His Return

14~

"Where the fuck is the ring?" Sam suddenly yells from down stairs, the ladder creaking a few times before Sam gets into the attic looking like he's going to kill someone.

Someone specifically being Michael.

-

If I'm being completely honest, I've never seen Sam angry like this. Frustrated yes, but never angry, furious even.

Michael, who was already tense, stiffens until he looks like he may suddenly shatter.

"What ring, Sam?" I step toward him, trying to calm him down by rubbing my hand up and down his bicep, that's covered in an obnoxious red Hawaiian shirt.

"The engagement ring," he wretches his arm from me, stepping toward a narrow-eyed Michael. "That was in guest-room dresser."

Maddie's ring.

My stomach drops as I glance at an angry Michael. He wouldn't...

"I have no clue what you're talking about." Michael spits through clenched teeth.

"Let me refresh your memory. It's a slender golden band, with a three karat square diamond, now where is it?" Sam's face is turning red, the vein in the side of his head starting to show. His left hand is shaking at his side and I know it's both panic and anger. His dead wife's elegant ring is suddenly missing and Michael was the only person in that room. "Where is it?" Sam suddenly launches at Michael, fisting his shirt in both hands, shoving him just a little, but not enough to make Michael even move.

"Sam!" The panic in my voice is evident, Michael has always been calm and level-headed with confrontation but he seems to have grown more hot-headed over the past eight years. For example, I wasn't expecting him to basically shred the divorce papers. The said divorce papers fall from Michael's hands, which then come up to harshly grip Sam's wrists. His knuckles quickly grow white as he grips Sam tightly, pulling them from his shirt Sam's hand from his shirt. His eyes hold no emotion as he stares directly at Sam.

My heart rates starts to speed up, as both men look like they could kill each other. Sam's accusation rings in my ear, Michael wouldn't steel a ring...

'You used to think he's never leave his family too.' My subconscious mocks me.

"Michael, let him go." The air in the attic has become thick, making it difficult to breathe. "Please," I try to stay calm but my voice cracks when I see Sam start wince. Michael is about to snap his wrists. Both men look at me, releasing one another at the same time. "Let's calmly figure this out, downstairs." I add, feeling uncomfortable around all of Michael's stuff.

"I want to talk to you in private." Sam storms past me, a dark look on his face.  Once he disappears down the attic ladder, I look at Michael, who stares at the divorce papers on the floor.

"I didn't take it." he tells me, emotionlessly, kicking a box out of his way, one I know contains a small jewelry box with my engagement ring and wedding band.

"I teach middle school history." Michael starts to kneel, eliciting a gasp from me. It's the middle of January, the snow is falling around us as we walk through a small park. Street lamps give enough light for me to clearly see the small black box Michael is pulling from his pocket. He looks perfect, kneeling there under a street lamp, as snowflakes land of his dark lashes. "I don't have much to offer you except promise to love and protect you until I take my last breath." He flips open the ring box lid to reveal the most gorgeous ring I've ever seen. A small oval diamond sat at the center of the golden band, with three even small diamonds on the left and right side. It was dainty and breathtaking and absolutely perfect in every way. "Will you, Katherine Ann Ross, make me the happiest man on earth by marrying me?"

"I believe you," I tell him watching his fist unclench. "Mine is in that box, with the band." I point to the one he just kicked. "You should get them."

"No," he shakes his head with a pitiful scoff.

"Michael," I interrupt him with a sigh. "Take them. I have to go talk to Sam and then we'll talk more."

Before he can respond, I turn to leave. Once I step off the ladder, my eyes meet Mikey's guilty eyes.

"I didn't mean to hurt Sam." He whispers, on the verge of tears and holding out a small blue velvet box. "I just wanted him to make dad leave."

"Michael Brooks." I grit, snatching the ring box from him. "Go to your room now. I want the misbehaving to stop so you better go think about how you're gonna make this up to everyone."

I have no clue what to do with my two teenagers, who are dead set on infuriating the men around them and driving me damn near insane.

Mikey sulks off, muttering a quiet 'yes ma'am', while I turn to my closed bedroom door. Soft sobs reach my ears and my heart clenches.

He hides it well but I know, from personal experience, at night, in bed, when you realize you're alone, it's devastating. It's like ice fills your veins, you can't breathe. You could swear they were just there with you and they've suddenly vanished into thin air.

When I step into the room, my eyes immediately land on Sam sitting on the floor, his back against the foot of my bed. His eyes are red and brimmed with tears. Maddie was his entire world, when she died, so did a large part of him.

"It's one of the last things I had of her." His voice breaks as he speaks. "I remember putting it in the drawer last month."

I hold out the blue box, so that it's in his line of vision.

Like a mad man, he springs to his feet and snatches the box from me. I watch as, with trembling fingers, he removes the second most beautiful engagement ring I've ever seen.

"Mikey took it." I tell him quietly, as he fists the ring in the palm of his hand, squeezing his eyes shut. "He wanted to make you mad at Michael but I think it scared him."

"I didn't mean to." He mumbles, keeping his eyes closed. "I panicked." He voice is thick with emotion.

Then he crumples to the ground with a sob. I crouch down next to him, rubbing his back in another attempt to comfort him. He pulls me tightly against him.

"I miss her."

"I know," My hand continues to rub up and down his spine. "I know, I'm sorry."

I'm positive that Michael's return has screwed with Sam's mind just as much as mine. Just a few days ago, we drank the night away mourning our scarred hearts - my heart came back, his didn't.

His deserves to come back, mine doesn't.

***
My emotions thinking about Sam without Maddie.

Also, introducing America's favorite uncle - John Stamos as Michael ❤️