Unspoken

Chapter 10

Sami was unnaturally quiet at dinner. It was their last night together, and as the day progressed, Marlena had watched as her daughter became progressively silent. She sat at the table picking at her food, barely eating anything. Marlena looked across at John, and without saying anything, he knew that she wanted to speak with Sami alone. John turned, saying to Eric, "Hey, why don't you come with me while I get Brady diapered, and changed for bed?"

"Gross, Dad. I don't want to do that!" the little boy said, completely oblivious to the real reason he needed to go with John.

"Well, I need some company, so come on," John said, lifting Brady into his arms.

Marlena watched John and Eric leave the room, and then said to Sami, "Honey, please talk to me."

"I can't," she whispered, looking at her plate.

Marlena felt sick. Something was wrong, and she needed Sami to tell her what it was, because she had a myriad of horrible scenarios rolling through her mind. "Do you remember what I told you? When I promised you could tell me anything, and I would keep you safe?"

"Yes..."

"I need you to tell me what's going on Samantha. Please."

She looked up at her mother, her eyes shining with unshed tears, "He said if I told you...I'd make you sad, and it—it would be my fault. I don't want it to be my fault."

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not your fault, but I need to know what it is."

"He was kissing a lady, at the pub. I saw him, and he got real mad at me, and yelled. He yelled at me, and he said..." Sami started taking in rapid breaths, as if she was having a hard time getting air.

Marlena recognized the signs of a panic attack, and knew that in a child Sami's age, this was a sign of anxiety, and possibly, trauma. She stood up quickly, rounding the table, and crouching in front of Sami. "Honey, take in a slow breath through your nose, and then breath out through your mouth. Come on. Do it again...and again..." It was several minutes before Sami was calm again, and Marlena found that she was even more worried about her daughter.

"He said if the family broke up it would be my fault...'cause I told, and then you'd be sad 'cause you didn't have anybody..not Daddy, and not him...I don't want you to be sad, Mama! I don't want you to be sad!" The little girl cried, throwing herself into her mother's arms, saying again, "I don't want you to be sad!"

Marlena felt anger rise in her belly like an inferno. She wrapped her arms snugly around her little girl, breathing in the soft scent of baby soap, and sweat from a long day of rough play, "I love you, Samantha Gene. I love you with my whole heart, and I would never, never, never blame you for this. Never. Do you understand?"

Sami nodded, and then buried her face in her mothers hair, taking deep, gasping breaths, "But he said, he said—"

"No. Do you hear me? I don't care what he said," Marlena told her firmly, pulling back, and looking at her daughter. And, even though Marlena knew the answer already, she asked Sami, "I do need you to tell me who 'he' is. Can you do that for me?"

Sami looked scared, petrified, but she nodded slowly, and leaned close to her mothers ear, cupping her hands around it, almost as if she was telling the deepest of secrets, and said so softly Marlena could barely hear her, "Mr. Patrick."

Marlena's world began to collapse around her. She landed on the floor on her backside abruptly, pulling Sami into her lap, and crying, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, baby. That isn't your responsibility, and it isn't your secret. No one should ever ask you to keep a secret you don't want to keep."