Chapter 7 #3
They stood there in the foyer, tangled together in silence. Rio didn’t need to say anything else right now. His arms said enough. Strong. Safe. Unshaking, even while Kylee’s world felt like it was falling apart piece by piece.
He gently pulled back just enough to look at her, brushing a strand of hair from her damp cheek. “Come on,” he said softly. “Let’s sit down.”
He led her to the couch, not letting go of her hand as they sat. She sank beside him, feeling like she could finally breathe for the first time in hours.
“I’ve never seen him like that,” she said after a moment, her voice distant.
Rio's jaw clenched again, but he took a deep breath and kept his voice steady. “He’s punishing you because he got caught. Because he lost control of something he thought he owned. He called you and your daughter’s nasty names. That’s not love, Kylee.”
She looked down, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve. “I’m scared,” she admitted. “What if I never see him again?”
“You will,” he said with conviction. “I will get you a lawyer. We'll fight this. I’ll help you through it whatever it takes. You’re not alone in this anymore.”
She looked up at him, her eyes searching. “Why do you care so much? You could’ve stayed in L.A., gone back to your life, back to the band…”
He leaned forward, his forehead gently resting against hers. “Because I’m in this. With you. I don’t care how fast it all happened. I'm not walking away from you, Kylee. You made me feel something I didn’t even know I was missing.”
Her lip trembled as she whispered, “You don’t think I’m a disgusting whore?”
Rio shook his head, brushing a kiss to her forehead.
“No. I think you’re the strongest, most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.
You gave all of yourself to a man who never deserved you, and you still found a way to love your kids and hold your world together.
You don’t see what I see, but I do. And I’m not going anywhere. ”
She nodded slowly, tears slipping free again.
This time, not from fear but from release.
They curled up on the couch, her head tucked into his chest, his arm around her shoulders.
For the first time in days, Kylee allowed herself to rest, to let someone else carry the weight with her.
They didn’t talk much more. They didn’t need to.
Later that night, Rio made her and Macy something to eat, nothing fancy, just a grilled cheese and soup but it was warm, and so was his presence.
As they sat side by side at the kitchen counter, she said softly, “Thank you. For coming. For staying.”
He reached over, lacing his fingers through hers. “You’re worth showing up for, Idaho.”
And for the first time in a long time, she believed it. Kylee sat on the floor in the girls’ room, gently rocking Kayla in her arms. Her tiny fingers curled around a lock of Kylee’s hair. Across the room, Macy was sitting on the rug, putting stickers on a coloring book page.
“Mommy?” Macy asked softly, not looking up. Kylee looked over, tired but alert. “Yes, baby?”
Macy stuck a heart sticker on the corner of her picture, then glanced up. “Where’s Jakey?”
Kylee’s heart squeezed. She kissed the top of Kayla’s head and tried to keep her voice even. “He went with Daddy for a little while.”
“Why?” Macy frowned. “Why didn’t we go too?”
Kylee set Kayla down gently in her little floor seat and crawled over to Macy, sitting beside her. “Because Mommy needed her girls to stay with her. You’re my brave little helper, remember?”
Macy pouted. “I want Jakey.”
“I know,” Kylee whispered, pulling her into her lap. “Me too.”
After a quiet moment, Macy looked up again. “Mommy… who’s that guy that’s here?” Macy nodded. “He’s nice. Is he your friend?”
Kylee smiled softly. “Yeah. He’s my friend.”
“Is Daddy mad at you?”
The words hit Kylee like a sharp breath. She held Macy a little tighter. “Sometimes grown-ups get upset, baby. But that doesn’t mean they stop loving you. Mommy and Daddy both love you so much. And Jakey too.”
Macy laid her head on her mother’s shoulder. “Is Jakey gonna come back soon?”
Kylee kissed her forehead. “Yes, sweetheart. I’m going to make sure of it.”
Kayla let out a happy squeal, kicking her chubby legs and smacking her hands together. Macy giggled through her worry, and Kylee smiled through the lump in her throat.
“I love you both more than anything in the world,” she whispered. “You’re my everything.”
Macy leaned into her, wrapping her little arms around her. “I love you too, Mommy.”
Just as Kylee brushed Macy’s hair behind her ear, she heard the soft creak of the hallway floorboards.
A second later, Rio stepped quietly into the doorway, his tall frame filling the space but his expression gentle.
His eyes scanned the room, pausing on Macy curled in Kylee’s lap and Kayla kicking her feet nearby.
Then they landed on Kylee, her tear-stained face, her red eyes, her barely-there smile and his whole demeanor softened even more.
