Praying For An Angel

Chapter 14

6 months later

Things had been going pretty great for Daryl and I. We were both so happy and at peace. Well, mostly at peace. I had become closer with my dad and newly found family, and Daryl was doing great at his job. He had actually already been promoted and given quite a raise! He was now overseeing a group of inspectors. He was really shining there, and I was so proud of him. I had graduated and was now teaching elementary school online, which I loved! The hours were great, and I loved videoing my students everyday. We had turned one of the 3 extra bedrooms in the cabin into my office/classroom.

He had moved in with me the day after I had asked him to, and we had made a few changes to our cabin home. In our bedroom, we kept the same furniture but got new bedding and some new decor, to make it more of both of our styles. My bed went from being white and pink and purple to being a checkered blue tones plaid matching bed set, and there were pictures of Daryl and I in picture frames around the room. The pictures captured our smiling faces in our new memories we were making. There were some from campfires we had had outback, to dates at the local mom and pop restaurants, to swimming, shooting bows, and some from just being happy in the moment. In the living room there were new pictures of our family. Me, Daryl, Merle, Sully, Beth, and Megan.

Family. That word still felt foreign to me, and a part of me was scared that like when I was in foster care, my new family would be taken away from me after a year. It was something I struggled with some days. I guess Daryl and I both had demons from our past to fight. Maybe that's what mad us go so great together, that we understood each others pain and we both were growing through it to be better people. We didn't expect each other to heal overnight. 

Our new routine was good- Daryl worked 8am-5pm Monday-Friday, and I worked 8:30am-2:30pm the same days. We would usually cook dinner together most nights, and then watch some tv or just sit on the porch and watch the sun go down after. It was late October now, and it was starting to get cold again. Daryl kept the fireplace well stocked with wood, so we were always warm and cozy inside our home. 

Our home. I smiled thinking about him as I shuffled and straightened the last few papers on my desk before I logged off of the school website for the day. He would be home in a couple hours, and I couldn't wait to see him. Mmm, and do other things too. It was Friday, and I giggled at myself as I started thinking about the all of the ways I could keep him up all night. 

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I slammed the door to my truck shut and cranked it up. Damn I'm glad its Friday. I thought as I backed out of the parking spot. Things has been going great lately, and I smiled thinking about it. Sam was amazing. I loved living together, and getting to come home to her every night. She had gotten so much stronger since all of the things that had happened at the beginning of the year. She was happier now, as was I. She no longer had nightmares at night about what Kyle had done to her, and I would usually wake up every morning to her snuggled up to my back or or chest, peacefully sleeping. Sometimes I would just lie there and watch her breathe, still not believing that she was mine. Mine. My woman. My everything. 

 As I sped down the highway away from work and towards home, my phone rang. The screen lit up announcing that it was the New Paths Rehab Center. Merle was calling me. I pressed the answer icon. 

"Hey."

"Hey baby brother, how ya doing?"

"Good, you?"

"Oh I'm doing good. 60 days clean today. Counselor told me today that I can sign myself out now, but I decided I'm doing to wait about another month. I'm not sure if I entirely trust myself in the outside world yet."

I smiled. I was proud of my brother. The day he came to Sam and I and said that he was tired of living like he was and needed help, Sam had immediately started researching the best rehab centers for him to go to. She had found New Paths and called and spoke with the administrator, explaining what all Merle needed help with, then Merle spoke to them himself. He said said that day that he was scared he would miss out on life, now that it was worth actually living, if he didn't get help with his problems. I was proud of my big brother. I drove him there that same night. 

"Thats great man. Sam and me, we're real proud of you."

"Thanks brother. Hows about we have a big family dinner after I check out? Damn I miss yall."

"Mmhm. That sounds good." I heard my phone beep and saw that Sam was calling in. "I'll talk to you later Merle, Sam's calling."

He said his goodbye and I switched over to Sam. "Hey darlin." I said when I clicked over. 

"Hey baby! Could you stop and get some crackers on your way home please? I made chili but forgot we're out of crackers for it."

"Yes ma'am, anything for you. Anything else?" I asked with w a smile. It was good to hear her voice. With her teaching during the day and me working, we hardly had time to text during the day anymore. I had missed her. 

"Nope, that's it. I love you! Be careful coming home Daryl." 

"I love you too, see you soon."

I heard the call end and I sat my phone down in the seat beside me. I passed the "Welcome to Waynesville" sign and turned into the shopping center behind it. After I parked my truck I walked  down the sidewalk to to grocery store where I walked in and purchased saltine crackers. After I had paid and was walking back down the sidewalk towards my truck, one of the passing store fronts caught my eye. 

Gibson Jewelers.

The display that was in the window was what had caught my eye. It was a beautiful diamond ring. The ring had sides that looked like weaved flower vines, with small diamonds encrusted in them. The sides led up to the top of the ring, where there was a big diamond surrounded by a circle of diamonds that were the same size as the ones on the side of the ring. Was I really thinking about doing this? I bit my thumb nail and rubbed the back of my neck. Of course I was fucking thinking about it. I loved Sam, of that I was certain. 

"What whore ya thinkin' of giving that to son?" came from behind me. I stilled, knowing that voice anywhere. I turned around and gave my father a halfway glance and started walking towards my truck. 

"It's none of your damn business." I growled. "And she's not a whore." I heard chuckle and footsteps behind me.

"Oh son they're all whores. Even your mother."

I swung around and came face to face with my father. I hadn't even known he was back in town, not that I cared. I didn't want anything to do with him. I could smell the alcohol and cigarette smoke that was always on him. His halfway shaven face and dark brown eyes were smiling back at me. "Don't you ever say anything about my mother." I said with gritted teeth. 

"Aw Daryl, I'm just saying the truth. Your mother was a fine woman before I married her. Then she couldn't get enough dick from me to satisfy her, so she went looking everywhere else. All women do it, and yours will too. Shit, I bet she's riding some fuckers cock right now. I bet you ain't even had sex with her Daryl-ina, cause you're too much of a pussy to fuck a bitch." His face twisted into an expression that I had seen all throughout my childhood. Anger. 

Well I was angry too. I grabbed my father by his jacket and shoved him up against the brick wall. "You don't talk about Samantha that way. You don't get to. Go die for all I care." I released him and he straightened himself up. I turned and started walking away, but I could still hear my father behind me, following me and taunting me. 

"Daryl, all bitches are the same. Believe me. They all take ya for what they can get and then go suck another dick." He kept going on as I climbed into my truck and backed out, this time headed to Sam. Damnit. I hate that man. But what if....

I mentally kicked my own ass for even having started that thought. 

I needed to get home. I needed Sam. I needed  Sam.