You, Me, and Riley

chapter 36

Dana

"Mama where we goin?" Riley asked me as we helped her into her coat the next morning and started walking towards the door.

"Well the five of us" I said pointing my finger at Hayden and her parents before looking back at her "are going to go to the hospital-"

"No tank ou" she said abruptly stoping and shaking her head "Eo and I stay ome."

"You're going to stay home with Leo?" Hayden asked.

"Es" she said "Jerry has to meet eryone." she shrugged.

"You know we're not going to the hospital for you right?" Hayden asked kneeling down in front of her "Grandpa wants to see one of my friends that works there."

"Pwomise?" she asked looking at her with suspicious eyes.

"Cross my heart" she said smiling as Riley held out a pinky.

"Let's get out of here" I said once they were done locking pinkies.

"You guys didn't have to come to the hospital with us" Sue said as she buckled Riley into the carseat.

"I don't think you could have stopped Hayden if you tried" I said watching as she played with Riley in her carseat "You are really okay with this?" I said after a second nodding at Riley with my head.

"Dana" Hayden said in a warning tone from the front seat where she was talking to her dad.

"It's okay Hayden" Sue said "Dana has every right to worry about her family. We don't have a very good track record."

"We do have a sorry track record" John said with a sigh.

"This is new to me," she said with a smile as she ran her fingers through Riley's hair before shrugging "and it's confusing at times. But this is also my adorable granddaughter who is sometimes 2 and sometimes 18."

"I two granma" Riley said looking up at Sue with a grin.

"Of course you are little bug" she said poking her in the nose.

"How ode are ou granma" she asked making everyone chuckle.

"You never ask a lady there age Riley" Sue said with a laugh.

"I a yady and sometime Mama and Mommy ask how ode I am, why can't I ask you?" she said looking around the car.

"Oh" Sue said "well-I guess."

"Riley Peters" I said with a laugh, "don't put your grandma on the spot like that, you know why we ask you."

"Sowwy" she said with a cheeky grin as we started down the road.

"Oh I don't mind telling her how old I am" Sue said with a smile turning towards Riley.

"That's not the point is it baby?" I asked Riley looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"No Mama" Riley said with a small smile.

"What was the point?" I asked.

"Dat Granma not wan' ta answer da question" Riley said with a shrug. "I sowwy granma."

"It's okay my sweet girl" she said kissing her temple.

The rest of the car ride went quickly as we pulled up to the hospital and we all piled out of the car. Riley skipped next to Sue holding her hand while Hayden helped her father into the building.

"How are you doing?" I whispered to her once we were all sitting in the waiting room waiting for our appointment.

"I think I'm okay" she said with a strained smile "It's a little weird, I haven't seen them in almost 10 years. I haven't had a positive conversation in over 10."

"I'm sorry love" I said kissing her temple and pulling her into my arm.

"Can I ask you guys a question that might be considered out of line?" Sue asked looking at us a second later "but is actually me just trying to help."

"Okay" Hayden asked suspiciously.

"Have you guys ever heard of adult adoption?" she asked.

"What?" I asked in surprise.

"I mean, you act like she is actually your child. I noticed that you guys have been calling her Riley Peters and I assume that's not actually her last name" she said with a shrug. "Normally it's used to transfer inheritance rights, which is something you would need to consider anyways." she said with a shrug.

"Whether or not she is adopted does not make her any more or less ours" Hayden said after a second.

"I'm not saying that it does" Sue said holding up both hands as a peace offering "I'm just bringing up an idea." before we could say anything else a doctor poked his head out of an office and called John's name.

"I wanna come wit Grannma and Grannpa too" Riley said as she sat on my lap and we watched them walk into the office.

"You don't want to go to the park with me?" I asked. I held back a laugh as I watched Riley's inner turmoil as she tried to decide what she wanted to do before I decided to interject "Mommy, Grandma, and Grandpa are going to call us when they are done and we are all going to go out for lunch okay?" I asked her with a smile.

"Okay" she said after a second letting me help her off of my lap and out the front door. The park was just across the street and I smiled as Riley let out a shriek of excitement as soon as we walked through the fenced area.

"Come pay wit me Mama!" she said with a giggle as she ran towards the swings.

"I'm coming baby" I said following her and standing behind her so I could push her on the swing. As we ran around the playground my mind kept wandering back to Sue's question until Riley tugged on my hand.

"Are you okay Ma?" she asked.

"Of course I am sweetheart" I said cringing at the concerned look on her face "why do you ask?"

"You seem super distracted" she said with a shrug "plus I just said your name like 50 million times and you didn't hear me."

"50 million hunh?" I asked with a smirk.

"Yeah" she said with a giggle "it was a lot."

"I'm sorry baby" I said as I pulled out my ringing phone "look who it is" I said showing her a picture of Mommy.

"Hey babe" she said into the phone "we're done, are you guys still at the park?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am" I said "How did the appointment go?"

"Not good, not awful." she said with a sigh "we will pick you up in 5 minutes." she said before the line went dead.

"Let's go wait for Mom" I said taking Riley's hand and walking to the entrance of the park.

We waved at Hayden and John as they pulled up next to the curve and grinned when Sue opened the door to let Riley and I in. I couldn't help but snort when Riley looked into the car with a groan and looked up at me with big eyes.

"I am not sitting in that." she said with big eyes crossing her arms with a frown. "I hate being in that when I'm big."

"I'm sorry peanut" I said kissing the top of her head "It doesn't fit in the trunk and that is the only open seat." I snickered as I buckled her in and she mumbled under her breath the whole time until Hayden scolded me for upsetting her.

"Yeah Mom" she said with a smirk "stop being mean."

"Lets just go get that food." I said rolling my eyes with a grin and kissing her forehead. 

Hey friends! It's been a looooong time! Thank you so much for being patient!