The Mute Reporter

21- Present Day

Jensen Blackwell

I felt useless right now.

But Sam didn't.

He was having a blast pushing me around in a wheelchair at target.

I didn't comment on how I felt stupid in one of these, and that I could push myself, but sam wanted to help.

Still feeling bad about last night, I let him. I didn't want to upset him again and make him feel worse when he just wanted to be good.

'These ones adjust to your height?' Sam stands on his toes to try and reach a box of crutches.

I stand to help him get them off the shelf, but not without him protesting.

"Sam, you can't reach those, and I really don't want to be recognized by a worker. Let me get them for you, and then you can fuss."

'I do not fuss!'

"You are quite literally fussing over me right now."

Sam pouts.

I want to kiss that off his face and make him smile instead.

But I don't. Just because he kissed me this morning doesn't mean it's still okay for me to do the same to him right now.

I reach up and grab the box of crutches that sam will try to put together.

And by him trying, I mean me fixing what he attempted to build.

Sam immediately takes the box from me, and he points back at the wheelchair.

I just chuckle, and sit myself back down so he doesn't fuss.

"While we're here, wanna get ice cream? I know you like mint chocolate chip."

Sam puts the box of crutches in a cart. 'And you like cookies and cream.'

I smile at that. He still remembers everything about me that I remember about him.

As he puts down the box into the cart, I see something slip out of his shirt.

A silver chain and a familiar diamond are glittering back at me.

He's kept it on. Throughout all these years he's kept it on?

Sam looks down at his chest to see what I'm staring at, and his face flushes red as he tucks it back under his shirt.

He quickly tries to move us on to the ice cream, and I stay silent about the chain. Just seeing it on him gave me enough hope.

———

"Mimi!" I hear quick footsteps racing into my house, and then I see Carter jump onto Sam's lap.

Celia needed to work, so she dropped Carter off here to be with sam again. I had no issues, because I was quickly becoming obsessed with him.

It sucked that he doesn't know I'm his dad though. Or maybe he does? He just doesn't call me that. But I understand why he doesn't just in case he does know who I am to him.

"You have ice cream?" His big blue eyes look at what's in Sam's hand.

'Want some?' Sam manages to say with one hand.

Carter makes a disgusted face. "That flavor tastes like toothpaste!"

I laugh, and move myself a little away from sam to make room for Carter.

"Come here, you can have a bite of mine."

But Carter doesn't sit between us. He crawls on my lap and looks at my ice cream expectantly.