TWENTY-SEVEN & EIGHT
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Tanya could not imagine leaving Eddie for another woman. If she had not been sitting, she would have been bowled over by the question. Sam read the look on Tanya’ s face and smiled.“ I don’ t mean just you. I want all of your family. This house is too big for me to wander about by myself. And I love both of you. I don’ t know your children but I know I would love them too,” Sam finished and waited for an answer.“ Wouldn’ t it feel strange?”“ Maybe at first. But John couldn’ t give me what I wanted.”“ What is that?”“ A family. I want to make love to you and Eddie. I love both of you. If I get pregnant then we would be a family,” Sam said.“ I think you are in shock,” Tanya said.“ It has never been more clear to me. I knew John was dying. Come live here with me. An hour ago this house was paid for. John set me up for life. I don’ t have to work if I don’ t want to. You would have a maid, a butler and a chef. How would you and Eddie be set if you sold your house and had no bills?” Sam began appealing to totally different part of Tanya.“ You want to have a child with Eddie?” Tanya was trying to catch up. Her head and her heart were screaming,“ Yes! Yes! Yes! Don’ t be stupid. Look around you. Sam wants both of you. You want both of them. It was just offered.”“ Oh God yes. What child would not want two loving mommies and a daddy like Eddie?” Sam asked. Having her tubes tied was one of the saddest days of Tanya’ s life. In a way, she had hoped Justin was a girl because she would have been able to talk Eddie into trying to have a son. With the money situation, both of them earning only a decent living, another child did not seem right. How would it be to share that responsibility with someone like Sam. Tanya could have a baby to love. Sam was willing to share everything.
Tanya was feeling a little guilty. She inferred that John would not be allowed to touch her. That was not the case. She had done exactly as Sam had with Eddie. Eddie never went as far as he had with Kate. Tanya had not encouraged that again and Sam seemed as okay with Eddie’ s talents as Tanya was with John’ s.“ I need time to think about this. I need to go home,” Tanya said.“ To an empty home? I have everything you need here and I don’ t want to be alone,” Sam pleaded and saw Tanya look at the robe she was wearing.“ I have clothes that will fit. Maybe a little loosely but the workout pants have a drawstring.”“ What do I tell Eddie?”“ The truth he is able to handle. You are here because I need you. Your children are safe and he won’ t be home after he closes up shop,” Sam said, and retrieved Tanya’ s purse from the entryway where she had set it on the way in. With the phone in her hand Tanya wondered what she would say to Eddie.“ Text message,” Sam said. Tanya punched in the message, keeping it short and to the point.
“ I was never cold or indifferent to my husband. I knew he would go before me. He was twice my age. We were told John did not have more than a year to live. That was six months ago. Every day I waited for him to get real sick and I would have to watch him leave a little piece at a time. He loved his work and he loved me. John was a good man who deserved to die with dignity. That detective envied my husband, as did most men. Not because of what he collected but because of what he earned. I never thought I could give this to John. You and Eddie stepped into my life for a purpose and I don’ t believe that purpose has been completely fulfilled.” Sam said, as the tears began to flow.