Neither you nor me

Part 88

We walked and I saw everybody. Ted, Pearl, Stacy, Stem nd Elliot. They all looked perfect.

Elliot gave me a quick smile when I passed before him. He works in my restaurant as an assistant manager.

I stood beside the handsome Riley. I can notice the beautiful smile that appeared on his face. But I'm admiring the love couples before him.

The vows were made, promises bloomed, kiss happened. Not to mention, Riley covered Finnie's eyes while they were kissing. I just hope that Lauriya's life would be better than me.

Finally, the wedding was done. Finnie lowered her head and kissed me on my cheek. She grew a lot in years. She can't speak much. Broken words sometimes a sentence but she is adorable.

She looked at Riley and said
"Daddy, boifend!"
Riley whispered
"You want a boyfriend?"
Fin nodded her head.
"No way. Daddy will not gonna have you a boyfriend" Riley said
"Why?" she pouted a little.
"Because boyfriends are bad creatures" Riley said
"Not. Jolice is good" she said smiling at Jorice and Lauriya.
"Who told you that Jorice is a boyfriend?" I interrogated Finnie.
"Blother Stem" Fin said innocently.
"I won't spare him" Riley rolled his eyes.
"No violence in front of Finnie" I reminded him the promises. He reformed himself.

"You free tomorrow?" Riley asked me
I hesitated as I'm not
"Actually, I promised a tour of Australia to Elliot" I said and I saw the bulbs of his face benighted.
He shrugged and said
"Yeah sure"

I feel bad for turning him down but I promised myself to keep me out of this untill the tenure ends. Lauriya and Jorice walked through the aisle and I went towards my responsibility of catering.

I was walking in the meadow that is covered by a permanent shade just for this function. We are serving here. Stem grabbed my waist. I kissed on his forehead and he smiled gently.
"Did you tried the ice-cream?" I asked
"Yes. It was nice" he said.

He grew more intelligent and mature in these upcoming years. One thing is common about us. We both love ice-cream. I noticed Stacy behind. Dazzling in her gorgeous reddish brown bodycon. We both hugged
"You look fabulous" Stacy complimented
"Same to you too. You should have brought Emmy" I said
"Doctor forbade Dad to fly. Moreover, he is taking care of the restaurant" Stem said
"Well, it's okay. You guys can join for lunch" I said and lead them the way.

Finally, everything was done. It took me a bone and a waist to sum up everything. Riley being the groome's men happened to give a speech. Ted gave it from my behalf. It would be difficult for me to do this because Finnie wouldn’t let me. But Riley kept her busy for the whole day. I'm grateful.

Jorice is well renowned blogger and famous. The reason of getting married at Australia is the paparazzi. He don't want anyone to aim camera at them. He wants a peaceful wedding. Layken still do researches and flourished in her career. They both are perfect. Lauriya and Jorice flew to Thailand for their honeymoon.

I got up due to throbbing pain from my sleep. I just had a nightmare. I saw Marshall aiming at Riley and Fin. It took me some minutes to relax but still I'm anxious.

I hugged my sleeping beauty in my old house. It's past midnight. Riley is sleeping to my next door. Stacy and Stem already flew to Texas. Riley stayed as he wanted to take me. Even though I forbade him. He said he has duties as a father. The word 'husband' was silent as we don't have any legal relation.

Yes! We had a divorce. 3 years ago, I told him to give me a time to do everything and to live as an independent single Mom. He kept his promise. He never interfered a single nose in my work. He never forced the connection. We both divided our time with Fin. Thrice a week to mine, thrice a week to Riley. Weekend is taken by the free person. In most of the cases, it's Riley who takes care of her in weekends. This divorce wasn’t necessary but I needed to set an example to my daughter. An example of never accepting fate and to fight back. If I had accepted Riley, one day Finnie would be disgusted to hear how terribly after being treated, I returned to him. But now, she will know another thing. Her mommy didn’t returned. Her mommy fought back.

