watched Naomi scurry into the kitchen.

Naomi was breathless by the time she answered the phone. "Hello" she said in a wispy voice.

"Hello beautiful".

"Jake" she gasped in delight. "How are you"?

"I'm great now that I've heard your voice today".

Naomi blushed. "I'm glad you called. I want to thank you again for yesterday; it was amazing".

"I enjoyed it too. I can't wait to do it again".

"Me either" Naomi admitted as she pulled herself up on the kitchen counter and leaned against the cabinets.

"Did you make it through last night okay? Did you get your son back"?

"Yes and yes. Last night was hard but as soon as I saw Isaiah, all my anxieties fell away. He's my happy place".

"I'm glad to hear it. If you need to get off the phone, I understand. I don't want to take you away from him".

God, Jake was so sweet and considerate. Naomi could get used to that. "I have a few minutes" she said, knowing that Isaiah was most likely asleep in Sam's arms by now.

"Good. So where were we" Jake pretended to contemplate.

"I believe you were about to tell me when you were going to take me out again" Naomi said, a wide grin plastered on her face...

Jake and Naomi lapsed into an easy and flirty conversation. Naomi found it so easy to talk to him about anything. By the time Naomi hung up the phone, Jake had made her blush more times than she could count. Slowly, in a happy daze, Naomi wondered back into the living room. The scene displayed in front of her made her heart melt against her will. It was something she had once longed for. Not only was Isaiah splayed across Sam's torso asleep, but Sam was knocked out too. His head had fallen back and his mouth was wide open. Isaiah's overnight stay must've been harder on Sam than he let on. Not wanting to interrupt their precious father and son moment - they were even breathing in unison - Naomi crept back out of the room and went upstairs and called Jake back.

When she descended the stairs three hours later, they were still asleep. The only thing that had changed was Sam had stretched out on the couch and Isaiah was lying on top of him. How late had they stayed up last night? Shaking her head in amusement, Naomi decided to take advantage of her free time and start dinner. Being in a festive mood, she went with an Italian theme and made chicken parmesan with a Caesar salad and garlic bread. Just as she was taking the bread out of the oven, Sam drifted into the kitchen holding Isaiah, evidence of their long nap still in their eyes. "Well, look who finally decided to wake up" Naomi teased.

Sam yawned; Isaiah followed suit. "Sorry about that. I guess we were both tired".

"It's no problem. Then again, it might be hard to put Isaiah to bed tonight. You're not going to give mommy a hard time like you did daddy, are you" Naomi asked Isaiah, who responded by yawning again.

Sam laughed. "I don't think he will." Walking over to the oven, he handed Isaiah to her. "It smells so good in here. I think the food is what woke us up. I miss your cooking".

"Thanks. You're more than welcome to stay. It's hard cooking for just myself. I always make way more than I need".

"That would be great. I don't remember the last time I had a home cooked meal. Thanks Nae".

"No problem. Daddy is staying for dinner. Isn't that great" Naomi exclaimed to her son; but he was too lethargic to respond. Naomi kissed Isaiah on the cheek and rubbed his back as he rested his head on her shoulder. "Wow! I can't believe he's still so tired. You must've worn each other out".

"We did. I'm ready to go back to sleep myself. But not before I get some of this food. Give him a few moments, he'll wake up to at least eat. He is my son".

"Like father, like son, huh"?

"Exactly".

"Then why don't you teach your son something useful like setting the table" Naomi bantered.

"Sure, I'll even fix the plates" Sam offered...

By the time they had eaten and gotten Isaiah to bed, it was almost eight o'clock. Sam and Naomi were standing at the front door. "I'm really glad we talked today. Thanks for giving me another chance. And thanks again for dinner. I really enjoyed it Nae".

"You're welcome Sam. I'm happy we talked too. I'm glad we're starting over".

Sam opened the door and stepped out into the night air. "I should get going. See you tomorrow at work". The look on his face said he was hesitant to leave.

Naomi found herself wishing he could stay a little longer. "See you tomorrow" Naomi repeated. She looked after Sam, watched until he got into his car safely, and then shut her front door. Today had been one the most interesting and unexpected days in recent memory. Actually, the whole weekend had. Jake had reignited a part of her womanhood she thought was dead. Though she'd been happy living the single life, Jake was making her reconsider her position. And Sam, he'd apologized! It would take time for them to be completely comfortable around each other again, but Naomi knew it was possible. During the course of the day, there had actually been moments where it had seemed like old times, back in days when they were married. As Naomi climbed the stairs and headed towards her bedroom, she wondered what all of the weekend's events meant.