5. Riley
Chapter 5
Riley
O ur kickball game was fun this morning, but we suck at it. We lost ten to zero. It’s great that it doesn’t seem to matter to anyone that we suck so bad – we’re all out just having fun and hanging out with other women. Someone even suggested a girls’ weekend when the season is over. Still – it would be nice if we could at least make a run or two.
When I get out of the shower and change, I find my parents running around collecting the last-minute things for the trip they’re leaving on in an hour.
“Do we have our passports? I don’t want to get stuck outside of the country and not be able to get back in,” my father yells from across the house.
“I’ve got them in my purse,” Mom answers back.
Nicholas is running and playing in the backyard as me and Mom watch him from the dining room table – in the air conditioning.
Out of habit, I check my phone to see if any messages have come in and to my relief, there’s nothing. I can feel Mom watching me and I’m ready when she finally asks.
“Are you sure you and Nicholas will be okay while we’re gone? We can postpone the trip.”
I place my hand over hers as I put my phone face down on the table. “Mom, we’re going to be fine. There have been no messages or threats since we’ve moved back. I’m sure he’s finally figured it out and moved on. Besides, Nicholas and I have plans while you’re gone.”
“You know I’m going to worry. You need to answer the phone every time I call you – promise?”
I nod and smile, “I promise.” I hate that my parents are so worried about us, but it’s been months since I’ve had any messages waiting for me. Now that Nicholas and I have moved back home and away from that environment, I think my parents feel better, just not great. None of us feel great about it, but we’ve done what we can to prevent anything else from happening.
“Lois, are you ready to go?” Dad asks as he’s moving suitcases through the house and out the front door.
“I’m ready.”
I open the back door and call for Nicholas to come inside. “Nickels. Come say goodbye to Nana and Papa before they leave for their vacation.”
My little guy runs into the house and grabs onto their legs and hugs them. “Bye.”
“We’ll miss you,” Mom says, but he’s already out of here and down the hallway to his room.
“Be careful and have the time of your lives.” I pull them both into a hug.
“We will. You, too.”
“We will,” I parrot as I watch them climb into the waiting taxi.
Once they are off on their adventure, my plans for the rest of the weekend are ready to begin. “Nickels. Want to go to the beach and build sandcastles?”
“Yeah!” He comes running into the living room and throws his fist into the air.
“Okay, then go get your swim trunks on and I’ll put some lotion on you.”
He holds up one finger. “Be right back, Mommy.”
I laugh at him, “Okay.”
And he’s off again.
We stayed at the beach a whole lot longer than I anticipated but we were having so much fun splashing in the Atlantic Ocean and building sandcastles and then knocking them down. Well, Nicholas was having fun with the knocking them down part.
Being that it was later than I thought it was, we decide to stop at Jack’s Place for some burgers and milkshakes. Right now, my little guy has eaten only a few bites of his burger, but all of his French fries.
“Buddy, I need you to take at least three more big bites of your burger.”
He shakes his head hard enough to move his entire body. “I’m not hungry.”
“That’s because you’ve eaten all your French fries and drunk most of your milkshake. You need to eat some meat to grow big and strong muscles.”
I watch as he pouts and stares off into space. He’s exhausted and I’ll be surprised if he’s still awake when we get home.
I finally give up the fight. He’s not going to eat anymore and he’s now yawning a lot. It’s rough being four. “Are you ready to go home?”
He nods. “I wanna play with my trucks.”
Instead of arguing with him and telling him he’s getting in the bathtub and then straight to bed, I just pull out my wallet and leave some money on the table. “Let’s go, Nickels.”
He climbs out of his booster seat and takes my hand as we walk out of the restaurant and get into my car.
We’re not a half a mile from the restaurant and he’s already out cold in his car seat; his head leaning against the headrest and his mouth hanging open wide. My heart melts as I keep glancing at him in my rearview mirror.
My life hasn’t gone exactly as I had planned. I always thought I would get married and then have kids. Never in a million years did I ever think I would be a single mom, but having Nicholas is the best thing that could ever have happened to me.
Ever.
I just wish River could have met him. They look alike and even have some of the same mannerisms. River would have been a fantastic uncle if given the chance.
This world can be so cruel sometimes.
As I pull into the driveway of my parent’s house, it’s getting dark outside, and I realize that I didn’t turn on the porch light.
“Great,” I murmur to myself as I quietly unbuckle my seatbelt. I leave Nicholas buckled in his car seat as I quietly climb out of the car and up to the front door. I unlock it and reach inside to turn on the porch light so that I can see what I’m doing.
I pop open the trunk lid and pull out our beach gear, still keeping an eye on my sleeping toddler. He must have been exhausted. Nothing will wake him up at this point.
I decide to try to make one trip into the house and grab all our beach stuff in my arms. After juggling them between my arms, I finally get them situated so that I can carry everything at one time. As I pull him out of the car, his little arms circle around my neck. I could hold him like this forever.
A talent I’ve managed to learn being a mom is closing doors with my feet and that’s exactly what I did to the car door – I kicked it closed. It’s also how I close the front door behind us once we’re inside.
I decide not to make Nicholas take a bath before putting him to bed. The sun exhausted him, and he’ll just be grouchy. At least I made him shower off when we left the beach, so he should be fine for the night.
Once he’s all tucked in and I’ve showered and changed into more comfortable clothes, I decide that a glass of wine is in order. As I make my way down the hallway and out to the living room, something catches my eye on the inside of the front door.
Written on the door in what looks like dripping red paint are words that make my stomach drop and heighten my senses.
HE’S MINE AND I WANT HIM
Grabbing my phone from my pocket, I run to my son’s room and lock the door behind me. I call 911 as I stand next to my sleeping son to protect him with my life from this crazy monster.