Brick by Brick

Part Six

They'd always been so close, they were like brothers, but in the months leading up to his death he had kept away. And that had been for so many reasons. Now he regretted it more than anything, in fact his guilt of the last year was magnified when he knew that Sammy had struggled, that he'd been in a financial hell, he'd needed him, he knew that. Marcus Turner, the man who'd been there for him forever had needed him, and he'd run away. Kept away. Abandoned him. For childish and selfish reasons, that was what it amounted to. How could he live with that?

Thankfully, good friends brought laughter and beer, and that seemed to replace those thoughts.

Hours later he let himself into his apartment drunker than he'd been in a while.

It had been a sad goodbye at the station, Corinne had taken her and they'd sat hugging each other as they waited for the train to arrive.

"I'm gonna miss you two." Corinne sighed reaching out to Eleanor, "it's been so much fun having you to stay."

Sammy smiled, "well at least someone appreciates us!"

There was silence then, Sammy had tried to reach out to Monica, her mother whilst they were local to her, but she was 'busy'. And whilst that was not an unusual occurrence, for some reason it really hurt her this time.

Corinne squeezed her, arm around her shoulder, "we all love you. Honestly. That's all you need to know. You sure you won't come back, come live with us?"

Sammy shook her head slowly, "I always needed to be close to Marcus, or his memory, and that has changed, but now I have to find out what happened. Because it seems I didn't really know him, and that hurts."

Her friend sighed, "I'll come up...next week?"

She was such an amazing friend, "no, no. You have a business to run. Don't be silly. I'm a big girl and I LOVE that you're at the end of the phone. OK?"

She nodded, "ok. Call me when you get back."

The train journey was uneventful, Eleanor was such a good baby that she didn't disturb anyone, and Sammy drank tea and actually started to read the book her friend had loaned her as a 'must read'. She hadn't read a book in over a year.

But by the time she spotted the apartment on the horizon, she was exhausted and wanted a bath and a sleep more than anything. The elevators across the foyer were like an oasis in the desert. And as she pressed the call button she almost groaned when she heard her name.

"Sam?"

Turning slowly she groaned to see Daniel stood at the doorway smiling apologetically at her. She was still angry with him, and she wasn't ready to deal with all that yet.

"Daniel, I'm not ready for this. I've had a busy few days."

He rushed over and reached for the bags she was struggling to juggle as she pushed the pram. "Let me help you."

Gritting her teeth she was about to snap at him when Eleanor started to stir, so instead she muttered, "fine," then thrust her bag in his direction.

The apartment seemed almost spookily quiet when she opened the door, but as she entered the hallway, she scooped up Eleanor and walked into the lounge without speaking to Daniel. Placing her daughter on the soft cushioned gym on the floor in the middle of the room, she finally turned and looked at him. He was leaning against the doorway watching her.

"You're angry with me?"

She shrugged, "I don't have time to be angry, but I am annoyed that you tried to make demands of me and when I refuse you disappear. But I'm starting to think that's what you Turners do. Run away!"