Family is Forever (Sequel to Running on Insulin)

Chapter 28

I looked at Samantha and back at the envelope.

"This is for us?" I asked her.

She nodded.

"Can I open it now?"

She shrugged.

I opened the envelope and pulled out two pieces of paper. It was a letter.

"Dear Mom and Dad;" I read. Tears sprang to my eyes. I looked at Samantha. She was looking at Jenna who had tears in her eyes, too.

"Dear Mom and Dad," I started again, my voice shaking.

"I know the past few weeks have been really hard and that I haven't been able to say anything to you. I'm sorry about that and you know I'm working really hard.

I need you to know that I love you so much, and I wish I could say it out loud to you, but right now, the words won't come.

When I was little I had an idea of what love was. My mom, my birth mom, loved me. She tried so hard to fight for me and when she couldn't, she did her best to remind me that she loved me unconditionally.

After she was gone, I never knew love again. That was gone. Stolen from me by the one person left in my world who was supposed to love me and teach me, and guide me.

The night I wound up in your backyard, I had no idea what I was doing or where I was going. I just ran. But something must have led me to your back yard and your home.

You took in a sopping wet, unconscious and muddy kid, who's a little messed up in the head, and made me your daughter.

I don't know if I'll ever have the words to tell you how much your love and caring has meant to me these past few months and especially the past few weeks.

I sometimes feel like I don't deserve the love and care you give me. But you keep reminding me that I do.

Thanks to you, I think I remember what love is. What it's supposed to feel like. And I'll never be able to thank you enough for everything you've done and continue to do for me.

I love you guys so much.

Samantha Joseph 🙂"

PS: I think I might want to be a writer when I'm older. Or maybe a social worker to help kids like me.

I looked up at her, tears were streaming down my face. Everyone's faces were soaked with tears.

"Merry Christmas," Samantha said. Out loud. Her first words in three weeks.

I launched myself at her as Sarah and Jenna wrapped her in a hug and Josh and Brendon joined in.

We were all laughing and crying and hugging Samantha.

"Okay! Okay!" She said. "I can't breathe!"

We got off her, all of us laughing through our tears.

"So," I said. "Samantha Joseph, huh?"

"If it's okay with you," she said, quietly.

"As a matter of fact," I said, getting up. "Stay right there."

I went into my office and got the name change certificate I'd been holding on to since it arrived the day after Sam had gone missing. I went back into the living room and handed the envelope to Sam. She opened it and read it. This time it was her turn to cry.

She launched herself into my arms.

"Really?!" She said. "It's real?"

"It's real my sweet, sweet girl," I sobbed.

The six of us hugged and cried. Samantha was speaking again, she had poured her heart out and her letter had torn at my heart. Samantha was our daughter. Really and truly our daughter.

"Thank you for that beautiful letter," Jenna said to her.

"You're welcome. I couldn't go get you a gift because, well, I couldn't go outside and I have no money," she smiled.

"And you're speaking!" Jenna cried, hugging Samantha.

"I know," she grinned. "I've been wanting to for weeks. But I couldn't. And then, when I could, I decided to wait until today."

"You're a brat!" Brendon said, hugging Samantha.

"When did you feel like you could speak again?" I asked.

"Yesterday. While we were out in the snow."

"Now I don't feel bad for that snow ball," Brendon said, laughing.

"Well," Jenna said, wiping her eyes. "Are we ready for breakfast now?!"

"I am," Sam said.

"Good," Jenna said. "Because I made cinnamon rolls. And we have bacon and eggs and I found sugar free gingerbread coffee syrup, so you can have a gingerbread hot chocolate or coffee if you want."

"Wow," Sam said. "You found that for me?"

Jenna went over and hugged her close.

"Sam, we really really love you and we will do everything for you. You matter."

Sam looked up at her.

"Thanks," she said, and swallowed and said. "Mom."

Jenna's eyes filled with tears.

"I like the sound of that," she whispered to Sam.

"Me too," Sam said, hugging Jenna back.

We made breakfast, cut up the cinnamon rolls and all of us sat at the table.

"I can't believe all that stuff is for me," Sam said. "You didn't have to get me anything. I got a whole new family. It's all I ever really needed."

"Nonsense," Brendon said. "What's Christmas without presents?"

"Normal," Sam said quietly. "Stanley didn't exactly treat Christmas like it was anything but a day he could sit at home and drink as much as he wanted."

Jenna looked at Sam sadly.

"Sam, if you ever want to talk about that time, we're here. Or you can talk to Doc, okay?"

Sam nodded.

"He beat me," Sam said even quieter.

"We know, honey," I said.

"No. I mean when he kidnapped me. He beat me. Every day. I finally found a way to sort of, I don't know, escape? Into myself. It was, like a dark but safe place. I could come out a little bit and sometimes could hear Stanley or the other man. He never touched me. Except once. He thought I might have a fever or something. He touched my forehead. But otherwise, he didn't touch me.  But Stanley," Samantha started crying. "He hit me every day. Any time he felt like it."

I got up and went over to her and took her in my arms. She was sobbing, as was I. We all were.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm ruining Christmas."

"No you aren't," I said. "You're speaking. And you're getting something off your chest you haven't been able to for a couple of weeks. We're here for you. And you can tell us anything. No matter how hard it might be to tell or to hear. We love you and we want to help you heal."

"I love you too, Dad."