Riley hugged her dad one more time before telling him she had to go. She smiles as she watched him walk away and she headed back towards where Auggie said he'd be waiting for her. She knew one breakthrough with her dad wouldn't repair their entire relationship but she was happy that he was willing to try to repair it.
It gave her a renewed sense of hope she had thought she lost but she could feel it creeping back in and she didn't mind it. She told Auggie all about their talk in the park and he was happy for her although he joked that the kids at the park had to be subjected to two school teachers crying together.
They went back to the house and she told Eric and Morgan that she did end up talking with her dad. Eric was happy for her while Morgan told her was she sure he wasn't trying to use her to gain information for Topanga.
Riley smiles shaking her head at her aunt. She knew she only had her best interest at heart but she assured her that he wouldn't do that. They might have had their differences and not spoken for awhile but he wouldn't do that.
After talking with them and letting them know what she was going to do. She packed her and the twins bags to head back to Pappy Joe. She told them if she was going to lose the twins she wanted to spend the next few days where they loved to be.
As she drove to the ranch she knew she shouldn't think like that and she truly believed she wasn't going to lose them. But she was still Riley and she still had that little voice telling her prepare herself for whatever comes next.
She pulls up getting out seeing Lucas standing on the porch. She knew if she was going to come back she would have to talk with him. She also knew their problems were a lot different from the one with her dad. And they would take a lot more than a tear filled talk to fix them.
But she knew she owed him an apology. She let her emotions get the best of her and she was willing to admit she started the fight that led to her moving out from the ranch. She smiles and starts walking towards him seeing him trying not to look at her. She shocked him by stopping right in front of him and she couldn't help internally laughing at the look on his face.
"Hey. Um the twins fell asleep I can help you put them in the car? If you want?" He rubs his neck as Riley shakes her head. "Actually could you help me carry them upstairs. He looks at her and she smiles at him.
"I thought since they spend a majority of their time here we should come back." She starts walking to the car and he follows. "Does that mean you're moving back in too or just them?" Riley pulls out their suitcases then her own.
"I'm moving back too." He grabs the twins suitcases walking back to the porch with a smile on his face. "Hey Lucas." Riley calls out to him as he turns back to her. "I wanted to apologize to you." She puts her suitcases down putting her hair behind her ear. "Apologize for what?" He asked with a confused expression.
"For the fight we had. I was going through something and I took out the anger and frustration I was feeling about it out on you and I shouldn't have. And for that I'm sorry." Lucas shook his head as he checks the twins before looking at her again.
"No you had every right to get angry. I shouldn't have tried to force you to talk me or make it about our past. But I'll try to respect your privacy from now on. I'm always going to want to ride in and rescue you." Riley bit her lip thanking him before taking her stuff inside.
With the hope from talking with her dad creeping back into her heart she could feel the familiar pull of the boy in front of her too. Something she wasn't ready for or if she would ever truly be ready. She carried her things to her room seeing Pappy Joe put fresh flowers on her nightstand for her.
She smelled them and was happy Pappy Joe was willing to let them come back after she left. When they talked he told her his home would always be her home whenever she needed it. After bringing their bags up Lucas helped her carry the twins upstairs putting them to bed.
She laughed at the fact they were so out of it they didn't wake when they put them in their beds. She thanks Lucas and could see him lingering in her doorway but the trial that morning and the talk with her dad had tired her out. So she bids him goodnight and gets changed heading for bed.
Lucas hears the sound of tiny feet scampering across the floor. He covers his head with his pillow figuring the twins realized they spent the night and race to see Riley. What he didn't realize is that they would come into his room at six in the morning flashing him with a flashlight to get up.
"Chief wake up mommy is here in her old bed!" The twins whisper shout to him. He sits up smiling at them already calling her mom and not mama Riley with no problems. "Yeah you guys moved back." They look at each other and then close his door letting out tiny yays.
"Can we go make her breakfast in bed chief please?" They begged him when he looks at the time seeing it was barely six. "Okay let's go." He whispers as he slips on his slippers and they grab his hands walking towards the kitchen.
Riley smiles in her sleep as she hears her door being open and Rosie and Charlie shushing each other while giggling. The sound of their voices was a sound she loved to hear every morning. She hears them set something on her nightstand then sit on the bed with her. "Aah!" She yells grabbing them both tickling them.
"Mommy we were going to surprise you." She gasps covering her mouth feeling the tears pool in her eyes. "Don't cry mommy." They tell her sitting up wiping her eyes. "We talked with mommy in heaven she said it was okay. Are you sad?"
Riley shakes her head sniffing and smiling. "No these are happy tears. They will always be happy tears." She kisses both their cheeks and hugs them tightly as she sees Lucas smiling and walking out the door.
They enjoy breakfast in bed and tell her how Lucas helped them make it for her. With the twins helping Pappy Joe and Cletus with chores and Lucas off on a vet run Riley sat in the rocking chair with her laptop. She still had to look for a place to live for the twins and her.
