Sam beamed when she re-entered the room.
“Hi there. I’m pretty tired too, today has been a long one!” Holly said, climbing in bed with Sam.
“Sure has, Mom. So glad to be able to hold you once more,” Sam said.
Holly thought about Sharon and wishing Sam could hold his real mother one last time. She snuggled against him, resting her head on shoulder. “Let me know if you need me to move or if you get uncomfortable.”
“I will. Good night, Mom. I love you.”
“I love you too,” Holly rose to kiss Sam’s cheek. At the same time Sam turned his head to her, the peck landed on his lips, causing Holly to giggle at the accident.
“He’s so sweet,” she thought before sleep caught her.
Chapter 5
The next morning Holly was cooking breakfast and felt Sam appear from behind her. He kissed her head, sliding his arms around her, resting his hands on her flat stomach.
“You smell good,” he complimented her.
“You sure it’s not this bacon?” Holly joked.
“Heh, nah. I probably don’t smell good. I need to shower today,” Sam said.
They sat and ate in peace and quiet, Jon had left for work already.
They held hands taking a walk around the neighborhood. Holly loved the feeling of her fingers entwined with Sam’s. Something about it was so simple and precious to her. She was never like this with her own kids. Before guilt and regret overtook her, Holly resumed her focus on caring for Sam.
After a small lunch, Sam asked if he could take a bath.
“Of course, I’ll draw it for you,” Holly volunteered.
Testing the water to make sure it wasn’t too hot, Holly moved some large soapy, bubbles around. “There, that should be good.”
Sam was standing behind her, a towel wrapped around his waist. Holly noticed he looked so skinny. She recalled his younger years, what little she saw of him, he was never this small. She assumed after Sharon died, Sam didn’t have much of an appetite.
He dropped the towel, causing Holly to gasp and look away out of respect. “You ok?” Sam asked.
“Yes!” Holly smiled, maintaining eye contact. She helped him into the tub, careful not to look at anything private.
“Ok there you go. I’ll be back later to check on you,” she said.
“Wait, Mom, can you stay with me?”
Another question she couldn’t say no to. “Sure, sweetie, I’ll be glad to.”
“Thanks. After waking up from that awful dream, I don’t want you to leave my side!” Sam smiled.
“I won’t. What exactly happened in the dream? Can you remember?” Holly asked, taking a seat on the toilet next to the tub.
“Yeah. I dreamed something really bad happened to you, while I was asleep after my wreck. I dreamed,” Sam paused and sighed. “I dreamed you died. It was horrible.”
Holly listened to her nephew speak of his mother.
“In the dream we were at a cabin somewhere in the woods, it was cold, and dark and,” Sam shook his head.
“It’s ok, it’s fine,” Holly went to her knees next to tub. “it was just a dream.”
“I’m so happy it wasn’t real. That you and I are here together. I promise I’ll be back to normal soon and we can,” Sam giggled, glancing down. “I’m having trouble with everything working.”
“Working?” Holly asked herself. “Does he mean – ” she shook her head, unsure how to respond.
“Sam, don’t worry. The doctor said your brain will heal, things just take time.”
Sam rested his hand on Holly’s. They looked into each other’s eyes. Holly felt love pouring out of his into hers. “It’s for Sharon, not me,” she told herself.
Holding the towel up, obscuring Sam’s privates from her view, he stepped out of the tub, into it. She left him alone to change into some of Jon’s pajamas she took for Sam.
They once again found themselves in bed, in one another’s arms. Sam’s hand was sliding up and down Holly’s back.
“Mmm, so warm,” he said.
“So are you.”
“Alright, another day down, more to go. I love you, Mom. Goodnight!” Sam surprised Holly when he playfully slapped her ass.
“Uh, goodnight, sweetie!” she chuckled awkwardly.
Before sleep found her, Holly wondered again, just how close Sam and her sister were. “Best friends? Flirtatious even?”
She heard Sam breathing slowing, already asleep. “I think that’s ok. A little flirting isn’t a big deal. It’s kind of cute.”
Chapter 6
The next day Holly took Sam shopping for clothes. Some of Jon’s loosely fit him, but she wanted to buy him his own clothes. She had no idea how much longer Sam would live there, but for all she cared, it could be forever.
“You look great,” Holly said, watching Sam spin around in changing room, wearing cargo shorts and a new shirt.
“I take after my gorgeous mother,” Sam joked. Holly agreed with him, Sharon was beautiful. Holly felt Sharon was the most attractive of the three sisters. Her eyes were a sparkling blue, her face had a sophisticated beauty to it. Her hair was platinum blonde, but much shorter than Holly’s. It was in a bob-style and came just past her ears. She didn’t have bangs, which added to Sharon’s elegance.
“I’m nowhere near as pretty as Sharon was, yet he thinks I’m beautiful?” Holly asked herself, watching Sam look through more clothes in the store.
Jon was still absent when Holly and Sam returned home. Holly found herself caring less and less about Jon or his whereabouts.
“So how long has he been here? That Jon guy. He pays rent I guess, right?” Sam asked at dinner.
“Yes, something like that,” Holly told more half-truths. “He’s been here quite a few years. He comes and goes, has different girlfriends and so on.”
“I see.”
“Why do you ask?”
“Oh, well, I just don’t remember him,” Sam said, looking around the kitchen. “The house looks so different.”
“Oh no,” Holly thought – the charade could be ending soon. She wondered where that would leave her. Most likely alone and empty again.
At bed time, Holly tickled Sam’s side, initiating innocent flirting. “Get in bed!”
Sam extended his arms, inviting Holly to snuggle. He pulled her practically on top of him, kissing her head. “I love you so much, Mom. I wished I could hold you forever.”
“Sam,” Holly rose up, looking in his blue eyes, Sharon’s eyes.
“Hmm?”
“I love you too,” she quickly kissed his cheek.
More warmth, softness, love radiated over aunt and nephew. His hands roamed over her body, up and down her back, into her shirt, against her soft skin. Before he went to sleep, his hand gently glided over the rise of her butt, barely patting it and caressing it with his thumb.
Holly was wide awake, lying on Sam. She didn’t want to leave; she wanted to be held by him forever, taking the place of his mother.
**
Jon showed up briefly the next day, while Sam was taking a nap. “He still here?”
“Yes,” Holly said, doing dishes.
“Ugh, geez, Holly. You aren’t the kid’s mom. Pack him and send him back up to Charleston. Julie can deal with him. She was before, right?” Jon complained.
“Shut up! Just stop!” Holly struggled not to scream.
“I’m just saying, he’s not your responsibility!” Jon called out to her, as she headed down the hall to Sam’s room.
That night she took Sam to dinner and a movie. They held hands the entire time the movie played, continuing in the car ride home.
Sam complained of a headache, sitting on the side of the bed. Holly was next to him, rubbing his shoulders. “Want some water?”