Page 299 of A Matter of Time

“I see.”

“Are you upset with me?” she asked slowly, her voice very small.

I pushed against him, squeezing him tight before slipping a leg between his. I wanted to keep listening, but I was just too sleepy. I kissed his throat and then snuggled back down with my head over his heart, letting out a contented sigh.

“No,” I heard him answer. “I’ve got the man I love back. There’s no way I could be pissed at anyone right now.”

“So what are you going to do now, Sammy?” I heard Jen ask. She must have walked into the room.

“Whatever he wants me to.”

“Oooh, that’s a nice answer.” She laughed, and everyone joined her.

I woke up later and looked around the room. Thomas was yelling at the TV, and Regina was smiling at me. I turned and saw Michael with his attention on the screen, and Beverly sitting quietly beside him.

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” I yawned, smiling at Regina. “I missed everybody.”

“It doesn’t matter,” she said cheerfully. “There will be other times for you to see them.”

My face must have given her pause.

“Jory?”

“Regina,” I hedged, “I don’t know if⁠—”

“What?”

“I don’t know if Sam and I are gonna⁠—”

“What?” Thomas snapped, turning to look at me, and now I had Michael’s attention as well.

“I have a job I love and a life, and I think that Sam⁠—”

“Since when do I care what you think?” Thomas asked dryly. “I don’t care. It’s Sam’s fault you went away in the first place, but if you leave again, it’s all on you, Jory.”

“Thomas!”

“Regina, do you hear what he’s saying? He’s going to leave your son.”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying. I just…” I shook my head, climbing off of a sleeping Sam and awkwardly getting to my feet. I was all tangled up in him and almost took a header into the coffee table before I found my legs. I moved to stand over Thomas. “I’m not saying I’m leaving him, it’s just moving so fast and⁠—”

“Wait.” Thomas put up a hand in front of me. “Do you love my son?”

This was a thousand times worse than I had imagined it. I looked over at Regina, and she looked as though someone had slapped her.

“I don’t know if I⁠—”

“You don’t love him?” Michael asked pointedly.

“No, I love him, I⁠—”

“It’s one or the other,” Thomas said solemnly. “Which is it, Jory?”

“Jory?” Regina prodded me.

“I just—it’s, like, a minute old, ya know? He just comes storming back into my life and… I need a minute to breathe. I can’t promise you anything right this second.”

They were all staring up at me, and I felt terrible. Here they were, ready to welcome me with open arms, and I was on the fence.