Go Baby Grow

Chapter 44 – Venturing

Wednesday, June 10th

After speaking with Owen, Ryder was relieved that Amelia's issue appeared to be simple and easily addressed. He informed Olivia that she'd be babysitting Anna and Lucas and told each of the younger kids that he would pay them to report back on Olivia's behavior. Ryder and Ria headed out in the SUV and made their way to Nolan's office.

Before they left, Ryder had given Ria the choice of using her chair or her crutches. Much to his surprise, she chose the chair. He was relieved – the crutches slowed her down significantly whereas the chair matched his pace since he was the one pushing it. As they waited for Gwen, Ryder pulled Ria's chair next to a bench and sat beside her.

"The city is always so busy," Ria observed without judgment. "People walk faster, talk less, and look tired."

"Hmm," Ryder responded. "I've never noticed that, but you're right."

"Of course I'm right," she smiled. "I have two of the smartest big brothers in the world. You guys taught me how to be brainy."

"I think you were born with that – you can thank Mom and Dad," Ryder chuckled. He spotted Gwen crossing the street, holding a backpack that didn't look familiar.

Gwen said hello to Ria and sat next to Ryder on the bench. She shared, "Thank you for getting this to her."

"Are you sure it's hers? I don't recognize it," Ryder commented.

Thinking up a lie quickly, Gwen explained, "We traded backpacks. You know, like when a girl wears her boyfriend's jacket? Livs and I decided to trade backpacks."

"Oh, it's like a promise backpack instead of a promise ring, huh?" Ryder groaned as he internally rolled his eyes. "We're going to lunch, then the gym, then home. It'll be awhile until she gets it, but I'll give it to her."

"Thanks!" Gwen smiled as she stood. With her task completed, she retraced her steps and headed toward the bus stop.

After Gwen was halfway across the crosswalk, Ria questioned, "Why would they trade backpacks? That seems weird."

"Olivia's weird and Gwen's weirder, Mini Mama. Who knows what makes sense to those two," Ryder commentated. He watched Gwen step further and further away, her multi-colored hair bouncing as she walked. Olivia has good taste, Ryder pondered. For a kid her age, Gwen is pretty adorable.

"Ryder? What's it like at the gym?" Ria inquired.

"There are weights to lift and a bunch of machines," he described. "In one corner, there are bikes and rowing machines where you work hard but go nowhere. In another corner, there's an area with big mats where people practice push-ups, sit ups, and stretches."

"Dad said a grownup has to be with me even though my PT is meeting me there. Since he, Mom, Nolan, and Lissa are all busy, I guess they'll count you as a grown up. We'll see," Ria pondered aloud without meaning to question Ryder's maturity.

Ryder looked at Ria out of the corner of his eye and laughed to himself. Pretty soon, she wouldn't be cute at all if she said something like that. He wondered how much she'd change in the six weeks of Plebe Summer and then again between Mid-August and Christmastime.

Coming up from behind, Nolan began speaking before he reached his siblings. "I thought you were meeting me upstairs," he mentioned.

"Oh, yeah, I guess I said that, huh?" Ryder admitted. "Ree, do you want to see Nolan's office?"

"I want to eat," she grinned.

Nolan paused to consider lunch options and chose a nearby deli that was family-owned. The place served amazing food but was seldom crowded. The family knew their frequent customer and even delivered his lunch on occasion. He took a turn pushing Ria as the two tall brothers walked side by side. Not only did they both resemble their father, but they nearly looked like twins born four years apart. Ryder handed Ria his phone, and she happily played games as they made their way to lunch.

"How are you feeling about this big move of yours?" Nolan inquired.

"Pretty stoked," Ryder answered. "I know parts of it will be tough or annoying, but I think I'm gonna love it. I've already been on the Yard, so I know my way around. That's going to help tremendously. The obstacle courses are going to be a dream come true for the 8-year-old boy inside me."

"True," Nolan chuckled. "I remember moving to USC. It's weird at first to be away from everyone. I was shocked at how quiet it was. Nobody was fighting, nobody was throwing a fit. It was peaceful."

"I'm pretty sure having a detailer yell inches away from my face and me responding 'Sir, yes, sir' at the top of my lungs won't be peaceful. Different, yes. Peaceful, not so much," Ryder pointed out.

The trio walked into the deli and Nolan introduced his siblings to the owners, Tony and Vicky. Vicky and Ria, sharing the same legal name, found an instant connection to celebrate. To Nolan's gentle dismay, Tony brought Ria a free cookie and told her that he believed in eating dessert first and last.

Although the deli was the type of place where you ordered your food at the counter and then carried it to a table, the group of siblings were given the royal treatment. Tony waited on them while Vicky stayed at the counter.

