Sleepwalking // Sam Fender

8

Sam kept on performing on Saturdays and he was about to get a record deal. He was still waiting for Owain to call and he needed to have the meeting with the record deal company but it would be insane if he didn't sign for at least an album.

It all went down to a December afternoon, just as Christmas was around the corner and Beth was with her father for the week. I decided to invest this time in getting presents for her as she barely got any the previous years as I couldn't really afford it. But this year's different. Salisbury's salary was enough to maintain both of us and save at least fifty pounds every month. I had asked Sam to come help me up as he had a car and I was going to need every help that I could find.

"We've already gone to five different stores, you sure you want to keep on buying stuff?" Sam asked, with both of his hands full of bags of presents.

"I just feel like this is not enough for her, you know? She deserves the best" I said with a pinch of sorrow in me.

"Hey" I could hear how he left the bags on the floor so I turned to hear what he had to say. "Come here" I took a step close to him and he lifted my head with both of his hands. "She already has the best. She has you as a mum" A small smile appeared in my face. "Getting more gifts for her is not going to change how she feels for you, she loves you to bits" I looked into his eyes. I still got lost in them. "Alright? So, what if, we go home and start wrapping them? Because I feel like it's going to take ages" We both looked at all the bags we had and laughed as he was right, I may had exceeded myself with the shopping.

As we were getting close to my home, Sam got a phone call from Drew. "Can you answer and put it in hands-free? It's weird for Drew to call"

I did as he said. "Sam, where are you mate?" Drew asked as soon as the called was answered.

"Driving back to Alice's, why?" Sam frowned.

"You haven't heard the news, have you? Owain called Joe a few minutes ago! We got signed for two records" Sam hit the brake. Right there, in the middle of a street. "They want us down in London next week to record the songs that we already have and do a bit of brainstorming and that" Sam just remained paralyzed, with his eyes fixed on the road but the car was not moving. "Sam?"

"Uh" Sam came out of his wondering. "I... I'll call you later, mate. I'm driving" He reached out to his phone, which was in my hand, and ended the call himself. And just like that, he started driving again. It was not the reaction I expected to a piece of news as big as this one.

"You got signed Sam" I excitedly said. "I knew you were going to make it. Your songs are just perfection and they could not just miss this chance" I looked at him. It seemed like he wasn't even listening. "Sam?"

"Yeah, good thing we got signed, aye?" His tone was not precisely happy and the five minutes we had until mine were surrounded by silence.

As soon as he parked, he made his way out of the car without saying a word. I followed him, still not understanding what had gotten into him. We got into the house without a word being said.

"Where do I leave them?" He asked about the presents.

"There" I pointed at the dinning table. He left the presents there and still in silence, he made his way to the kitchen, opened the fridge, got himself a beer and sat down in my couch. I was left with my jaw hanging at his attitude.

"What?" He spoke.

"What do you mean what? You got signed and you did not say a word and you get home and now this?" I was standing in front of him, almost as if I was his mother.

"And what do you want me to do?" I could not understand what had gotten into him.

"What is wrong with you now? All this time hoping for this record deal and now you don't want it, does it bother you?" Sam did not answer, he took a sip of his beer can. "You don't need the money anymore, is that it? All that thing of helping your mom out is just all talk and no action?"

"Oi!" Sam stood up. "Don't you ever, ever dare to talk about me mam and our money" He raised his voice. I must admit that it caught me off guard as it was the first fight we had and the first time I heard him this angry since the nightclub.

"What is it then?" As if he was a teen, he walked out of the living room with me following him around the house as I talked to him. "What is wrong with you?"

He then turned around, can of beer in one hand and our faces only inches apart from each other. I could smell the alcohol of his breath and feel the heat of his face.

"Don't you remember it? It's Christmas next week" He simply said.

I was, once again, caught off guard by his answer. "And... What... Why is that important?" I answered again. This was met with a sight coming from Sam.

"That's it, it's Christmas" He repeated.

"And... so... like... Because it is Christmas you getting all mardy about this? What? You expect Santa to bring you presents and you cannot leave for London because he's not going to know where you're at?"

"The fuck is wrong with you now?" Sam answered.

"You tell me what is wrong with you because it was your dream being in this situation and now 'it's simply Christmas" I yelled.

"Mind your own business, you're not my mom" Sam replied in my very same tone.

"But I'm the one who's been there all along. And now you're telling me that you're not going to London because Rudolph is going to get angry at-"

"It's because I love you" He yelled. "It's because I love you" He then repeated quietly, I frowned and took a step back as I was not expecting this. He then took a step forward. "You think that all this time playing houses with you was just that, us playing houses but it was far more than that for me. Today I was not buying presents for your daughter, I was buying presents for Beth. Your kid is now part of my life, whether you like it or not, and being with you has come hand in hand with loving that child as if she was my own" Tears made their way to my eyes and down my cheeks. "So, I'm sorry if I don't want to miss my first Christmas around you two" I opened my mouth to reply but the words won't come out. "You have nothing to say?"

"I... I... Sam, I..." I stutter.

"Great, then" Sam made its way pass me and left the house, leaving me petrified in the spot.

"I think I love you too" I said to myself.