…Chapter 3…

Riley's POV

"Alright great job everyone! Take five and be ready to run Chicago numbers," Dena hollered over the crowd.

Acting was easy work for me; it was the one thing I really felt I was good at. Yeah it didn't pay much but I had a side job at the salon where they let me work around my rehearsal schedule and Zoë. I'd met some amazing people here.

The show I'm in right now is pretty fun, it's a montage singing/dancing/acting show of numbers/scenes from multiple different broadways shows. Chicago, Beauty and The Beast, Phantom of the Opera, and more. It sounds completely stupid but it's amazing. One of the best shows right now. The costumes and sets are top notch, it could all be mistaken for Broadway.

"Momsy look! Look!" I heard Zoë exclaim as I got some water.

I laughed, all I saw was a sea of blue material and accessories, "Zoë! Are you in there?!" I laughed, I heard giggling.

"I'm right here Momsy!" she laughed moving the large hat that had covered her face.

"Oh!" I exclaimed laughing, "There you are!" I said picking her up, "Where did you get all this?"

"Anya let me play in the dressing closet," she cheeped happily.

"Oh really? Does Anya know you have all this?" I asked. Zoë has a tendency to wander off sometimes and get into trouble exploring... I wonder where she got that?

"She helped me! It was so fun Momsy! And she understands why I don't love glitter and sparkles like the other girls. She says I'm just like you!"

"See. It's perfectly fine to be different. Be who you want to be darling," I said.

"Riley, doesn't she look magnificent?" I heard Anya say as she came up to us.

"Absolutely!" I said as Anya and I hugged.

"Momsy, I wanna go play more!" Zoë said trying to get down.

"Okay, okay," I said putting her down, "Now be careful!" I said as she disappeared off.

"My gosh that girl is exactly like you. Most of the daughters come back there and tell me to help them look like Belle or Cinderella. But not you're daughter. She comes back there and ask me to make her blue! She refuses to wear any speck of glitter, ever shimmer! You people are weird!" She said sarcastically as we laughed.

"Two Minute call!" I heard Dena holler from on stage.

"Thank you two minutes!" I hollered back as it echoes through the theatre form other voices.

"So what are you girls doing after rehearsal today?" Anya asked.

"I was planning on going and getting a few hours in at work, I haven't been there all week with the stuff that's been going on an—"

Anya interrupted, "We understand Riley, we all do. Especially my mum, she knows this is a hard week for with the anniversary and all. She said that if she sees you working in her salon this week then she'll have to kick your ass," Anya laughed.

I laughed too.

"But seriously," she continued, "Take it easy," she smiled.

"One minute call!" I heard.

"Thank you one minute!" we all chimed.

I nodded to Anya and headed on-stage to "work".

You see Anya is Gabriella's daughter. Gabriella runs the hair salon where I work. I've known them for four and a half years, they're the closest to family I have. To everyone here, my husband died right after Zoë was born. Which was why we moved here, to have a new start. That was the story. They thought this week was the anniversary of his death, and it really was the anniversary of our last time together…

…4 Hours Later…

"Zoë, next time please stay away from the blue," I laughed trying to get the blue make-up off her face. I had her in the dressing room sat up on the counter.

She slowly nodded yes as I continued getting the last of it off her, "And there… we go," I said finishing and helping her down.

"Thank you Momsy," she said hugging me.

I smiled leaning down and kissing her on the forehead, "Now did you put everything back you played with," she nodded, "And where is your bag?"

She looked around for a moment, "U—h, oh!" she said pointing, "Over here," she said running to that direction, she returned with her bag and teddy bear.

"I didn't know you brought Jake," I said petting the teddy bears head.

"I bring him everywhere Momsy, cause then it's like Daddy's with us," she chimed.

I repeated the last few words in my head. Bruce had given her that teddy bear right after she was born. I always told her how he had given it to her when she was just a baby. She carries it everywhere, and I mean ever—ywhere.

The funniest part is that she renames him randomly after movie characters and then will dress him like them with stuff around the theatre and home. Last week, we watched Avatar for her first time. (Which explains the blue make-up.) Need I say more?

"Zoë, you know Daddy's always with us," I said trying to smile, "He might not be here physically but he's still right here," I said putting my hand on her heart.

She nodded smiling lightly and hugging Jake tightly.

"You okay honey," I said leaning down to her.

She nodded yes.

"Are you sure?" I asked moving her hair from her face, still she just nodded. Mothers-intuition, I always know when something's really wrong.

"Do you miss him?" I asked finally.

She looked at the ground for a moment and then slowly nodded yes.

"O—h darling," I said as she almost took me down with a hug. I held her close, as she started to cry, "It's okay, it's okay."

"I miss him Momsy, I really, really miss him," she wept.

"I do too honey, I do too," I said trying not to cry.

"He—y," I said rubbing her shoulders, "How 'bout we have movie night early?" I asked trying to help even the slightest bit. She loves three things: acting out movies, watching movies, and food. Once again, defiantly my daughter.

She nodded yes, wiping a few tears from her eyes.

She put on her backpack.

I picked her up as looked up at me and said, "Jake wants to know if he can pick the movie Momsy?"

I laughed lightly, "Of course you can Jake," I said looking at the teddy bear. Yes, I talked to the teddy bear.

I then carried her out of the dressing room. A few stragglers were still at the theatre.

I spotted Anya, "Hey," I said quietly as I went to her.

She saw Zoë hiding her head tiredly on my shoulder and immediately understood, she nodded.

"We're gonna call it a night," I nodded.

"Bye Anya," Zoë said peaking her head out of my shoulder and waving with Jake in her hand.

"Bye Zoë," Anya waved, "Bye Jake," she said waving at the teddy bear; see we're all in on it.

"Oh, Riley!" Anya said as we began walking away but stopped, "There's someone outside to see you. He said he was an old friend so I told him you'd be out in a few," she smiled.

"Oh, thank you," I smiled grabbing my bag and heading for the door.

An old friend? I thought. I don't really have any old friends anymore. I began to worry, what if someone figured us out, what if Brian Masters found us…

I opened the door slowly and saw someone standing nearby. The man's back was to us; he turned around at the sound of the door shutting. I knew whom it was before he even turned around. A smile crept onto my face. Zoë lifted her head up to look around; I was waiting for her to yell…

"ALFRED!" She exclaimed and immediately leaped out of my arms and ran to him.

"Zoë!" he said overjoyed as they hugged, "Look at you," He said as she smiled widely, "You're so tall! And even more beautiful," he smiled as she jumped up and down giddily.

I stayed by the door letting them have their little moment; Alfred then looked over at me and stood up.

He opened his arms for a hug; I smiled and almost ran to him hugging him tight.

"Riley, it's so wonderful to see you," he smiled.

"Gosh we missed you," I said my voice cracking.

"It's been too long," he said.

"Indeed it has… what are you doing here?" I asked trying to seem happy. But really terrified for his answer, had something happened to Bruce?

"Decided to take some well need vacation time," which we both knew was code for: Bruce sent him.

I nodded, "Well I'm just so glad you're here!" I said hugging him again tightly.

"Momsy! Now Alfred can have movie night with us too!" Zoë exclaimed.

I gasped sarcastically, "Oh you are in for treat Alfred!"

"And what movie will be watching?" Alfred said looking to Zoë.

I laughed knowing what she was about to say. Alfred looked at me quizzically and then looked at Zoë awaiting her answer.

"Have you seen Avatar Alfred?" Zoë said skipping along with Jake in one hand and Alfred's hand in the other.

Hahaha sorry I had to through some Avatar in there :D