"How's the airline business today, Nolan? Should I buy that ticket to Tahiti?" Tony joked. He glanced at Ryder and informed him with a laugh, "I've got an inside contact to ticket prices, that's why I treat him like a king." Tony wrote down their orders and returned to the counter.

Nolan, unable to tolerate seeing Ria absorbed by Ryder's cell, requested kindly, "Ree, can you put the phone down until we're finished with lunch."

"Sure," she grinned. "Are we going to play a game like we do at home at dinnertime?"

"I don't think so," Ryder groaned. "Maybe we can talk instead."

"Can I start?" she wondered aloud. Both brothers nodded and she began with a question, "How are your babies, Nolan?"

"The babies are growing every day. They are wonderful. My only wish is that they slept all night long," Nolan reported. "And Molly is in a bed now. Have you seen that?"

"Uh huh," Ria stated. "But it's not a real bed. It's baby sized. It's not as big as my bed."

"True," Nolan agreed. "She's pretty little. She doesn't need a bed that big yet." He looked at Ryder and recalled, "Do you remember when Ria and Anna came home from the hospital and they'd sleep side by side in the crib?"

With a grin, Ryder nodded. "Yeah. Remember the first time Lissa came over? We inundated her with a medical book and descriptions of Ria's Spina Bifida."

"I haven't thought of that in years," Nolan laughed. "You were pretty dang cute, Ree. I remember spending a lot of time on the floor helping you learn to walk."

"You guys did a pretty great job. When this silly twisted muscle isn't messed up, I can walk like anyone else," she pointed out.

"Do you remember when Dad came home from overseas and was using a walker? The two of them were fun to watch," Ryder recalled.

"Why did Daddy have a walker?" Ria inquired.

"He was a doctor to soldiers. His last stop was a really dangerous town and some not-so-nice people invaded his clinic. Dad was shot and spent some time in hospitals in Europe, then finally came home once he could use a walker. It was great to have him home, but hard to see him hurt so much," Nolan shared.

"And he arranged for us to tour the plane," Ryder beamed. "That was a Top Ten moment in my life."

"You've always liked airplanes, huh?" Ria queried.

"Pretty much," Ryder nodded. "You need to eat your sandwich, Mini Mama." Ria bit into her sandwich and waited to listen to her brothers' conversation.

"Livs crossed some lines, I hear," Nolan commented in code.

"She's beyond busted. Dad rose to the occasion on this one," Ryder opined. "Not only did she break rules, she totally made up a huge lie about me. I couldn't believe it - Dad believed her and bought her story at first. Luckily, he heard me out. If Dad hadn't been there, I would've pummeled her."

"What's pummel?" Ria asked with a mouthful of food.

"Beat up," Ryder explained. "And I wouldn't really beat up a girl. That's not right."

"That's for sure. You could go to jail for that," Ria nodded. "But you know what? If you were in jail, I'd come visit you."

"Thanks," Ryder smiled. "Good to know you're there for me no matter what."

"Speaking of being there for one another, what's the latest with you and Julie?" Nolan asked out of the blue.

"She's been busy. I haven't seen her much lately, except for workouts and special events," Ryder commented. "We had fun at her prom last week and she was at graduation."

"She sat next to me," Nolan recalled. "By the way, your speech was so…Ryder. Loved it," Nolan praised.

"Thanks. I had fun writing it," Ryder smirked. He nibbled on some chips and thought quietly. He missed simply being with Julie and texting with her. Life had been so busy that he felt disconnected from her.

"I'm guessing you heard from Julie that we hired our nanny," Nolan ventured.

Ryder shook his head, "I had no idea. Congratulations. Why would JJ know about that?"

"She came over to help with the girls while we offered Becca the job," Nolan elaborated.

"She didn't mention the babysitting to me. That's weird," Ryder commented with confusion.

"Lissa said some guy in uniform dropped her off and picked her up," Nolan mentioned before taking a bite.

"Probably Nate or maybe her brother, Sam," Ryder pondered aloud. "I wonder which."

Nolan shrugged and glanced at his watch. "Time flies, right? If I'm going to show you two my office, we should get going."

Ryder gathered Ria's garbage and his own, then checked, "Ria, do you want to take your water or chips?"

"Nah… Well… the water, yes. The chips, no," she decided.

The three returned to the building occupied by the airline. Nolan led his siblings to the main desk and introduced them to the receptionist and security guard. He explained to Ria that only guests and people with ID badges could walk past the desk.

As they loaded into the elevator, one woman in her mid-twenties stepped inside with them and said, "Good afternoon, Mr. Tremblay Hunt."

