A phone call was not enough. If anything, it was worse hearing her baby's voice without being able to hug him tight. But, that was quickly remedied once they finally got off the island and drove through the city, up into the mountains. Another time Tamira might have been interested in seeing the city Sam had been calling home for the last several years. Not just then, however. She was solely focused on getting to her son. Once they arrived at a trailer park and stopped, she practically jumped out of the car when she saw Sean coming to meet them.
"Sean!" Okay, she might have literally jumped out of the car and thrown her arms around him, laughing a little as he picked her up like she was nothing. From the feel of it, all the leftover baby fat had turned into solid muscle. "Let me get a look at you, baby." As he set her back on her feet, Tamira took a step back to look him over, hands still holding tightly to his as if he might disappear on her again. Her first impression had been right. He'd filled-out and toned up. There was a steadiness to his demeanor that hadn't been there two years ago, one that reminded her more of his father. But, that grin was still the same, still her boy, even if her baby seemed to have turned into a man while he was gone. And she couldn't remember ever seeing him in jeans and a T-shirt since he started high school. Stepping forward again, she framed his face with her hands. "Don't you ever worry me like that again."
"Wasn't a plan, Moms." Sean hugged his mother again, unable to believe he was really getting to do that. They talked a lot about going home. But, after Dad and G disappeared and Jenna was gone, Sean had stopped believing it was going to happen. "I've missed you so much." He was man enough to admit he was very much a mama's boy and he saw nothing wrong with that at all. Other men should be so lucky as to have a mother like his.
Letting her go, he took both her hands in his again and squeezed gently. "So, I know we've got a lot of catching up to do and you've probably got a million ques..." Sean's voice trailed off as he realized his mother was giving him that look. A look. The kind of look that made him feel three inches high as a child. "Moms...?"
It had taken a minute for Tamira to notice. She'd been so caught up in checking to make sure her baby was in one piece that little details escaped her notice. But, now the initial reunion was over and she could start cataloging each and every minor difference. That was how she noticed the ring on her son's hand when he squeezed hers again -- a plain band on the ring finger of his left hand. "Sean Matthew Ha-"