Sam's back. The Portal Between, for #samplesunday

This weeks excerpt for #SampleSunday is from:

[image error] The Portal Between, chapter Two: Light My Way.

The story so far:

Sam's been missing for two years and has just found her way back home, aided by Kate and Lily and the magic she is only just discovering she might possess. All three women are a bit stunned at events, which mean different things to each of them.

"Leave her. She needs time." Lily pressed a mug of hot sweet tea into Kate's trembling hands. "Are you ok?" she asked, concerned.

"Honestly?" Kate asked, a small smile starting. Lily nodded.

"Truth is always best at times like this."

"I have no idea. No, I don't think I'm ok. But I don't know what to feel or what to think. I've hoped and coped all these years and now she's back I don't know what to do next." Kate's head fell into her hands and she ruffled her hair through limp fingers, holding it briefly behind her ears.

A child cried out, caught in a bad dream. Kate was on her feet in a second, heading for the stairs.

"Tom, I'm coming." She called, recognising the familiar cry, and raced to the stairs. As she reached the bottom she could hear muffled voices as Sam held her son for the first time in years and comforted him. Tom, not quite awake was wailing. "Mummy, Mummy, I want my Mummy." His voice hitching and drowsy, he hadn't yet realised who was holding him.

"Hush my love, you're safe now." Sam crooned and he began to calm. She had her back to the stairs and his eyes opened to see Kate with Lily behind her. Realisation dawned. His eyes widened, suddenly very frightened. He scrambled to get away from the unknown adult holding him. The wailing increasing in volume was just a noise. He kicked, hit and screamed, terrified now.

"Sam, let him go a minute." Lily was being practical again. "He doesn't know it's you." Sam reluctantly put the wriggling child down and stepped away. She started to back down the stairs. The other doors on the large landing opened and two more sleepy children appeared to see what the noise was all about. The look of pure anger on Cameron's face sent Sam scurrying down the stairs.

"I hate you!" He yelled, "Why did you go? Why did you come back?" He ran back to his bed, slamming the door behind him. Kate winced. She'd known he resented Sam over the past couple of years and he had a temper, but she was still surprised at the venom in his voice. Tom stared at the door, then back at Sam, disbelief clear on his young face.

"Mummy?" He asked, hesitant, wanting to believe it was her, but unwilling to hope. Hope had hurt for too long. He looked harder, hope beginning to dawn in his eyes. "MUMMY!" He yelled and raced down the stairs into her arms.

Susan stood at the top of the stairs staring at the scene below. Her brother hugging someone she didn't know and crying. But not sad crying, this was happy crying. The woman was crying too, so were Aunty Kate and Lily. She was confused. The woman looked like the pictures that made Aunty Kate and Tom cry a lot.

"Aunty Kate?" She asked, lip starting to quiver. Kate took the stairs two at a time to reach her, swept the little girl into her arms and took her down to join the others. Susan rested her head on Kate's shoulder, looked at her seriously.

"You got hurt!" she sounded surprised and her small hand started to reach out to the cut, and then pulled back.

"She's right you know." Lily observed, "We should get that cleaned up." She reached out to touch the skin round the cut and Kate flinched. It was sore but at least had stopped bleeding. It probably looked a mess. The skin below it felt tight and she was sure there was crusted blood down her face.

"In a minute." She said, softly, "We have some explaining to do first don't you think?"