FadingI met Sam for an early breakfast this morning, a substitution for a run on a cold, snowy morning. His request, not mine, though I grew increasingly confused as he lingered over coffee, firing question after gentle question at me. How am I doing? How is Ben? Is everything okay with him gone? Is Caleb minding his boundaries? Have I talked to Lochlan? Is Seth reporting success on the away front as well? How am I really doing? How are the kids dealing with Ben being away? When does Daniel arrive?
It's over now
(Don't you know it's over now?)
Over now
(You know it's over now)
Fading
(Some kind of big surprise)
Fading out
(Don't you know your world is burning down?)
Burning down
(Your world is burning down)
And on and on and on until we ran out of taste for coffee and I reverted to one-word answers to try and subtley point out the elephant, that I wasn't going to bring up, so help me God, because I knew eventually Sam would for both of us. I didn't have to wait forever.
PJ is right, you know.
How's that?
You're an easy target, Bridget.
Because they saw me at the church?
No, you've always been an easy target. Ever since you left Cole. It started then. Jacob said they were relentless.
Sometimes they were.
Possbly more than you realize, Bridget. There were several who tried, at the time, to perpetuate rumors just to hurt you. Things about Jacob that weren't true.
Who? What are you talking about?
Jacob spent half his time doing damage control, trying to shut off the rumor mill before it could do harm to you. That's when he began his policy of open-door meetings and witnesses, to prevent any later misunderstandings. So many women had their eyes on him and wanted to make trouble for you.
I know. I find it funny, you saying it now.
No, it's really not, Bridget. But no matter what people say or do, they don't know and at the end of the day everyone will take what they say with a healthy degree of skepticism, I promise you that. No one is out to get you or me, just keep that in mind.
I don't care about them, I only care about you and Lisabeth. How is she?
Sad. We're both sad. But you had no part in this, short of warning us a long time ago that the church took up a lot of time. If only I had realized how right you were then. That was only part of a larger problem though. There's no single event that caused this.
I'm so sorry this is happening to you.
I'm sorry it's happening to you, too.
Don't worry about me, Sam.
I will always worry for you, Bridget.
I have been nothing but trouble for you.
You're not half as awful as you think you are. If you were I never would have kept the promise I made to Ja-
Oh, Sam. You didn't.
I didn't know with any certainty, Bridget. I suspected for a long time that he wasn't doing well, and he wouldn't get the right kind of help, the kind he sorely needed. His only concern was for you and the kids. That we look after you, together, all of us. That's why it doesn't matter what anyone thinks. It's why we don't care what anyone thinks.
What did I ever do to deserve this, Sam? What makes you all stick around for me? Tell me, because I don't get it.
I don't know, Bridget. I really don't. It's a different sort of faith, that's for certain.
So we are a cult now.
Pretty much.
Does this mean we can be pol-
Oh, don't even start with that today, okay?
I was kidding, Sam.
Yes, I know. But sometimes I wonder about you anyway, Miss Fidget.