Sam and Colby: The Asylum

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He rested his chin on the top of my head and I placed my hands on his then leaned my head back against him.

"It's okay. I promise. I understand now. These guys, you guys, you're a family," I said. He kissed me on the top of the head and we just watched them play for a while. It was too dark for them to see us, so they didn't know we were there. They were just genuinely being themselves, happy and connected.

"Yeah," Colby finally said. "We are a family."

"I know," I said.

"Sam is the responsible older brother, Jake is the spazzy younger brother, Corey is the weird cousin, I'm that kid who hangs out with them so much that we might as well be related, and you're the mom," Colby said.

"I see what you did there. I appreciate the lack of incest," I said, chuckling.

"Did you see what else I did there?" he asked.

"What?" I asked.

"We're a family. All of us," he said.

"I know. I'm the mom," I said. "I told you, it's okay. I can be the mom in LA while you be the kids wherever the hell you guys want to go."

"What kind of shitty mom lets their stupid children travel the world without them?" asked Colby. I turned myself around and gave Colby a hug.

"Not me," I said into his chest.

"Definitely not you," he said, hugging me back. "You know how I said I love you a little?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said.

"I love you a little more now," he said.

"I love you a little more now, too," I said. Colby pulled back from the hug but didn't let his hands leave my hips. He leaned down and softly kissed me, but not for very long because Jake's flashlight was soon pointing at us. Colby held his arm up to shield his eyes.

"Jesus, brother. Flashlights 101," Colby said.

"Sorry," Jake said, pointing it away from his face. "You ready to go to the other basement?"

"The what?" asked Sam and Colby in unison.

"Y'all didn't tell Sam already?" I asked.

"No," said Corey.

"The door at the end of the kid's hallway. Why wouldn't it lead to another basement if everything else is the same?" I said.

"Is that safe?" asked Colby.

"Yes, and there are a lot of questions I know you're about to ask, so let me answer them for you. Yes, it is safe from the fumes that are on the other side. It's almost definitely a separate basement from the other because of the way it was facing. There probably aren't operating rooms down there since no one even tried to block that side off. I don't know what's down there, but I would assume it was a place for staff to go. There were only room numbers on the patient rooms, so I'm assuming any rooms for staff only wouldn't be numbered. Anything I missed?" I said.

"No, you just answered questions I didn't even have," said Sam.

"Perfect. Do you guys want to go?" I asked.

"Can we wait until morning?" asked Colby.

"Are you guys seriously willing to sleep here?" asked Corey. Sam shrugged.

"You really want to go find a hotel at, what, 4:30 am to just sleep for a couple hours and then come back?" Sam asked.

"I will be sleeping for more than a couple hours, and yes," Jake said.