Perfection

355 Days After 5 Days Until

Sam

"Mommy, hide me!" Riley came sprinting into the kitchen then hid behind my leg.

"Why are you hiding?" I chuckled.

"Ale's chasing me."

"What'd you do? Why are you wearing her shirt? She needs that."

"I stole it."

"She doesn't want me to go." Alexia came into the room...shirtless. God. "Princesa," She walked over to us and lifted Riley onto the counter. "I told you you're going to see me in a few days."

"What if you don't come back?"

What is actually going on?

"I will always come back."

"And we're going to Eindhoven too. She has to travel with her team though. She can't go with us." I chimed in. "Baby, what's going on?"

"We're a family now and I don't want us to be gone from each other. I don't know the other big word but that."

"¿Seperado?"

"English." Riley quipped.

"Right, sorry. Separated—seperado."

"Yeah, that."

"Look at me, Princesa." Alexia lifted Riley's chin and kissed her forehead. "Football is my job and I will have to leave a lot. I don't like leaving either. Believe me. But when I'm gone, I'll always be thinking of you and your madre. I'll call you at every chance I get. If you need me to come home, I'll drop everything and come home."

"You promise?"

"I promise. Now, I have an idea but I'm going to need my shirt." Riley held her arms up and Alexia lifted the shirt up and off. Alexia grabbed the notebook I had out next to me and the pen. "Draw me something."

Riley seemed confused but started drawing anyway. Alexia slipped on the Barcelona training shirt then came to me and wrapped an arm around my waist.

I wrapped my arms around her while looking up at her. "What are you up to?"

"You'll see." She pecked my lips. "I have to go meet with the team and I'm going to lunch with some of them."

"What time will you be home?"

"A little after two, I'm going to guess. The meeting shouldn't take forever."

"Sounds good. I'll take Riley with me to the restaurant. She can bug Manuel in the back."

"I'm done." Riley handed Alexia the paper. "It's me and you kicking a ball."

I looked at it. Two stick figures and a ball in the middle.

"I love it. I'll be back later with a surprise for the both of you. I'm running late." Ale kissed me quickly and kissed the top of Riley's head. "I love you both."

She ran up the stairs and back down in a matter of minutes.

"She's up to something." Riley said.

"Isn't she always?" My daughter shrugged. "Come on. Help me finish this for the restaurant. You're my helper for the day."

A few hours had passed rather quickly. Riley followed me everywhere I went and bossed people around—though I told her not to.