Mini Ruzek

Chapter 8

Riley's POV
As I woke up, I heard dad and hailey talking in the kitchen. Dad sounded upset. I walked in there and they looked at me.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Your grandparents on your mother's side are trying to get custody of you." He said and I was shocked.

"How can they do that? They've never met me before." I asked.

"They're saying I'm not a fit parent." He said.

"Because you're a cop?" I guessed and he nodded.

"That's a joke. They're basically saying that cops can't have kids." I said.

"Yep." Hailey said.

"That's bullshit. Excuse my language." I said and dad chuckled.

"What exactly is going to happen?" I asked.

"They are going to send a social worker around at some point and determine whether or not I am a fit parent. There is going to be a trial that you might have to speak in." He said.

"They can't just take me away." I said.

"We don't have a choice." He said.

I hugged him and we ate breakfast.

"I don't get how they can consider sending me with people I have never met." I said.

"They are probably going to have you spend the day with them." Hailey said.

"I don't want to. Why don't I get a choice?" I asked breaking down. Both dad and hailey came over to me and hugged me.

"Everything's going to be okay princess." Dad said. He got a call on his phone. Once he hung up, he immediately looked at us.

"The social worker is coming round at some point today." He said. He started to freak out.

"Right, we need to clean this place up. Hailey, we need to make sure our guns are in the safe." He said getting up. He started to wash the dishes.

"Dad, take a deep breath." I said. We started to clean up and I went and laid on my bed. Hailey came in and sat next to me.

"Are you okay sweetie?" She asked.

"Yeah, just scared." I replied.

"Everything is going to be okay." She said and I nodded. We heard talking from the living room. We headed in there and saw a woman who was dressed professionally.

"Hi I'm Kate." She said and I shook her hand.

"Riley." I said. We talked for a while.

"Have you ever met your grandparents?" She asked.

"No." I replied.

"Mr Ruzek, did you forbid her grandparents from seeing her?" She asked.

"No. I've never met them myself. On the day she was born, there was no one there for her mom." He said and Kate nodded. After she left, hailey, dad and I watched a movie.

"That went well." Hailey said.

"What's next?" I asked.

"Tomorrow, you are going to spend the day with them." Dad said and I nodded. I headed to bed.

The next day, I was eating breakfast when dad and hailey came downstairs.

"Good morning." Hailey said.

"Good morning." I replied. They had breakfast and I went to get ready. I was looking in my wardrobe. I had no idea what to wear. Hailey came in a few minutes later.

"Hey, are you alright?" She asked.

"Yeah, I have no idea what to wear." I said. She picked out some jeans and a cute top. I got dressed and we were sat on my bed talking.

"Hailey, what if I go to their house and I like them?" I asked.

"You're allowed to like them. They are your grandparents." She said and I nodded.

"I just don't want things to change." I said starting to tear up. She pulled me close to her and I rested my head on her chest.

"Oh sweetie don't cry. Nothing is going to change. Your dad will always love you." She said. I had cheered up a bit and I was deciding what to do with my hair.

"Why don't you curl it?" Hailey suggested.

"I don't know how." I admitted looking down.

"I'll do it for you." She said and I smiled at her. She was curling my hair and talking to me about girl stuff.

"So, are you dating anyone new?" She asked.

"No. There is this new girl who started a couple of weeks ago. I like her, but I don't think she likes me back." I said sadly.

"I say go for it. You never know until you try." She said.

"You cannot tell me to do that. You've had a crush on dad ever since I met you and Kim said it has been going on for years. You never told him you liked him." I said and she chuckled. She finished doing my hair and I looked at it in the mirror.

"Thank you hailey." I said appreciatively.

"No problem sweetie." She said.

"Hailey, are you planning on staying with my dad, or is he a fling?" I asked.

"I don't plan on ending things anytime soon." She said and I smiled.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked and she looked at me worriedly.

"It's okay if you say no, I get it." I said.

"What is it Ri?" She asked.

"Can I call you mom?" I asked. She started to tear up and she hugged me.

"Of course you can." She said and I smiled. She kissed my head and we went into the living room. Dad was waiting for me because he was driving me to my grandparent's house.

"Are you ready?" He asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be." I sighed. We headed there and I started to get nervous. We walked up to the door. Here goes nothing.