The London Paradigm (book 4 of Adopted by the Josephs)

44. Josh

When Sam and I got back to the house, she said she was going to take a nap. I didn't blame her. Poor kid hadn't had much sleep.

"Jim, go with Sam," I said. The golden retriever bounced off after her. As soon as I heard the door to her room close, I called Tyler.

"Hey, Josh," he said as he answered. "How's Sam?"

"She's okay," I said. "Well, not really, but I think she will be. She's just gone to take a nap."

"A nap? Why?"

"Because, Tyler, she has nightmares. And they keep her up at night. After her second one last night, Jim slept with her and she got some sleep. And just now I took her for a walk in the back towards the woods. We had a good talk. Tyler, I know you're trying to protect her, but she's also trying to protect you. She doesn't want you two worrying so much about her which of course is making you worry even more."

"Why? What happened?"

"Well, after she had a good cry. For like ten minutes, and I'm not exaggerating, she told me what she's scared of."

"I know. Mark winning, the nightmares, the seizures," Tyler said.

"Have you told her the court date was set? Or that you're documenting everything? Does she know how hard you're fighting for her?"

"I hadn't told her about the court date yet because she had that seizure."

"But you didn't tell her about how you're fighting? That you've asked all of us to be ready to come testify if needed?"

"I don't know that we thought to."

"Tyler, you need to tell her everything. She's trying to protect everyone. It's not just what Mark's doing that's messing her up. You guys need to be telling her what you're doing. She needs to know that she's not alone in this fight."

"She knows we're fighting for her," Tyler insisted.

"She doesn't. I mean, she does, but she doesn't know how hard you are. She's terrified Mark will win. And that will probably kill her, if he does. She's afraid to sleep. She's afraid to stay awake. She's afraid to go to school. She's afraid of everything, Tyler.

She's not well. She said herself. She doesn't feel well. Not sick but her stomach is in knots, is how she put it. She told me the breakfast I made her, cheesy eggs and toast, was the most she's eaten in a while. She's a skeleton."

Tyler was crying.

"I know," he said. "I know. I want to fly to England and tear that asshole a new one. I want to show him what he's doing to my daughter. He's killing her!  And Jenna and I, we don't know how to make this better for her. Even Greyson says he thinks we have a very good chance. Especially with what this is doing to her. But she's suffering and it isn't fair! I don't want to win this case and lose my daughter anyway."

Tears were coming out of my eyes, too. Tyler and Jenna couldn't lose Sam. It would destroy them.

"We're here with you. We'll fight with you. We'll fight for you. For Sam."

"Thanks, brother," Tyler said.

"Talk to her though. Tell her everything. What you know, what Greyson says, who's in her corner."

"We will. I promise. When she comes home. We will."

"About that," I said. "I was thinking, maybe, since the press doesn't seem to know Sam is here, why doesn't she stay here for the week?  I'll come get her clothes and school stuff. Only if she agrees, of course. Or, you guys come for dinner tomorrow. I'll ask her what she thinks when she wakes up."

"I don't know. I miss her here and Rosie is asking for her. Ask her what she thinks. Maybe a couple extra days. They're bound to find out she's there and once that happens, she may as well be here."

"Alright. I'll talk to her when she wakes up, and we'll go from there. Stay cool, brother."

"Staying frosty. Give her a hug and a kiss from us."

"Will do," I said, hanging up.

"Josh?" Debby said, coming into the kitchen. "Are you okay? You're crying. Where's Sam?"

"I'm okay. I was talking to Tyler about what's happening and we set each other off I guess. Sam's taking a nap. We had a really good talk outside and she had a really good cry, which I think released some of the tension she's been under.

Deb, what do you think of her staying here a few more days?  The press hasn't found out she's here. Jim seems to be helping her sleep, at least he did last night and he's with her now.  I thought we could have Tyler and Jenna and Rosie over for dinner tomorrow and they could bring Sam some more clothes and her school stuff. Only if Sam agrees, though."

"I think my husband has a heart that is so big, it's about five seven," she smiled, kissing me.

"So that's a yes?"

"That's a yes. As long as Sam is on board and she knows it's us asking."

"Great.  I'll talk to her after her nap," I said.

Debby and I went into the living room to watch some TV while Sam napped.