Unspoken

Chapter 9

"Daddy!" Sami screamed, running out the front door of her grandparents home. Her little legs were flying across the lawn, until she threw herself into John's arms, saying over and over again, "I missed you! I missed you!"

"Hey, Peanut!" John said with a huge smile, swinging her around. "I missed you, too. Where's your brother?"

"Daddy!" Eric said, appearing in the doorway, and then looking towards Marlena he said, "Mama!" Martha and Frank Evans came to the door right behind him, but Eric was already out of the house, running across the grass, taking the same path as his sister before him...straight to John.

As Marlena was getting Brady out of his car seat, she heard Eric say, "I want to meet my brother!"

John said softly, "Your mother is getting him out of the car."

Sami ran to the car, wiggling between Marlena and the car door to get her eyes on Brady. "He looks just like Isabella," she whispered, touching the baby's face gently.

Marlena looked down at her daughter, with her blonde hair and blue eyes, saying, "He does, doesn't he?"

"I'm sad she's gone, Mama. It makes me sad inside."

Marlena held a sleeping Brady to her chest, and kneeled down in front of Sami, "It makes me sad inside too, honey. Very sad, and that's okay, because when we lose someone we love, we miss them."

"Does Daddy miss her?"

"Daddy misses her very much. He loved her a lot," Marlena said gently.

"I'm sorry I got mad at you. Grandma talked to me about it and...and I'm not mad anymore," Sami said, stepping closer, and touching her mother's hair. "I missed you," she whispered.

"I missed you, too, sweetie. We can spend as much time as you want together for the next two weeks, and maybe we can talk about you and Eric coming home, okay?" Marlena said, but then she noticed that Sami looked away. When Marlena mentioned talking about coming back to Salem, Sami became nervous and distracted.

"Maybe," the little girl said. "I don't know."

"Samantha Gene, is there something you want to talk to me about?" Marlena asked her. "Because, honey, you can tell me anything, and I'll keep you safe, and I'll love you. No matter what. I love you. John loves you, and I promise, whatever it is, we'll listen." Sami looked at her, and Marlena saw something in her eyes, hope mixed with apprehension. "Just think about it."

"I will," Sami said, taking her mother's hand, as Marlena stood up with Brady cradled against her chest.

"Hey, Doc," John called across the lawn. "Eric says, he's started pitching in baseball!" Looking back down at Eric, he says, "Make sure to bring your glove and your ball, I can show you a few things, and you can get some practice in."

Eric smiled at John, and then said, "Maybe. If I have time between all of my homework."

"We'll have time. Just you and me, okay?"

"Yeah! Come on," Eric said tugging at John's hand. "Grandma made some sandwiches, and ice tea. She said she knows that you're always hungry!"

Marlena arrived just in time to hear the last part, and started laughing, "John? Hungry? Never!"

John looked at her seriously, "I sense a joke here."

Marlena laughed even harder, "No? A joke?"

She turned to walk in the house and John grabbed Sami's little hand in his free one, and said, "I think your mother's making fun of me, Peanut."