ERIN
My phone alarm rings and I almost get a heart attack when I confuse a strip of fake eyelashes on my pillowcase with a spider. Sam never made it to his bed and sleeps with his right arm hanging off mine. We kept talking about the situation between Imogen and Duncan and seem to have fallen asleep halfway through it.
"Sammy, it's time to wake up. The alarm went off."
My pushing efforts make him roll on his back; but he doesn't open his eyes.
"What time is it?" He mumbles.
"It is nine thirty, you only have thirty minutes to be at the club," I say while grabbing my stuff to take a shower.
"Oh fuck. No... I'm too tired," he puts a pillow over his face and I pull it off, otherwise he will never make it. "I should have gone to my own bed. I slept badly."
Sam finally sits at the edge of the bed and rubs his face. After a deep sigh, he shuffles his feet towards his bedroom to get ready. Feeling guilty about keeping him awake for longer, I take a quick shower and get dressed as fast as I can to accompany him to the club. Also to get a ride to work. Now that I don't know how things will go with Noah, it saves me a bus trip.
"We talked about everything last night, but I didn't tell you that I have a date with Marisol," his sweet smile as he mentions her name warms my heart.
"Oh, Sam. That's great news. I'm glad you asked her. Where are you taking her?"
"I've walked past this cute bistro while running errands. For some reason, that place always reminds me of her. It's casual and has a certain charm. You know I'm not made for all the proper posh places. I will fuck up using the wrong fork or something," he laughs.
I wish Sam could see himself in the way that we see him. He thinks he isn't a refined and elegant man when he's actually that and more. He's soft spoken and well mannered. I've seen how his kitchen team adores and respects him because he's fair, kind and make them feel valuable. The guys tease him at times because his record with women hasn't been the best. His nerves make him stop talking or the contrary, he blurts nonsense.
We have known each other since my parents bought a rundown bed and breakfast in Lonstino and he and his parents were our front door neighbors. Growing up, his parents were fascinating to me. His father is a musician and his mom a backup singer. Whenever they were not somewhere in the world recording for an artist, they would also go on tour. Sometimes even separate. Sam always felt neglected for having to stay behind. He never lacked attention as his grandmother or an aunt would stay with him, but at a certain moment, life got too complicated for them to come and take care of Sam for extended periods and he stayed at my house under the care of my parents. That's when he discovered his love for cooking. It wasn't unusual to find him helping my mom in the kitchen to prepare breakfast for our guests. He was so happy in those moments; asking many questions, tasting and enjoying the simple process of making a home cooked meal.
Sam did well in school and inherited the musical skills from his parents. Naturally, they expected him to follow their steps in the music business and were incredibly upset when he told them that he had applied to cooking school. An argument followed, something I never expected from them. Sam ran to our house and our parents told us to go to our bedrooms so they could talk to him in private. We eventually found out what it all was about. His father said he wouldn't pay for his tuition and that it was a ridiculous dream. Sam was heartbroken. My parents went back to his house and had a conversation with his parents and convinced them to give his dream a chance. If it didn't work out, he could always follow the music path.
"What are you thinking about? You've been quiet for a long time," he glances at me while he drives.
"That you almost didn't become a chef. Your parents wanted you to study something else."
"Most difficult day of my life. I was disappointed that they didn't want to give me the one thing that made me feel complete when they were barely around to see me enjoying it."
"I can see how that must have made you feel. Have you called them to let you know about your excellent review?"
"Where?" He chuckles. "I don't even know where they are right now. Certainly not back in Lonstino. I heard the house is finally sold. All we have left from that town are memories. Good ones thanks to your parents. Lars was always ready with advice and Gretchen was truly my second mother."
"I miss them a lot. January can't come soon enough to see them again."
The older I get, the more I realize how special my parents are. They met when they were in college and married right away, then moved to Lonstino, my mom's hometown. Sam would stay with us for extended periods of time. Noah didn't live with us, but our house was a haven of peace for him. His parents fought a lot, and his dad was abusive, especially after drinking. I know my parents called the police on his dad a few times, but he only got a warning. Feeling that their hands were tied, the only thing they could do for Noah was take care of his basic needs, particularly after his mom died.
"I also wish we could see them sooner, but the next months will be madness in the house. We had some quieter weeks during summer, with people leaving the city for the beach, but now that they are back in town, I find myself struggling to cope in the kitchen."
"We can hire extra people for you," I say quickly. Adam is already on the brink of a burn out, Sam can't follow.
"Adam is already on it. Although I don't know if I'm doing him a favor by giving him additional work."
"He doesn't look well, right? I told him the other day that he needs to take a few days off and almost ripped my head off. He should think of himself more often."
"I'm there with you," Sam nods as we take the turns towards the parking lot of the club.
Inside, Rory is already busy preparing for the lunch bar shift. Imogen comes from the kitchen carrying a service tray with clean coffee cups.
"Hey, leave that to me. You shouldn't be carrying heavy stuff," Rory says as he takes the tray from her.
"Don't give me a special treatment and let me do my work. If it gets too much, I promise I will let you know and ask for help."
Rory blushes and I try not to smile. Imogen is a special woman, strong and dedicated, and Rory fell in love with her since the first moment he saw her. Being the decent man my parents raised him to be, he never made a move since she was in a relationship.
"You are early," Rory says to me and nods to Sam who waves at them before entering the kitchen.
"Took a lift with Sam," I say while eyeing the bruise that Imogen has on her cheek and that spreads to the bottom of her eye. It brings back memories of my attack and I take action before the knot in my stomach gets tighter. "Imogen, I got makeup with me," I shake my big cosmetics bag.
"I definitely can use some. Should we do it in the bathrooms? The light is better in there," she comes from around the bar and Rory gives me a grateful smile.
In the bathroom, I take the makeup out and spread it on the counter.
"Any news on Duncan?" I ask while assessing the bruise and what I'll need.
"None. The bastard must be hiding well. He knows a lot of people so I'm sure someone will be willing to give him cover. I'm shocked, Erin. I'm no saint myself and I have a big mouth. The slap I gave him must have left his cheek on fire, but I never expected that he would punch me."
"Even more unbelievable that he accused you of cheating because you are expecting."
"It's partially my fault. I'm awful when it comes to take my pills properly, and I've skipped a few days before without a problem, but the violence was undeserved. Things have been tough lately in our relationship and I applied to rent a studio because I've been ready to break up with him. But you know how hard it is to find a decent place around Greenwood. Then a skipped period happened and I freaked out when I got the positive confirmation. I kept it quiet, thinking of ways to land the news, but the right time never came. He found out after rummaging in my bag and hell broke loose."
"I'm sorry to hear that," I hug her.
"It was fate that I literally bumped into Rory. Took me a moment to register it was him because my head was busy trying to process my new reality. Ro has been the kindest man, even served me burned toast, and cereal with expired milk this morning," she chuckles. "Adam was incredibly helpful and understanding this morning when he helped me to get my stuff out of the apartment."
"Wouldn't expect anything different from my brothers. You can count on us all. We will take care of you and your baby. We are Sommers, and we will never leave anyone to fend for themselves."
And that's what we learned from our parents, our legacy.