His Return

22~ Teenage Angst

"Granddad!" Mikey's dark curls run through the door as his feet take him directly to my father. He wrap his arms around my father, grinning his boyish grin up while my father hugs him back. "You came!"

"Mikey, my boy, you asked for me and I came. Although I am disappointed in you for not sharing the details of the necessity of my visit." I watch the smile fall from my son's face while he mutters an apology. My heart aches for the small boy who's had to grow up too fast over the past decade. "But that hardly matters." He hugs my son closer to him. "Your twin and grandmother owes us pizza tonight, any special requests?" My son shakes his head and my father looks up at Sam who's just approached and given me a kiss on the top of the head.

"Samuel." My father nods at the standing next to me.

"Captain Anderson." Sam reaches out and shakes my fathers hand before they both grin, my father slapping Sam's back.

"The usual pizza order, Sam?"

"Always." Sam grins, sitting down on the couch. "Pineapple has fought very hard for the right to be on pizza, who am I to deny it?"

"Yuck." Sofia, a boot on her ankle, slowly hobbles down. "An abomination he eats all the time." She mumbles, falling into the couch next to Sam.

"We'll be back soon then." My father grabs my SUV key from the hook by the door and opening the door for my mother.

"I'll show you abomination." Sam wraps his arm around Sofia's head once the door closes, getting her in a tight headlock.

"Sam!" My daughter squeals, trying to get away from her Uncle. "No!" Her squeals grow louder and it causes heavy footsteps to come up behind me where I've been quietly watching my family interact.

"Is she okay?" Michael looks down at me, his dark curls hang across his forehead, still dripping from his shower. Sam's shirt that he wears is a size too small and fits his broad chest too tightly. I nod silently, trying to look away from his chest that suddenly seems much more muscular than I remember.

When we got home I sent the girls to do their homework. Michael disappeared to the guest room. My parents offered to get the pizza, leaving me with the opportunity to figure out the extent of my childrens' recent schemes.

Another of Sofia's squeals rings out and I turn my head to see Sam still holding her in a headlock, Ari is tickling her stomach, and Mikey tries to grab her feet.

"Dad, help!" She squeals, her arm reaches to something- someone- just behind me. Michael slowly steps forward and Sam much to his credit continues as if this moment is completely normal.

Michael silently grabs Ari, causing her to squeal out as well. "No, Daddy!"

And suddenly Mikey is walking out of the living room to the kitchen, his head down and a frown covering his face. I follow the angsty teenager to the kitchen silently watching as he grabs a cup of water before sitting at the dining table. 

"Did you know your sister hid phone calls from me from Sheriff Bailey?" The glass cup that was halfway to his lips freezes, then gently clinks as he sets it back on the table. 

"Yes."

I sigh, sitting down next to my son. "Who's idea was it?"

"Mine." He mumble, not quite meeting my eye.

"No, it was mine." Sofia adds, suddenly entering the kitchen and Mikey's eyes meet hers. I watch as they silently communicate and Michael quietly enters the kitchen, Sam behind him. "I didn't want you dating the Sheriff and I made Mikey help me to make sure that you didn't know he called."

"You didn't think that would hurt me, Sofia? I really liked him."

Dan Bailey is not some Italian Adonis like the man I married years ago. He's the sweet boy next door type. His whole life is in this small town and he loves it. His wife left him years ago to make it big somewhere outside of Stadia - she's a lawyer somewhere now and he stayed here. He fought every morning just to get out of bed, much like I did.

"We didn't want you to date him because.." Mikey starts but then hesitates looking at the curious eyes around him.

Sam is leaning against the wall observing with a slight frown. Michael, on the other hand, rests his hands on the back of one of the dining room tables. His buckles are white as he tightly grips the detailed pine, while hanging on to every word that gets said.

"We thought if we could keep you single long enough that you and Sam would fall in love." Sofia shouts suddenly looking like she's about to cry, and I'm finally able to see the emotional torment these past few days have had on her. My daughter is strong, she has put on a smile and is clawing her way toward what she wants - a happy family.

"Sofia," I sigh, not really knowing what to say.

Sam suddenly coughs, pushing himself off the wall.

"Sof," Sam approaches my daughter, kneeling in front of her. "You know I love you like my own." He's tells her and Sofia sniffles a small 'I know'. "And I love your mom very much." He glances up at me before looking back at Sofia. "But I still love your Aunt Maddie, and it wouldn't be fair to your mom to try to love her like a loved Maddie. I don't know if I can."

"I know." Sofia sniffles again. "But it's okay because Dad is back anyway."

"Um.." Sam seems at a loss for words as he glances at me for help. "Yes, well.."

"Sofia, your dad is here for you and your brother and sister." I tell her gently, brushing the blond wisps of hair that have fallen from her ponytail. While I don't want to break my daughter's heart, I don't wish to mislead her either.

"But."

"There are no buts, Sofia." I tell her, my tone sharper than before. "I would appreciate it if you stopped meddling in my love life. There won't be anything between Sam and I,  there isn't anything left between your dad and I am sorry because I know that's not what you want to hear."

I watch, my heart aching as she blinks away tears.

"Good, I'd rather have Toby Bailey as a stepbrother." Mikey glares at his father who frowns, still gripping the back of a chair.

"Mikey." I warn and he closes his mouth before mumbling that he's going to find Ari while Sofia wipes her cheeks quietly whispering that she wants to go change from her school uniform.

Sam silently walks out of the kitchen, leaving Michael and I in a tense silence.

I clear my throat, knowing from our conversation earlier today, he doesn't like what he just heard.

A car door outside closes and through the kitchen window I see my parents walking toward the house, three boxes of pizza in my fathers arms. I move to get dishes out but Michael's whisper stops me.

"You're wrong." I look at him, meeting his eyes for the first time tonight. "I'm here for them yes, but I'm here for you too. And I will fight for you until my last breath. And one of these days you'll believe me when I tell you I'm not going anywhere."

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