Family is Forever (Sequel to Running on Insulin)

Chapter 52

Samantha's POV

I woke up in the morning and was confused where I was for a second. I didn't recognize the room I was in for a minute and started to panic. Then, I remembered we were in California, and that I was in Jess's room at Uncle Brendon and Aunt Sarah's house.  I looked at my phone and saw that it was eight in the morning. I looked out the window and saw the pool, and the sun was up. It looked like a really nice day. I smiled, looking at the palm trees and the pool. 

I got up, got dressed, used the washroom, checked my phone for my blood sugar, and saw it was in range. I also saw the temperature was already pretty warm, so I put on shorts instead of my usual jeans, and then sat on the bed, swinging my feet wondering what to do. I didn't want to stay in the bedroom, but I didn't want to be, like, caught snooping around the house. I grabbed the book I had brought and thought I'd at least go downstairs and read, where I could sit and read on the couch. 

I went downstairs and saw Penny Lane and Bogart, playing at the bottom of the stairs. I smiled at the pups as I walked into the living room. 

"You're up early," a voice said, scaring the absolute crap out of me. I think I screamed a little. 

"Sorry, kiddo!" Uncle B said, coming out of the kitchen. "Did I scare you?"

"A little," I said sheepishly. "I thought I was the only one awake.  Everyone's doors were closed."

"I get up early, sometimes. Want anything? Are you hungry?"

"A little," I admitted. 

"Well, I happen to be a world class chef," Uncle B said. "I can make scrambled eggs, fried eggs, pancakes and cereal. And bacon."

"Yum," I smiled. 

"Want eggs?" he asked. 

"Sure," I said. "Can I have toast, too?"

"Of course. Don't you  need to go get your insulin?" he asked as he watched my fingers calculating. 

I lifted up my shirt and showed him my insulin pump.

"What's that?" he asked. "It looks like a beeper from the '90s,"

"It's an insulin pump. It gives me sort of a constant infusion of insulin, and then I just have to bolus for meals. It's so much easier. And this," I said, pointing to the small grey device on my arm. "Is my continuous glucose monitor. It updates every five minutes.  And I can adjust my insulin as I need to. Mom and Dad kind of insisted. And it's been so much easier. We just got it last month."

"That is awesome.  What happens when you shower or go swimming?" he asked. "And do you want your eggs scrambled or fried?"

"I can unhook it when I need to. And the glucose monitor is waterproof. So I just shower or swim with that on. And scrambled is fine."

"So no more problems with dosing?"

"Not really. I keep some insulin around, in case the tube kinks or something happens and I'm not getting insulin. And if I've been really stressed or something, I'll take some long acting. I think Dad gave me some last night. And that probably helped make me go low. We're still learning that."

"But it's been better?" he asked, putting some scrambled eggs and toast on a plate for me, and pouring himself a coffee and making himself a plate. 

"So much better," I said through a mouthful of egg.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," he said, through a mouthful of egg. I laughed. 

"Honestly, Sam," Uncle B said. "You're like a completely different person. You're so much more, I don't know. Confident."

I blushed. 

"Mom and Dad took me to Stanley's grave. Seeing that, and knowing he really, truly is gone, just, I don't know. It was like I could finally realize I really was safe."

Uncle B came around the kitchen island and gave me a hug, and a kiss on the top of my head. 

"Your mom and dad have been trying so hard to make sure you were safe. No matter how hard they tried, it was so hard for them to convince you as long as Stanley was alive, and even after he died, you didn't believe them for a while. The whole time you were gone, your parents were a mess. And then, when they got you back, and you couldn't speak, none of us could reach you, and we were all so hurt. Not that you wouldn't speak, but that you couldn't, and you couldn't tell us what had happened or how we could help you. Your parents cried so much. They didn't know how to help you."

I looked down. 

"I know," I said. "I didn't know how anyone could help me, either."

"Do you think about that time? What happened?"

"I try not to. Doc has been helping me work through some of the stuff and I'm trying to move past it."

"You're an amazing kid, Sam," Uncle B said.  "You done eating?" 

I nodded. Uncle Brendon took my plate, scraped off the crumbs and leftover egg, and put our plates in the dishwasher. 

"Want to come see my studio?" he asked. 

"Sure," I said, hopping down off my stool at the breakfast bar. 

I followed Uncle Brendon out the back door into the backyard. Penny Lane and Bogart followed us. Uncle Brendon led me to the back of the yard into a small building that I thought was just a pool equipment room. He opened the door and walked in. I followed. 

"This is so cool!" I said looking around. There were a couple of computers, and a bunch of instruments all over the place."

"Do you play anything" he asked. 

"No," I said. "Well, I played trumpet at school when I went to my old school, but I'm not very good. Mostly because I couldn't practice."

"Tyler would teach you an instrument if you wanted to learn," 

I shrugged. 

"I never really thought about it," I said. 

Uncle Brendon pulled down a guitar and started strumming. He started to play one of his songs and sang. I sat in a chair and listened. I love listening to him sing. 

"I sometimes go on Twitch and talk to my fans. Interested?"

"Uh, no, thanks. I've had enough media with the kidnapping." 

Uncle Brendon laughed. 

"I guess that's fair. Let's head back into the house. People are probably waking up and will wonder where we are," he smiled. 

I followed him back into the house. I still couldn't believe I was in California.