Supposed To Be Mine

Chapter 14

UNEDITED......

The following Monday, River came home from work to find her mother finishing up dinner in the kitchen. On top of the counter, was scattered ingredients for dinner and a huge bouquet of red and yellow roses.

"Who is this from?"  Lucille turns to her, folds her arms, and applies an inspector's gaze.

Her daughter sets her bag down on the table. "Those are for me?" She pulls the card from in between the bouquet.

"River, I'm sorry about the other day. I should have handled myself better, the car too, but that's not the point. Anyway, I want to make it up to you. For making you faint an all. My treat, your choice."   

Landen.

Seeing a smile grow on her River, Lucille's brows shoot up. She grabs some carrots in front of her and begins slicing nervously. "Who Is this guy? Where did you meet him?"

"Relax mom. It's not a guy, it's Landen."

"Landen? Why would Landen send you roses?"

"Umm..." She had to think quick. Her mother can't know what happened. "It's no big deal really. He got into a little argument with his brother in front of me. These flowers are to apologize." All true, just missing some details.

Lucille shakes her head. "Why don't I believe you?"

"After all that we have been through, I wish you would trust me more." River sticks the card back between the flowers and starts taking off her shoes. 

"I trust you, I do. But please try to understand. I know better than anyone else that when you fall in love, it can make you the blindest, stupidest person." Lucille stops cutting and starts waving the sharp knife around. " I used to look at my mother with so much resentment because I didn't understand what it's like to be in love and insecure."

"Mom, I'm not you, or grandma, or Zoe, I'm me. I won't pick the wrong guy."

"I thought the same thing when I met both yours and your sister's father."

"Here we go again." River rolls her eyes. "They were both perfect gentlemen, they gave you sweet compliments and lots of attention." She does an imitation of her mother's voice.

"All I'm trying to say is sometimes they are not who they portray themselves to be. Especially in the beginning, when they are wooing you." Her mother belts out.

"I remember from the last time you told me."

"I'm afraid for you." Lucille's eyes well up. "I don't want you to ever go through what your sister and I did."

River sets her shoes down and goes to her mother's side. She sets the knife down and pulls her into a gentle hug. "I won't ever go through any of that, I promise to never accept that kind of treatment."

Sniffling and wiping away her tears, Lucille breaks the hug and turns to the boiling pot "What's the problem with those boys anyway? Why were they arguing?"

"I don't know." River picks up her shoes and goes near the front door to put them on the rack. "I think they don't understand each other." She yells out.

Ding dong! The doorbell rings. How coincidental that she was right near the door.

"I think I know who that is." She announces, but she doesn't. She thought it was going to be Landen, instead, it was his brother. Ryan stood before her wearing a dark business suit and his hands in his pockets as usual.   "Hey." She greets him surprisingly. "Everything okay?"

"I'm visiting." He makes a subtle head movement toward the main house. He pauses awkwardly before asking "Are you feeling well?"

"Oh." She didn't know what to say. She knew this is brotherly love, but it was the hardest thing in the world seeing it that way when she has had romantic feelings for him, for as long as she has known him.  She has to remind herself every time he was around her, that he cares for her as a sister, and is engaged. "I'm fine."