Page 298 of A Matter of Time

“Sarcasm is not lost on me, Samuel.”

“Christ.”

“Sam!”

“Sorry, sorry. I just⁠—”

“Be quiet. Just sit there and hush.”

“How come no one’s on my side?” he grumbled, shifting so he could kiss my forehead.

“What’s your side?” Michael asked.

“That I had to go and⁠—”

“But you’re a man,” Thomas said in his medieval mindset. “As soon as you got back, you should have gone to him, told him how things would be. This is your place, Sam.”

“It doesn’t work like that.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t own him, Pop.”

“No?”

“You know I don’t. Jory does what he wants to do.”

“And so now he wants to be with you?”

“Yes. I think so. I hope so.”

“You don’t know?”

“I told him how I wanted it to be but…he’s gotta say.”

“He doesn’t say; you say. And he’s here now, so whatever you do, you keep him,” Thomas said.

“Aww, man, it’s not my fault I had to go. I⁠—”

“But it is your fault that it took so long to come back. You should thank God Jory didn’t find someone new. Where would you be then?”

“Who cares whose fault it was?” Michael threw in. “It only matters that it’s fixed now.”

“Christ, I wasn’t in that bad a shape.”

“Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain!” Regina scolded him.

“Mom, that wasn’t taking⁠—”

“You sure as shit were.” Michael interrupted him. “I mean, you know it’s gotta be bad when even Beverly, who barely knows you, can see the difference.”

“Oh yeah? What can you see?” Sam baited her.

“No, Sam, I only meant that⁠—”

“Oh no, you’re in it now, miss,” Thomas pressed her. “Say what you think.”

“Okay.” I heard her voice shake. “I just mentioned to Mikey that you seem really happy today. It’s like I said earlier—I’ve never seen you look better.”