Girl Meets World 2.0
Lucas
Life is about the journey, not the destination. This is my journey.
trouble · impulsive · headstrong · reckless · rash ·irresponsible · foolhardy · madcap · excitable · volatile · explosive · fiery · hot-tempered · quick-tempered · unruly
Growing up, I heard them all. To those that never looked any deeper, they were my identity. To me they were unfair accusations, it's not like I ever went looking for trouble. It just always seemed to find me. I wanted to change my identity, wanted to start my life over, didn't want to be known for my ability to use my fists but I didn't know how. The opportunity to start over, came when I was handed a one-year suspension from school. I had fought the school bully, who was picking on his Zay's younger sister, and for the first time, I lost ALL control.
In the blink of an eye, or so it seemed, I was taken away from all I had ever known. The opportunity to start anew was now a reality. I was unhappy to be so far away from my friends but little did I know that fate would step in and present me with everything I had ever or could ever want. I just needed to be strong enough to hold on with both hands and gentle enough to lessen my grip when needed.
I met Riley Matthews in seventh grade and she changed my life forever. There were times, I was convinced she was not of this world. There seemed to be no other way to explain the effect she had on me. It was and is the stuff of legends.
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Staring into Riley's eyes, I can't help but think back to our story. Almost from the moment she fell in my lap on the subway, I was enthralled with her. How could I not be? The more I got to know her, the harder I fell. How could I not fall head over heels for her? She was my sunshine, my princess, my cheerleader, with her I felt invincible. Not that our story didn't have its twists and turns.
When she found out I was keeping my past a secret, I was afraid I was going to lose her. She wasn't upset about what I did rather by the fact that I felt couldn't tell her. I didn't want to taint her image of me but I should have known better.
During our trip to Texas in eighth grade, I thought for sure I had lost her. We went from being an "unofficial" couple to her telling me she loved me like a brother. It took months for us to resolve everything. Turned out her feelings for me had never lessened, in fact they had grown stronger but she felt that she needed to step back from me because Maya thought she liked me. If anyone had bothered to ask me, I would have gladly told them how I felt about both girls. I loved Maya like a pesky little sister, I still do but Riley has always held my heart. If I had to, I could live without Maya, but a life without Riley would be no life at all.
We came close to losing it all during the winter of our senior year in high school. Bullies and vindictive foes tried their best to break us. We suffered a slight fracture but thankfully it healed quickly.
I almost lost her one other time in college because of my stupid, foolish pride. It took a verbal butt-kicking from Farkle, Maya and Zay for me to see the error of my ways. I stood outside her bay window in the pouring rain, eyes closed, watching my empty life flash before my eyes. When I opened my eyes, she was there, holding a towel and admonishing me for being out in the rain. What she didn't know was that there was nothing that was going to stop me from getting to her. I had to fix things with her the minute I realized how foolish I was…I couldn't run the risk of her deciding that she could live without me…I knew I couldn't survive without her.
Thankfully, we made it through all of the obstacles in our path. We emerged stronger and more in love after each incident.
The summer after she turned 24 was the summer I made her Mrs. Lucas Friar. Our eyes met and held as she walked down the aisle to me. She took my breath away, it took a sharp elbow in my ribs from Farkle to remind me to breathe.
Life as a married couple was nothing short of amazing. I worked in the local animal hospital and she worked in the local middle school as a counselor. My life (and my shoe wardrobe) was full or so I thought.
It was Christmas the following year when she gave me one of the best gifts I could have ever hoped for, I was going to be a dad by the following summer. Logan Matthew Friar entered the world on June 17th and my heart skipped a few beats as I looked into the chocolate brown eyes of my son. He was the perfect replica of his mother.
Two years later- one of the biggest blizzards in the history of NYC accompanied the arrival of Michael "Minkus" Friar. He had my eyes and his mother's hair.
The following spring, we lost Pappy Joe. He left his ranch to the Master of Tombstone and his princess. It was during a visit to the ranch that Riley broached the topic of us raising our family in Texas. She wanted the boys to have wide open spaces and for them to grow up the way I did. She felt it was time for us to go "home". I'd like to say it was tough to convince me but that would be a total lie. Riley would probably be able to easily convince me to do anything and everything for her. She had me wrapped around her finger when she was 12, now? There was nothing I wouldn't do for her or my kids.
During a quick trip to the ranch for a "guys" weekend with Zay and Farkle,I decided that I would do everything in my power to create the best home for my family. I found a local construction crew to make a few quick improvements. Each bedroom and main living space would get a bay window and the ceiling in the master bedroom would have a double skylight so that Riley and I could spend hours wrapped around each other, staring at the stars and recalling the dreams we discussed during our college summers.
Farkle, now the president of Minkus International, asked to purchase a little plot of land on ranch grounds. He wanted the ability to stay close to us when visiting the ranch.
I was happy to be able to give him the land as a thank you for being part of the Riley protection squad and for enlisting his father as my financial advisor starting in high school. It was at his dad's knee that I learned how to invest my earnings and now I am able to provide for my family in ways I could only dream of. A millionaire I am not, but my family will not want for anything.
Farkle had a 4 bedroom guest house built for our family and friends to share. Immediately upon completing that house, I had the builder build a cabin for my in-laws. They were planning on retiring soon and wanted to be close to their grandchildren. The look on their face when the boys gave them the keys to their present was a mix of joy and gratitude. For me, it was only fitting that we made their dreams come true since they gave birth to mine.
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"Lucas!" I hear being yelled and the grasp on my hand tightens. This snaps me from my trip down memory lane.
"Ok- Mrs. Friar, one more push, this should be it" I hear the Dr. say
Riley's face tightens up and she begins panting. The grasp on my hand lessens at the exact moment I hear the most beautiful sound in the world…that of my newest child announcing their presence.
"Baby Friar has a nice set of lungs. Congrats Mom and Dad. Mom- you rest up. We need to document everything and we will return Baby Friar shortly." The nurse says as she walks out of the room.
I lean down to brush Riley's hair from her face, she looks exhausted, I press a gentle kiss on her forehead and say "Thank you Mrs. Friar"
"For what?"
"Thank you for being you, for loving me and for fulfilling every dream I didn't even know I had"
"Well, if we are going to be giving thanks for that, thank you for loving me, especially during the periods when I didn't love myself." Riley yawns.
"Rest now Princess. The masses will invade soon." I pull my chair up next to the side of her bed, her hand still grasped in mine. She dozes off quickly and I follow not too far behind.
The nurse wakes me and escorts me to the nursery so I can bring the baby to meet our family.
"Looks like the entire world is in this room" the nurse remarks as we walk into Riley's room. I'm too busy looking at the wonder in my arms to notice at first.
As I look around the room, my heart swells with love. They are all here: my parents, Riley's parents, Auggie, Maya, Farkle, Zay, everyone that means something to us is in this room.
"Not the ENTIRE world- just our world" I reply as I look down at the bundle in my arms.
"Having a baby on New Year's Eve…last minute tax deduction…he'll need that money." I hear Cory, Jack and Shawn mutter.
As I look around the room at all the people we love, my eyes settle on Riley and our boys. I don't need that money; I am, by far, the richest man I know.
With a wink to my father in law I announce "Everyone, meet my princess Emily Ann Friar… Girl meet your world."