A Life Debt Repaid

Zoe promptly texted Cordy: [Sam is back! He’s really back! He just entered the hall!]
Cordy: [I told you he’d come. You didn’t believe me.]
Zoe: [How should I know that I’m that attractive?]
Cordy sent a speechless emoji, spotting Sam, who was very tall and easy to spot in a crowd, as she looked up just then.
”Sam,” John called out to him just then, and he quickly made his way toward them and sat down.
“When did you get back?” John asked.
“Noon yesterday,” Sam replied.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Bob snorted, a little miffed just then. “What, too important to hang out with your brothers now that your
career has taken off?”
“My career’s taken off? Have you ever seen Johnny’s pockets?” Sam rolled his eyes.
Bob simply shrugged.
John then asked, “When are you going back?”
“In two days. I’ll be visiting my parents before that,” Sam replied.
“So you don’t have time for us now, do you?” Bob butted in. “It’s a little rushed since there’s still stuff to do,” Sam said.” We have
all the time to meet up afterwe can do it today too. Bottom’s up!”
Bob was exasperated. “Sam, you’ve really changed-could you be a little less successful? It’s a little overwhelming.”
“Well what do you want?!” Sam snorted.
“I...” Bob actually could not come up with anything, and so snapped, “Just drink!”
“Fine!”
With that, both men started drinking even before food was served, before the hosts returned to the hall.

John was going to stop them when a woman sat down beside Sam. His hands paused before reaching his glass-he could tell
who it was without turning, and so his fingers stiffened.
He eventually reached for his glass, while Cordy glanced at Sam before greeting Quinn warmly. “Hey, Quinn.”
“Hey,” Quinn replied.
“You came alone?”
“Yeah.”
Sam’s fingers stiffened again.
“You still have to be careful,” Cordy told her.
“I know.” Quinn smiled.
Nothing about her presence or voice changed, and yet everything had changed.
Still, as Sam brought up his glass to pour himself a drink, John said, “Show some respect for our hosts. It’s not starting yet.”
“Yeah,” Bob said immediately. “We still have to wait for Jay and Zoe to start things up.”
Sam quietly put down his glass at that.
It was a wide table, and Sam kept chatting with Bob and John, while Quinn did the same with Cordy.
Cordy was expecting soon, and her belly was positively bulging, so they were mostly talking about children. “Have you had an
ultrasound yet? Is it a boy or a girl?”
“We did, but they were hiding whenever we tried to check,” Cordy said, exasperated. Now it’s too close to the due date to check.
Well, I’m fine with either anyway.”
“Not so much for me,” John suddenly chimed in. Cordy rolled her eyes at him, while Quinn giggled, knowing that John was
zealous about wanting a daughter.
One could not imagine how John would react if Cordy gave birth to another son, though it probably would not matter since Cordy
mattered most to him.

As long as it was their bundle of joy, he would love them profoundly.