Family is Forever (Sequel to Running on Insulin)

Chapter 61

We decided on a pretty laidback day.

After breakfast, Sarah and Jenna came downstairs and had a quick bite while Brendon and Sam and I packed a picnic and we planned out the day.

We decided on simply hanging around, checking out some sites in LA, driving around downtown and maybe walking along the boardwalk in Venice.

"Would you want to go to the beach?" I asked Sam. "You don't have to go in the water, but we could hang out and sun tan or whatever."

Sam looked at me.

"Maybe," she said. "But yeah. I might not go in the water."

"Can't say I blame you," I said.

Once everyone had gathered their belongings for the day, and I grabbed a cool pak and some extra insulin and a test kit, just in case, the five of us headed out.

Samantha seemed much more rested and happy today. Which was great to see. We thought we'd do a picnic lunch somewhere. Maybe up in Griffith Park, as we were going to start by going to the observatory, and then dinner in the city somewhere.

Jenna had her arm around Samantha in the car and the two were chatting happily. Sarah and Brendon would get a word in once in a while.

All in all, everything seemed so much better.

"It was weird waking up in your bed," Sam said to Jenna, as she leaned on her.

"We were too afraid to let you sleep alone," she said. "After what happened, we wanted you close."

Samantha nodded.

"Can I tell you something?"  Sam said.

"Of course sweetheart. You can tell us anything," Jenna said.

"Stanley would have let me drown the first time."

Jenna hugged Sam close to her.

"You don't ever have to worry about him ever again. And we certainly would never let you drown. Obviously."

"I know," Sam said, and smiled up at Jenna, whose face looked like she wanted to dig Stanley up and throttle him.

"Did I make you mad?" Sam asked, looking concerned.

"No, not at all sweetheart. I'm just mad thinking how you had too much time with that... ugh. I can't call him a parent, and how the system kept failing you. But," Jenna said, smiling down on Sam. "Now you're our daughter, and we will never do anything to hurt you. Not on purpose."

Sam snuggled into Jenna and smiled at me.

Brendon and Sarah looked on.

We got to the observatory and walked around. Sam was fascinated and took in everything. When we were done, Jenna made sure she had a snack and then we wandered around outside. 

It was such a beautiful day we sort of hiked around for a while and then sat down for lunch. Samantha was the most talkative I ever remember her being in ages. It was such a relief.

She was joking and laughing. It was had to believe just a few months previously, she couldn't speak because of what Stanley and Gillingham had done to her.

The five of us just relaxed in the sunshine, ate our lunches and talked.

After we'd picked up all our lunch trash and containers and packed them away, we got back in the car and headed towards the beach. Brendon took a scenic route and showed Samantha Beverly Hills, Bel Air, the UCLA campus, Capitol Records and a few other points of interest. Then we drove to Santa Monica and walked along the pier and checked things out. We rode the Ferris wheel, which terrified Samantha.

"I guess I'm afraid of heights," she said, clinging to me and refusing to look out.

Once back on the ground, we looked in some of the shops and picked up a few souvenirs for Sam.

We wound up staying in the Santa Monica vicinity, and sat on the beach for a little while. Jenna made sure Sam put on sun screen and we sat in the sand on towels and blankets, eating some of the leftover snacks from lunch and talking more.

I was actually able to coax Sam down to the edge of the water and we walked along the beach, the waves covering our feet, just talking, her and I. Something we hadn't really done, well, ever.

"Sam, now that things are... better. There's some things I want to talk to you about."

"Okay," she said, warily.

"Josh and I will be heading out on tour in a few months. You know we've been writing and rehearsing."

"Yeah," she said.

"I was wondering what you thought of joining us. You and Mom can come out when you're done school."

"In the summer?" She asked.

"Yeah. Travel around with us for the summer. You'd get to see the concert every night. You'd get to meet some cool people. See more of the country. You and Mom could tour around some of the cities during the day, before the show."

"Yeah. Maybe. That sounds good. Fun," she said.

"Yeah?" I asked, looking at her. She smiled at me.

"Yeah," she grinned.

"Hey, Dad?"

"Yep?"

"Do you think I can take Art and Music as electives next year? In eighth?"

"Of course you can! What instrument were you thinking? We could probably get you started with some basic lessons."

"Well, I used to play the trumpet, but I really want to learn the piano."

"Then you shall learn the piano my child!" I said.

She wrapped her thin arms around me.

"Thanks Dad!!"

"Of course, my pet," I kissed her head.

We rejoined our little group.

"Why do you look like the cat who are the canary, Sam?" Brendon asked. Sam looked at him quizzically.

"I mean, why do you look so happy?"

"I'm on holiday with my parents, with awesome friends. Why wouldn't I be happy?" She said, grinning.

"Touché, but you came back from your walk with your dad looking way happier than when you left."

"Dad said I can take Art and Music next year," she grinned. "I wasn't allowed to before."

Brendon frowned.

"What do you mean you weren't  allowed?"

"Stanley wouldn't let me take either. He said art and music were a waste. Although he also said school was a waste for a girl, so, what did he know?"

"Says the girl getting straight As," I grinned.

As the sun started setting towards the ocean horizon, we packed up our beach gear, pulled on our clothes and went in search of dinner.

It really had been a perfect day.