"Hi, Janice," Nolan replied. "How's the Customer Service department today?"

"Fairly quiet, actually," she reported. "Typical for a Wednesday. We have received a number of calls pertaining to all the re-routes on the East Coast. Did you hear about the heavy rains back there?"

Nolan responded, "Our flights bound for JFK were diverted for two hours. I'm not sure who was orchestrating the plan, but our planes were sent to airports ranging from Nova Scotia, Chicago, Detroit, Richmond, DC, you name it."

With a small laugh, Janice attempted to confirm some information. "Rumor has it that one plane was sent to Orlando."

"Hmm… maybe the flight crew wanted a mini-vacation," Nolan joked. "Oh, pardon me, Janice, this is my brother, Ryder, and sister, Ria."

"Lovely to meet you both," Janice smiled. "My goodness, you two brothers really resemble one another."

"He looks like me. What a fortunate and lucky guy," Ryder teased with a chuckle.

"Here's our floor," Nolan announced as he ignored Ryder's silly comment. Turning back toward Janice, Nolan requested, "Let me know more about that Florida re-route."

Nolan approached the floor receptionist and stated, "Mitzi, Good afternoon."

"How was your lunch Mr. Tremblay Hunt?" Mitzi asked.

"Wonderful, thank you," he smirked. "This is my brother, Ryder, and sister, Ria. Guys, this is Mitzi. She runs the place. We love her."

Mitzi smiled with slight embarrassment, then turned to answer a phone call.

"Follow me," Nolan instructed as he made his way to his office which was two doors down from a corner. He stopped at his assistant's desk. After introducing everyone, he thumbed through messages and asked, "Updated reports on re-routes?"

"On their way, Sir," his assistant responded. "Do you want me to call and find out when we'll have them?"

"No, that's fine," Nolan assured her as he paused at a message and read it. He looked up and smirked before making his way to his office. Ryder and Ria followed him, looking utterly out of place in an office filled with suits.

"Everyone calls you Mister or Sir. Nobody calls you Nolan. Are you important?" Ria asked after Nolan closed his door.

"Everyone is important, Ria," Nolan pointed out. "If Mitzi or Janice didn't do their jobs, I couldn't do mine. We're a big team."

"But are you one of the bosses? You have a window and a door. The lady out there doesn't," she persisted, attempting to sort out the pecking order.

"Kind of," Nolan replied. Nolan was very aware that he was a twenty-two-year old executive who supervised a team of people all older than him, and he felt uncomfortable with Ria's observation. He distracted his sister, saying, "Come look out the window – you can see the Space Needle from here."

"Wow," Ria oohed, "That's super cool."

As they admired the view, Nolan's assistant buzzed through and began talking. Focused on the Seattle skyline, Ria was startled by the voice coming through the speaker. "Mr. Tremblay Hunt, accounting flagged errors in the draft report. The report will be delayed by 90 minutes."

"Ask them to mark the error and to provide the draft to me. I don't need the portion accounting is reviewing. I need airport names and number of planes to analyze alternate transportation costs," Nolan implored.

"Do you ever talk to her face?" Ria asked with curiosity.

"We did before we came in here, Ria," Nolan reminded her.

"But once you are in your office, do you go talk to her or does she come talk to you?" she pressed.

"We're too busy to stop what we're doing and walk over to each other," Nolan emphasized. "When she receives that report, she'll bring it to me. Otherwise, we usually use the speaker.

"That's sad," Ria commented. She turned to Ryder and added, "See? In a hurry and tired." Ryder moved his joined lips toward one cheek and nodded.

Not having heard Ria's latest comments, Nolan said, "I hate to boot you guys out, but I need to get to a meeting. I'll have Mitzi see you out." He walked over to Ryder and hugged him, "Lunch was a great idea. Glad you called. We need to do it a few more times before you leave." He bent down and kissed Ria on the cheek, "Come over and play with the girls tonight, Ree. They love when you visit." He buzzed Mitzi and requested her help. She walked to his office and happily accompanied Ryder and Ria to the main door at street level.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'

At the gym, Ryder lifted weights while Ria learned how to use the PT machines. Her therapist commented about her leg, noting the muscles were less tense than the day before. "That's because my big brother massaged it this morning. He's the super sweaty one over there with the Navy t-shirt."

The therapist smiled and reiterated, "Exercising your muscles and massaging them are important tasks. I'm glad he can help."

"For a little bit. Then he's moving all the way to Maryland to go to college or camp or something like that. He calls it the Academy," she attempted to explain.

"The Naval Academy, maybe?" the therapist asked as she flexed Ria's ankle.

