Color Me

Complete

"Mom,"
Kai hugged her for a long while and felt herself relax.
She really needed this.
It took her a second to understand that her mother was crying.
"Mom whats wrong?"
Rissa just squeezed her more. "A little bit longer."
She let herself be squeezed a bit more.
"Mom," "oh my baby! Why didn't you tell me!?"
Rissa smacked her on the arm right where the bandage is.
"Ouch mom what the hell?"
"Language. You should have told me what happened at school."
Kai just looked at Richard,"Really"
"She had to know Kai. I didn't want her to be blindsided and also for you not have support."
Rissa melted just a little bit. Talking to her ex and father of her child was jarring and kinda nice maybe more than nice.
"Why are you cradling your arm?"
"I'm not."
Zoe piped up and just yelled "she got cut by Otis. He's the one who caused the whole thing."
Kai turned to her shocked and a little astounded.
"Is nobody aware of the word timing or keeping things to themselves."

Everybody was talking all at once. Asking how she got cut and when. Kim and Aly were pulling her shirt to expose her arm.
Richard was holding his nose like he had a headache and Rissa just silently cried.
Kai picked who looked the most upset. "Mom look at me. I'm fine. Its a small cut. I'm not hurt anywhere else and everything is over. We took care of it. I promise."
"Why didn't you call me?"
"I didn't want you to worry thats all. I'm all good."
"But it shouldn't have happened in the first place! The school needs to take responsibility for this."
"Mom, no. The school isn't responsible. The guy who did already got his punishment. And Otis I sorted that out as well. Everything is good. You can hug me again to make sure."
Kai peered at her mom who was wiping her eyes smudging mascara on her face. More and more she looked tinier standing next to her daughter.
Now to appease the rest of the family.
Kai rubbed the bridge of her nose.

After so many reassurances and a lot of hugs that included being poked and smacked in the chest for not telling them- everybody was calmer.

Rissa and Richard disappeared together after a while.
They sat in his library. Well Richard sat and Rissa browsed the bookshelves, her fingers caressing the spines as she walked past.
Richard remembered that touch when it was his and the love it carried.
"Ris-" "Give me a moment."
"Okay."
Watching each other, sneaking glances like they were young again and meeting for the first time.
The whisper of a memory, courting and falling in love.
The differences were there but her beauty never waned nor did that handsome face of a heartbreaker.

"You can ask now."
"Why didn't you tell me Riss?" "You know why already. You would have left that poor girl at the alter."
"I would have done right by you."
"I wasn't going to be married because I got pregnant. I deserved better than that."
"You always deserved better than me. I'm sorry. For leaving you alone and not being your support system with her. I'm so sorry Riss."
He couldn't hold back the tears. His one regret finally out there. There was nothing left to do but ask for her forgiveness.
Rissa never even attempted to be aloof. She cried beside him. For the future they never had and the past they could never change.

It was cathartic in a way. They stayed in that office, talking for hours on end.
Trading joys and griefs of the years past. Like time had only stopped for a second and it was moving again.
Moving forward.

The rest of the day was spent with a full house.
Rissa fit right in with them. Kim was besotted perhaps a little obsessed even.
All the kids loved her.
He'd deny it but looking at his kids and Rissa in the same room made Richard wish she'd stay for a while maybe even forever.

She stayed for a week.
In that week Richard learned he was still very much in love and wanted to try again.
Perhaps not so soon as they'd just begun talking more frequently and outside of things concerning Kai.

Perhaps he'd start with being friends first.
Speaking of friends, he needed to sell the one he has.
Dan kept laughing at him. He hadn't stopped aside from catching his breath to laugh more.
"Are you done?"
"Not yet. Dude i saw the pictures. You are still pining after your ex. The woman you ditched."
"You know i didn't have much of a choice back then. It wasn't what i wanted."
He sobered up after that. "I know. I just don't know how she'll take you wanting to date her again. Kai said she never married just dated here and there."
"Yeah. I know. I'll be her friend first. For all I know she doesn't want to be near me in any capacity let alone romantically."
"Friends is a start. But for your sake and also respect for her, don't push things or expect a lot."
"I won't."