Jiley Oneshots

Christmas Wishes

a/n: I've decided that this will be my final one-shot so I've tried to make this one extra special - hence the reason why it's also pretty long. Enjoy reading! x

"It's okay, baby. Mommy's got you, it's okay," Riley whispers to her eight-month-old daughter as she cradles her close to her chest. The curtains were still opened, revealing the city light while the mother paced up and down the building with her little girl in her arms, the child's high-pitched wails loud enough to disturb the entire block. Riley shook her head, sighing to herself. She had tried everything to calm young Violet down: kissed her, fed her, rocked her, burped her, played her nursery rhymes, but it was no use. Riley knew what the girl wanted - She wanted it just as much too.

Standing by the large windowsill which revealed the city, Riley kissed her daughter's forehead multiple times, holding her firmly on her hip as the little girls arms wrapped around her mother's neck where she also decided to lay her small round head. Riley looked down at her child's sudden movements and smiled softly while holding back a few tears. It had been three months now since James had gone on tour and she had been struggling ever since they departed each other's sides at the airport. Though she failed to admit it verbally, in her head she knew the truth. She needed help, she needed him, but she was too afraid to ask due to the fear of being a burden.

Just as Violet's violent cries began to weaken into light sniffles and deep breaths, Riley noticed the iPad on the table flash before the usual FaceTime ringtone could be heard. In relief, she quickly walked over to the table and picked it up to find her boyfriend's contact on the screen. Impulsively, Violent raised her head at the now familiar tune of ringing and so Riley moved her and her daughter over to sit on the sofa before answering the call for James's face to fill the screen. 

"Dada!" Violet squeals, placing her hand on the screen of the device, making Riley chuckle lightly, still with tears in her eyes from all the stress and sleepless nights.

"Hey, babe. Hey, Vi," James coos into the screen in response, also placing his hand on the screen which makes Violet smile. "How are my two girls doing?" he asks. Although Riley wanted to say she was fine, she couldn't. Instead, she bites her lip and stares at the screen helplessly, unsure of what to say. Knowing what that meant, James sat up in his bed. The lights on the tour bus were off and there wasn't much sound. Just the fact he was wearing headphones was enough for Riley to put together how late it was.

"What time is it over there?" Riley asked him, ignoring his previous question.

"It's 1 a.m., love," he tells her, making her sigh as she buries her head against her daughter's neck where she kisses her soft skin. "I missed your call earlier because our final gig got delayed. We literally just got into the bus about half an hour ago. The boys zoned out straight away but I can't get to sleep without checking on you two first," he says with a smile, causing her to smile back at him. "So how are you? Isn't Violet usually sleeping around this time. Especially since it's Christmas Eve?" he inquires, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, she's meant to be," Riley sighs, carefully removing her daughter's hand from off the screen. "She hasn't stopped crying until now. She misses you," she says before stopping and looking James right in the eye. Lightly, she licks her lower lip and shakes her head, trying not to cry completely. "I miss you," she whispers. James exhales, shuffling around. 

"I miss you too, Ri," he says, making her look down at the necklace she wore which read the words 'You and I' inscribed in a silver heart. 

"You were supposed to be coming home for Christmas," she whispers, adjusting their child on her lap. "This is Vi's first Christmas, James, and you're not going to be here for it."

"Hey, look at me, Riley," he says lightly, getting her to raise her head again as she sniffs back the tears which fought her eyelids. "I'll be there," he tells her.