Nothing Better Than Us.

Prologue.

"Mommy, are we there yet?" Mackenzie complain once again from the back seat. I roll my eyes as I made the left turn as instructed from google maps. I have been driving for three hours and I have no idea why I decided to drive all the way here. "Mommy, are we going to see grandma and grandpa Mike?" Lets not forget that I have been playing twenty one questions with a seven year old for three hours. 

"Yes Kenny!" I sighed as I approached a lake house, not just any lake house. It was huge and by the scream in the back of the car. I was not the only one impressed with it. It had a Victorian style so it looked like a castle so of course she was excited. 

"Mommy, can we live here? are we going to live here?" I parked the car rather slowly because there were already about three other cars here. I was rather unsure what to expect when I see my family. I have isolated myself for five years but when Kenny became 4 or 5 years, I would send her to her grandparents but I never went. "Mommy, there is grandma!" My protest would go in vain as she was already out of the car. I squeezed the steering wheel as I watched my daughter run towards her grandmother who rushed down the stairs to hug her. 

"You can do this! Its just a week! We can do this!" I whispered to myself as I turned the car off, took the keys out. I hesitated for a second as I placed the keys in my hand bag. I can just leave Kenny here with them, she'll be fine. I sighed once again before grabbing the bag and opening the door. The air outside was so refreshing and a tad bit cold but it was perfect. I took a deep breath as I got out of the car and closed the door behind me. 

"Mommy, they have a boat" Kenny shouted as I finally turned to face the direction she stood. There she was, my mother. She doesn't look a day over 30 but her eyes, even from this distance, radiated abit of anxiety. She wasn't smiling but she was definitely looking at me. "Okay Riley. Smile and Love" I made a mental note as I slowly approached both of them. If I focused on Kenny, it would too obvious so I held eye contact with my mother until I stood directly infront of her. 

"Hey Mom!" I have practiced that one line whenever I got some free time from Kenny's questions. But I was surprised when she pulled me into a hug, the minute I stood infront of her. I was not about to cry but I hugged her back. "I missed you so much" She squeezed me tightly. "I thought you were not going to come" She eased away but held onto my shoulder as she looked at me from head to toe. 

"Kenny wouldn't let me breath" I laughed but she was right, if Kenny did not open that invite before me. We wouldn't be here probably some beach in California or wherever but not here. "Mom, you haven't aged a day" I was questioning myself at this point. I didn't hate her but I was not too pleased right now either.

"You still look like 18, the hair cut is rather beautiful" She touched my cheek but a sudden overactive person grabbed our attention.

"Can I go see the lake?" Kenny looked at me with her beaming eyes and it was easy to say yes but Mom answered for me. I looked at my mother and the smile she had while staring at Kenny who around disappeared to the side of the house. There is no way, she is the same person I walked out on 5 years ago. 

"She is fine, everyone is already around the back. Micheal is making burgers. Lets go!" She took my hand and led the way. She was definitely forgot what happened 5 years ago. Of course, it was 5 years ago. I sighed as I gazed out at the lake, it was absolutely too beautiful to take your eyes off it. 

"Mom, how can you afford this place?" The question slipped out of my mouth but the smell of burgers caused me to look around and I was not ready at all for this. I was definitely not ready for the image of my daughter being lifted by David either. But there they were, he held her in arms and Kenny was hugging the heck out of his neck. 

"Not us, this is David's lake house" I knew I was not walking anymore but Mom was suddenly beside Micheal. "Riley!" I pulled a smile as Micheal's husty voice drove my attention away from Kenny. I walked over to Micheal and he embraced me, squeezing me. "You haven't change one bit" He eased away from me. I was always the shortest in the house and right now, I am still the shorted excluding Kenny. 

"I still have a few years to grow" I laughed as Micheal pat my shoulder. There was a sudden sound of someone clearly their throat followed by a rather loud laughter. I looked over to see Kenny sitting beside a laughing David. It was hard to not admire the scene between the two but I had to remember one thing here...that little girl believes that the man she is talking to is her uncle. And unfortunately, she grew to admire this uncle.

"You must be hungry" Mom suddenly added and she presented a plate with two burgers. "No mustard or mayo" I smiled at her as I took it before approaching the laughing gang who were too busy to acknowledge my presence. 

"Kenny, want a burger?" I was already sitting in the chair across from them but she only looked at me when his blue eyes landed on me. I was not holding my breath and the place was not sudden hot. It has been 5 years and my focus has changed.

"No mustard and mayo?" She looked at the burger then to me again. 

"No, Grandma knows how to do" I smiled as she reach for the burger but quickly pulled away. "Wash those hands first" He didn't whisper but his voice was lighter. Kenny did not oppose, she got up and ran towards the house. I placed the place on the table and watched her as she disappeared inside. I turned my attention to the lake and how the water glistened but I caught the movement of the hand removing one of the burgers from the plate. 

"Thats not for you" I turned to look at David who already had the burger off the plate. He was staring at me but there was a sly smile on his face. Forget Micheal and Mom, this man has not aged one bit. His hair was longer but his eyes still looked as if they held the ocean in them. 

"You finally looked at me!" My breath hitched at his words but his smile grew wider. "And you finally showed up" He chuckled and shock his head. He didn't look away from, I could feel his eyes roaming my face. "Kept it short too".

I need to say something but there was nothing. I swear it was easier not being around him, not seeing him or hearing from him. My life in fact better without interacting directly with my family. I was looking into his eyes and 5 years of my life a way from him, immediately felt like a day. I didn't notice when my heart started racing and when my mind got a bit loud. 

"Mommy! Its even prettier inside" Kenny yelled from the back porch, I immediately turned my attention to her and also remembered how she was the perfect image of him. The blonde hair, the ocean eyes, the big personality. The place no longer felt refreshing and a tad bit cold. No, I was back to choking on my own tears in my car, just like 5 years ago. 

My movement was swift as I removed myself from the chair and walked as briskly as I could back to the car out front. I grabbed the handle of the car and tugged but forgot my bag on the table top. I kept tugging the handle but a grip on my wrist caused me to stop. I didn't look away. I didn't have to, I knew who it was. If I lost all my sight and the ability to hear, I would still know who it was. I knew I lost my mind when I released the handle and turned into his hold. "Don't leave" He whispered as he hugged me. 

I took a deep breath and he still managed to smell like peppermint. I was falling back into something I have lived my life, learning to forgot. I eased away him when I heard the sound of a car approached. I felt when he released his grip on me and I felt the need to step back. I followed his gaze to the now parked car. And my eyes watched as the Burnette with the similar bob hair cut, stepped out of the car. 

"I keep telling you that I love you and every time I say it, it sounds like good bye" I whispered as I pushed my hair behind my ears before stepping to the side and walking back to the picnic area. I heard when he called me but I also heard the happiness in her voice when she finally spoke. I pulled on a smile as I bent the corner, I gave a reassuring smile to Mom and Micheal and I pulled the biggest smile for Kenny who was busy eating her burger.

"Mommy, where did you go?" I sat beside her and rubbed her back as she looked at me. 

"Thats not important, eat your burger" I pushed her loose hair strands behind her ears but kissing the top of her head. 

"Mommy, we are going to have so much fun here" I eased away and smiled at her. I slowly nod my head and she continued eating her burger, completely unaware of everything.

*************The End***************