Chapter 3

"Ma we're home!" Bobby yelled from downstairs. "Where are ya ma?" Bobby called out as he and his brother put away their gear while they waited for their mother's answer.

"We're upstairs in Jack and Riley's room." Evelyn answered as she watched Jack and I played. Jack was tickling me and I was laughing, nothing hysterical but I was laughing.

"Hey Jack, Riley." Jeremiah said standing in the doorway. Angel was next to him.

"You've been baking ma?" Angel asked thinking with his stomach.

"Yes Angel there's a plate down in the kitchen. But wash up before you eat them alright." I stopped and watched Evelyn as she talked to her sons. Angel had nodded and was about to leave when, "Where's Bobby?"

"Right here ma." Bobby said walking in the room. I let a shrill high pitched scream, he had a gash over his left eye and blood was dripping down his face. It was a scary sight, the last time I had seen that much blood was when my step-daddy had stabbed my mommy in the hand.

"Bobby get out, you're scaring her." Jack yelled grabbing me in a hug.

"Oh my come here Bobby and let me clean that up." Evelyn said leaving the room with Bobby behind her. "I don't know why you insist on playing so dangerously." I heard her say as Jack loosened his grip on my so he could look down.

"You okay now?" he asked as Jeremiah and Angel walked in to check on me as well. I nodded not knowing if I could speak in front of Jerry and Angel.

"You just got to ignore him. He's a giant clown." Jerry said with a smile. Angel nodded noticing the monkey on the floor he handed it to me.

"Your monkey got a name baby girl?" he asked smiling showing all his teeth before sitting down with his brothers and started playing with us. I looked to Jack as if asking if it was alright to talk to my new brothers, and as if knowing he nodded back at me.

"Sean Luke." My brothers burst out laughing. I felt shy again and just hugged my monkey tighter.

Jack was the first to speak, "That's an awesome name." He continued to laugh until Evelyn came back Bobby following again.

"What I miss? What's so funny?" he asked his brothers, getting aggravated that they weren't answering him.

"Just a name man, just a name." Jerry answered his laughter dying out.

"Riley is something wrong dear?" Evelyn asked picking me up, sitting me on her lap. I shook my head no. She could tell something was wrong but it was so trivial that I didn't want to tell her I was embarrassed. "Alright, do you want to help me cook dinner?" Evelyn asked.

"No ma'am, but I'll keep you companies." I said jumping off her lap. I had always said companies instead company just a childish thing that I did. Evelyn smiled; before we went downstairs she took hold of my hand. We left, three of the boys baffled as to why I became silent, for three of them they were amazed that I had even spoken at all.

"Hold on ma. I'll help." Jack said running to catch up. I held up my hand for Jack to hold and all three of us went downstairs to the kitchen.

"What did you have in mind for the special dinner Jackie?" Evelyn asked. I was sitting at the table drawing, but I was still paying attention to what was being said.

He thought about for moment, wanting to make sure it was delicious and special since today was a pretty special day for his family. "Spaghetti!" Jack answered excitedly.

"Alright can you get the box of noodles out of the cabinet?" Evelyn went into another cabinet retrieving two pots and a jar of sauce. Jack handed her the noodles and return Jack was told to prepare the salad. A few minutes later jack went to set the table, he placed the salad and bread on the table as well all they were waiting on was the spaghetti.

"Whatcha drawing Riles?" Jack asked sitting next to me, I had to admit I liked the nickname he gave me. 'Only he could call me that.' I thought to myself. It was the picture I was drawing of Jack playing with Sean Luke, with Evelyn watching in the background.

"That's you." I said pointing to him, "That's Sean Luke, and that's Miss Evelyn." I finished.

"You know there's something missing." Jack said with a smirk. He took my crayon and drew in a little girl. "You." I smiled as I looked at the picture we both created I liked it a lot.

"Can I put it on my wall Miss Evelyn?" I asked as she placed the bowl with the spaghetti on the table.

"Of course you can. Jack will you tape it up for her after dinner?" Jack nodded before washing his hands. "Riley wash up dinner's ready." She added giving an angels smile.

As I finished the boys came down from upstairs and washed their hands and stood behind their seats taking each others hands. Evelyn said a prayer and we all sat down to eat. It was really yummy and I had Jack to thank for that.

"Mommy?" I let it slip I guess I became comfortable with Evelyn cause I just called her my mother. Even though, technically she was my mother now. She did sign the adoption paper after all. Evelyn looked surprised but happy all the same.

"Yes."

"Can I have some more water please?" I asked timid now that I called her what I did.

"Of course." She took my glass and went to refill it smiling as she sat it back down on the table.

"So, boys how was your game? Except for that fact that Bobby came back bleeding."

"It was okay the boys around here don't know how to play right," Bobby started to say, "and Jerry here was flirting with Camille again." He finished causing his two brothers and mother to chuckle at the comment.

"Man no I wasn't." if you looked closely you could see a small pink tint appeared across his face. I notice because I hadn't laughed at him.

"Jackie can we go up to our room now?" I asked once we were both done eating. I was still uncomfortable around Bobby. He was huge compare to me after all.

"Sure." I grabbed his hand and we ran upstairs my picture in my other hand.

Downstairs

"She really likes Jack doesn't she?" Bobby stated eating a left over cookie.

"That's because they can relate." Jeremiah put his two cents in. He finished putting his dishes in the dish washer and sat back down.

"She's so innocent and sweet." Angel chimed in leaning back in his chair.

"Which breaks my heart knowing that her step-father a so called man could hurt such a beautiful girl." Evelyn said. Listening to how each of her sons spoke of their new sibling.

"I'm going to go see if they'll let me play with them." Jerry got up and walked out of the kitchen.

Upstairs

"Jackie play something on your guitar. Pwease." I begged. He had already put up the picture on my wall. He started strumming a song that was slow, I didn't know what it was but I liked it I eventually fell asleep listening. Jack just smiled and continued to play.

"That's not fair I didn't even get to play with her." Jerry said walking on his brother playing his guitar and his sister smiling in her sleep.

(A/N next chapter will be Riley's first birthday in the Mercer home. Guess what I'm making so Jack and Riley have the same birthday. So Jack is exactly one year older than Riley.)