Breaking The Routine

                   Sam sat on the leather couch holding the warm cup of coffee in her hands, looking out the large window in front of her watching the sun rise. She took a drink from the cup smiling remembering the last three days. It had been the best in her life by far. Mark had proposed to Tabby when they had gone out for last night for Christmas Eve. She was the reason Sam was up so early, Tabby had called her at five in the morning to tell her the news. Sam smiled again thinking of the conversation as she took another drink of her coffee. She hoped it would help calm her nerves, today they were going over to David's parent's house for Christmas lunch.

            Sam was running through possible ways to get out of it, she was sure they would hate her for what she done to their son, and she was still sure the incident in the kitchen wasn't going to help her case any. Taking another sip she sighed. Maybe she could say she was sick...no, that wouldn't work. She couldn't act to save her life and the situation it could definitely be considered life threatening. Maybe she could invent an imaginary friend in Indianapolis that needed her help urgently and she had to leave right now...but she didn't want to leave, she just wanted to get out of the lunch. She sighed loudly taking another drink, maybe she should get dressed and sneak out before David woke up.

            That didn't sound so bad, she could say she wanted to do some more sightseeing and got lost. Yeah, that sounds like a plan, she thought but David came out of the bedroom and sat beside her ruining her excellent plan. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek wrapping his arm around her waist. "Good morning and Merry Christmas" he told her resting a chin on her shoulder.

            "Dito," she said a tab bit grumpy, now she had to think of something else.

            "That didn't sound very good, what's wrong Wildcat," he asked snuggling into her neck giving her soft kisses there.

            She couldn't help but start to giggle. "That tickles, you're going to make me spill my coffee and nothing is wrong," she told him pushing him away from her gently. He looked at her with a look that suggested that he didn't believe her at all then took away her cup of coffee setting it on the table, ignoring her protests.

            "Confess Sam, what's going around in that mind of yours," he told her pulling towards him till she was sitting on his lap with his arms around her.

            "Nothing is wrong," she lied looking at the large window, not wanting to offend him by preferring to be locked in a room with angry hornets before facing his parents.

            David cupped her face forcing her to look at him looking serious. "Sam you really but really, really suck at lying and yet again I remind you that you promised to not keep me out," he told her then smiled kissing her. Sam smiled back as she returned the kiss, laying her arms on his shoulder.

            "So woman, what has you up so early," he told her when the kiss finally ended.

            "Oh Tabby woke me up," she said seeing a chance to avoid what he really wanted to know. "She was too excited to wait for a decent hour to tell me that Mark had proposed to her last night," Sam finished and David smiled.

            "Good hear she is excited, Mark spent half the day in the damn jewelry store trying to pick the right ring," he replied and she laughed pitying Mark. David gave her a hard look. "But that doesn't explain why you seemed so grumpy before," he added causing her to laugh.

            "Don't worry, I am fine," she told him trying to get up but he held her in place.

            "I am not letting you get up till you tell me," he demanded.

            "Okay," she shrugged with a smile laying her head on his shoulder.

            "Ah ha, I knew it," he said.

            "You know what," Sam asked confused and he smiled.

            "You're freaking out about today, about meeting my family," he told her giving her a quick kiss and Sam scrunched up her nose with irritation that he guessed it. Why couldn't she ever have any secrets? "You have nothing to worry about Sam. They will love you just as much as I do," he told her and she gave him a smile but wasn't convinced. She got up from his lap and grabbed her coffee taking a drink.

He got up too giving her a quick kiss on the cheek and told her to relax before he disappeared in the kitchen. She grabbed a change of clothes and walked into the large bathroom. She made a look of disgust; she loved David but hated his apartment. The architecture

      After nearly a half hour of letting the hot water rush over her she finally dragged herself out of the shower. Upon her clothes sat a little stuffed animal, a wildcat, with a little red bow around its neck that red "Merry Christmas" on it and a small black box between its paws. Sam laughed as she picked up

but quickly turned into frowned and slapped her forehead. She was such an idiot, she didn't get him anything. Well in her defense she didn't expect him to get her anything either, she reasoned with herself. She crossed her arms and exhaled in a huff. She was an awful person, a horrible despicable person. While she

dressed in an old sweatshirt and jeans walking out of the bathroom with determination. David smiled instantly when he saw her making her feel even guiltier. "Do you like them," he asked with a hint of uncertainty

       "Of course David...but I can't accept them," Sam

         "Why not," he asked her confused

anything for you, and that's just terrible of me and

being

David, I don't deserve you," she told him feeling depressed when

        "My God, Sam, you turn a simple gift into such a big deal," he told her with a hint of irritation. He took the toy from her set

         "But David it is a big deal, it means you took time to think

shut up," he told her moving behind her and put the necklace on her then  kissing her neck softly wrapping his arms around her. "Let me

if it will make you feel better, I have a great idea about how you can thank me," he

            "Really and what might that be," she

           "Come here and I will show you," he replied taking her hand

death row to Sam, each step forward was bringing her closer to her atrocious death. She smoothed over the skirt

and Sam gave him a weak smile. His mother opened the door. She had the same color of hair and eyes as David, she was elegantly dressed,

on the cheek. "Why she is beautiful isn't she," the woman said excitedly and Sam felt her cheeks turn red. Was this real, did this woman actually seem happy to see

            "But good heavens where is my manners, come in you two," the woman added. She linked her arm in Sam's nearly dragging her into the house. "I am David's mother Francine," the woman stated and Sam felt relieved that she didn't make any mention of what had

  "It's nice to meet you Mrs. Andrews," Sam replied

   "Oh please call me Frannie, Mrs. Andrew sounds so cold and distant," David's mother told her pulling Sam towards a group of people. Frannie pointed to beautiful looking woman with a small girl on her hip scolding a little boy about something. "This is Elizabeth or Lizzy as we all call her, she is David's sister and my second," David's mother said as

the famous Sam," Lizzy asked with an excited tone and Sam felt her

       "Yes Lizzy this is the Sam," Frannie told her daughter

            "Oh she is just too cute," Lizzy squealed as she released Sam from the hug. "I am surprised after all those bitches he used to date that he actually landed a sweet girl," Lizzie told her and Sam looked at the woman in surprise not sure how to

come there is more people waiting to meet you," Frannie told her dragging her off deeper into the house where two

            "Oh break it up you two," the older woman told them and they each other

   "David's Sam," the older man asked eyeing her harshly and she felt yet another blush rise on to her cheeks but she had no idea why she was blushing now. As seem to be an Andrew's tradition the man suddenly swallowed her in a hug even to the point he lifted her off the floor causing a surprised gasp

  As he set her down her cheeks were flaming red. "Pretty girl, and looks to be a nice one too, how the hell did my son manage to snag you," he asked her with a large smile that made Sam's cheeks burn even brighter as a

            "This is David's older brother Chris," Frannie told her and Chris gave her a warm smile but thankfully didn't try to hug

       "It's nice to meet you Sam," he told her politely and she replied with the same politeness then Nathaniel gave him a slap on

that bitchy ice queen you got. I bet Sam here