Girl meets ships

Rilaya- Safe and Sound

"Alexander Mathews!" Maya Hart yelled chasing after her son. He was already three years old and even now Maya could not keep up with him.

They were running through the middle of a shopping centre, Riley had stopped to quite literally smell the roses in dusk. Maya smiled to herself and continued to chase after her son. Riley had always loved the smell of incense, they had had them burning on their honeymoon nonstop.

They went to the Bahamas, surfed, swam and really fell in love all over again.

"Alex buddy slow down!" Maya pleaded, speeding up.

"Never Mama!" The little boy yelled taking his jacket off and throwing it on the floor.

Maya frowned, thanks to her and Riley he was the best dressed little boy in town and he would never appreciate it.

***

Riley Mathews stood inside dusk smelling the rose scented candles. She smiled, they'd always remind her of Maya.

"Alexander Mathews!" She heard her wife call. Riley whipped her head around to see her little boy running around the store shirtless.

He ran toward her. "Mumma!" He screeched flinging himself into Riley's arms.

Riley caught the little boy and stared red faced as her wife ran up behind them carrying the clothes Alexander had discarded.

She looked back to her son. He sat adorably in her arms. It was weird, he wasn't her biological child but he always seemed to fit perfectly in her arms. Even as a baby the little boy could fall asleep in seconds at his mothers touch.

Maya on the other hand was not so lucky, Alexander found it fun to tease her, make her work for his affection.

"Alexander honey what is the matter?" Riley asked looking down at her son.

"Mumma is mean!" The boy exclaimed cowering into Riley's chest.

Riley turned to Maya. "What'd you do?" She asked quietly, trying not to make a bigger scene.

"I said we had to go soon, that's all." Maya said her voice thick with emotion.

Her little boy, the light of her life hated her.

Riley held the little boy tight in her arms and tried to smile, she knew exactly what Maya was thinking and while sometimes she thought it was preposterous now she seemed to agree. It seemed her little boy hated Maya.

"Let's just go." Riley said quietly, the boy had fallen asleep in her arms unaware of the trouble he was causing.

"Yeah." Is all Maya said taking her wife's hand and walking out of the shop with her head down.

She looked down at her son in her wife's hand and felt tears in her eyes.

Why couldn't he love her like he love Riley?

***

Riley finished bathing Alexander and laughed as he shook his head back and forth to dry his hair.

She smiled, slipping him into his favourite batman pyjamas.

Maya stood at the door. Riley noticed how reserved she's been acting since the incident this afternoon.

"Why don't you put Alex to bed?" She said looking at Maya encouragingly.

Maya hesitated but walked in. Riley kissed her little boy on the forehead and walked out leaving Maya to face her demons and her son.

"Hey baby boy, want me to read you a story?" She said helping the little boy into his bed and tucking the sheets around him.

"No!" The little boy yelled kicking the sheets off.

Maya felt the sting of defeat. "What can I do then?" She asked desperately.

"Sing to me mommy!" The little boy screeched before laughing adorably.

Maya smiled, there was actually something Maya could do that Riley couldn't.

"What song then munchkin?" She asked tickling his tummy.

The boy screeched with laughter. "Safe an Swond!" The little boy yelled.

Maya smiled, it was her favourite song and now she got to sing it to her son.

She flicked the light off and tucked the boy in again.

"I remember tears streaming down your face, I said I'd never let you go.
When all shadows almost killed you light."

She smiled as her sons eyes began to droop.

"I remember you said, don't leave me here alone. But all that's dead and gone and past toniiiiight." She stroked her little boys head as she sung.

"Just close your eyes,
The sun is going down,
You'll be alright,
No one can hurt you now,
Come morning light,
You and I'll be safe and soooooound."

The boys breathing became wavy and Maya knew he was asleep.

She kissed his forehead and got up to leave but a little hand grabbing her wrist stopped her.

"I love you mommy." Her son said tiredly.

"I love you too baby boy." She said sitting back down beside him.

"Sing more." He yawned.

"One more verse." She said quietly before breaking into song.

She looked at the door and saw her wife standing there, her eyes glassy with tears of joy.

"Don't you dare look out your window,
Darling everything on fire,
The war outside your door keeps raging oooon,
Hold onto this lullaby,
Even when the musics goooooone,
Goooooone." She sung softly looking at her wife.

The chorus would bring her everything she wanted, the love of both her son and her wife.

"Just close your eyes,
The sun is going down,
You'll be alright,
No one can hurt you now,
Come morning light,
You and I'll be."

She looked back down at her son one last time before the end of the chorus, he was asleep now. His tiny eyelids lightly shut. She smiled and walked over taking her wife's hand.

"Safe and sound."