Chapter 94
Samantha whipped around and glared at Christopher. "You knew this was going to happen and you didn't tell me? You're the one who encouraged me to bring Howard here so Mom & Dad could meet him! How could you do this to me?" She shouted.
"Samantha calm down! I had no idea he was going to drag Howie into this!" Christopher arose from the chair and stepped between Samantha and their father before turning Samantha to face him. "Honestly Samantha, I only thought the subject of you rejoining my practice was going to be broached. You & I have discussed it before. You know I would like to see you resume your practice. I didn't know the idea was going to be a command instead of a request." He said eyeing his father.
"No matter how it came out," Keir turned to Christopher "the point is she needs to get her life back on track, rejoin your practice and forget about Howie."
Samantha glared at her father. "I'm still standing here!" Keir looked startled and returned his gaze to Samantha. "You are talking about me like I am not even in the room! You didn't listen to a word I said did you?" She looked at Christopher. "Do you feel the same way? Do you think I am wasting my life was well?" She didn't give him time to answer. She walked over to the doorway of the study and spun around to face the two men. "Here is the point loud and clear since the two of you seem to have missed it the first time." She said in a voice loud enough everyone in the entire house could hear. "I am happier than I have ever been in my entire life! I love designing websites and as you say, 'playing on my computer'! I am NOT going back to practicing medicine and most important of all I LOVE HOWARD AND I WILL NOT STOP SEEING HIM! Howard is a major factor in my happiness and no one, not my father, not brother, NO ONE is going to tell me to break up with him!" Samantha bolted from the room. She nearly knocked Howie down as she brushed past him and out the front door.
Keir emerged from his study with Christopher right behind him. His eyes locked on Howie who was still stunned by the events unfolding before his eyes. "Did you teach her to be disrespectful of her parents like that?" He inquired. "Is that the way you treat your parents?"
"Father!" Christopher interrupted catching Keir's attention before Howie could respond. "Samantha was not being disrespectful! She only said what she should have said years ago! Face it. Samantha never wanted to be a doctor! It was your dream to have Taryn, Samantha and I all in one office. It wasn't Samantha's dream but she went through with it anyway because she knew how important it was to you!" Christopher paused and looked at the crowd that had formed in the entryway of the house. His gaze came to rest on his parents. "Mom, Peter and I had a long talk this morning father. We all agree Samantha has never looked as good as she does now. She is positively glowing! The dark circles under her eyes have disappeared and she smiling! I don't remember the last time I saw her smile the way she has here. Samantha is finally living her life, on her terms and not worrying about what you will think if she doesn't do what YOU expect her to do. As for her relationship with Howie," He put his hand on Howie's shoulder and looked at him then at his parents. "Howie is the best person to have ever entered Samantha's life. If you will open your eyes, it is so easy to see how much he loves her just by the way he looks at her. He treats like her princess. He is the exact man you have always hoped Samantha would find. He is warm and loving with a huge heart. He comes from a strong family, with high values and morals. His parents have been happily married for over 40 years! He has been a tremendous influence in Samantha's life these past couple of months and I cannot say a single negative thing about him."
Howie bowed his head, touched by the compliments paid to him by Samantha's older brother. He blinked away the tears stinging his eyes before turning to Christopher. "Thank you Christopher. Your support in my relationship with Samantha means a great deal to me. She is a very special woman and I love her with all my heart." A look of concern crossed his face. "We can all talk about this more later but right now, I really think we should go find Samantha."
Christopher smiled. "You are right Howie." He said heading for the door. "Don't worry though. I know exactly where Samantha is." He beckoned a stunned Howie to follow him. "Come on I will show you where to find her."
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