Hard To Leave - Riley Green

- 20 -

He points to the opposite side of the stage and the two make their way towards her.

"Lina Shay?"

"Hey Ri." She smiles, their daughter on her hip.

Tears form in his chest at the sight.

She's here- his family is here with him in Alabama.

This makes it all worth it.

+++

"Riley?"

He looks up from the girl on his lap at the sound of a familier voice calling his name.

"Karen." He replies sourly, glaring at the women who gave him life. "What do you want."

"I wanted to see my son." She replies, looking at the girl he's holding. "Who's that?"

He runs his tongue across his teeth, debating on if he should tell her the truth or not.

Yeah, the truth will kill her.

"My daughter." He says, running his fingers through his baby girls soft blonde hair.

"Daug- Daughter? I have a granddaughter?"

"No." He scoffs then rolls his lips into his mouth. "I have a daughter."

"Daddy!" Jack comes running up to him, climbing up on the chair next to Riley with the biggest grin.

"You have a son, too?"

"Yep."

Karen has glossy eyes but she looks down and nods. She wants nothing more than to patch things up with her baby but Riley won't let that happen.

"Babe, you ready?" Lina asks, handing Riley a bottle of lukewarm water. "Oh, Karen, hey."

"Lina, my goodness." She sighs, looking her son's wife over. "You look great. That little girl is as beautiful as you."

"Oh, thanks." She forces a fake smile. "What brings you out?"

"I just wanted to see y'all, my son, again."

Riley shakes his head to himself as he stands with Gracie on his hip and Jack's hand in his, walking his children off to a place where he won't lose his temper in front of them or his wife.

"I miss him so much, Lina. I missed so much of his life because of what happened all those years ago." Karen brushes away a fallen tear. "I just want to apologize to him but he won't let me."

"I  mean he's done so much without you so why would he let you back into his life now? if anything, it'd make you look bad. He's built his life from the ground up without any help from you or your husband. He didn't need you then, he doesn't need you now." She knows she shouldn't be sticking her nose where it doesn't belong and yes, she's aware she sounds like a Class A bitch but Karen needed to hear this.

Karen is speechless that this girl she's known for years is talking to her like this.

"Maybe try again when he's older but right now would make you seem greedy." Lina takes a few steps back. "He's doing great without you." She says then walks away to join her family.

+++

Ever since that conversation Lina had with Karen, Riley has barely left his family's side.

He's been way more involved with his kids and has been spending less time at work. He doesn't want to miss a thing in their lives.

His family is the most important thing to him and it always will be.

Lina's birthday has rolled around again and she has a huge surprise. It was a shocker for her too.

Nancy agreed to take the kids out for some ice cream while Lina talks to Riley about this secret.

"Riley?" She calls, quietly shutting the front door behind her. "Ri?"

"I'm in the bedroom." He calls back.

Lina picks up the small box from under the couch- she hid it there so Riley wouldn't find it.

"Oh my." She gasps when she sees Riley lounging back on the bed in the clothes that she's always found so attractive on him- a pair of Carhartt jeans and a Wrangler button up. "What're you doin'?" She smiles, shutting the bedroom door behind her.

"Happy birthday." He grins. "You wanna unwrap your present?"

"I will but before that, here." Lina sits next to him, handing him the small box.

"It's your birthday. You shouldn't be givin' me anything."

"Just open it." She smiles.

It's a Roll Tide onesie, a pregnancy test and a sonogram.

"No way." He says then laughs. "Are you kidding?" She shakes her head with a big smile. "Oh my god." He leans over and kisses her, hugging her tightly. "Do you know what it is?"

"It's a boy."

-end-