Long Time Running - By Hannah Foster Page 0,6

I love him. You - you brought him into my life Sarah and I'm tired of you still trying to control everything after all these years as if we are in some kind of holding pattern."

Adjusting the strap of her purse over her shoulder, she gave him a defiant look. "She might come back."

He shook his head. "She isn't. She isn't ever coming back. Hell, I don't even know where she is but I don't need to know that to know she isn't coming back."

Their conversation ended abruptly as Jack skidded to a stop between them. He hugged his aunt hello before giving Eric a high five and happily heading out the door.

As he closed the door, he leaned against it and sighed. He wasn't satisfied with half measures any longer. Fear had dictated his silence for too long; fear he would fail as a father; fear that Sarah would change her mind about having him in Jack's life; fear Nathalie would return to take Jack away. Somewhere, somehow, fear had been replaced with resolve. This was his son - his family - and it was time for him to know.

Holding tightly to Jack's hand as they walked the two blocks to her apartment, she took several deep breaths to calm her racing heart and replayed the last part of her conversation with Eric in her mind. She had been expecting Eric's push for weeks now. It had been almost a year since the last time he brought up telling Jack the truth and with every goodbye, she saw the despair grow in Eric's eyes.

Truth be told, Sarah no longer knew the true reasons she fought Eric on telling Jack he was his father. It had started earnestly enough, a sister wanting to respect the plea of her only family. While Sarah didn't have many deep relationships in her life, her relationship with Nathalie was sacrosanct. Or it had been.

But as time, years, went on Sarah could admit her motivation for keeping the situation status quo had changed. Glancing down at the joyous sound of Jack's laugh, she smiled. She loved this child totally and couldn't imagine her life with out him.

Fear gripped her heart at the thought of Jack no longer being in her life. She told herself in the early years that she was just doing what Nathalie had asked of her; that long ago conversation still piercing her heart with pain. But as time had passed and she had refused to come home and severed all contact with her, Sarah gradually allowed herself to feel more comfortable about the permanence of Jack in her life.

Was she an awful person for denying Eric the right to tell Jack he was his father? She had observed them over the years and had no doubt that the both loved each other tremendously. Was it time to break her final promise to her sister? Sarah was afraid in doing that, she would break her own heart in the process.

"Aunt Sarah?" Jack asked breaking her thoughts.

"Yeah, bud?"

"How many days till next weekend?

"Why?" she asked, curious.

"Cause Eric said I get to spend next weekend with him!" The seven year responded quickly, the palpable excitement making his small body squirm.

"Yes, that's the plan" she responded, smiling at how happy he looked at the thought.

"And, we get to go to a Yankees game!" he added.

"I thought you were a Mets fan?" she queried.

"Well, don't tell Eric, for one night I can be a Yankees fan!" he pleaded.

"It'll be our secret." She confirmed.

"And you know the best part!? He continued without waiting for a response. "Andrew is coming!"

Sarah's grasp tightened reflexively at the mention of Andrew's name. "That's great, bud, I know you love guy time with both Eric and Drew."

"Can we have them over sometime? They haven't been over for dinner in, like, forever."

"We'll see."

"Aww, that always means no!" he whined.

Laughing at his correct observation, she watched as he shrugged and kicked at the pebble at his feet. "You're a smart kid, Jack." Just like your mom and dad, she added silently.

#

As she struggled to open her eyes she felt the coolness of the cloth on her forehead. Her tongue swept along the inside of her mouth and she winced as she found the spot where she had bit down on her cheek.

"Easy Nathalie."

She recognized the rich voice immediately and pried her eyes open. "M-mylea" she croaked.

"Shhh" she soothed her, touching her cheek. "Keith called me when he couldn't rouse you from the floor."

Visions of