Sam & Ellie The Fall Before Spring

Part 2

Ellie entered the drab, colourless office. Walking past rows of cubicles until she turned and sat at her familiar desk. In the corner sat a framed photo of her and Sam. They were smiling, rows of people cluttered behind them at her first work Christmas party.

She had once loved the office and the people in it, they welcomed her like family and treated her very well. They had loved Sam but things changed. It was hard to hide certain things from the people who saw her every day. Vanessa had left, moved across state lines with her boyfriend, she was too far to see through Ellie's facade but her co-workers... well they weren't far or ignorant. They asked too many questions and eventually figured it out and the only way to keep them out was distance. But there was a time Ellie had known the names of Ailiess's grandchildren. She had participated in secret Santa and every holiday exchange. Her other co-worker Diane had even planned her gender reveal party when Ellie was pregnant.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Three," the small crowd of people shouted. Her father, her aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, best friends, Vanessa stood at the front of the group, smiling wider than anyone else. "Two, One!"

Boom! Off went the party poppers, blue dust flying and falling everywhere. Ellie laughed as Sam picked her up, spinning in a circle.

"It's a boy!" He burst, beaming with joy, "we're having a baby boy!"

"I know," Ellie smiled back, not bothering to stop the tears rolling down her cheeks.

Sam's smile faltered, "why are you crying? Did you not want a boy?"

Ellie laughed, rich and carefree, "I don't care about the gender, I think it just finally hit me that we're going to be parents, a family." Family. Sam's eyes became a little glossy too.

"Don't worry," she assured him. "They're happy tears."

He pulled her close, resting his forehead on the crook of her neck "God Ellie, I love you so much."

"I love you too." Now she was full-on crying. Sam leaned back and laughed. "It's got to be the hormones," she said, as he wiped her tears.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ellie's heart throbbed, angry at the prodding of an old wound. Tears pricked her eyes but after a few deep breaths, they receded, leaving her with the ghost of the memory. It took everything in her to look back at her computer instead of down at her stomach.

The drive home was the same as always but Ellie missed Sam, more than usual. She kept looking at the empty passenger seat beside her, expecting him to be there but he wasn't. Quickly, she parked and rushed to the elevator, eager to be greeted by his arms. For once, she didn't want to hear about his day or meeting, she just wanted to be with him and be comforted by his presence, maybe do something normal.

With a satisfying click of the key unlocking the deadbolted door, she stepped in. Relief greeted her as she removed her feet from her heels and let her hair fall from her tight bun in butterscotch tangles. She sighed as she absently massaged her sore scalp and placed her keys in the bowl by the entryway.

"Sammy boy!" She called, "whatcha making for dinner?"

Silence.

"Sam?"

...No answer.

She walked down the hallway to their bedroom, her short legs moving in long strides. Pushing open the door, her eyes swept over the room. Empty. Next was the bathroom. Empty.

Ellie had the sinking feeling that something was very wrong. Even though the entryway was by the kitchen and also connected to the living room she double-checked anyway. She was alone.

Falling into what was almost a routine. She pressed her phone against her ear, held there by her shoulder as she slipped on her shoes. Sneakers this time.

Riiiinggg.

Riiiinggg.

Riiiinggg.

"Hi, it's Sam, I seem to have missed your call, please leave your name and number and I'll try to get you back to you as soon as I can, thank you."

"Sam, it's Ellie. Where are you? I thought you were coming home tonight, what happened? Please call me as soon as you get this, love you." She pulled the phone out of the crook of her neck and began to dial again.

Riiiinggg.

Riiiing-

"Hello?"

"Hey Danny, it's Ellie," she began.

"Oh hello love, how have you been?"

"The usual, I was just wondering if you know where Sam went, I dropped him off at AA this morning and he's gone now."

"... Ellie," he hesitated. "Sam wasn't at the meeting."

"Oh God," she swore, "Well thank you anyway."

"No problem, I'm really sorry Ellie. I wish I could say otherwise."

"I know, well, take care."

"You know we do offer things like Al-Anon," Al-Anon, Alateen, how many times-.

"Thanks, Danny but between Sam and work, I just can't."

"Well, the offer will always stand."

"I know, thank you."

"Bye."

She hung up, walking out the door with her keys in her hand.