Page 6 of Silk & Bones Reunion

Her red rimmed eyes told him she was still upset as she rolled the window down. “We need to talk, Sam.”

“Yeah, we do, babe.” He nodded. He looked around inside the car but only saw Shaw in the backseat. “TBone in school?”

“Yeah, I didn’t want him to hear us in case our talk got out of control,” Melora replied as she opened the door and went to get Shaw out of her car seat.

When Shaw saw her daddy, she held out her chubby little arms to him.

Sam couldn’t help the lurch he felt in his chest at seeing her sweet little face she looked so much like her mother. He took her from Melora and carried her inside the house.

Melora followed and quietly watched as Sam snuggled with their daughter. Shaw cooed and babbled like she was telling him all about the day. He even chuckled a time or two when she grabbed his nose and made smacking noises. When Shaw finally fell asleep in his arms, he took her down the hall to her bedroom and gently laid her down into her crib.

When he came out and looked around, Melora wasn’t there. Making his way to the second best place she would be, he found Melora in the kitchen. “So where did you and the kids go last night?” he asked her.

Melora just shrugged and gave him no answer. Grabbing a cup of coffee, she sat down at the table. Finally, with a long sigh, she spoke, “You hurt me last night when you accused me of cheating, you know that, right?”

Sam now gave her no immediate answer as he grabbed himself a cup from the cabinet and poured some coffee into it. Sitting down across the table from her, he took a sip of his brew and then finally answered her, “What else was I supposed to think?”

Melora just stared at him with a puzzled expression on her face. “You were supposed to trust me. I would never even think to betray you like that.”

Sam snorted. “I did trust you until you started having secrets and wouldn’t tell me what they were.”

“What? You never had a secret, Sam?” Melora shook her head. “I find that very hard to believe.”

Sam snorted. “Yeah, woman, I got secrets. Secrets that if I share them, will put people in danger.”

“So it's okay for you to keep secrets but not me? How in the hell is that fair?” Melora growled.

“Would keeping this secret hurt anyone?” Sam asked.

“Yeah, Sam, if this secret got out, someone could very well be hurt.”

Sam glared at her. “I don’t believe you.”

Melora slowly shook her head. “After all we have had, all the time you have known me, now I’m a liar? And who are you to say that to me? Who made your secrets better than mine? I’ve never lied to you nor have I cheated on you but I don’t expect you to believe that. You have made this rift between us.”

Shaking his head, he retorted, “No, you did by sneaking around with secrets.”

Anger showed in her eyes. “What a hypocritical thing to say. I just can’t do this with you. I’d hoped you had somehow gotten some good sense while I was gone. Maybe you should find a place to stay for a while. I have the kids to care for here.” Shaking her head she told him, “I love you Sam, but I can’t have you here right now.”

So, she was now kicking him out? “If I go, I might not come back,” Sam threatened.

Melora nodded. “I understand that. You choose to run away from your problems rather than talk about them or try to work them out. That’s just the kind of man you are.” Shrugging, she said, “Don’t worry about us, me and the kids are gonna be just fine, with or without you.”

Sam growled and retorted, “I told you woman, I ain’t running anymore. If you want me gone, I’m gone. I’ll go back to my old house but you ain’t keeping me away from my kids.”

“I don’t want you gone Sam, but I can’t live with someone who doesn’t trust me,” Melora admitted. “You can see the kids. I'm not going to stop you. They are your kids.” Glancing up at the clock, she said, “TBone will be home from school soon but when he goes to bed, you need to pack your clothes and go.” She rose from her chair and told him, “I have to get supper started.”

Sam shook his head.

Melora stepped over to pull food out of the fridge. But when she opened it, she frowned at the space the case of beer had been in the night before. Looking over at Sam, she shook her head. Grabbing a package of hamburgers, she shut the door. Then she went to the oven and set the temperature. She kept ignoring him and his steel like gaze as she took out a large mixing bowl and some spices then prepared a meatloaf. Sliding the pan into the oven, she let that begin cooking. Pulling potatoes out from the fridge, she washed them and then dried them.

Sam watched her as she prepared dinner. She intentionally ignored him. Yes, her hands shook a bit and she kept her back to him, but he’d never seen her like this before.

Just then, the front door opened and TBone was home. When he came into the kitchen, he shouted, “Daddy,” as he ran into Sam’s arms.

Melora didn’t say anything but she caught Sam’s eyes over the top of TBone’s head. The moment seemed surreal to Sam.

When she heard Shaw wake up from her nap, Melora left the kitchen to get her daughter.

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