Begin Again | Sam Wilson

Chapter Twenty

"Where exactly are you taking me, Sam?" Brianna asked as she rode in the passenger side of his car.

"A restaurant on the marina. It's nice. They've got good food, drinks and dancing all along the water. You can see the boats coming in and out of the water. That's only part of my plan." He explained.

She raised an eyebrow. "And what is your other part?"

"You'll see." He teased her.

Sam lifted her hand that was holding his and kissed it softly. They pulled into a gravel parking lot where a small building sat. Through the trees she could see a large, outdoor patio with lights strung from trees and wooden pillars. It wasn't dark yet, but the sun was starting to set so you could get a better picture of the lights. In the distance she could see rows and rows of boats lined up along docks. Occasionally she would catch a glimpse of one coming in to dock.

"My parents and I used to come eat here when they visited me in DC." Sam told her as they were handed menus.

He was sharing one of his favorite, memorable spots with her which made her heart swell more than it already was. "I would have loved to know you then."

"I like to think I'm the same. Maybe even a little cockier." He admitted.

"I didn't think that was possible." She teased.

"What about you? What was adolescent Brianna like?" He asked curiously.

"I had a hunger for a purpose. I wanted to be like my dad more than anything, but my mom and even my dad didn't want that for me. They knew how time consuming and dangerous the job could be." She could feel her eyes starting to tear up at the thought of her mom. "It's funny, I always thought I would lose my dad first...I'm sorry. I don't mean to get all sappy on you."

He shook his head. "Bri, your mom died less than two weeks ago. You can feel anyway you want to."

"I miss her. A lot. I would do anything to hear her nagging at me again. She would have freaked when I told her that we were together, in a good way."

"That longing will never go away. You'll think you're fine ten years from now and you'll see something that reminds you of her and you'll start crying again." He said.

"You should become a therapist." She said. "You just have a way with helping people. I don't know if I would be okay without you, regardless if we were in a relationship or not."

"You would have been okay. You have your dad. You have your stepmom and stepdad and siblings. I'm a believer in that it takes a village to help a person and you've got a pretty damn good village."

"And your village?" Brianna asked.

"My village is small now. I've got my sister, my nephews, friends from the Air Force and you, of course."

"Your sister, what's she like?"

Sam took a sip out of his beer bottle and set it back on the table while he contemplated Brianna's question. "She's like our mom. She's fiery. No nonsense. She's more serious than I am. She's a good sister and mom. You would like her and Vice versa. I do want the two of you to meet eventuality."

"What have you told her about me?" She asked curiously.

"Well, how beautiful you are." Sam started and Brianna rolled her eyes in a joking manner. "I've told her pretty much everything since the moment I met you. She knows how discouraged I was when Steve and you started to date. She knew about Rumlow kidnapping you. I told her how kind and family oriented you are. Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"How do you think your dad will react when he finds out the two of us are together?" He asked.