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 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 was ultramodern with nearly all the materials being metal or some type of smooth grey stone. Only three colors

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 the little stuffed cat giving it a little hug then turned her attention to the box. She set down the cat and opened the box to reveal a silver necklace with a wildcat pendant. She picked it up with a smile. She felt something engraved; she turned it over and read. "You're incredible Wildcat, I

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

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 in

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

         "Why not," he asked her confused not

just terrible of me and egotistical. I can't accept them," she replied trying to get him to take them and he

         "You being here with

don't deserve you," she told him feeling depressed when the kiss ended and he shook his head at

turn a simple gift into such a big deal," he told her with a hint of irritation. He took the

a big deal, it means you took

this the wrong way but 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 give you a Christmas present without making it into something more than that, okay"

        "But if it will make you feel better, I have a great idea about how you can thank me," he whispered in her ear huskily causing her

        "Really and what might that be," she asked with a impish smile turning

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

step forward was bringing her closer to her atrocious death. She smoothed over the skirt of her dress nervously wondering if she made

weak smile. His mother opened the door. She had the same color of hair and eyes as David, she was elegantly dressed, and to put

     Next thing Sam knew the woman had swallowed her in a tight hug and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Why she is beautiful isn't

in you two," the woman added. She linked her arm in Sam's nearly dragging her into the house. "I am

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

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,"

her, the famous Sam," Lizzy asked with an excited

is the Sam," Frannie told her daughter and before Sam could say Oh My God,

         "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 reply and Frannie laughed agreeing with her daughter. Sam shifted her weight from one foot to the other, feeling slightly uncomfortable, giving a

     "Well Sam, come there is more people waiting to meet you," Frannie told her dragging her off deeper into the house where two men sat arguing with each other. One Sam

         "Oh break it up you two," the older woman told them and they each other a glare before turning towards them. "Nathaniel this is

her cheeks but she had no idea why she was blushing now. As seem to be an Andrew's tradition the

one too, how the hell did my son manage to snag you," he asked her with a large smile that made Sam's cheeks

  "This is David's older brother Chris,"

to meet you Sam," he told her politely and she replied with the same politeness

      "Why can't you have married a girl like that," he barked at his son. "Instead of that bitchy ice queen you got. I bet Sam here know how to treat a man right," he snapped giving Sam a sly wink making her