“The thought of not being close to all of them for the rest of our lives is unbearable to me.”
“Let’s keep that in mind when they start to test us in ways we can’t begin to imagine right now.”
“Our kids won’t do that.”
He snorted with laughter.“You just keep thinking that.”
“How will we know what the right thing to do is?”
“I remember your dad saying after Scotty came to live with us that we have to remember that kids are individuals with their own ideas and opinions on things, and just because we don’t agree with them, doesn’t mean they’re wrong.Like with Eli and Candace.If her parents had spent ten minutes with them as a couple, they might’ve seen what we do when they’re together.That they’re truly in love and devoted to each other.Were they too young to be having sex?Maybe, but what the parents did was much worse.Why not just separate them until she’s older?Why call in the cops on what was a loving, consensual relationship?”
“Definitely.”
“Another thing my dad always said was that it doesn’t pay to be in denial as your kids grow up.They’re going to drink and smoke and have sex and swear and do things we don’t like.Trying to get in the way of the natural progression is like trying to stop the tide from coming in.”
“Can you write all this down since I didn’t have a lifetime with Skip to absorb all this wisdom?”
“It’s available to you on an as-needed basis.”
“Good to know.I don’t want to mess this up.”
“You won’t.They adore you, and when you tell them something, they truly listen to you because you listen to them when they have something to say.I think we keep the lines of communication open and keep laughing with them, so when the serious stuff comes, we’ve set the tone in advance.Does that make sense?”
“It makes all the sense,” Sam said.“I’m looking forward to everything with them.Even the hard stuff.”
“Me, too, as long as you’re there to keep me from messing them up.”
“Oh please, who’s more likely to mess them up?Me or you?”
“Am I expected to answer that question?”he asked.
“Yes!”
“Um, well, you know how much I love you, right?”
Sam smacked the back of his shoulder, making him laugh.
“I decline to further elaborate on the basis that I wish to stay married to the mother of my four children.”
“Four children.It’s still surreal.”
“Along with you, the best thing to ever happen to me.”
“Same goes, love.Same goes.”
In the morning,Sam took a call from Dani Carlucci.“Morning.”
“Morning, LT.I wanted to give you an update on the search for Offenbach.The FBI has located the camp in the Shenandoahs that his mother’s family owns.They’ve asked me to provide any details of the layout that I can recall, so I’m meeting with them after my tour ends.”
“Are they thinking he’s there?”
“They’re trying not to give away the fact that they know about the camp before they’re ready.When they are, they’ll send in infrared cameras to determine if he’s in there.”
“Which will tip him off.”
“Yes, that’s why they’re waiting.”
“Anything else new overnight?”