“You okay?” he asked quietly, his voice rough with concern. Kylee gave a small nod, then looked down at Macy. “This is my friend Rio. He came to check on us.”
Macy looked up at him curiously, then gave a shy wave.
Rio gave a small wave back to Macy, crouching slightly to her level. “Hey, kiddo. I like your stickers.”
Macy smiled and held up her page proudly. “That one’s a flower. I gave Mommy the heart.”
Rio smiled, but his eyes flicked back to Kylee, studying her face like he could still see the pain hiding behind her smile.
“I’ll be right back,” Kylee whispered to Macy, kissing her cheek.
She stood and stepped into the hall with Rio, closing the door gently behind her. The second it clicked shut, she sagged against the wall and let out a breath she’d been holding in for what felt like hours.
Rio moved closer, concern etched deep into his face. “You holding it together better than I thought.”
“I don’t have a choice,” she said quietly. “I have two little girls in there who need me to pretend everything’s okay.”
Rio’s jaw clenched. He looked like he wanted to tear something apart. “He had no right to do what he did. Taking your son like that. Talking to you like you were nothing.”
Kylee’s throat tightened, but she just shook her head. “I don’t want to cry anymore.”
Rio stepped in close, placing his hand gently on her cheek. “You don’t have to pretend with me, Idaho. I got you.”
Her eyes welled up again, but she blinked the tears away quickly.
“I still can’t believe you came,” she whispered.
“Of course I did,” he said. “I meant what I said. I’m not going anywhere.”
She let herself fall forward into his chest, and his arms wrapped around her tightly, strong and safe.
“Whatever you need, we’ll figure it out… Together.”
Rio held her for a long moment, then gently pulled back just enough to look into her eyes. His thumb brushed along her cheekbone, wiping away the tear she didn’t even realize had fallen.
“You know,” he said quietly, “I never really pictured myself with kids. Never thought I’d be good at that kind of thing.”
Kylee gave him a soft, sad smile. “Yeah? Why not?”
He let out a low breath and leaned against the wall beside her. “I didn’t grow up with any examples of what that should look like. My mom worked three jobs. My dad was never around. I was the kid people expected to screw up. And then the band took off, and it was like freedom. Chaos. All about me.”
Kylee stayed quiet, letting him open up on his own.
“But watching you with them…” He glanced back toward the door. “The way you hold them, talk to them, protect them. It’s... beautiful, Kylee. You’re a damn good mom.”
The words hit her deep, so unexpected and sincere. She looked away for a second, trying to hold it together, but he gently tilted her face back to him.
“I mean it,” he said. “Even now after the day you’ve had you’re still their safe place. Still making sure they’re fed and smiled at and comforted. I see it. And Macy? She already trusts me just because you do.”
Kylee felt her throat tighten again, but this time it was from warmth, not pain.
“They’re so beautiful,” he added softly. “You made them. That blows my mind.”
She let out a small laugh, blinking up at him. “You’re really not used to kids, huh?”
He smiled, that crooked Rio grin she was beginning to crave. “Not even a little. But I think… I get it now though. Why people want that. Why it matters. Why it’s worth everything.”
She stepped in a little closer, resting her head against his chest again. “You make me want to be better,” he said against her hair. “I don’t know what this turns into, or how it works, but I know one thing for sure: I want to be where you are.”
Kylee’s voice was barely a whisper. “Even with the chaos?”
“Especially with the chaos,” he said, holding her tighter. “That’s how I know it’s real.”
As the tension finally began to dissolve from Kylee’s shoulders, Rio leaned in and kissed the side of her head.
“You’ve done enough today,” he whispered. “I ran you a hot bath. Go take a break… I got the girls.”
Kylee blinked up at him. “Wait, what?”
He grinned. “You heard me. Go. You deserve time to get yourself back together”
She hesitated, glancing toward the baby monitor and the toys scattered across the living room.
“Rio…”
He cut her off with a look that was both playful and serious. “Kylee. I’ve played to crowds of seventy thousand people. I think I can handle a five-year-old and a baby for a little bit.”
That made her laugh, a real one, and it felt like medicine. “Okay,” she said softly. “But if Macy convinces you to let her eat five popsicles you’re in trouble!”
He threw up a hand in mock surrender. “Noted.”
Kylee kissed Macy on the forehead, gave Kayla’s squishy little cheek a soft nuzzle, then disappeared down the hall to the sound of Macy’s giggle and Kayla’s babbling.
Rio turned to face the tiny audience in front of him.
“Alright, ladies,” he said, clapping his hands once. “What should we do?”