You, Me, and Riley

chapter 21

"So last night I was doing some research and I found this temporary little's play date group that meets a couple times a week not to far from here. There all on vacation so it's going to end soon. Apparently the couple who runs it have a few littles and like to keep them connected wherever they travel." I said as I buckled Riley into her booster seat and handed her a bowl of oatmeal. "I messaged them last night and they are meeting today at Hanson Park for lunch. Riley might be too shy to play with the other kids but it's worth a try."

"I don't see why not." Hayden said sitting down next to Riley and wiping some oatmeal off her forehead. "Hanson's has a splash pad and playground, right?"

"Payground?" Riley asked tuning into the conversation as she ate the last bite of her oatmeal "I ike the payground"

"I know you do bug." I said as I turned her chair to me and started to feed her the medicine filled applesauce. "What do you say you, Mamma, and me meet some friends at the playground today, does that sound like fun?"

"Mmmm. Es to payground no to feinds. Just you, me, and Mamma." She said clapping her hands and laughing.

"You don't want to make any friends?" I asked pulling her out of her booster seat and walking her into her nursery "Why not?" I asked when she shook her head no.

"Are dey ittle feinds?" She asked quietly as I laid her down on the changing table and pulled on a clean pull-up.

"They are little friends." I said picking her up and walking to her closet where we picked out a purple monster shirt and white jean shorts. "Boys and girls just like you. Doesn't that sound fun?"

"Maybeee." She said as I set her on the ground and she ran out of her nursery looking for Dana. I walked out to see her sitting on Dana's lap whispering in her ear. Dana was nodding her head as she spoke and then she leaned back and whispered in Riley's ear before she poked her on the nose and said the word, you, out load causing Riley to giggle. She dissolved into squeals of laughter when Dana started tickling her and only stopped when Riley almost jerked backwards off Dana's laugh.

"What were you two whispering about." I asked as I sat down next to Dana and watched as Riley pulled out a coloring book while watching an episode of paw patrol. "It looked serious."

"She was nervous about going to the park. She didn't want the other kids there to think she was weird or to not like her." Dana whispered next to me quickly glancing in my direction. "I told her that she had nothing to worry about because all the kids there would be lucky to know her."

The rest of the morning sped by as I started to pack a lunch to take to the park and Dana packed a swimsuit for the splash pad. We loaded a nervous baby into the car and when we pulled up to the park and opened the car's back door I laughed out load as a now big Riley glared up at me.

"I hate being in this thing when I'm not little." She mumbled as I unbuckled her.

"But you're just too darn cute in it." I said as she rolled her eyes and I pulled her out setting her on her feet. "How are you feeling baby?"

"Do we have to go?" she quietly asked as her chin started to tremble.

"We're not going to make you go bug." Dana said as we both knelt down in front of her "But I think if you give everyone a chance you'll have a lot of fun."

She whined quietly before she held out both of her pinky fingers "You promise?" she asked glancing at us.

"We promise." Dana and I said wrapping our pinky's around her little fingers.

"Now let's go." I said standing up and leading her towards the park where a group of people had congregated. I came to a stop and looked around the group when a couple walked up to us.

"You must be Hayden and Dana. I'm Mike." A tall brunette said as he held out his hand to shake ours and then pulled a short blonde to his side "This is my wife Sherri and our little's Scott and Jessica are playing over there on the playground and Andrew is finishing up timeout against the tree." He said pointing to three little's in various places throughout the park.

"It's nice to officially meet you. I'm Hayden and this is Dana." I said shaking both of their hands before gesturing to the little hiding behind me "And Riley is a little nervous. She was little when we left but not so much anymore. I'm not sure if she will regress back today." I said with a sad smile as she clutched harder to my clothes.

"It's totally normal." Sherri said with a wave smiling gently down at Riley "A lot of the kids don't want to play on their first day. Everybody is setting up for lunch over here though if you would like to set out your stuff." She said leading us under a tall shaded tree.

Riley was helping us set up our lunch when Sherri walked up with their three little's (Andrew had a few tears still in the corners of his eyes) "Guys I want you to meet our new friends." She said sitting down in front of us "This is Hayden, Dana, and Riley. Riley is a little nervous today, so we have to be patient and kind." She said smiling before she turned to Riley and said, "and these are my kids Jessica, Andrew, and Scott and they would love to play with you when you're ready." She said laughing at the kids exaggerated head nods.

"Hi" Riley whispered with a wave and a soft smile. "It's nice to meet you." She said yelping in surprise when Dana pulled her around her body and sat her down on her lap.

"Are you guys ready to eat?" Mike said with a smile as he walked up with a blanket and picnic basket and spread everything out next to us. "dig in guys." He said handing sandwiches and bowls of fruit to the three kids and watching as they started cramming food into their mouth.

"Where are you guys from?" Dana asked as she tapped a distracted Riley on the shoulder and handed her a plate of food. "Hayden said you guys are on vacation."

"We're from Nevada." Mike said with a smile "But we're on the verge of a possible move. I'm the CEO of a company that is considering merging with one of our business partners in Michigan, but that would require uprooting my family so I'm not sure. On the other hand, it's a smart move, I've never directly worked with the CEO of this company, but we've been partners for year and she's never let me down. Neither of us are in a place where we need the merge, but it would definitely make both of our lives easier."

"You wouldn't happen to be the Mike Hausen of Allegiant Dive would you." Dana asked with a surprised smirk.

"You're joking right?" I asked with a smirk as I wiped the pudding off Riley's face. It amazed me that big Riley could make just as big of a mess as little Riley. Dana had been talking about this merger on and off for the few months so I knew everything about Allegiant Dive and the company.

"I am." He said sitting up in confusion.

"I'm Dana Peter's." She said with a laugh "CEO of DPI."

Everybody stared at each other for a few seconds before the four of us broke out in loud laughter. Riley and the other three little's had been in their own world eating there lunches and quietly talking to each other so they looked up at us like we were crazy.

"All right boys." I said standing up and putting the dishes back into the basket "Lets save shop talk for another day." I hated to pull Riley away from the other kids because I could see her getting more comfortable and starting to slip as she talked with the other's but she had food all over her hands and face.

"Come here you." I said pulling a wet wipe out of the pouch and started to wipe off her face. "Hold still silly." I said as she tried to pull her face away from the wipe and I had to hold the back of her head. I pulled out one more wipe and cleaned her hands before I tapped her bottom and pushed her towards the other kids who were patiently waiting for her. "Go on." I quietly encouraged her as she shyly looked back at me and wrung her hands together before slowly following the other little's to the playground.

"Yes!" Dana said as she sat down next to me with a smile "With them moving to our neck of the woods this has to work. It's perfect!"

I laughed as I watched Riley run around the playground, I could tell she was stuck somewhere between big and little but a full heatedly agreed with Dana. If today went good, we could leave Hawaii with little friends for Riley to take home with her.