Until You (A Theo James Fanfic)

Chapter 1

Aaliyah~

Another sleep deprived day.

Although I can't say my reason is bad, that doesn't make me want to curl up in a ball any less as the light shines through the window, blinding me.

Riley kept me up all night. She's only four, but she's smart. She knows how to do a lot of things the other kids can't. Sometimes I wish her dad was there to see it. But he left years ago.

Tyler.

He left when I told him I was pregnant with Riley. I've been a single mom since I was twenty-three. And Of course it's been hard. But in a way, I'd say it's better for Riley. If I hadn't known that he was going to leave me all alone, I would've been with him my whole life, and now I see the mistake I made. Even if it's hard sometimes. Even if it hurts.

I shake my thoughts from my head and
squint my eye to see the time on the clock that reads 10:15. We're going to be late. Again. I quickly get up and groggily make my way into Riley's room, noticing she's still fast asleep. I smile down at her. How did I get so lucky?

"Riley, sweetheart, time to get up." I whisper the words while rubbing her back. She wriggles in her bed and pulls the covers over her face.

"Just a little longer, mommy." I can barely make out her voice over her mumbling. I sit on her bed, trying to pull the sheet down as she struggles to keep it up. I finally give up, huffing and throwing my arms in my lap.

"Okay. Looks like I'll have to just make you get out of bed." Riley squeals and pokes her blonde head out of the covers up to her carmel brown eyes that dance with amusement.

"Please! No!" She starts laughing as I wiggle my fingers down to her stomach. I start tickling her and she's squeals, twists and turns, until she can't take it anymore. "I'll get up!" I stop tickling her and pull the covers down, laughing.

"Okay then, I'll be in the kitchen making breakfast. Hurry and get ready for school." She jumps out of bed and I chuckle and walk downstairs. I get out two bowls and pour Cheerios into them. I fill the bowl with milk, spilling some as I put it away.

Riley comes down the stairs and I widen my eyes in sight of what she's wearing. She has a tutu on with mismatch long socks and two left shoes. She also wears a long sleeve shirt, her blonde hair tucked into a hat that comes over her eyes. I laugh, not able to hold it back anymore.

"Do you need help?" She looks down at herself and twirls around. She looks up at me with a smile on her face and I pull the hat off of her bedhead, smoothing down the sides.

"Yes, mommy." I laugh at her lisp. She runs up to me and jumps. I catch her and spin her around, placing her on the chair. She kicks her feet back and forth, an ear to ear smile on her face.

"How about I go get you some clothes, and you eat your food?" She nods and starts eating, scarfing the food down.

I go upstairs and grab shorts and a shirt with her sandals. I look at the time again. 10:25. Five minutes until Riley's school starts. Claire is going to kill me if I bring Riley late again. I guess it wouldn't matter anyways, she'd find something to blame me for either way.

I run down the stairs and Riley turns around holding her hands up, ready for me to change her shirt. I pull it over her head and replace it with the black lace shirt I blindly grabbed out of her closet. I pick her up and place her on the ground, pulling her pants off and throwing them to the side. I put on the navy blue shorts and then rip the socks from her feet to put her black sandals on. I brush out her already straight hair and decide she's ready to go.