Leave The City (Book 8 of Adopted by the Josephs)

58. Tyler

I pushed the luggage cart while Jenna pushed the stroller with Rosie and Junie, who were looking around the terminal. It was bright and sunny and warm. I smiled. I loved coming to California but I was even happier that I was here to see my eldest daughter.

"Mom! Dad!" I heard and then was enveloped in a tight hug. Samantha pulled away and smiled at me.

"Hi, Dad," she smiled. I smiled, too. She looked so good. Healthy, happy. Her blue eyes were sparkling as she moved on to say hi to her mother and siblings. The smile on her face was wide. It was real.

"Hi Sammy!" Rosie said.

"Hi Sammy!!" Junie said, louder.

"Junie! I call Sammy Sammy. You find a different name!" Rosie complained. Four year olds... sheesh.

"I wanna call Sammy Sammy, too!" Junie said.

"But I already do!" Rosie complained.

"Rosie, you can both call me Sammy. It's okay," Samantha said, undoing the buckles on Junie's stroller seat and then Rosie's. She picked Junie up and put her on her hip while holding Rosie's hand. It was then I noticed she didn't have her crutches with her.

"Okay, Sammy," Rosie said. And that was that. Rosie was placated.

"Sam," I said. "You're not using your crutches."

"I know," she grinned at me. "I've been working so hard in physio. My stamina is way better and I've even been working out with the basketball team."

"Sam," I warned.

"At practice and with my doctors' permission. I'm still not allowed to play," she said.

"I know it's hard for you, but I'm glad you're following orders," I said. Samantha smiled back at me.

Rosie was talking at Sam a mile a minute while Junie just listened and held on to Sam's shoulders and put her head down on the shoulder where Sam was holding her.

"You okay, Junie Bug?" Sam asked her.

"I okay, Sammy," Junie smiled at her big sister. "I wif you."

Samantha smiled at her sister and kissed her head. Junie giggled.

"You look fantastic, Samantha," Jenna said to Sam. "You look really healthy, happy. Are you?"

"I am, Mom. It's been really great since that Monday thing," Sam said.

"And how's Dylan?" Jenna asked. Samantha blushed.

"He's fine," she said. I laughed.

Samantha and Dylan were getting pretty serious, from what Samantha, Brendon and Sarah had been saying. They said when he took Samantha out, she was always back by or before curfew, they had Dylan's phone number in case of an emergency and they'd had him over for dinner. Samantha said they didn't embarrass her, too much.

We got outside and found Brendon standing by their car. How we were going to fit the five of us and all our luggage and Brendon as well was beyond me.

"Sarah brought her car for luggage," Brendon said. "And I have car seats for the little ones. Jenna or Sam can ride back with Sarah if you want.

"Can I go with Aunt Sarah and Mom?" Sam asked.  I was a little disappointed that she didn't want to ride with me and her sisters. But I certainly wasn't going to say no. I smiled.

"Sure. But no talking bad about me," I joked.

"What's the fun in that?" Sam pretended to pout.

"You mean, you were going to talk bad about me?" I whined.