Keep On Walking (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction, Book 3 of the Hardships Saga)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

❝found (pronounced faʊnd or as spelled), verb
having been discovered by chance or unexpectedly.❞

It was breakfast time a month later. Ryan was feeding Robin, who was now beginning to babble constantly. Elle was talking to Hunter about school, and Phoenix was quietly watching, as he always did. Robin was beginning to be cheeky now, and was refusing to eat.

"Come on, love," said Ryan desperately. "Just eat it. It's your favourite, mashed apple. Don't you like mashed apple?"

"Blablablablab..."

"Somehow, I think she's saying she's not interested," said Hunter, and Elle began to laugh.

"Nonsense," said Ryan coolly. Today was one of Hunter's off days, so he was at home, and they were going to have a nice day out. "I'm sure she's just being-"

Robin spit her mouthful of apple at Ryan, and the rest of the family began roaring with laughter. She looked at them all indignantly, and none of them stopped. "Oh yeah, very funny," she said, trying to sound annoyed, but beginning to laugh as well.

"Guess we see that I was right all along," said Hunter. Ryan suddenly looked at him, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Hey, c'mere," she said. "I want a kiss!"

"No!" he yelled, trying to get away, while Elle and Phoenix were crying of laughter. She managed to mash her face against his, spreading the apple all over his face. He was still laughing, and he got up, handing Ryan a paper towel to wipe the puree off her face. "Alright," he said, still chuckling. "I'll feed her, I finished my breakfast."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not that incompetent."

"You sure about that?"

She narrowed her eyes, before silently reaching behind her while he wasn't looking. "I'm very sure," she said, before spreading the apple all over his face. The kids all screamed with laughter while Ryan washed her hands, and Hunter just stared. Then he started laughing too. "Alright, I guess I deserved that one."

She handed him a paper towel, and he cleaned himself off, before going to feed Robin. The phone began ringing, and Ryan, still laughing slightly, went to answer it. "Hello, Hayes-Lockhart residence, this is Ryan speaking," she said, and Hunter smiled, feeding Robin. When Ryan didn't say anything, he looked up and noticed how pale she was.

"Ry?" he asked in a hushed voice. "Ry, what is it?"

"He... what?"

"Ryan, what's going on?" he asked urgently.

But before she could answer him, she collapsed.

"Ry!" he said, jumping up.

"Mama!" yelled Phoenix, and Elle jumped down from her spot, running to her side.

"She's still breathing," she said. Robin watched on as Hunter first checked Ryan's pulse (her heart was beating very quickly), and made sure she was breathing, before picking up the phone. "H-Hello?"

"Sir? Is Mrs Hayes-Lockhart alright?" asked an unfamiliar voice.

"She's fainted, that's all. What is it?"

"We've found her brother, sir. William Lockhart is alive."

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"I... I..."

"Ry?"

"Will..."

"Wake up, darling."