Just A Small Town Girl (14 page)

“You wrote a song,” I finished for him.

He nodded, “and when I started to fall in love with this beautiful amazing woman who makes everything feel right after so much time spent knowing things were wrong and there was nothing I could do about it, I wrote a song.”

“You wrote me a song?” I asked, finally willing to make the leap and believe Fisher was complimenting me.

He laughed, “did you hear what I said Piper?” he scooted closer, using his hand on my waist to pull me closer, “I love you.”

My heart beat faster. I hadn’t had a moment of profound realization in which I discovered my unending feelings for Fisher. I’d consistently felt the same about him for a very long time. I cared about him deeply. I cherished the time we spent together. I wanted to be with him for as long as possible. I realized I did love Fisher. I’d loved him since the first night we officially met. Something about the vulnerability in the new father’s eyes that night he couldn’t get Riley to stop crying, the way he’d held my hand and even the way he’d stormed out of my apartment had all spontaneously created a deep love for him in my heart. A love that grew each time we talked, each time we touched, each time I heard him sing. It was like our love was an incomplete puzzle, with random pieces constantly appearing, making the picture clearer and clearer with every passing day, but never diminishing in value because of its imperfection and holes. Our love was pure potential and the thought caused my heart to swell.

“I love you too,” I smiled back at him, loving how right the words sounded, “and I love Riley,” for some reason it was important to me that he knew how much I cared about his son.

“You’re so perfect,” his eyes closed and he wrapped me tightly in his arms. I didn’t argue even though he was wrong because I knew it would only ruin my blissful moment tucked in close to him, the warmth of our declarations of love wrapped tightly around us.

“Go wake up Daddy,” I heard June instruct, a few moments before I felt Riley slapping at my cheek.
Fisher received a few slaps as well and groaned in response, pulling me closer and settling Riley between us.
“Little monster,” he grumbled as Riley started to calm and began to babble at us.

“Dinner is in five minutes Trav,” June called out, her slight weight compressing the mattress as she took over Riley’s job of rousing us.

I opened my eyes just as she stood and began jumping on the bed.

“Okay, we’re getting up,” Fisher swept his arm across his sister’s legs, making her wobble and fall onto her behind at the foot of the bed.

June took a second to laugh with her head tilted back, her pink and platinum strands shaking with each chuckle, before scooping up Riley and standing at the doorway, watching while Fisher and I slipped on our shoes and adjusted our clothing.

I felt much more comfortable approaching Patricia in a group, especially one that included her children and grandchild.

June and I helped bring the serving dishes to the table while Fisher situated Riley in his high chair. When the table was set, Patricia took her seat at one end of the table and June sat across from Fisher, making it apparent to me that everyone had a regular seat and I was clearly the outsider.

Fisher jumped to his feet, realizing my discomfort, and pulled out the chair sitting between Riley’s high chair and Patricia.

“Thanks,” I whispered, smiling up at him. He really was the sweetest boyfriend I could ask for. I felt better sitting with his mother, who I suspected hated me, with the knowledge that he loved me. I smiled to myself a little as I let the comfort of our love calm my nerves.

“This is delicious.” The food was just okay, but who could blame me for trying to gain some brownie points with Patricia?

“Hm,” she pursed her lips, not really acknowledging my comment, “I spoke to Persephone yesterday Travis. I was surprised to hear she wouldn’t be the one coming home with you today.”

“I don’t really talk to Seph anymore mom.”

“I’m embarrassed at how easily you dismiss her young man. She was, is, and will be an important part of your life for a very long time, no matter who you bring in and out of your son’s life.”

I could tell Fisher was getting angry, his eyebrows darted toward each other and his chin was set heatedly. I tried to catch his eye and gave him a small smile. I didn’t understand why Persephone was such an “important part of his life,” but I knew I was on his side.

“Mom, please try to be nicer. I love Piper and she loves me and we both love Riley. I need you to at least try to be decent to her regardless of how threatened you feel,” his words were clipped, leaving no room for argument.

Patricia sniffed, directing her attention to the plate in front of her.

