Her social circle was small, kept to Jac and the rest of the crew. She preferred being able to count those she trusted on one hand and made a point to try avoiding letting outsiders in. It felt safer that way. It also made the move far easier to handle when the people she cared about were going with her.
“Not in your condition,” Sam shook her head. “I didn’t plan on insulting you today but you still look like you could use another day or two of resting.” Hopefully, that would be long enough to at least check in with Ellaria and make sure she was okay. She didn’t like lying to him but it was that or risking his panicking on top of everything else. “Our home is wherever you are,” She murmured. Perhaps she had gotten too used to relying on him. “I’m certain Sadie will agree with me.” Sam nodded after that and left his bed, crossing the room to open the door and call for Sadie. She was shocked when pushing the door resulted in almost hitting the redhead. Thank goodness her reflexes were quick enough to stop it. “Can I see him?” Sadie asked and bit her lip, her look of worry mimicking the one Sam wore just moments before. She nodded and stepped aside to let her daughter pass, biting back a wince when Sadie flung herself onto Jac’s bed, accompanied by a loud shriek of dad, and wrapped her arms around him.
“You’re okay,” Sadie beamed at him and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Mom was so worried she wouldn’t stop checking her phone to make sure it wasn’t the nurse or Auntie Ella calling with an update.” Leave it to her daughter to spill more information than she would have preferred. “I got you a teddy bear and flowers.” The bear was crushed somewhere between the two. “She said to leave the flowers in the kitchen though. In case you’re allergic.”
Jac gave Sam a flat look for the faint insult. “I’m sure I still look handsome.” He quipped. “A true Sleeping Beauty, I am.” Before he could say anything else about going to find Ellaria, her soft words captured his attention. His hand found hers, squeezing lightly, for once not joking. Sam wasn’t just one of his dearest friends, she was his right hand woman, and that alone scared him. The last time he’d fallen for a friend, that friend had died. Instead, it was better, easier, safer to keep their friendship on a steady level.
He watched eagerly for Sadie, a true smile spreading across his face as a red headed bullet shot across the room to him. He groaned at the impact, unable to stop the sound, but he still wrapped his arms around her. “Well, hello there beautiful.” The words were murmured to her, although he gave Sam a wry smile as Sadie admitted to just how worried her mother had been. “There’s nothing to worry about. I’m fine. Especially now that you’re here.” He loved Sadie, considering her to be his family. As an adopted child, he knew that blood didn’t make a family, so the fact she was Sam’s daughter was enough for him to love Sadie. The young girl who had become like a daughter to him was the second light of his life, the first being Ria. “Good thing I’m not allergic. Show me this bear.” He shifted back so he could look down at the poor squashed thing. “I love him. Did you give him a name, or do I get to name him?”