The Mute Reporter

44- Present Day

Jensen Blackwell

It took almost all day to review and finalize retirement papers. The amount of times they tried to talk me out of doing it was really outstanding, but I kept firm with what I wanted.

So when I got back to the air bnb, I wasn't surprised to hear how quiet it was.

I carefully set down a few things I was required to take with me, and I also slipped off my shoes.

Quietly walking to the living room, I stop and take in the view of Sam asleep on the couch, Carter asleep on his chest.

I take a few steps closer to them, and pull out my phone to take a quick photo to immortalize this moment.

Definitely making it my phone wallpaper.

Setting my phone down, I kneel close to Sam and give him a light kiss on the forehead.

He immediately stirs awake, his blue eyes fluttering open quickly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." I whisper, and he just exhales, and turns his head more towards me.

'I wasn't all the way asleep. Carter tried to stay up until you came home.' His hands are careful to not disturb our son.

"I can go out him to bed?" I offer, and Sam shakes his head.

'I'll take him. I don't want him to wake up.'

Nodding, Sam carefully gets up from the couch, never once disturbing Carter enough to wake him.

He was a pro at that. At being a parent.

Sam disappears down the hall and I go to the kitchen, pouring myself some water. My throat is sore from talking all day long about really boring things that the paperwork already stated.

Sam walks out to the kitchen not even a minute later, and there's a small frown set on his face. His eyebrows notched in deep thought.

"Hey, what's wrong? Talk to me Sam." I reach out and hold his shoulders, getting him to look me in the eyes.

'Why did you lie about why we're here in LA?'

I take in a deep breath. He knows everything.

"What do you think I came here for?"

'To sign on for another season. To leave Denver,' he pauses, before adding on 'To leave me.'

My hands move down to Sams waist, and I lift him up so he sits on the counter in front of me. We're more level with each other this way, where he doesn't have to look up and I don't have to bend down.

"No Sam, I asked why you think I came here, not why the teams officials called me here. There's a difference."

Sam doesn't say anything, his eyes going back and forth between mine, as if he's trying to read my thoughts.

I move forward, my face now close to his.

"I came here to fill out retirement papers. Because I want to be with you and Carter. I have some forms I can get for you to read, so you know I'm not lying."

Sam immediately nods, and I tell him to stay there as I go and grab them.

When I hold them out, he takes them, and I can tell he's trying not to shake. In anticipation, nervousness, or excitement, I don't know.

The more he reads, his eyes widen. Like he can't believe I'm actually doing this.

After he skims most of them, he sets them aside and looks back at me, tears brimming.