Riley went up to her room to get some privacy closing the door halfway to listen for the twins even though they were with Lucas and probably Zay who know doubt was trying to figure out what was up with her too. She paces chewing on her bottom lip afraid to answer the phone. She knew who it was but if they were calling it meant bad news.
Her phone dinged signaling she had a voicemail. She looked at her phone and quickly put it down sighing. She walks to the window and sees the twins with Lucas spraying Zay and Cletus with the water hose. She smiled to herself and pressed the button for her voicemail.
"Hi niche. It looks like he does have substantial proof and will take you to court." Riley could hear the tiredness and sadness in her uncle Eric's voice as he tells her this. Her aunt Morgan and him had been her only support system when it came to the twins. "They haven't shown us what proof they have since his lawyer is from the New York office."
He paused knowing they were thinking the same thing. "Sorry Riley. We won't stop fighting this. I'll keep you posted. Give my love to the twins. Love you little niche." She wipes her eyes and dialed up the last number she wanted to call before hanging up remembering the last time she saw them.
Her dad had called asking if she would fly home he wanted to talk and felt like they should do it in person. She didn't want to seeing as it was probably going to lead into another fight like the year before when she told them she was dropping out of school after one year.
She reluctantly agrees knowing she could always cancel and just spend the day with Auggie who she hadn't seen in awhile. She informed her uncle Eric of her plans and left the twins with him and Morgan who came out to help her until she found work.
Riley stepped out the cab and looked around. The bakery still looked the same but different all the same. She took a deep breath and smoothed out the dress Morgan told her to wear to give her confidence. She makes her way to the door opening it letting the smell of the pastries and smoothies feel her lungs.
She spots her dad in the back booth of the newly renovated bakery. She approached with a hesitant smile which quickly was wiped away when she sees her mom sitting next to him. "Hello Cory, Topanga."
Her dad stands and she could see him debate whether to hug her or not but gestures to the other side of the table for her to sit at. She sat never looking their way although feeling their eyes on her with her mom probably scrutinizing her closely ready to pounce on how taking care of newborns was to much for her.
"So how are you sweetheart?" Cory asked watching as his daughter tried to keep her emotions in check. "I'm fine Cory how's Auggie doing?" She asked quickly switching the subject from herself. "Did he get the avengers box set I sent him for Christmas?"
He smiles telling her yes and feels Topanga shift in her seat clutching the folder that was the reason for calling her. Riley and her dad get into small talk but could feel her mom watchful eye on her the whole time. And as soon as her dad mentioned the twins her mom pounced.
"Riley enough of this! It's time to stop putting your life on hold." Topanga shouts slapping her hand on the table ceasing the small talk and lucky for them there wasn't that many customers. "Riley you need to come to your senses and do what's right for yourself." Riley scoffed shaking her head trying to reign in her anger.
"Topanga this wasn't how we talked about doing this?" Cory tells her but she dismisses him and continues. "Riley you need to make the right decision and give those babies a proper home." She shakes her head and pulls up the folder from under the table sliding it to her.
"You made a mistake thinking you could take this on but you hardly knew that girl." Riley opens the folder seeing adoption papers for a family in California already signed and documented all she had to do was sign them.
Riley couldn't believe what she was looking at did her mom really think she would just give up the twins like they or their mother meant nothing to her? She couldn't believe her mom really brought this with her thinking she would sign it.
"I could see you doing something like this for Maya but that girl come on?" Riley closed the folder and shook her head hardly hearing the ridiculousness that was coming out her mom's mouth. But once she said that girl Riley had enough. "Shut up!" Riley yells slamming her own hands on the table.
"Riley Amy Matthews you do not tell your mother to shut up! Apologize right now!" Her dad shouts at her. Riley shook her head once again and ripped up the folder and papers to shreds. "That girl was my best friend more than that she was like my sister my other half."
"That's absurd Maya was the one that was like that not that girl. You know what Maya went through when you tossed away your friendship with her?" Riley scoffed ready to strangle her mother with every word she spoke to her.
"Im sure she was "heartbroken"." She says sarcastically rolling her eyes. "She had my boyfriend to comfort her all those nights she "cried" and let's not forget you too. My own mother treating me like the ugly stepsister while you treated Maya like Cinderella. Do you know how that made me feel?"
She stood up grabbing her bag slinging it across her shoulder. "Of course you don't and you never will. I am an adult and I make my own decisions if you can't stand behind me and support me then I don't see the point in us even having any further discussion on anything."
She makes her way towards the exit looking back at her parents for what she felt was probably the last time. "That girl who you knew nothing about and never cared to know was there for me from the moment I met her. She never made me feel small or bad about myself the way your precious Maya did."
Riley wiped at her eyes and continued. "Remember that the next time you say I threw my life away for someone who was barely something to me."
She dropped her phone feeling her hands shaking even as she clutched them tightly into fist.
