Charlotte looks around in the kitchen remembering it like yesterday. The only thing that changed is the new curtains in the kitchen, and a few new supplies, and decorations. Hesitantly she puts her arms around Millie's shoulders. She takes a moment to take everything in.
"Welcome home," Sam speaks behind her. She looks over her shoulder at him and nods with a little smile. "I already brought out your clothes and had them packed into your closet."
"Is it okay if my kids and I share rooms?" She asks. "I'm just...use to sharing a bed with them?"
"Whatever makes you comfortable," he smiles nicely at her. She nods her head and inhales deeply looking at Millie that stood there uncomfortably looking around. Her arms are folded and her eyes look teary.
"Hey, are you okay?" Charlotte asks approaching her. The girl looks scared up at her mom and put her arms out. Charlotte picks her up and looks at her face.
"Mommy, I don't know where to go," she says. Charlotte smiles at her and kisses her cheek.
"You can go everywhere," she smiles at her. "But just not into uncle Sam's room, okay? It's his private place. Soon you and Oliver will be going to school with Mila and Olivia."
Millie nods and rests her head on her mother's shoulders looking at Sam who just stood there staring at them.
Past
Cryingly Charlotte holds onto Oliver in her arms trying to calm him, but he's crying in hunger.
"I'm sorry," she cries softly and turns to the door on top of the stairs. Charles comes down wearing a suit and his hair done neatly. "Charles, he's hungry. Please."
"You made him, you feed him," he replies and opens his arms. "How do I look."
"Charles," she sighs and gives him a serious look. "I beg you. Please, your son is hungry."
"You didn't answer my question," he replies angrily.
"You look great!" She lets out in frustration. "Now listen to me, please. Oliver needs food. Help him, please."
"You're such an ungrateful brat," he says and stands demandingly closer to her. "I give what I give when I give it."
"Charles," she shakes her head looking desperately down at the baby boy and then back at him. "I promise, I'll be good. Just give him something. I'll...I'll do whatever you want. Just please, help him."
"Whatever I want, hmmm?" He asks looking over her face down to the baby. "Very well, I'm meeting with Sammy-boy for lunch. I'll bring something afterward."
Charlotte stares hopelessly at him as he smiles mischievously at her. He grabs her face and kisses her on the mouth.
"Love you," he says before leaving. Hopelessly Charlotte looks down at the crying baby and holds him closer to her chest.
Sam waits by the table staring at the empty table. He looks like a wreck. When his eyes meet with Charles approaching him, he can't help but smile faintly.
"Hi, thanks for meeting with me," Sam says to him and shows him to sit. Charles takes a seat and smiles at his friend.
"I told you, I'm here for you," he says. Sam nods thankfully and takes a while to himself. "You good?"
"It's been three years already, Charles. Where is she?" He asks devastated and sighs. "Is she even alive?"
"I know this must be hard on you and the girls, but you have to move on," Charles says to him with a heavy breath. "She's gone, Sam. Nothing can change that."
"I hope she's not in pain or somewhere stuck in a deserted place. I keep thinking she might be alive out there, but where?" Sam whispers and shakes his head. "I know she's not dead. She can't be."
Present
The clock is ticking against the wall. As usual Charlotte can't sleep. Both Millie and Oliver are asleep next to her. She keeps thinking that Charles would come down, make her get out of bed quietly to have sex with her or just to torture her. She gets up and leaves the room quietly to get herself a glass of water. She finally came into the kitchen only to find Sam sitting there working on his laptop at the kitchen table. He looks at her and smiles.
"You're up late. Baby keeping you up?" He asks motioning to her belly. She looks down at her stomach and touch it softly.
"I'm just...I can't sleep," she says and folds her arms in fear. Sam looks at her and gets up when he saw how she shivers.
"Charlotte, are you okay?" He asks and approaches her worriedly. She flinges and uses her arms to cover herself. Her whole body shook in fear. "Charlotte, calm down."
Sam immediately steps back giving her space. She looks at him with teary eyes and keeps her posture. He puts his hands up and just waits for her to recover.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be..."
"Can I show you pictures of the girls?" He asks immediately. She hesitantly lets down her arms giving him a strange look. "Take a seat. I'll take you through their childhood."
She just remains standing and stares at him. He goes to the cabinet and pulls out two thick albums. He goes to the table and put it down taking a seat. Charlotte goes and takes a seat next to him keeping a close eye on his nearness.
"Here is Olivia's first school concert. She was dressed as the fairy godmother from Shrek. That was their play," he tells her. She looks at the pictures and smiles softly. She remembers thinking about her girls every day of her life and wondering what they would look like, here she is under one roof with them and she has no clue.
"She's so beautiful," Charlotte whispers and touches the photos.
"And this is Millie's first school concert. She played Nala. They did a children's play of Lion King," he says and looks at her with a soft delicate look. Charlotte looks at the photos and can't help but smile. "Charlotte, it's good to have you back. I still can't believe it...I'm sorry I didn't suspect it would be him."
"Charles kept me updated with most of the things," she tells him and starts paging through the album. "He would come home and tell me that Mila broke her arm or that...Olivia is finally going through puberty, only without me. Can I have the albums and look through them tomorrow?"
"Sure," he nods and just watches her. She closes the albums and put them together pushing them to the middle of the table and staring at them for a while. "How are you feeling?"
"Scared," she replies and looks at him. "I left Charles tied to the bed he kept me and the kids on. I wanted him to suffer like I had to. Hungry, hopeless, and stuck in the middle of nowhere in his basement because his...he wanted to make sure we wouldn't escape. The only time I went out of the basement into the house was to go to his room so the kids wouldn't see. Promised to do anything he asks just as long as the kids doesn't see. I used that time to examine the house and when I saw the opportunity, I took it. You can tell the police where he is tomorrow. I hope he's dead."