"I think that's it," Ria smiled as she pushed against the therapist's grip. "We won't see him again until we visit him at the end of the summer. I'm really going to miss him."

"Would you like to surprise him when you see him?" the PT inquired.

"Sure. How?" Ria wondered.

"Let's a goal. If you work on your exercises and PT, you might be able to walk on your own when you see him," the PT encouraged.

Ria smiled and whispered, "Shhh...He's coming."

Ryder grinned at the PT, then told Ria, "I'm going to take a shower, then we'll head home."

"Sounds good," Ria smiled. Once he was out of range, Ria told the PT, "I'm glad he's taking a shower first. I was afraid the car was going to be smelly on the ride home."

A few minutes later, Ryder returned and the two headed to the car. When his phone rang, he answered right away, "Helllllllo?" he drew out.

"Ryder," Julie sobbed. "I need you to come get me. Can you do that?"

"Woah, woah, what's up, JJ?" Ryder inquired with concern. He pulled Ria over to a bench that was on their way to the car.

"I don't want to talk about it right now. Please… I need to see you," Julie emphasized.

"Of course, where are you?" Ryder assured her.

"Home," she sniffled.

Ryder bit his lower lip and responded, "Ria and I are on our way from the hospital gym. Be there as soon as possible."

"Thanks," she eeked out sadly before repeating herself. "Thanks, Ry."

"Ria, it looks like we're taking a detour. We're stopping by Julie's house," Ryder explained.

"That works for me," the little girl grinned. As far as she was concerned, spending more time with Ryder was a bonus. As he navigated the surface streets on the way to Julie's, the two sang along to the radio.

He parked in the driveway and asked Ria to stay in the car. After ringing the bell, he spotted a cooler and a perfectly folded beach blanket on the porch. He picked it up, guessing it needed to come inside.

Julie was crying when she answered the door. Immediately, Ryder embraced her in a bear hug. She wiped her eyes with a tissue and invited Ryder inside. Since Ria was with him, he suggested that he and Julie could chat at the treehouse. She grasped the cooler and told Ryder she'd meet him at the car shortly.

Ryder returned to the car and shared with Ria, "Mini Mia, Julie's going to go home with us, but she probably won't want to talk on the way there. She's having a tough day."

"Can I say hi?" Ria wondered.

"You can say hi, but don't ask her why she's sad," Ryder advised.

Julie appeared on the porch and locked the front door. Turning toward the car, she smiled slightly at Ria and greeted her as she entered the car, "Hi, Ria."

Ria noticed Julie's swollen eyes and blotchy complexion, but followed Ryder's advice. Instead, she shared, "Hi, Julie. I'm glad you're coming to our house. Ryder took me to the gym today and I want to tell you about it."

"Maybe later, Ree," Ryder suggested. He patted Julie's hand before backing out of the driveway and mumbled, "What's going on?"

She shook her head then sputtered out, "I'll tell you later."

When they pulled through the gate at the Lake House, Ryder gave Julie the option of being dropped off at the treehouse or coming with him to the house. Without pause, she requested he stop at the treehouse. "I'd like to be alone for a while, if that's ok," she shared.

"Of course that's ok," Ryder assured her. "I'll come by and check on you later."

When Ryder and Ria made their way inside the house a couple minutes later, Owen was on the kitchen phone. He smiled and pointed upstairs to indicate that Amelia was home.

Ryder was eager to see Amelia, but wanted to deal with the pink backpack first. He stopped in Olivia's room and explained, "Gwen gave me this to give to you."

"Yes! Thank you!" she oozed. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"Whatever," he shrugged as he headed down the hall.

Olivia went around a corner and sat against the wall. In that spot, she couldn't be seen from the hall even though her room was door-less. She dug into the backpack, discovering what she was expecting and also finding some surprises. Candy and treats filled one pocket. A book that Gwen thought Livie might enjoy was tucked away. The two treasures were hidden at the bottom of the backpack. First, Olivia discovered the burner phone. Panicking momentarily, Olivia re-searched each pocket attempting to find the most important part of the delivery. She sighed with relief when she found a baggie full of pink pills that had cut out hearts. They were 5 mg pills of Valium.

While Olivia unloaded her contraband, Ryder went to see Amelia. The Master Bedroom door was ajar, so he knocked softly as he entered.

"Mama Bear?"

"Hi, Ryder. Please tell me you can keep me company for a bit. I am so bored," Amelia pleaded.

Ryder stretched out on the bed, rearranging Owen's pillows and lying on his side facing his mom, "No plans the rest of the day. Well… except Julie's here. She's over at the tree house."

"That sounds like something worth discussing," Amelia weighed in.

