While Jace and Scott were gushing over the camping trip, Riele excused herself and went to the bedroom.
She grabbed her phone and called her mother. Thankfully her mother answered her phone immediately.
"Oh thank goodness, mom..she breathed. "Hi Riele, I'm glad to hear your voice too. Are you okay, sweetheart?"
Her mother sounded calm and happy, which bothered her.
My life is turning into a horror movie and my mother is walking on sunshine!
"Mommy, you have to save me .." she whined.
"Save you sweetheart, what's going on over there ? Where's Jace?? Oh my..."
"No, no, mom.. it's nothing like that ...actually its even worse. Jace's dad showed up here wanting to take us on an outdoor trip to somewhere in the wilderness, mom" she almost sobbed.
A long pause followed. Riele feared that her mother had abandoned her in her hour of need.
"Mom??"
"I'm here, Riele. Riele, how can I say this without sounding cruel?
Okay, I'll say it anyway.
Riele, sweetheart. . You made your bed, so you better lie in it."
Riele could not believe her ears. "Mommy, how can you say that? You know I don't like the outdoors, especially the creepy crawlies. I swear, there was a spider in the bathroom earlier and I nearly had a conniption fit."
"Oh sweety, but you sound okay..so it wasn't that bad?"
"Well..."
"See, you'll be just fine. Jace is there to protect you, so don't worry."
"Mom, why don't you come with us?"
"Sweety, I would love to but you know I have to be at Donna's wedding.
"But mommyyy..."
"Stop whining girl. You're a grown woman, so buck up!"
"Buck up?! I can't believe you're throwing me to the wolves like this, mom."
"You married into the wolves all on your own, baby.
Besides, Riele, it will do you good to rough it out a bit. Maybe it will help you get over your fears.
Riele finally realised that she could not talk her mother into anything. Her mother advised her to take lots of insect repellant with and to wear high-laces boots at all times. She also suggested that she read up about venomous snakes so she could identify them, just in case. This did nothing to soothe her skyrocketing blood pressure at all.
She returned to Jace and his father.
"You were in there long enough" Jace noted.
"I was on the phone with my mother "
"Hatching an escape plan, huh?"
She narrowed her eyes dangerously at him.
"Not at all, Norman. We were discussing my cousin Donna's wedding. It's this coming Saturday."
"Cousin Donna who was so crazy at our reception?"
"Yup"
"We weren't invited to this wedding, were we? He asked. She shook her head.
"Soo, I can go ahead with the plans?" Scott asked.
She nodded.
"GREAT!" He beamed. He got up and greeted them.
After his dad left, they sat down on their front door steps. Jace pulled her into his arms and cradled her. She was still tense.
"Thank you, Rie"
"For what?" she asked.
"For agreeing to this trip. My dad was really looking forward to it. "
"I know..and I would like the opportunity to bond with your family. They're my family now."
"So you weren't trying to get out of it, with your mom's help?"
"Jace, you're acting like my mom and I are master conspirators or something."
"Mmmm...I didn't say nothing."
"But to tell you the truth I was kind of trying to get her to come with us, but she just told me I should Buck Up. Can you believe that woman?"
"Well, I'm beginning to admire that woman a lot for standing up to her irresistible daughter.
"If I'm so irresistible, why is everybody running all over me?
"Because you're so short?"
"Jace!!"
"But I still love you you shorty pie"
"Poor thing" Jace's mom said to her husband. And to top it off you come running in there ...riling her up even more."
"It's not like we planned it that way, sweetheart. And it's not like she didn't know we were gonna have a trip one of these days.
"But Scott, she's not used to this."
"Now is the perfect time for her to learn."
"But she's so tiny and delicate.."
"Babes, she'll be fine. Jace will probably carry her around the whole time, so that her little "delicate" feet don't get dirty. That's if they are not holed up in their tent all day. "
Scott rolled his eyes.
Riele and Jace was holed up in their bedroom. Jace enjoyed comforting his wife. She was still a bit jumpy and he took every opportunity to keep her tight in his arms. "You know Rie, now that I know a little spider can get you so clingy, I think we should probably go live in the woods."he grinned.
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What do you think of this chapter?
Poor Rie...no escape🤗
