You, Me, and Riley

chapter 34

Dana

"She'll be fine Hayden." I said with a small smile as I nervously watched them pull out of the driveway.

"I know." she said with a sigh "But the last time we left her with someone else when she was little we ended up spending the night in the hospital."

"Yeah, but that was kind of our fault." I said pulling her into the house "We forgot to tell Sheri and Mike that she's allergic to grape, but my parents know. She'll be fine."

"I know you're right" she said with a smile as she walked into the kitchen, "I still worry."

"What are you doing?" I asked as I heard heard her rummaging around the kitchen.

"I figured we could watch a non animated movie now that we don't have a two year old hovering in the doorway." she said peeking into the living as I heard popcorn in the microwave.

"What movie?" I asked as she walked back in with a bowl and two cans of pop. "I don't care as long as there are no lions in it." she said sitting down on the couch and waiting for me to pick out a movie.

"What time are they getting home?" I asked a couple hours later as we cleaned up after lunch and moved back into the living room.

"Not a clue." she said "But I'm learning to go with the flow, as you suggested."

"I never said that." I said with a laugh "I happen to like you uptight and pointlessly panicked."

"Hey!" She said shoving my shoulder and sitting down with a laugh "I'm not uptight! Pointlessly panicked I will cop to."

Before I could say anything else there was a knock on the door and Hayden looked at me with a question and shook my head "Not for me." I said with a shrug as she stood up and answered the door.

"Mom" I heard Hayden say in surprise "We weren't expecting you for another week or two." She said looking back at me with a nervous smile.

"I know" Her mom said with a strained laugh "But we couldn't wait any longer."

"We" she said with a pause "Where's Dad?"

"Oh he's still in the car." she said "He's just moving a little slower these days."

"Okay." she said taking a step back, "Does he need help or something?"

"No, I'm fine." Her Dad said huffing as he slowly walked up the path to the house.

"Dad." Hayden said with big eyes "You look-"

"Awful." He said with a sigh, "I know."

"Why don't you guys come in." She said opening the door wider and stepping back as her parents walked in.

We nervously watched as they walked around the living room and I looked at Hayden with big eyes as her mom stopped in front of a Riley's toy box and looked at us in surprise.

"I didn't know you guys adopted." she said in surprise looking around the room and seeing all of Riley's things scattered around us.

"Umm." Hayden said wringing her hands together "That's because we didn't adopt, not really." She said rubbing her forehead and looking at me with a sigh.

"Then why is there a booster seat at you kitchen table?" She asked with a smile "I always wanted a grand baby."

I coughed, trying to hold back the snort and shrugged as Hayden glared at me.

"Is something funny dear?" Her mother asked with a strained smile.

"Not at all Sue." I said with a smile, "I was under the impression you didn't think people like us-"