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

59. Tyler

Samantha was awake.

And after a few days, she was more conversant and more... herself.

We asked her what happened and she started to cry.

"I was tired of everything. I just wanted it all to be over. I wanted to, just sleep I guess."

"Honey," Jenna said, taking her hand. "Were you thinking of..."

"No!" Sam said. "I mean, I don't think so. I just, I wanted the case and the nightmares and the fighting to stop. I wanted to stop feeling so scared all the time. I wanted some rest."

Sam had a good cry with us. We called Doc and set up some appointments for Sam in the coming weeks. He came to see her while she was still in the hospital.

Samantha was able to come home about a week after she woke up. Brendon and Sarah, Zack and Kala and Josh and Debby, along with my parents and siblings and their families came and we celebrated that we were a family finally. Forever. Legally. That there was no one who could change that ever again.

Of course we had Jill and her family join us and Samantha's friends. It was a real party. A far cry from the party we had to introduce Samantha to our friends two years ago.

Samantha was less skittish than she was then. She had friends of her own to join us.

I looked over at my daughter and smiled. My daughter. I could say that without fear.

And I watched as she sat talking with her friends. Brendon went up to her and picked her up and pretended he was going to throw her in the pool. She screamed and laughed. It was music to my ears. We'd come so close to losing her in so many ways.

"She's going to be okay," Josh said, coming up beside me and handing me a beer.

"I think so," I said. "I really do."

Just then the bell to the gate rang. Samantha looked up. I answered from the app on my phone.

"Hello?"

"Is this the Joseph residence?" A dignified English sounding voice asked. Samantha froze. "This is Archibald Wentworth Ballycastle the third and Samantha is my great great niece."

Samantha came over with a look of abject terror.

"Dad?"

I turned the camera on to check.

"Pete, you dolt! Get up here!" I laughed. Samantha looked on the camera and laughed, too.

I hugged my daughter. Jenna came up to us with Rosie. Samantha took her from Jenna and spun around with her. Rosie laughed, Samantha grinned at us while she snuggled her sister.

My family was whole. We still had some work to do with Samantha but she was going to be okay.