Chapter 23
The sound of a ticking clock was all that filled the living room while Donna busied herself preparing tea in the kitchen.
Sam silently watched Sammy Jo, whose gaze was down at her hands, pointedly avoiding the two other sets of eyes in the room.
Al’s eyes flicked between her and Sam, expectant. “So…”
Sam licked his lips, leaning forward. He opened his mouth to speak, but Sammy Jo took the cue first.
“I really should have guessed,” she said quietly. “With my family history, I should have realised you had something to do with how it all turned out for my Mom.” She looked up at Sam slowly. “Grandma always said there was someone watching out for her…”
Sam nodded. “She knew. Every time, I think.”
“How many times did you leap there?”
“Three. Each time Abigail was in trouble. And, the last time, I got to meet you.”
Sammy Jo gave him a wry smile. “Sam-Larry Stanton, right? The lawyer with the photographic memory just like mine. Should have realised it a long time ago.”
“Uh, yeah.” Sam rubbed the back of his neck. “Listen, I’m so sorry for what happened. If I could have stayed with you, I would have.”
Sammy Jo nodded, evading eye contact. “Yeah, well, now that you’re back, there’s no fixing that, so…”
“What’s important is that you have a chance to get to know each other now,” Al interjected. “Let bygones be bygones. Fresh start and all that.”
Sam looked at his daughter expectantly. It wasn’t his choice whether she wanted to know him after all this; it was hers.
With moist eyes, Sammy Jo nodded. “Worth a shot, I guess. Never did have a Daddy. Might be… nice.”
Sam stood from the armchair he had been sitting in, and moved to Sammy Jo on a loveseat. He sat beside her and offered his hand. Cautiously, she placed hers in his, and he squeezed it.
“Doctor Beck—err, Sam—uh, I mean… Dad… I’m sorry I wasn’t able to bring you home,” she said. “I tweaked the retrieval program every day, but nothing worked. And I hear you only came home via some other leaper?”
He shook his head, smiling. “Your work was flawless, Sammy Jo. I just wasn’t ready to come home.” He leaned in closer to her. “Wanna know a secret?”
“What?”
“I think it was your retrieval that brought me back. It’s just that it was meant for Ben, not me.”
“Really?” Sammy Jo looked like she didn’t quite believe him.
“Really truly. You did great, I promise.” He brushed her bangs aside and planted a kiss on her forehead. “Hey, remember when ‘Sam-Larry Stanton’ said he loved you?”
Sammy Jo nodded tearfully.
“Well, Sam Beckett does too.” He held her gaze. “Sammy Jo, I love you and I’m proud of you.”
This was enough for Sammy Jo to lose control of her held back tears, and begin to sob. Sam scooped her into his arms, letting her cry into his chest.
Sam looked up to the doorway to see Donna entering with a tray of tea and cookies. He nodded a greeting at her, and she looked down at Sammy Jo with what he thought was an expression of sympathy. She placed the tray on the coffee table and sat in the armchair Sam had previously vacated, exchanging glances with Al.
“I think she’s needed this a long time,” Al said quietly. “A Dad who says he’s proud. Kids need that kinda thing. Even adult kids. Believe me, not having parents around is tough.”
Sam patted his daughter on the back, before pulling back and lifting her chin. “You have a daughter, don’t you? I met… well, I didn’t meet her exactly, but… uh, it’s complicated. I saw her.”
Sammy Jo sniffed and nodded. “Addison. She’s sixteen.”
“Less than a year younger than Janis,” Al commented. “I keep saying they should meet…”
“That could be nice,” said Donna. “I know you always kept her away from the Project, but…”
Wiping at her face with her sleeve, Sammy Jo nodded. “Well, I was just following the Project classification advice. It’s national security, right?”
Sam and Al exchanged a nervous look.
“Well, maybe a few more people know about it than the government is aware of,” Al admitted. “Such as my wife.”
“And Janis,” Sam added. He turned to Sammy Jo. “If you told Addison, I don’t think anyone here would object to that. See, she’s the observer in the future Project I encountered.”
Sammy Jo stiffened. “Really?!”
Sam nodded. “I think she can handle the truth about her… lineage. Why don’t you invite her to dinner tonight? I would love to meet her properly.”
Sammy Jo sniffed again, and reached for a teacup. “Well… it’s true she’s very mature for her age. I guess I’ll call her and ask her to come along.”
* * *
Climbing down from the bus, Addison slung her backpack over her shoulder and headed for the mall. Better that than math class. She didn’t care for calculus one bit.
Her Mom was so swept up in whatever her job was that she hadn’t caught wind of Addison’s frequent absenteeism at school. Her grades weren’t suffering that badly anyway.
Addison figured that by taking initiative and having adventures outside of school, she was getting a certain kind of non-academic education. She was a woman of action, not of homework. Besides, she’d already decided she was joining the military after school; she didn’t need spectacular grades for that. Now was the time to seize her freedom.
She wandered the mall, window shopping and wishing she had the money for any of the nice dresses on display. Her mother wasn’t poor, but she didn’t dole out pocket money at a rate Addison would have liked. Still, she couldn’t really complain. She had basically everything she needed. She just wished her mother was a little more attentive, that was all.
When she passed by a tailor, she saw a couple of girls around her age trying on some formal clothes. One of them was wearing a sequined black ballgown, and the other a tuxedo that was fitted perfectly to her form. It struck her that they must have been a couple.
Well, it was prom season, she figured. Good for them.
As she began passing the window, she felt a set of eyes on her. She glanced towards the girls in the store, and realised that the girl in the gown was looking at her.
Something about the way she was looking at Addison made her stop, and lock eyes with the stranger.
The girl, who had dyed black hair and a streak or two of blue, muttered something that Addison couldn’t hear, before abruptly looking away. It was clear she was still stealing a peripheral look in her direction, though, and Addison hurried away from the window, feeling a little awkward about the strange moment.
It was at that moment that her phone began to ring in her bag. Addison stopped and pulled it out, finding that her Mom was calling.
“Uh, hey Mom,” she said as she brought the phone to her ear. “Something up?”
“Hi sweetie,” her mother said, her voice a little shakier than usual. “Are you in class? I can call back later—”
“No, no, I’ve got a free period,” she lied. “What’s goin’ on?”
“I just wanted to let you know that…” Sammy Jo took a breath, “that your grandfather is in town, and would like to have dinner with us.”
Addison’s nose screwed up. “Grandfather? You mean your Dad? I thought he abandoned you before you were born.”
“Um, well, it’s a little—well, a lot—more complicated than that, Addie. I just found out myself.”
“Okay. Weird. Where are we going for dinner?”
“I’ll text you the address. It’s in Mountainview. Don’t go off to the mall or anything after school—go straight there; I’m already here.”
Oops, already at the mall.
“Really? I thought you were supposed to be at work all day.” Addison scuffed her foot into a marble pillar.
“Well, something changed. Turns out it’s not quite my last day after all.”
Addison noted that her mother sounded kind of… excited. For years now, she’d returned from work with a look of defeat on her face. Never did she seem optimistic or pleased to be doing it. But now…
“Okay, well, I’ll see you there, Mom,” she said, now very curious about the sudden entrance of a new grandfather in her life.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” Sammy Jo said. “I can’t wait to introduce you.”
Addison hung up her phone, and stared down at it in anticipation of the text message to come. But in the corner of her eye, she once again felt like someone was watching her. She glanced up, towards the tailor, and caught the tail of a sequined black dress fluttering as it disappeared into the door.
Who was that girl?