She knew it was a panic attack coming and she tried to fight it off but it was coming like a speeding train and showing no signs of slowing. Her heart started beating erratically and she tried to concentrate on the twins but it wasn't working. She dropped to her knees curling up into a little ball hoping it pass.
She said the twins names along with Auggie but it wasn't helping so she said the one thing that use to help when she would freak out and feel an attack coming. The old dorky rhyme Lucas made up to distract her.
"R is for the rare beauty that you are. I is for your incredible strength you share with me. L is for the love I feel for you every second of everyday. E is for your exceptional dimples that show just for me and lastly Y for always being You."
"Sunstar you alright?" Pappy Joe asked rushing in the door when he sees Riley curled into a ball. Her breathing slows as she finishes the last verse of the rhyme sitting up with Pappy Joe wiping her face.
"I'm going to lose them. She did it! I can't lose them Pappy I just can't." She started crying again and he held her rubbing her back softly singing the old lullaby he used to sing to Lucas father. It probably seemed silly but he felt her relax and kept singing. "Pappy jo..." he shushed Cletus when he walked in seeing Riley in his arms.
He help him put her to bed and cover her letting her know she was in a safe place and nobody was taking her kids. "It's worse this time isn't it Pappy?" Cletus asked in a hushed whisper as Pappy Joe closed Riley's door. He sighs patting Cletus shoulder and nods. He suspected this wasn't going to blow over like all the others.
Lucas watched the front door waiting to see if Riley would emerged after cleaning up the kitchen. When she didn't come out he went inside seeing Pappy Joe cleaning up instead. "Where's Riley?" He asked looking around noticing he had wet spots on his shirt like someone was crying on him.
"Pappy Joe where is she?" Lucas asked not waiting for an answer and marching upstairs into her room only to see her asleep with dried tears on her face. He stops and stares at her wanting to hold her and help her with what's going on in her life. He softly kisses her head and walks quickly to the door when she starts to move.
Pappy Joe waited for him at he end of the hall and smacked him upside the head when he passed. "What the hell did I tell ya? Her business is her business stop trying to put your two cents in." He walked away mumbling about Lucas having no respect and slammed the front door behind him.
Lucas walked outside seeing Zay being chased around by the twins and couldn't help laughing. An idea came to mind and he quickly went inside and wrote Riley a quick note and packed some food to take with them.
"Hey guys you who wants to go on an adventure?" He shouts clapping his hands together. They raised their hands along with Zay who was panting claiming he was to old to be running around like that. He knew he couldn't take them to far and technically he wasn't.
They grab two horses with Charlie riding with Zay while Rosie wanted to go with him. They ride up the field until they reach the house. "Luke is this that old place your dad bought years ago and was going to sell?"
Lucas smiles getting down off the horse and helping Rosie down. "Actually its mine now." What nobody knew was that Mr. Friar saw how serious Lucas was about Riley and instead of selling the property he signed the deed over to Lucas.
He spent every second of every summer he was away from Riley including when they broke up fixing it up hoping to one day move in with her. A dream he still held on to and wasn't giving up. "Want to look inside?" He asked the twins who jumped up and down racing for the door.
They go inside and Zay was shocked to see it was all furnished and fixed up nicely. He remembered the last time he was in there and all the termite damage and the leaky roof. All that was gone and here stood a house meant for a family to live in. And from the look on Lucas face as he watched the twins look around he already had a family in mind.
"Dude you did all this yourself?" Zay asked when Lucas put the picnic basket on the table. He looked around smiling at the place hoping he would be able to show Riley one day. "Yeah want to see something cool?" They followed him down a hall and into a giant closet made into a library decked out with lounge chairs to read on.
Rosie walked in looking around and saw there were a couple of books on the shelf and one she was familiar with. "Mama Riley reads this to me." She beams holding up the book for Lucas to see. "The secret garden. That was one of her favorites growing up to read."
Lucas told Zay there was a game room and there were a few games he collected that Charlie would probably like in there. They race to find it and he turns back to Rosie who sat in one of the big chairs flipping through the secret garden. "How would you like to visit one?" He asked pointing at the book.
She taps her nose and smiles grabbing his hand as they make their way to the backyard. "Now nobody knows this is here so I'm going to need you to keep it a secret okay?" She held out her pinky and Lucas shook it gently opening up the door and letting her in.
She gasps and looked around bouncing and shouting. "It's a secret garden!" She smelled the roses and sunflowers that were growing all around dancing along with the butterflies that flew past. "Luke this is cool can we bring mama Riley here?"
Lucas bent down next to her and told her of course they could and it could be their secret if she wanted it to. They go back inside after spending an hour inside the little garden Lucas found when he was cutting down the old weeds.
Riley woke noticing it was already late into the afternoon and she hadn't spent time or took care of the twins. She gets up making her way downstairs when she sees Lucas note on the kitchen table. She was about to go over there when she sees Charlie on the porch playing cards with Zay.
She looked for Rosie when she heard soft snoring coming from the couch. She looked over and sees Lucas fast asleep with Rosie cuddled up with him and the secret garden resting on his lap.