The Ghost Of You

Chapter Ten

James 

Riley and I decided to head out to Bill's for dinner with the kids. That feels surreal to say, the entire situation has been overwhelming but I hadn't wanted to change a single second of it
Harrison looks like my twin but is Riley's boy through and through
Sienna may not biologically be mine but I won't let anyone try to tell me she isn't my daughter at this point
Things have moved so fast but at the same time I couldn't feel so far away 

I would happily give up everything back home if it meant that Riley and I could stay in this bubble that she created but I know better then anyone that this sort of situation is far from healthy

Riley needs her family, her friends. She needs everyone that we grew up with, everyone we were building our lives with 
I don't know what led her here but I will do everything in my power to make her realise that this is now a choice.
She can come home 
But she has to do it on her own accord 

"Dad!" Harrison yelled the moment he came out of the play area leaving Sienna and Riley in there playing in the ball pit
I still hadn't gotten over him calling me that, it was like a dream and at any point I was going to wake up 

"Hey buddy, what's up?" I asked making him smile as he looked over his shoulder at Riley
"Can we go and get something for Mum and Sienna?" He asked making me furrow my brows at him
"What did you have in mind?" I said making him smile widely 

We said a brief goodbye to Riley but Sienna was demanding more of her attention making it easy for us to sneak off slightly
I had no idea what Harrison had planned but I was letting him go fully rouge with this one. After all I'm pretty sure I'm only here so someone can pay for his grand gesture 

"Perfect!" He called getting to the small florist on the corner of town a few stops away from Bill's. It was apparent he had probably seen this place daily for his entire life. 
"We can get them both flowers" He smiled tugging my hand into the shop

The moment we were inside, we were greeted by the sweet sent of all of the flowers merging together. There was flowers in every colour imaginable, you wouldn't think this small shop could house something so big 
"Do you know what Mum's favourite flower is?" Harrison asked 
I wanted to say yes but it could have changed. Growing up Riley always loved Sunflowers. I never really understood the fascination with them, I didn't even know if they were still her favourite ones 

"And what can I help you boys with this evening?" A young woman said. I wouldn't be surprised if she was barely out of high school
"We are getting flowers for my baby sister and my mum!" Harrison said proudly
"Oh yeah?" She asked with a genuine smile on her face
"Do we know what flowers we want?" She asked directly the conversation more towards me

"uh her favourite flowers are sunflowers I think?" I said 
Riley had changed a lot of things in the last 5 years, I'm just praying that some of her favourites are still the same
"And what's the little lady's favourite colour?" The girl asked looking down at Harrison
"Pink! Definetly pink! If you try and give her something else she'll throw it back at you" He said
"Even though Mum says it's not nice to throw things" He said clearly arguing with himself right now

"Sienna is just a baby Harrison, he's still learning" I said ruffling his hair making him smile and nod turning back to the lady as she stood at the desk with a pile of sunflowers and pink roses arranging them together to make the sweetest bunch of flowers possible including a small bunch including 2 pink roses and one sunflower most likely for Sienna

"and how do we like this?" She asked making me nudge Harrison slightly whos face lit up the moment he saw them as he frantically nodded
"They are perfect!" He smiled before turning back to look at me 

--

"What are these for?" Riley asked as our four year old hugged her tightly handing her the flowers 
"Because Mum, you and Sienna deserve pretty flowers. Pretty flowers for pretty girls, right dad?" Harrison said glancing over his shoulder at me to which I nodded
"We even got Sienna some" Harrison said handing her the smaller bouquet of flowers. She took one look at them smiling before stumbling over to Harrison pulling him into a tight hug, so tight in fact they both fell to the floor laughing 

"You didn't need to do that you know?" Riley said rising to her feet coming over to me allowing me to pull her into a much needed hug
"I didn't need to do a lot of things but I do them anyway" I chuckled
"Plus this was all little man's idea, I just funded his idea" I shrugged making Riley roll her eyes 

"Ever the martor James" She said making me smile
"Of course" I winked before we both turned back to watch the kids who were still recovering from their laughter 

I really do see a lot of Piper and I in Sienna and Harrison, the way he watches over her and the way she always turns to him for anything 
Seeing that, makes me wish that Piper could be here. She would love it 

She'd be smitten with the kids and I don't even want to begin to think what her reaction to Riley would be 

I've been thinking of it all constantly, how would anyone react to finding out about Riley. Not only would they be getting Riley back into their lives they would also be earning two new people. Two people that I didn't know about a week ago but now.. Now I don't think I could go back to not knowing about them

"I'm sorry Sienna!" Harrison called making me zone back in to see Sienna throwing herself onto the floor. From the look on her face, Harrison hadn't actually done anything to hurt her
"Is someone tired?" Riley called making Sienna pout and nod her head before stumbling towards Riley and I
She had her arms up in the arm but the moment she was stood in front of the two of us her gaze bounced between the pair of us before she took a step left heading towards me making Riley roll her eyes

"I remember when you used to by a Mummy's girl young lady" She said kissing Sienna's cheek as she head her head rested on my shoulder as we headed out of the café

I've said it before and I'll say it again, luckily the flat wasn't too far from Bill's so it only meant a small walk 
"Mum when we get home can we do some colouring? I finished all my homework when I got home" Harrison rambled while he swung his hand that was intertwined with Riley's
"Sure thing sweetheart, let me put Sienna to bed then we can" She smiled making Harrison nod before small ounce of silence fell onto us

It as a soft, sweet silence. A comfortable silence even 
This is where I wanted to be, where I belonged, where I need to be

"James!" A very familiar voice called making both Riley and I freeze turning to look at each other
"For a small town, you were hard to.. track-" The voice continued before cutting themselves off 

The look on Riley's face was a mixture of pure fear and slight anticipated happiness

"R-riley?" The voice said making the pair of us turn to see Piper stood a few feet away with a bag by her side... 

Piper was here.. Right in front of us..