Loved Sweetly: Chapter 6
Ao3
"Well, here we are!" Charlotte announces cheerfully as Sam parks the car in the driveway in front of their house.
Trent frowns, titling down his sunglasses. "Aren't guest houses usually in the back of the property?"
Blinking, Sam glances towards the backseat. "Kid, there is no guest house. This is where we live."
"Really?" Trent asks incredulously. "But it's so small. It's like a dollhouse." He unbuckles his seatbelt before climbing out.
Sam waits until the back door closes to mutter "what the fuck" under his breath.
"Baby steps," Charlotte reminds him before getting out as well.
A heavy sigh escapes Sam. He pops the trunk and joins them outside.
Once they unload Trent's suitcase and the shopping bags, they head up the walkway.
"So this is the living room," Charlotte says as they enter the house.
Trent glances around as he pulls off his sunglasses. He doesn't say anything as he follows her to a small hallway.
"That's mine and Sam's room," Charlotte tells him, pointing to the right. "That's the bathroom." She walks to the door at the end of the left side of the hall. "And this is your room!"
She opens the door. It's a modest room, with a double bed, a small desk, and a dresser. They file in, Sam moving to set the suitcase on the floor at the foot of the bed.
Trent drops the shopping bags on the bed before setting his aviators on the nightstand. His eyes stay down, not looking at either of the adults.
"You want some space, kid?" Sam asks.
"...yeah," Trent finally answers.
Charlotte pats his shoulder. "Okay. Just let us know if you need anything, alright?" She waits for him to nod before taking Sam's hand, leading him out of the room.
They end up in the kitchen. Charlotte sits on the counter while Sam leans back against the fridge.
"So what do we need to do?" Sam asks as he pulls off his sunglasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Let's see…" Charlotte hums thoughtfully, fidgeting with the sleeve of her sweater. "We need to enroll him at Hatchetfield Middle School. We can't afford the private school the Monroes were sending him to."
"Right." Sam nods. He can only imagine how well that's going to go. "Need to get him on our insurance too."
Silence fills the air between them as they both try to think of what to say next. Charlotte continues fiddling with her sleeve as Sam stares up at the ceiling.
The faucet drips into the sink, the 'tink' of water against metal practically deafening in the quiet.
"...how the hell are we gonna do this, Char?" Sam asks, not for the first time. "We don't know anything about raising a kid."
Charlotte sighs, forcing herself to look at her husband. "I don't know," she admits. "Maybe we can both take some time off work to help adjust to… all of this."
He runs a hand back through his hair. "Yeah… yeah that's a good idea." He bites the inside of his cheek, hesitating. "Hey, Char-"
Before he can finish the thought, Trent walks into the kitchen, carrying a tortoiseshell cat in his arms.
"Oh! I see you met Bas," Charlotte comments as she slides down from the counter. "It looks like she likes you!"
Trent glances down at the purring cat in his arms. "Bas?"
Smiling, Charlotte says, "It's short for-"
"Bastard," Sam interrupts with a grin.
"Sam!" Charlotte gasps, reaching back to smack his arm.
Laughing, Sam rubs the spot where he was just hit. "What, she is!"
Bas meows loudly, turning her large green eyes on Sam.
"Oh, you know you are," Sam retorts, looking at the cat seriously. "You're just acting all nice and sweet because there's someone new in the house.
As Bas gives another meow of protest, Charlotte rolls her eyes fondly, as though she's seen this exchange many times. "Her name is actually Princess Basilette, but we call her Bas for short."
Stroking the top of Bas' head, Trent looks down at her almost curiously. "...we were never allowed to have pets. Mrs. Monroe didn't like animals."
Sam and Charlotte exchange glances. "Well, you have one now," Sam tells him, "Do you like her?"
"Yeah," Trent confirms before adding, "She's really soft."
"She's also a huge cuddlebug," Charlotte informs him. She moves over to Trent's side, brushing the hair out of his face. "We got her a couple years ago-"
As she tells the story, Sam watches the two of them with a small smile. He knows this is the calm before the storm. He can feel it in his bones.
But he'll take this moment as a victory.
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