"I don't know what's up with her. She's seeing this guy. He's a phenomenal person, but he's in his early 20s. Both Sam and I have told her to step back, but she won't listen," Ryder described.

"You can't force someone to do something they aren't willing to do," Amelia offered wisely, understanding the words especially from a recovering addict's point-of-view.

"Tell that to the Naval Academy," Ryder grinned.

Amelia returned to the topic at hand. With narrowed eyes and a cocked head, she pressed, "Why are you concerned about Julie and this guy? Dad's older than me, Uncle Derek is quite a few years older than Auntie Mer. Does age really matter?"

"She's innocent and naïve in the dating department. Until this dude, she had only kissed one guy her entire life, Mom. Sometimes I have to remind myself how clueless she is about guys and relationships," Ryder detailed.

"I wonder if she is more savvy that you think," Amelia pondered aloud.

"I'm afraid she doesn't understand the risks," Ryder tried to explain.

Amelia laughed, "Ryder, first of all, Julie is on the pill. Remember when Adam made sure we all knew that? Second, she's intelligent enough to know how babies are conceived."

"That's not what I meant." Ryder attempted to clarify, "I'm talking about the emotional angle – having her heart broken. She's all googly eyed over this guy and it can't last past this month. Where's she going to be emotionally when Plebe Summer begins? Not in the most resilient and confident frame of mind."

"Maybe he'll write her letters and buoy her spirits each day," Amelia threw out with a hopeful smirk.

"Mom… really… she can't date this guy once we start Plebe Summer," Ryder emphasized.

Amelia lowered her brows and studied Ryder's face, "Since when are you the relationship police?"

"She'd be breaking Academy and Navy rules," Ryder explained.

"What do you mean? Students can date," she commented.

"Not an officer," Ryder clarified.

"Is she dating that guy who was at the dinner the night of the prom? He's a fine sight to see," Amelia offered.

"Nate," Ryder said with contempt. His face looked like he'd just bitten into a lime.

"You're jealous, Bear," Amelia laughed.

Ryder shook his head and protested, "Jealous? What are you talking about?"

"You're not jealous?" Amelia sputtered. "Ryder, this is me. Let's be honest."

"About what?" Ryder fell onto his back and gazed at the ceiling.

"There's a part of you that's smitten. I can see it in your eyes when you mention Julie's name. Over the last year, I've seen you glance at her when she's across a room. This adorably coy smile washes over your face. You have feelings for her," Amelia pointed out. Ryder glared at her out of the corner of his eye but said nothing. Whispering, Amelia added, "I won't tell anyone, Baby Bear. Not even Dad. It's safe to explore how you feel about her."

"I honestly don't know what planet you're living on, Mom. She's my best friend. I can't imagine life without her. She's the most solid, trustworthy, honest friend I've ever had and I care about her as a friend," he insisted.

Amelia reached her hand out and set it on Ryder's forearm. She let the silence surround them for a few minutes before pondering aloud, "Ryder… imagine Julie looked you in the eye and disclosed that she had feelings for you. How would you react?"

Sputtering, Ryder chuckled, "I would probably think she was giving me crap."

"Pretend that somehow you knew for certain that she meant it," Amelia pushed.

Rolling back onto his side, Ryder smirked as he looked at Amelia. "I'm a guy. Of course I've thought about being with her. That doesn't mean she and I should be together."

"Why not?" Amelia mused.

"What the hell is this, Mom? You've had too much time to think and imagine lately. This conversation is whack," Ryder scoffed.

"Oh, Ryder, play along with the pregnant woman," Amelia coaxed. "Humor me. Why not try being together?"

Ryder bore his eyes into Amelia. "Mom… I'm not the right type of guy for Julie. She's such an incredible, impressive person. I'm… well, I can hold my own and I'm a decent athlete, but I don't have my shit together. I'm not intentional. I'm a goofball, I skate by right on the edge of the line. Sometimes I act before I think. I can be pretty impulsive. She deserves someone who acts like a grown up."

"Maybe the two of you are meant to complement one another," Amelia suggested. "You also need to give yourself some credit, you're more mature than you think."

"Maybe we're meant to be incredibly well-suited, close, and candid best friends, Matchmaker Mama," Ryder grumbled.

Hearing his tone, Amelia knew she'd pushed enough. "I'm sorry, Ry."

"No problem," he said before pursing his lips and patting Amelia's hand. "I'm going to go check on JJ and see why she's tied up in emotional knots."

"I'm here if she wants to talk or if you both want to come by and hang out," Amelia reminded him.

With a grin, Ryder nodded and said, "Thanks, Mom. I'll let her know."