Sam checked her watch. “We need to head home to get him ready for baseball practice.”
“Thanks for coming, you guys. It means a lot to us.”
“We’ll come any time you need us,” Angela said.
“Always,” Sam said.
* * *
At home, Sam went to Scotty’s room to make sure he was ready to leave for practice with his detail. “It’s fun to be around to see you off.”
“It’s fun to have you around. And the fake sick day was epic.”
“We’ll do it once in a while.”
“Good luck getting that past the POTUS.”
“He might be mellowing in his old age.”
Scotty cracked up. “Right. I think that could be wishful thinking.”
“Hey, bud?”
He glanced at her. “What’s up?”
“I heard some of what you said to Ethan. I just wanted to say thank you. He thinks the world of you, and he needed to hear what you had to say.”
“I hope it helps.”
“You’re a very special young man, Scott Cappuano, and I couldn’t be prouder to be your mom.”
With his baseball bag hooked over one shoulder, he came over to hug her. “I’m pretty proud of you, too.”
“I can’t begin to tell you how you’ve made my entire life complete.”
“Same goes, Mama.”
They hugged until a throat clearing in the hallway alerted them to the arrival of Debra, the lead agent on his detail.
“Love you,” Sam whispered.
“Love you, too.”
As she watched him go down the hall with Debra, she understood the concept of her heart walking around outside her body, often used to describe motherhood. Just as Scotty reached the stairway, Nick appeared in time for a fist bump before practice.
“See you when you get back,” Nick said.
He smiled when he saw her leaning against the wall, arms crossed, watching him come toward her.
“Is this what it’s like to be home when you finish work for the day, dear?” she asked when he swept her up in a hug.
“I think it might be.”
“I’m digging it. Need to do it more often.”
He buried his face in her neck, sending a cascade of goose bumps down her back. “Where’re the Littles?”
“Upstairs with Celia, looking at her pictures and videos from Alaska.”
