You, Me, and Riley

chapter 20

"Kill me now." I groaned as I sat down on the couch next to Hayden and rubbed my temple as we listened to Riley throwing a fit in the corner. "What is going on today?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." She said with a huff as she looked back at Riley who was resting her head on the wall as she screamed. "But I don't know how to get her to stop screaming. She stops for 20 minutes and then she gets mad about something else and starts up again."

I looked back as I heard a soft grunt and saw Riley hitting her head against the wall. I quickly stood up and walked to her side standing her up and kneeling in front of her. "That is just about enough of this screaming young lady." I said looking her in the eye as she rubbed her eyes with her fist. I sighed before I picked her up and started to carry her to her to her nursery. "I think it's time for someone to take a nap."

"No mommy." She said clinging to me and burying her head in my neck "I no wan a nap." I stopped and peeled her arms from around my neck as I felt the heat radiating from her body.

"Hayden can you grab the thermometer." I called out as I sat Riley down on the couch and kneeled in front of her "Hey pumpkin can you tell Momma how your feeling."

"I no know." She said with a hiccup as Hayden handed me the thermometer and sat down next to her and gently rubbed her back.

"It's really important bug." I said as I rubbed the thermometer across her forehead.

"My ead urt." She said closing her eyes and tapping her temple as I looked at the beeping thermometer. I sighed and showed the thermometer to Hayden. I sighed before I set it down, it read 101.2.

"Come here baby." I whispered picking her up and holding her against me as I softly swayed side to side. "Do you get fevers when you have a migraine?" I asked slowly walking to the kitchen as Hayden reached into the pantry and grabbed Riley's migraine meds to crush and put in a bowl of applesauce.

"Es Momma." She said putting her thumb in her mouth. I grabbed the bowl from Hayden and slowly fed it to Riley before I walked her to the nursery where Hayden was already waiting in the rocking chair waiting for us.

"Sleep tight pumpkin." I said kissing her forehead as she began to nurse with Hayden and her eyes began to close. I waited outside her nursey for Hayden to walk out a few minutes later.

"Well that explains our grumpy baby." She said with a sigh as she quietly walked out of the nursery and we walked downstairs and began to pick up the toys Riley had scattered around the living room. "A migraine and a fever, poor thing."

Do you know how long she will be si—" I began to ask looking back at Hayden only to find her passed out on the couch. I laughed as I threw a blanket over her and continued to clean before I picked up the remote and quietly turned on the TV. About an hour later I heard Riley begin to move around in her crib and looked at the monitor as I heard her whisper out.

"Mom Ma? Can I get out of here please?" She said with a huff. As I walked into her bedroom and turned on the lights she cried out covering her eyes with Leo and burying her head in the bed. "Oww." She cried before I quickly shut the light off.

"I was going to ask how you were feeling but I think I got my answer." I said reaching into her crib and picking her up.

"Loud." she whispered as I set her on her feet and she buried her head in my chest. She surprised me by reaching up for me and asking to be picked, which isn't something she does when she's big. She buried her head in my neck as I carried her downstairs rubbing her back.

When I made it to the dining room I set Riley down at the table and walked to the kitchen grabbing her a banana and glass of milk. Two things I knew she liked and two things that helped relieve migraines. As I set them at the table a handed her my sunglasses causing her to giggle slightly as she sat up and slowly ate her banana. As Riley finished her snack all hell broke loose.

"Dana." Hayden yelled running into kitchen "Riley's not in her crib." I cringed as I watched Riley yelp and drop the glass of milk that was halfway to her mouth.

"Mamma." She cried out reaching for me with tears falling from her eyes "too loud." She wailed covering her ears as she curled up in my lap.

Hayden looked back and forth Between Riley and me with big eyes as she covered her mouth in surprise standing in the doorway. Once she was able to get over her shock she walked over to the table and kneeled in front of us trying to pull Riley into her lap.

"No." Riley whimpered wiggling away from Riley and wrapping her arms around my neck "I want Mamma." A tear ran down Hayden's face as she slowly stood up and walked out of the kitchen I stood up with Riley and swayed her back and forth as she started to calm down and watched as she yawned and struggled to keep her eyes open.

"Go to sleep bug." I whispered as she shook her head no "You're not feeling well its okay to be tired." I said as she fell asleep and I carried her to her bedroom tucking her into her bed.

Once I left her bedroom I finally walked around the house looking for Hayden finding her sleeping in our bedroom. I sighed as I laid in bed and grabbed a book waiting for her to wake up. When I felt her begin to move I took a chance and whispered out.

"You scared her Hayden that's all. You're still her favorite." I heard her sniff and begin to turn to me as our bedroom door opened and Riley peeked her head in.

"Mom" she said walking to our bed and looking at the floor. "Can I lay with you?" she asked.

"of course, baby." Hayden said reaching out to her and pulling her on the bed. I watched as Riley disappeared under the covers and was cocooned in Hayden's arms. I smiled to myself and opened my book biting my tongue to prevent the words I told you so from coming out of my mouth.

"Shut up." Hayden whispered somehow kicking me from behind.

I think I failed.