Riley

8

"What is it that you want to talk about?" Mom asked. I sat quietly for a second before sighing and staring down at my feet.

"I...um...I wanted to ask you about...I mean, I just wanted to..." I tried to explain before giving up and hanging my head in defeat.

"You want to talk about your father." She stated, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah," I whispered. "After talking to Richard, I just...not that I really care or anything but...I don't even know the man's name."

Mom sat quietly for a second before letting out a small sigh.

"When we first met, he introduced himself as Michael. I was nineteen and was alternating between couch surfing and living on the street. I didn't know what I was doing with my life at the time and my parents basically told me to get a job, an education, or get out. I met Michael at a park after I had been on my own for about a week. It wasn't until right before we got married that he told me his real name was Leo Chase." Mom explained.

"Wait. Married?" I asked, looking over at her in shock.

"Yes. We were young. We ran off to Vegas on a whim about a year after we first met. It was honestly all very cliché. We had been married for about eighteen months when I found out that I was pregnant with you. One morning, about a week after I told him, I woke up and all traces of him were gone. It was as if he never even existed. There weren't any documents or pictures or records. He was just gone. I was heartbroken and just...lost. So, I packed up my things and went back home only to find that my parents had died in a car accident the year before. I had no clue what I was going to do, but, as luck would have it, I ended up running into my childhood best friend, Julian."

"Sam's dad," I whispered.

"He saved me that day. He took me in, helped me throughout my pregnancy, was right there in the hospital room the day you were born." She said, smiling over at me. "He was actually the one who named you. He stayed with you as I finished school or when I had to work. You meant everything to him."

"So, why-" I couldn't keep my voice from cracking as the tears ran down my face. "Why not give me his name? Why would you-" I couldn't even finish the sentence as I was cut off by the sobs that erupted from my chest.

"Because, even after everything, Leo is still your father and there was a point in my life where I did love him. I know that you probably believed that your father was a one-night stand, but he wasn't. We had a very good life together and I wasn't going to pretend as if those years never happened. I know that he left and broke my heart, but he gave me something that I will forever be grateful to him for. He gave me you. You and your sister are the best things I've ever done, and I wouldn't trade that for anything. You have your father's name because that's who you are. The daughter of the kind and caring man that saved a homeless nineteen-year-old from her own self-destruction. I know you only know him as the man who left us, but he was honestly a good man."

I was bawling in my mom's arm like a newborn baby. I couldn't help it. There was so much that I hadn't known. That I chose not to know. I really don't even remember how long I cried. I don't remember walking with my mom up the stairs. But, I remember curling up next to her on the bed in my room. I remember clutching onto her shirt as if it was my lifeline. I remember her pressing soft kisses to my forehead. And, I remember crying myself to sleep with her gently running her hand through my hair.

***

I could tell that I was alone as soon as I woke up. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what to feel. So, I did what I always did when I felt overwhelmed. I went for a run. It was still dark outside which means that I probably didn't sleep for that long, but I didn't care. It's not like I could go back to sleep now anyway. I found myself aimlessly running through the streets with only the moon as my light source. I didn't know where I was running. I just wanted to focus on anything other than what I learned. I didn't want to think about it anymore. My aimless running led me to a park that was a couple of miles away from the school. Sometimes, after tryouts were over for the day, some of us would come over and hang out. It was quite peaceful. As I slowed to a walk, I noticed that I wasn't alone in the park. There was a lone figure sitting bent over on one of the benches in front of the river. As I slowly approached, I began to realize that I actually recognized that figure. But, I couldn't help but wonder what they were doing here alone this late at night.

"Sara." I softly called, trying not to startle her. She didn't respond, not even a flinch. "Sara," I called a little louder, trying to get her attention. There was still no response. Worried now, I carefully made my way over to her and slowly sat beside her on the bench. She just continued to sit there, staring wordlessly out over the river. Not knowing if my touch would be welcome or not, I carefully reached out to brush her hair back behind her ear. It was only then that she closed her eyes and let out a shuddering breath.

"How did you know I was here?" She whispered so quietly that I almost missed it.

"I didn't know," I whispered back, just as quietly. "But I'm glad I found you."

"Why? Why would you even care?"

"Because you're my friend, Sara. And as your friend, I hope you know that you can talk to me about anything." I whispered with as much sincerity as I could.

"That's what my mother used to say, too. That I could talk to her about anything. That she'd always be there for me, she'd always love me, no matter what. But that's apparently a lie."

"What happened, Sara? Maybe...maybe I could help. I don't like to see you sad and hurting. Please just tell me what I can do to help you?" I pleaded.

"Thanks, Riley." Sara sighed out. "But there's nothing you can do. I'm just being stupid like always. A stupid idiot who doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut."

"Sara, you're not-"

"I should go. And you should, too. We have school in a few hours." Sara said, abruptly standing.

"No." I immediately stood, reaching out to grab her wrist. "Please, Sara. Talk to me." I practically begged. Sara only closed her eyes.

"I told her." She sighed. "I told my mom about...I told her that...I told her-"

"Told her what?" I desperately asked as I stepped closer to her so that there was barely an inch of space between us. "What did you tell her, Sara?"

"I told her that I'm..." Sara didn't finish her sentence. Before I could even register what was happening, Sara's lips were on mine and my mind went completely blank. I couldn't actually process the fact that Sara was actually kissing me. Before I could even gain my bearings enough to actually kiss her back, she was gone. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean...I'm sorry." Was all she said before she turned and ran away. And I just stood there and watched her leave like an idiot. Speechless.