A Rose in Shadow

Sunday

SUNDAY

After saying goodbye to Samantha's parents and Mac, Samantha and Adam finally got into Adam's truck in the early afternoon on Sunday and made their way out of town toward Adam's parents' farm.

Both of them were exhausted emotionally after the last twenty-four hours as well as exhausted physically from the lack of sleep. It had been well into the evening when the police were finally through with their interviews and review of the scene when Mac arrived, panicked, scared and pissed off. It took hours to convince him that Samantha was okay and for Adam and Samantha to answer everyone's questions.

While Samantha and her mom were putting fresh bedding on the bed in the spare room, Pete had grabbed two beer from the fridge and asked Adam to join him out on the balcony. It was a small space but there had been enough room to add the two Muskoka chairs that Adam had brought over from his old place and they fit in nicely amongst the container gardens and barbecue. He and Sam sat out here together most nights after dinner.

Settling in and opening his beer, Pete looked up to the stars.

"First, thank you for looking after my girl"

Adam hung his head. "I didn't very well though did I, or that bastard wouldn't have had her today" Adam could feel his eyes burning.

Pete glanced over to him.

"Adam. Don't blame yourself for this shit. It will eat you up. What-ifs are useless" he took a drink of his beer.

"So, again, thank you for looking after my girl. I can see that you care about her and I'm happy knowing that she's safe here with you. I don't like that she's grown up and got a man in her life" Adam started to talk when Pete quickly added, "but that's my problem. A Dad's problem, not a problem with you.  I'll get used to it."

Adam took a pull of his own beer while he gathered his thoughts.

"Mr. Kincaid, Pete, I love your daughter. I love Samantha and my own heart stopped today when Jamie called to tell me that Moore was here and had her" his voice cracked a bit and he cleared his throat.

He turned to look Samantha's dad in the eye. "I will always do my best to keep her safe. I promise you that. She's everything to me"

Pete cleared his own throat and tapped his beer bottle to Adam's. "Then we're good" he said and they went back to watching the stars and finished their beer.

Everyone was starting to fade fast. It had seemed like an eternity since they had woken up this morning.

Kelsey, Emma Kate and Jamie had already left, Jamie walking the ladies out to their cars, and Finn was saying his goodbyes to Mac's parents when Mac approached Adam. "Got a minute?" He motioned to the living room, everyone else having gathered in the kitchen for coffee.

Taking another look at Samantha, he hadn't been able to be away from her for too long since they had gotten home; Adam followed Mac in and sat down in the chair next to where Mac sat on the couch.

Looking down at his hands where they lay in his lap, Mac took a breath.

"I love Samantha. I know that most siblings love each other but I've always loved her so much, since the day that my parents brought her home from the hospital. I don't recall a time when I ever experienced that sibling rivalry that I know, and have seen myself, that other people have sometimes. Maybe it's because I'm five years older but she has always just been mine. My pretty little sister. My smart little sister. My brave little sister. I am proud of her on a daily basis. She is just....sunshine to me."

He laughed at himself. "Nice, sappy speech right?"

"I guess I just want you to understand what she means to me" he held up his hand when Adam was going to speak. "And, as her older brother I can see that she means the same to you" He looked Adam in the eye. "Oh, I know that she's stubborn and sometimes a little too independent and that you two will butt heads occasionally but I can tell that in here" he tapped a fist to his heart "she is "sunshine" to you too and I wanted to let you know – not that you need my approval – but that you have it. I couldn't have chosen a better mate for her than you".

Adam stood up and walked over to Mac and held out his hand. Mac took it and pulled himself up and the two of them shared an awkward one-armed-man hug before stepping back and looking at anything but each other.

"Okay then" Mac said, clearing his throat. "I'd better get Finn out of here so that everyone can get some sleep."