Chapter Eleven

People watching Riley and Drew embrace at the airport likely thought they were a reuniting father and daughter. Since Riley's falling out with her father he and Rick had played an even bigger role in her life and were happy do it. They genuinely loved the young girl regardless if she and Brianna had ever become friends or not. According to Syd, on-going therapy via Skype with the D.C. family therapist treating Riley and her father was not going well. And even the therapist stated it was Riley's father not doing his part to repair the relationship. Drew was sad for Riley but told Syd to make sure the girl realized he and Rick would always be there for her because they wanted to be

"I missed you so much, sweetheart!" Drew said hugging Riley tightly and kissing her check.

"I missed you, too. Christmas is going to be awesome!"

Sending her teenage daughter across the country even to close friends a few days before Christmas got Syd questioning looks from some other moms. But it was none of their business really. They didn't understand that her child's father wasn't being the dad Riley deserved. Drew and Rick had stepped in to fill that void when neither had to. Syd was working those days. Her daughter might as well be somewhere having fun with people she loved.

Riley laughed when Drew told her that even Rex was excited to see her. "He might give you one of his toys but Cori made a picture for you using her candy wrappers from Halloween. She's very into crafts now."

The kit that she had bought Cori for Christmas was a good choice then, Riley said. "Mom got her a Play-Doh set."

It was lunchtime when the two pulled into the driveway. Drew suggested Riley take a nap in the spare room before Brianna got home from school. She had been up since four a.m. and had a long flight even though it was direct. He asked her if she ate on the plane. Riley said outside of a few cereal bars she hadn't.

"You must be hungry. We have bagels or I could make you French toast," he said.

"A bagel is good. You have peanut butter?"

"Our house is never without it."


Cori begrudgingly let Riley nap after the two ate bagels, Riley's with peanut butter and Cori's with cream cheese and strawberry jam. In the meantime Cori made a fort out of the sofa cushions in the living room and watched videos on her tablet. Rex was allowed in but no one else was. He liked watching animal videos and cartoons on YouTube too. Riley promised that when Brianna got home from school that the three would play Snakes and Ladders after the family picked out the Christmas tree from the tree farm and before Cori went to bed.

Knowing her daughter had landed safely in Vermont and in Drew's care Syd relaxed. She and her daughter had a brief video chat at the airport and Riley was smiling from ear-to-ear.

The tree farm with all the decorations and treats for sale along the trees was a fun for the kids and adults. The girls enjoyed cookies and hot chocolate. Brianna and Riley thought it was "cute" that Drew and Rick held hands as the family strolled through looking at everything they could buy; each child had picked out her Christmas ornament to decorate at the craft stand. Riley bought one for her mom too. Picking out the tree was a lengthy decision. Drew, Rick, Brianna and Riley each had their own idea of the perfect Christmas tree. Sleepy by this point and in Drew's arms, her head on his shoulder, Cori said "just pick one, already!"