Chapter 26 part 2
Samuel
A knock at the door drew his attention away from his daughter, who was sleeping on his lap while the two were sitting on the couch.
Ever since he got back Ellie was clung onto him, the two only ever being separated when Samuel had to shower or use the bathroom. He couldn't really blame her though.
He slid Ellie down off of him and onto the couch, careful not to wake her. A piece of her hair slid in front of her face, Samuel brushing it back gently.
He made sure to walk to the door slowly, making sure the floor didn't creek and his feet didn't land too loud.
When he finally made it to the door he took a deep breath, relief rushing through him.
He ran a hand through his hair, which was freshly washed and brushed after it being neglected in the hospital.
He took one last breath before opening the door slightly, peeking out.
Standing on his porch was a pale, black haired man who looked tired, and even a bit anxious.
"Matias" he exhaled.
Matias stood there, staring back at Samuel silently.
Samuel opened the door wide, taking a step towards him.
"Matias" he said again, louder.
Matias took a step as well, the two being no more than a foot away from one another.
Samuel reached up, wrapping his arms around Matias's neck. It didn't take long before he felt Matias's arms grab Samuel around his lower back, pulling him closer.
"Sorry I came unannounced" Matias apologized.
Samuel could feel Matias's breath on his ear, getting absorbed into his hair.
"No, it's okay" he whispered back, trying to keep himself from sounding too emotional.
His heart was racing so fast he was sure Matias could feel it, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He just wanted to stay in the moment forever, never letting go of Matias.
A small cry came from the living room, causing them each to pull away from the other slightly.
"You should go deal with that" Matias laughed, though his hands were still resting on Samuel's waist.
"I should" Samuel replied with a joking sigh, removing his hands from Matias's shoulder and retreating to the living room.
On the couch Ellie was sat upright, looking around the room frantically.
"It's okay, Ellie. I'm still here" Samuel spoke softly, drawing her attention.
Her head whipped around to where Samuel was standing, only looking at him for a heartbeat before she bolted towards him. Her arms wrapped around his legs, almost making him trip.
He heard footsteps coming from behind him, Matias chuckling quietly.
Ellie looked up, not letting go of Samuels legs, and her eyes drifted until they landed on Matias.
"Mat!" She squealed.
She released Samuels legs and took a large step to Matias, wrapping one arm around his leg and her other arm extending to grab onto Samuel.
Samuel couldn't help but laugh, looking up at Matias.
To his surprise, Matias was already looking back at him, a bright smile on his face. The two stood there for a gleeful moment, smiling at one another.
"Were you with dad?" Ellie finally spoke up, her neck craned to look up at Matias.
Matias glanced over at Samuel, not knowing what to say.
"Of course he was, do you think he chose not to come see you?" Samuel asked with a fake joy to his voice.
Ellie smiled, her pink cheeks rising in joy.
"I meant to go up to the hospital and see you, but Ellie has been sewn to my leg" Samuel whispered, leaning over to Matias's ear.
Matias laughed quietly.
Samuel felt his chest grow warm at the soft sound. Something about Matias, the stubborn-looking, tough, masculine, Matias being so amused and caring towards a little girl—his little girl— filled him with joy.
"Just real quick, before I get too comfortable, I haven't showered in way too long. I desperately need to use yours" Matias pointed out dramatically, gesturing to the bathroom.
Samuel scoffed, remembering how unsanitary he felt just days before when he himself got out of the hospital. "Yeah, go ahead"
Matias sighed in relief, acting as if Samuel would've denied use to the shower.
Ellie tugged on Samuels pants, drawing his attention away.
"Can we go back to sleep soon?" She asked, rubbing her eye.
"Of course. Go lay down and I'll join you in just a minute" Samuel replied softly.
Ellie gave him a look of disappointment and a hint of fear. Samuel couldn't help but feel bad, but didn't let it show.
"I'll just be in the other room, okay? You can lay on the couch and I'll be back in just a few minutes" he answered once again, his voice getting quieter and his expression getting sweeter.
He heard Matias chuckle quietly, but ignored it as best he could.
Ellie's expression stayed the same, if not getting sadder.
Samuel looked up at Matias, getting distracted by his gentle smile for a moment before speaking.
"Give me just a minute, then I can get you some clothes"
Matias nodded, but Samuel was already grabbing Ellie's hand and leading her to the couch.
He boosted her up, but wasn't too much help due to his injuries. She laid down on her side, still giving sad puppy dog eyes to her father.
"Just lay right here. I'm going to get Mat some clothes and a towel and then I'll be back, okay?" He comforted, crouched down beside the couch.
Ellie nodded, but still looked reluctant.
"I'll be right back, I'm not going anywhere" he confirmed one last time before standing.
He bent down and kissed her on the cheek before going back to where Matias was still standing, the both of them going to his room go get clothing.
"She must've been pretty scared while you were gone" Matias remarked as Samuel searched through his closet.
Samuel sighed, remembering how she cried when she found out he was okay.
"She was pretty shaken up" he explained as briefly as he could, his voice shaking.
Matias hummed in response.
Samuel cursed at himself for making it so obvious how upset he was, but tried to ignore it.
"Do you want a t-shirt or a sweater?" Samuel asked, his voice getting steadier.
"A t-shirts fine" Matias answered, a tinge of concern in his voice.
Samuel grabbed a plain black shirt and some black sweatpants, tossing them casually at Matias.
"You better wash your hair a few times" Samuel laughed quietly, "it's pretty greasy"
Matias laughed in acknowledgment, not wasting any more time getting to the shower.
Samuel resisted the urge to lay down on his bed and bury himself in his blanket. He was overwhelmingly happy that the three of them—Ellie, Matias, and himself— were all together again, but everything still felt like it was spiraling out of his control.
His own wounds were so bad that he couldn't do so many simple things like walk for too long or pick up his daughter, Matias was hurt badly too, he had to lie to his own daughter to keep her safe, she was scared out of her mind that her father would disappear, he would have doctors appointments all the time starting the next week, and he had to go to fucking court within the next few months.
He did what he could to now dwell on it though. He simply made his way to the couch and sat next to his daughter, who was already fighting to stay awake.
"You can go to sleep, Ellie. I'm not going anywhere" he whispered, running a hand through her hair.
It wasn't long before the shower turned on and Ellie was drooling onto the couch. Samuel smiled, his face brightening. In the back of his mind he knew, no matter how hard things got, Ellie would never fail to cheer him up. Even by simple things like sleeping a little too comfortably.
Samuel, getting lost in thought, ended up sitting on the couch and staring off into space until Matias walked out of the bathroom.
His hair was wet and sticking to his forehead a bit, but was clearly cleaner than before. He was dressed in the t-shirt and sweatpants Samuel had given him and looked particularly comfortable.
"I never thought I'd be so grateful for a nice hot shower" Matias said with a contempt sigh, sitting down next to Samuel.
Samuel only hummed in response. He could feel Matias's gaze on him, but forced himself to keep looking forward.
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The family is back together 🙏🙏