Family is Forever (Sequel to Running on Insulin)

Chapter 43

Samantha's first week back at school started out fine. She came  home relatively happy every day, complained like a regular teenager about homework, and pleaded to go over to Jill's after school on Thursday. 

"Sam, we discussed this. You're grounded," I said. 

"But I said I was sorry!" she said. "And I've never been to Jill's ever!"

"And you'll go another time, when you're not grounded," I said. 

She sulked the rest of the way home and slammed up to her room and slammed the door.

"What's up with her?" Tyler asked. 

"Well, we officially have a teenager," I said. "She wants to go to Jill's on Thursday after school and I told her no because she's grounded this week."

"Oh. Can't we cut her a little slack?" Tyler asked. 

"Tyler!" I said. "We discussed this already."

"But she's been through so much."

"Tyler," I said. "I swear to god. If you override me."

"Okay, okay," he said. 

"Good," I said. 

Samantha was still upset at dinner, and just pushed her food around at first, but Tyler reminded her that she's only grounded for a week, and it was already Tuesday night. 

On Thursday when I picked her up, she came out of school and threw her bag in the car and slammed the door, crossed her arms across her chest and slumped in her seat. At first, I took it to be because she wanted to go to Jill's, but something seemed, off. She'd been okay when I'd dropped her off at school.

"Everything okay?" I asked. 

"Fine," she fumed. 

"You don't seem fine," I said. 

"I'm fine!" she said, loudly. 

"Okay, okay," I said. "When you're ready to tell me, I'm here."

She 'humphed' and looked out the window as we drove home. 

I pulled into the driveway and she got out of the car and slammed into the house like she had  on  Monday. By the time I got into the house I heard her bedroom door slam. 

"Now what?" Tyler asked. "Is she still mad about not being able to go to Jill's?"

"I don't think so. But she didn't say anything on the way home. Well, that's not true.  She said 'I'm fine!" 

"Yeah. She seems it," Tyler said. 

"I'm going to go get the mail," I said. 

"I already did. And, uh," Tyler said. "We need to talk."

"What about? Why?"

Tyler went into his office and came back with the mail.  He handed me a beige envelope. I looked at him quizzically. 

"Look at the return address," he said. 

I looked at the envelope. It was addressed to Samantha. From Masonville.

"What is this?" I asked. 

"It's from Gillingham," Tyler said. "For Samantha. I didn't know what to do with it. I don't know if I want to show it to her. I don't know if I, we, should open it first to make sure he isn't saying anything, threatening, or, I dunno. Perverse?"

I tapped the envelope on my empty hand and sighed. 

"We have another problem, Tyler," I said, thinking back to the phone call I'd gotten in the afternoon.