I kept my promise too. In this 3 years, I worked for my dessert shop that I tried to open. I took loans and Riley helped me sometimes. I named this as "Alaska bakes" It’s no longer a shop. Now, it has 3 restaurants of its own. I appointed Emmy as the manager as he needed money for his family.
I also appointed Darius as cashier. In this 3 years, I completed my bachelor's degree at culinary. And this time, my position was completely mine. Not Riley's contribution.

I hired the prostitutes of my Dad's brothel as waitress. Some returned to their old profession but most of them stayed. I went on a date with Elliot recently. I know he likes me but I'm not sure about him. Fin likes him so much. They get along. That's the thing Riley hates. He doesn’t want me to date him. Though he didn’t clearly told me, but I can read his mind.

Everything wasn't easy. Fin being the neo natal, me being sick and penniles, even shelterless. Though I had to stay with Layken who now lives on Chicago. Mebble and she broke up. The reason was long distance relationship. Riley destroyed my every inch, every bit of confidence and hope that I gathered in this many years. He is still paying for that.

As you know,

Wounds may heal but always leaves a mark.

I hugged my daughter more strongly.

Riley's POV

I drank the water as I've been thirsty for years. I pulled the chair and sat down by drowing my head in my hands. My head is aching so much. I had the same nightmare. The same surreal voice of Mom. My Mom screamed my name when she was targeted. I took a deep breathe.

It's not good to wake people in midnight for a pill.
"Riley, everything okay?" Ted asked by closing the door gently.
"Where are you coming from? It's 1 AM in the morning!"
"Went to see Pearl if she's okay!" Ted said by letting a deep sigh out.

He pulled a chair and sat beside me. His love life is too hell like me. Pearl grew up in a strict catholic family. Her parents don't want her to marry Ted as they had brothels earlier. They guessed Ted's bloodline as the blood of prostitutes.
"What are you doing here?" he asked in an unclear tone
"Bad headache" I replied
"Did my sister caused it?" he asked
"Nope. Your neice did"
A small giggle left from his voice.
"I have some pills" Ted said
"Hand me"
He opened a box of medications and gave me some. He is the sweetest of all the 3 brothers and sisters of Kiddo.

"You had the same nightmare, hadn’t you?" Ted asked in a deep voice.
I'm overwhelmed about his consciousness. But as always, he must be in contact with Stacy and Emmy.
"I tried but it don't go away" I said with the same depression within me.

My life changed. It changed from the day I befriended with Marshall. But it changed more since 3 years. Fin kept me alive. At least, I'm breathing. I'm alive as a corpse.

I never forced connection with Kiddo. I want her to reform everything and became the independent woman she wants to become! I want her back but when she would agree fully. I don't want Fin to be the reason of our unity.

It's not only Kiddo who changed her life. It's also me. I worked on my anger issues, on my frustrations, on my wrong decisions. I got treated by therapists and consultants. I too developed the office on a longer run. Stacy helped me too. Emmy and Brezo were supposed to work for me but they packed their ways on Kiddo's restaurant. I don't mind. Happy for them. Ellie still works for me. I didn't really stopped doing the mafia shit. No matter what a man does, habit is something that don't change. I didn't really worked on that maybe.

But also a thing grew inside me. Fatherhood. I didn't even had any expectations that I would do such a thing in my lifetime. I sang lullaby to her, I feed her, take her to wherever she wanna go mostly on kid's amusement and parks, sometimes turn into a horse for her. I had to apply lipsticks in whole face for Fin. She is so stubborn. Embarrassed for the whole day. Firstly, Kiddo laughed her ass off seeing my reddish face when I dropped Fin, secondly, earned an awkward look from every staffs, thirdly,I had a meeting with a minister and they had pretty much bad impression seeing my face.

I loved my father no matter how angry maybe I with him. He adored us both but he was pretty cold towards us. He couldn't show us how much he cares about us. Maybe that's why I grew to have a different opinion for him. But, I won't be the father my father was! I will be better.

I screwed up my daughter's life even before it was started. I will make it better I promise!

(Hey guys, how was it? We are gradually going to it's end. So, keep supporting. #RileyAlaska)