Yes or no - Book 4 - S.E.

Epilogue II: I will always love you

When Sam decided to head home after a year in New York, he wasn't entirely sure himself if he had meant Lima or Kentucky with his parents. He had decided to spend a few weeks with his folks in Kentucky first — especially considering he didn't even have a place to stay in Lima now and Stacey's birthday was just around the corner — and so, there he was, telling his family all about his time in New York while avoiding any questions about how his relationship with Emily had fallen apart. He was doing a decent job at it too, keeping himself busy with helping Stacey with her birthday party preparations and Stevie with his back to school things — Sam could barely believe his little brother was going to grade 8 already. He was also looking into some jobs for him and, someway, somehow, he found himself back in touch with Mr. Schue who had told him all about what had happened to McKinley after coach Sylvester was made the Principal. After giving the man a quick update about his own life and how pretty much everything was falling apart now that he had given up in his modeling career, he didn't even have a college degree and he didn't have his girl beside him anymore, Mr. Schue sighed on his side of the line.

"You know... About two years ago, a young man — around your age — also came to me with the same problem." He said, and Mr. Schue didn't even need to say his name. They both knew who he was talking about. "He had lost everything... He didn't have a prospect for the future anymore and he didn't have his true love anymore. So he came to me, and I told him he was always welcome here, because we're family."

"Finn had the glee club, though..." Sam sighed. "I don't even have that anymore."

"No." Mr. Schue agreed. "But you have football. And you know what? I really think coach Beiste could use an assistant if you're interested..."

And he was. So, talking everything out with Mr. Schue, Sam somehow managed to get the position of the football coach's assistant, starting next month. So, now that he had a job, Sam needed an apartment — small, with a bedroom, a bathroom and a kitchen, considering he wouldn't be having anyone in there any time soon — so there he was, in his bedroom, trying to look for affordable flats for himself when there was a soft knock on the door.

"Sammy?"

Sam smiled gently then, immediately recognizing the voice of his baby sister. Closing his laptop and placing it down on the bedside table, Sam walked up to his door and pulled it open, only to reveal Stacey standing there in her favorite purple dress all ready for her big party later that day.

"Hey, bug." He smiled down at her as he stepped aside, allowing her space to walk into the room. As she walked past him, he noticed the small blue box in her hands and frowned. "Whatcha got there?"

"Mommy said you don't want to talk about Em anymore, but I... I just have to tell you something." She frowned a bit as Sam breathed out a quiet laugh, sitting down on his bed as he tugged Stacey close to him.

"You can talk about her if you want, bug. I know how much you like her. And she really likes you too." Sam assured, as Stacey looked up at him with a smile, allowing him to place her over his lap. "You just have to understand Em and I... We're not together anymore."

"I know..." Stacey nodded, placing the blue box over her lap and shrugging. "I had invited her to my birthday party, though. I mean... Before you broke up. She's not coming anymore, but she called me and she sent me a birthday present."

"Is that it?" Sam asked, nodding at the box in his sister's lap. "Is that Em's present for you?"

"No." She shook her head. "She gave me a big art kit with crayons and colored pencils. I can show you after! Oh, and she sent me one of her pom-poms from Louisville. It's different from the one she gave me from Lima. It's black and red, not white and red."