Long Time Running - By Hannah Foster Page 0,81

replied firmly. "You have always wanted your mom and dad, bud. Now you have them but you'll always have me, too."

He looked warily to his parents who seemed to be holding their breath. "I can come see Aunt Sarah whenever I want?"

"Absolutely" Nathalie replied immediately as Eric nodded in agreement. "It's always been the three of us." Eric said as he looked gratefully at Sarah. "Now it's the four of us," he smiled as he wrapped his arm around Nathalie's waist.

Jack looked at his aunt as she smiled encouragingly. "Your Dad's right. It's the four us, three of you just live down the street."

He looked pensively at the three adults for a beat. "I guess...I guess we can try it." Pulling on the cuff of his pants and staring at the ground, he asked, "When would we move?"

"Would next week be okay with you?" Nathalie asked him. She knew that part of helping Jack through this transition was giving him some kind of control over it.

"Can we do it before the Yankees game on Sunday?" he asked seriously.

Eric smiled at his son. "Of course we can."

"Can Drew come and watch the game with us?"

"If he isn't working, I'm sure he'd love to hang out with us," Eric replied.

Sarah got to her feet and straightened her cardigan. "I need to get to the office for a while." Bending down, she kissed Jack on his forehead. "I'll see you later Jack, okay?"

"Okay," he nodded before heading to his room.

As the door closed behind Sarah Nathalie sighed heavily. "That was hard" she remarked quietly.

"Yeah it was," Eric agreed, wrapping his arms around her. "But it's done and now we can keep moving forward together. We're going to be a family Nat. I've...I've dreamed about this for a long time, even when I didn't think it was possible."

Her eyes welled with tears as she smiled at him. "You know, despite the distance between us - the oceans, the continents - we were having the same dream. Being reunited with you and Jack is everything I always wanted but was afraid to ask for."

Pressing his lips to her cheek, he smiled. "I love you."

#

Annoyed at the insistent knocking waking him from his nap, Andrew pulled a t-shirt over his head and shuffled to the door. He exhaled quietly as he looked through the peep hole. Opening the door, he looked at her warily.

"Sarah?"

She uncharacteristically brushed passed him into his apartment. "I need you," she rasped.

Seeing how pale and drawn she was he felt a stab at his heart. "Sarah, what's wrong?" he asked closing the door.

"I...I know I wasn't very nice to you the last time we spoke but I...Drew I need you tonight. Please."

Reaching out, he brushed away the small tears that trickled down her cheek. "I can't," he told her apologetically. "I can't keep being your boy on the side. It's too hard Sarah - you keep giving me just little bits of yourself and it's not enough - not for me."

She shook her head. "Just for tonight," she asked.

Ignoring her request he took her hand and led her to the couch. "What happened?" he asked gently. "What's got you so upset?"

"I knew this was coming" she rambled, still holding on to his hand. "I did but it doesn't make it any easier. I'm the one who walked the floor with him when he would cry through the night, I'm the one he threw up on when had the flu. I saw his first steps, I took him to his first day of school. I soothed him when he had nightmares and who made him birthday cakes and took him to see Santa. She might be his mom but I...I raised him."

Andrew sighed softly. "They're moving out" he remarked.

She nodded, oblivious to the tears streaking her cheeks. "And that's how it should be. He needs to be with his mom and dad I just...god, it hurts so much. I know I said I was only keeping him until she changed her mind but I just had no idea that it was going to be so hard. And now I'm all alone again."

He soothingly rubbed her shoulder. "Sarah, you are not alone. Nathalie loves you, Jack loves you and they are both in your life, you're not alone."

Her green eyes shimmered as she looked at him. "I feel like I've lost everything Drew" she whispered. "And I just...for one night I just want to feel like I'm not alone. Please."

"Sarah"

"Do you want me to