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Although she had slept nearly twenty-four hours straight in the hospital, she’d still been tired and had been pretty easily persuaded to spend the night.
Her brother and his family had happily included her in their Christmas morning fun of opening gifts, and then they’d gone to Sawyer and Ashley’s wedding together. Her friend had looked stunning in her dress, and just as Ashley had wanted, it had been snowing. She was so happy for Ashley and Sawyer, but she couldn’t deny that their wedding just served to remind her that she wasn't getting married. She was alone.
After that, it had been a joint Christmas dinner and wedding reception. Someone must have stopped by her house because all the gifts she had brought for everyone were under the treeat Ashley and Sawyer’s house. Exchanging gifts and eating, with everyone laughing and talking should have been enough to distract her and keep her mind occupied, but it wasn't.
All she’d thought about was Michael.
It was like a piece of her was missing.
She physically felt the loss of his presence.
When he left, he’d left her with a hole in her heart she knew was never going to heal completely.
But now it was time to face the facts.
Michael was gone, and the sooner she came home and got used to that the sooner she could move on.
It was funny, Michael had only been staying at her house for a few days, but it had already started to feel like he had always been there.
She was really going to miss him.
“Thank you, your offer means a lot to me, but I have to do this,” she told her brother.
Fin sighed. “Okay, but you know that I’m only a phone call away. If you need me, call me. Please, Samara, don’t shut me out again, Iwantto be here for you.”
Because of the pain and the sincerity in his voice she couldn’t say no. “Okay. I’ll call if I need anything.”
“Good.” Fin leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I’ll stay until you're inside.”
“Dante is dead now,” she reminded him. “You don’t need to worry about me anymore, I’m perfectly safe.”
“I’ll stay until you're inside,” he repeated.
“Big brothers.” She rolled her eyes.
“Little sisters,” he shot back with a grin. “Try to get some more sleep, you’ve been through a lot in the last week, physically and emotionally. It’s normal to be feeling tired, don’t fight it.”
Her brother the doctor, just couldn’t help himself. “I’m going to go take a nice hot shower then go straight to bed,” shepromised. “And Brady already insisted that I take an extra week off from work, so I have plenty of time to recuperate.” Samara dreaded the next two weeks where she would have nothing to do but sit around her house and think about Michael.
“You have painkillers and sleeping pills,” Fin reminded her. “Use them if you need them. And remember, call if you need to. Even if you have nightmares and it’s the middle of the night. Call, and I’ll come.”
“I will,” she said then opened her door because Fin was just going to keep giving medical advice and reminding her to call if she needed anything until she got out of the car.
“Goodnight.”
“Night.”
With her brother’s eyes watching her every move like a hawk, Samara walked to her front door, opened it, turned and waved, then stepped inside.
As soon as she did the pain of Michael leaving hit her right in the chest, piercing her heart.
Like a tap had been turned on her tears came in a flood, flowing down her cheeks and dripped down onto her clothes.
She leaned against the closed front door and slid down it till her bottom hit the floor, then she pulled her knees to her chest and sobbed without trying to fight against it.
Samara didn't know how long she sat there and cried, but by the time her tears finally dried up, she felt completely empty. She was tired but not sleepy, she hadn't eaten much today because she hadn't had much of an appetite, but now she was a little hungry. Maybe she’d have a piece of toast before she took a shower and went to bed.
Dragging herself to her feet, Samara headed for the kitchen but froze in the doorway.