She looks and sees them laughing with Cletus as he does the scarecrow dance from the wizard of oz for them. She smiled and knew right then where they were meant to be. She knew if Zay found out he'd never let her hear the end of it she smiled already hearing his voice in her head.
"Mommy where are we going I thought we were staying with Pappy?" Rosie asked as Riley buckled them into their car seats. "Don't worry flower we are staying." She waves at Pappy Joe who knew what she was doing and drives away. They go to a hotel and the twins start cheering when they see Auggie and Ava walking towards the car. "Uncle Auggie aunt Ava you guys are coming with us?" Charlie asked bouncing.
"We sure are buddy." Auggie tells him sitting in the back with them while Ava sits up front with Riley. "So I had my mom give me the number of a real estate agent out her. She said she could help us look for places." Riley smiles thanking Ava who calls up the agent for them.
They pull up to a one story house with a white picket fence surrounding it. "Mommy who's house is this?" Rosie asked as they got out the car. Auggie and Ava look at them and then at Riley who had tears in her eyes. "It's could be your house if you guys like it." Auggie tells her bending down as Riley wipes her eyes.
They walk with Ava who squeezes Riley's hand smiling at her as she passes to the house. "Mommy?" Auggie asked with a smile handing Riley a tissue. She nods wiping her eyes. "Yeah they told me this morning they asked Elena's permission to call me mommy."
Auggie hugged her knowing this was another big moment for his sister who had her doubts about whether or not the twins were going to be with her still. "Well they're getting one hell of a mother if you ask me." Riley lightly laughs as she pulls back thanking him.
"So what do you think?" Ava asked as they looked around the house while the twins were in the small backyard with Auggie. "I don't know it doesn't really feel like home." Ava nods pointing out the window that was smaller than a car window. "I bet Auggie would stick his head in there and get stuck just for a laugh."
Riley laughs and they see Auggie walking towards it from outside talking with the twins. Ava runs over and licks shaking her head at him making Riley laugh more. "So what do we think?" Their real estate agent asked walking back in the house.
"Sorry Mary we just aren't feeling it." Ava tells her as she links arms with Riley smiling as they walk out the house. They visit a couple more and none of them feel or call out to Riley. She was starting to feel like she was never going to find a place.
"Hey sun star how's the house hunting going?" Pappy Joe asked walking in the kitchen seeing Riley slumped over her laptop. "Nothing calls out to me." She tells him as he pats her shoulder. "But I'm not giving up my agent still has several places for us to look at. I'm sure I'll find something."
Riley smoothed out her skirt ready for her second day of court. She was feeling optimistic and her hands weren't as shaky as they were on the first day. She walks in with Auggie once again and sees her dad sitting on her side of the courtroom instead of behind her mom like last time. She smiles as she passes by him sitting with her lawyer.
Riley looks over at her mom and sees her whisper yelling at the other lawyer with her. Probably wondering where Harvey was at since the trial was about to start and he wasn't there yet. Riley looks at her lawyer and Charlie who sat down behind her giving her a reassuring smile.
The courtroom doors open and in walks a man with brunette hair and blue eyes. He smiles smugly at Riley and sees Eric holding back Auggie who had his fist clenched and glaring at the man who walked up to their mom. They see her whisper yell at him and he smiles sitting down in his chair with his feet up.
The judge comes in and Topanga smacks his shoulder making him stand up as the judge sits down. "Well Mr. West how nice of you to join us today." He winks telling her he thought he might making Topanga out her hand on her head shaking it.
"Well since you're so graciously showering us with your presence why don't you come up here and we can learn more about you." He smiles and bows as he sits on the stand and Riley could see Topanga writing something down on her notebook with anger.
"Well that guy was a real douche." Auggie says as they walk out the courthouse. They all agree even Riley who tried not to think anything negative but Harvey west was a pretentious jerk. They learned he was an artist from New York who was painting something for a big exhibition how he was well known in many high society circles.
It angered Riley how not once did he mention what he would do to provide for the kids or if he was looking into schools for them. He never made mention of them while he spoke he only talked about his work and how it was his greatest love.
"I think our chances are looking better every second that guy breathes." Charlie tells her making her shake her head and smile as they walk to their cars.
"Hey chief?" Rosie asked as her and Charlie were painting pictures in the secret garden. The twins loved going into there since it made them feel closer to their mom. "Yeah Rosie posey?" She taps her nose and stops painting. "What's a real agent?"
Lucas looked at her with a confused expression and then chuckled. "You mean a real estate agent?" She smiles nodding her head. "It a person who sells houses and apartment or rents them to people why? Is that what you want to be?"
Rosie and Charlie share a look and giggle. "No silly one was helping mommy look at house but none of them spoke to her." Lucas smiled looking over in the direction of his own house he had finished.
"Can you guys keep a secret?"