"Sam..." I whispered gently while patting her.

We stayed like that for a bit till I felt that she had calmed down a bit before adding:

"Sam.. I'm sure that they won't react like that... They are waiting for you, they want you back... You're their daughter.."

"What if they don't?" She shouted before adding with a small voice that I could barely hear, "what if they want nothing to do with me anymore... I too want to think that they want me back... But.. But that's just us comforting ourselves... Who knows what they might think.."

My lips opened a bit after she was done talking, but I stopped myself from saying what I was going to say.

I of course knew that her family wanted her back, Dan told me that when we met the last time, he said that they were still worried about her and would ask him if he heard anything about her each time they met. 

I wanted to tell her that, but I didn't know how she was going to react to me telling her about my meeting with Dan, originally I wasn't going to tell her about that till she got better, already met her family and Dan, and a bit of time had passed from her dealing with Brittney, just in case if that got her mad and got her to react strongly and badly.

"Sam.. They do.. They want you back.." I finally said while holding her close.

In the end, I chose to tell her the truth, it was what she needed to hear and what she needed the most then. The fact that I knew was going to come out in the end anyway, so telling her then when she needed it the most was the right thing to do.

I felt Sam become a bit stiff at my words, I patted her while I continued:

"Remember that time we met Dan? After we separated.. I met him again.. And we talked, he told me about what happened to you..." 

I told Sam about all that happened to me then, all that Dan said, including how her family were still asking about her and worried about her 

"They want you back Sam, they really do, even your friends do, you just need to take those few steps towards them, I know that it's hard but I'm here for you, and I will help you..."  I concluded.

We fall into silence after that, with no sound but the faint echoes of our breathing.

The more it went like that, the faster my heartbeat, and the faster I felt the heat leave my body, I started worrying and different thoughts started swarming my mind.

The worst scenarios I didn't even dare consider before started surfacing on my mind and I started panicking.

As I was like that I felt Sam start to move in my embrace, I stiffened and lightened my arms around her to let her move away.

But she didn't, she just moved her arms and hugged me back without saying anything. 

Feeling her arms tighten around me, I felt it all just leave me, the worry, the fear and the stress, it all just left me and in their place, I just felt like crying,

Pulling her close and feeling her do the same, my tears just fall on their own for some reason, I didn't even understand why I was crying, I just did I just cried right then and there.

"I'm sorry for keeping it from you.." I finally said after controlling my emotions and calming down.

"It's alright, you did it for my own sake... I understand that much.." She answered.

After that we remind like that in silence for a bit before I moved away from her and asked with a smile:

"Are you hungry? You must be, you didn't eat a thing since morning right?" 

Without even waiting for her to speak I added:

"Go and clean yourself and we will talk after having something to eat."

I sent Sam to change and clean before I headed to the kitchen and started making something for us.

It wasn't long before Sam returned and started helping me in the kitchen, even though I was against that she insisted.

It was a bit awkward at first, with us working in silence. But soon, that awkwardness disappeared bit by bit and we started chatting and talking casually.

"And that the last of it," I said cheerfully while putting down the last dish on the table.

Turning to Sam she was smiling while facing me. Smiling back at her I motioned her to sit before joining her.

Sam didn't appear so keen on eating at first, but after taking her first few bites and with some pestering from me she seemed as if she got her appetite back and she started eating joyfully.

Seeing her like that my smile got bigger and I too felt like eating.

With the meal finally done we sat there in silence, looking at the other barely able to move we started laughing uncontrollably.

After we stopped I contemplated for a while before saying:

"Sam, you can stay here with me for a while..." 

My words must have surprised her because she lifted her head so fast and then just stared at me.

I got a bit worried but I didn't show it, I just returned her stare.

"I don't want to impose.." She started.

"No you won't, I'm asking you to, don't worry about any of that I would be so happy if you accept." I interpreted her as I said in the sincerest voice I can muster.

"Ok.. But just till I get better and be able to go home.." She finally said while avoiding eyes.

With a huge smile on my face I half-shouted:

"Great!" 

We talked after that about some other things, like how she wanted to return to work starting from the day after, how I insisted that we go shopping that day so I can buy her some moreclothess and the like.

While we were talking about all of that I was so excited and happy, I was on cloud nine.