Oh Ms Believer

58. Jenna

Sam went back to school in the morning and came home with a note from her principal regarding her voice. It wasn't a note telling us she was in trouble. It was the school actually attempting to do something to help Samantha this time.

The principal also outlined that from now on, Samantha would be told ahead of time of any planned drills - fire, active shooter, lockdown, hold in place. There was a calendar attached with the dates of the planned drills. Finally, it seemed the principal understood the need for the drills to be communicated to Samantha ahead of time.

We would decide if she'd go to school on the specified day. At least we would know and be able to remind and prepare Samantha. She admitted she felt a bit dumb for overreacting on her first day back. Doc had spoken to her to assure her that her reaction was, in fact, not completely abnormal. Maybe a bit over the top but considering Samantha's history, and the fact that she had been in the room on the day of the shooting, even Doc was hesitant to say it was anything close to an overreaction.

Tyler and I watched in awe as Samantha navigated her world. We saw the healing she'd done in the hospital and since coming back home. She doted on her sisters, and was back to the playful big sister Rosie was used to, and that Junie, now crawling, tried to chase.

"She amazes me," I said to Tyler as we watched Samantha and Rosie on the basketball court. Samantha would hand Rosie the ball and lift her up to try to drop the ball in the basket. Rosie would shriek and giggle when she would "make" a basket.

Samantha came back to the table on the back deck and flopped into a chair.

"You alright?" I asked her, smiling and brushing some hair off her face. Samantha looked at me and smiled.

"I am. I really am," she smiled at me. And I believed her. Her smile made her eyes sparkle and that was how we knew her smiles were genuine. "I can't believe how warm it is!"

We were having a bit of an Indian summer having had several days of warm weather. We'd taken advantage of the warm autumn weather and had some family photos done in the backyard which just, to me anyway, highlighted how well Sam was doing now.

"Why don't you head inside take a shower and I'll get dinner started. Dad wants to talk to you about Halloween," I said. Sam smirked. She loves Halloween. She and Tyler would come up with our family costumes.

Sam went inside and I gathered Junie up and got Rosie to come inside, too. I tasked Rosie with putting napkins on the table while Junie played with a few toys on her tray in her high chair. I heard Samantha's shower turn on. Tyler came upstairs from the basement just as I heard Sam's shower turn off.

"Where's Sam?" He asked.

"She just took a shower and is probably drying off and coming down," I replied. He nodded and sat down to make faces at Junie. Rosie clung to him. I loved watching Tyler with our kids. He was such an amazing dad. So patient. But stern when he had to be.

Samantha came downstairs without her leg on, crutching her way into the kitchen.

"Anything I can help with?" She asked.

"Can you cut up a salad?" I asked her pointing to the salad fixings on the kitchen island.

"Yup. I can, in fact, do that," she said, leaning on her crutches, but not moving. I looked up at her.

"Sam. Salad," I said. I looked at her. She was looking at me thoughtfully.

"What are you up to?" I asked her.

"Just thinking about whether or not my idea for Halloween costumes would be flattering or insulting to you."

"Uh oh. Please remember you have two very small sisters," I winked at her.

"Oh, my idea is totally family friendly," she smiled. I looked over at her. There was something playful in her eyes. I smiled back at her.

"Cut up the salad, goof. We'll talk over dinner. Or after if you want it to be a surprise for Rosie."

"I like surprises!" Rosie shouted from Tyler's lap. "Tell me the surprise!"

"In time, my adorable sister," Samantha smiled at Rosie. "Right now I have to cut up a salad so we can eat dinner. You're having salad, right, RosieRo?"

"Yup. I eat begetables," Rosie said. Samantha smiled and cut some cherry tomatoes into smaller wedges.

Once done, we all gathered at the table and after Tyler and I said our prayers, we tucked in.

"Sam," Tyler said. "According to the calendar, there's a lockdown drill tomorrow. Do you want to stay home?"

Samantha had been back at school for a few weeks since the drill that had pretty much destroyed her voice for almost a week. There had been no more drama. She was settling back into her routines and we kept an eye on the calendar.

"Yeah. We have a practice tomorrow afternoon. I'll be okay," she said.

Having the calendar of planned drills was helpful. Sam would know it was coming. She admitted the first one after she went back to school, again, she had to remind herself it was a drill, but she thought she'd be okay for the drill tomorrow.

"Okay. It's supposed to be at eleven, so unless someone says something, that's what will be happening."

Sam nodded through a mouthful of salad.

"And then there's Halloween," Tyler said, sitting back and looking at Samantha. "What are you thinking?"

"I have the best idea. I just hope Mom isn't insulted," she smirked.

Tyler raised his eyebrow at her.

"Beauty and the Beast!" Samantha smiled. "Junie could be Chip, Mom could be Mrs. Potts, Rosie could be Belle, and you could be the Beast."

"What about you?" I asked. She hadn't included herself in the list.

"Lumiere, obviously," she smirked.

"Why obviously?" Tyler asked. I was curious, too.

"Because he only has one leg," she smiled, laughed and slapped her hand on the table. She thought she was hilarious.

"Technically, I don't think he has any legs," Tyler said, thoughtfully. "He's got, like, a base."

"But he hops around on that 'base' like he's got one leg. Although to take Junie and Rosie trick or treating I'll probably use my crutches. Hopping around the neighborhood might be more tiring than fun."

"I wanna be Belle!" Rosie clapped.

We chatted about our costumes and how we'd pull them off and so forth.

That night, as Tyler and I went to bed after checking on the littles and reminding Samantha to turn her light out, we looked at each other and sighed.

Life was good. We'd weathered some of the worst things parents could face when it comes to their children. But we'd all made it through to the other side. There were times we weren't sure we would. But the strength our eldest daughter displayed as she healed from things no one person should have to face, made us proud to know we were doing good. We had good kids.