place, he let himself inside and headed straight to bed. He didn’t sleep a wink though. He loved Emma. He was sure of it. And he wanted to tell her, but not until he was sure she felt the same way. And not until he’d smoothed over his relationship with her father.
A knock on his bedroom door startled him. “Uncle Jack?”
Jack lifted his head to see Sam peek his face into the doorway. He gave a cursory glance at the clock on his nightstand. “It’s late, buddy. You need something?”
Sam headed into the room. “Yeah, kind of. I know you just got home so I didn’t think I’d wake you.”
“You didn’t.” Jack sat up in bed.
Sam sat on the edge of the bed, his body slumped. “It’s just, well, Mom was acting weird tonight. Like really happy and chatty.”
“Okay. That’s good, right?” Jack asked.
Sam shrugged. “It felt forced. Like she was trying to prove to me that she was okay, and I still don’t think she is.”
“Well, you don’t become all better overnight, bud. It takes time. And yeah, she might be trying a little harder than normal to prove herself to you but can you blame her?”
Sam looked up. “What do you mean?”
“She’s your mom, and she had to leave you for the last month. I’m sure she feels guilty about that.”
“She doesn’t need to feel bad,” Sam said.
“No, she doesn’t. But that’s just the way moms are. They try to carry everything on their shoulders so you don’t have to.” Which reminded Jack he needed to call his mom and thank her. It had been a while since he’d called her just because.
Sam fidgeted with his hands in his lap. “I know it’s a lot to ask, Uncle Jack, but I don’t want to go back home. Like you said, it’s a lot for a mom to do it all on her own, and it’s a lot for a son to watch his mom try to do it all. This summer has been great. I mean, you made me work and all, but I had a good time and I made some friends.”
“I’m glad,” Jack said.
“So can we stay?” Sam asked, looking up. “Me and Mom. With you?”
Jack furrowed his brow. “You’re staying tonight and maybe tomorrow night after the event. How long are you talking?”
“Longer than that,” Sam said. “She probably can’t afford to find a place for us here. She can barely afford the house we’re at in Whispering Pines. But this is a big house, and we wouldn’t cause too much trouble. You wouldn’t even know we were here,” Sam pleaded.
Jack wasn’t sure how to answer. Amanda hadn’t been open to staying for the rest of the summer, much less long-term. “Buddy, I don’t mind you staying, of course, but I doubt your mom wants to give up everything and move back here. She couldn’t wait to leave when she was your age.”
Sam suddenly looked defeated. “Family is supposed to help each other. It’s just me and my mom in Whispering Pines, and she’s acting like everything is perfect, but it’s not. She needs you and Grandma, and I need to be a kid. At least for another year.”
Jack laid a hand on Sam’s back. “It’s late, and I can’t make any promises tonight. But I’ll see what I can do. Okay?”
Sam hesitated, his eyes still pleading as he looked at Jack. Sam feared Amanda returning to her old ways. And apparently, Sam had seen what was going on around him. Jack remembered watching his own father spiral on a similar path. A kid had to grow up fast around that.
“Better get to bed,” Jack advised. “I’ll need your help with the event tomorrow. You’re handing out water bottles to the walkers and runners.”
“What will you be doing?” Sam asked.
“I’m running.” He was going to match Emma’s father step for step, each one with something to prove. Maybe he and Amanda would always feel like they had something to prove after where they’d come from. You couldn’t change your past, he knew that. But he could do his best to make sure the future was better. For himself, and for Amanda and Sam.
* * *
Emma awoke with a start, her heart thumping in her chest. She felt disoriented for a split second, knowing that she needed to hustle but grasping at the reason why.
The event. Today.
She glanced back at the clock on her nightstand and leaped out of bed, startling Barnaby with her commotion. She