No one spoke. June mouthed “good job,” and flashed Fisher a thumbs up before returning her own eyes to her plate and Fisher sat confidently with his forearms resting on the table, eating heartily.

“dadadadadadada,” Riley cried, interrupting the awkward silence.

“That’s right,” I pointed at Fisher, “that’s your dada.”

Riley kept squealing out his babbled words, dada, kaka, baba, and the like while I fed him his small dish of strained carrots. On a particularly enthusiastic chant of “babababa,” Riley slammed his hand into the dish, splattering his clothes, bib, and fingers with the small amount of carrots left.

“Okay big boy time to wash up,” I stood, lifting him out of his chair and trying to stop him from spreading the orange mush across my clothes as well. “Excuse us,” I murmured to Patricia, doing an awkward semi curtsy.

Before I turned my back from the table, Riley grabbed my hair with his messy hand, pulling orange through several strands. He finished his assault by slapping a hand on my cheek and squealing, “mamamamamama,” kicking his feet.

Fisher looked at me, his eyes wide while a crooked little satisfied smile spread across his lips. I shrugged in response, quickly turning to leave the room. I didn’t want to draw attention to the first time Riley said mama and especially not in front of Patricia.

“Just you wait a minute Piper,” Patricia’s cold voice stopped me. I took a deep breath, turning to face her. She stood at the head of the table, her hands splayed flat on either side of her plate. Her face was turning a purplish red and her shoulders heaved with each breath she took. “I can tolerate your puppy love for my son and I can even tolerate your invasion of my home on a family holiday, but I cannot tolerate your clear attempts become Riley’s mother.”

I took a deep breath, promising myself an entire pint of moose tracks ice cream if I managed not to blow up at Fisher’s mother.

“With all due respect Mrs. Fisher,” it felt weird to call someone else by my boyfriend’s name, “I am not trying to become Riley’s mother, but I know some day a special woman, one who Fisher loves,” I smiled down at him, “will come into Riley’s life and become his mother. I don’t think that will be so bad when it happens because all little boys need their mothers,” I leveled my gaze on her, “Don’t you agree?”

My careful words didn’t appease her, not that I expected them to, her face flushed even more and her hands began to whiten from the pressure she was placing on them. “Riley has a mother. Her name is Persephone Greene and I am certain she would not be happy to hear you say that young lady.” Her words were slow and deliberate, but the quick zing of realizing Persephone was Riley’s mother, that she could see him all the time, but never did, that Fisher never mentioned that huge piece of information, that razor sharp jab sliced into the bubble of warmth I’d been surrounded by since Fisher told me he loved me.

I darted my gaze to Fisher and the look of guilt in his eyes helped fuel my own feelings of betrayal. I was hurt and I hated learning about his omission from someone else. I wasn’t willing to tell him how much it hurt in front of Patricia though.

I fixed my eyes on her, “That may be true, but I think we can all agree what’s most important is Riley’s well-being and what’s best for him, for every child, is receiving the most love possible. Why would you deny Fisher’s future girlfriend or wife the right to love Riley the way this beautiful boy deserves? I don’t think any of our selfish motivations are more important than that.”

She stared back at me, seeming to consider an argument for my point.

I wasn’t going to give her a chance to continue.

“Now if you will all excuse me, I need to wash Riley and me up.”

“I’ll help,” Fisher rose to his feet.

“No,” I put my free hand up, hoping it would help him understand my unspoken need to be away from him.

Five minutes later, I stood in the bathroom with Riley propped on the counter. I’d rinsed and changed his clothes, wiped his hands, and washed out the carrot orange stands of my hair, but I felt safer hidden out in the bathroom.

I needed to talk to someone, but I’d made my closest friend into my boyfriend. I couldn’t call Seph obviously and I wasn’t sure where Bailey stood on all of this. After a few more frustrated minutes I sat with my back to the tub, Riley lying on his belly across my bent knees, and dialed Bailey’s number.

“Hello beautiful,” she drawled, “how are you?”

“Not great Bailey,” I drew in a rough breath, “Seph is Riley’s mother?”

“Yeah,” she paused for a long moment, seeming not to understand the problem, “and?”

“And I didn’t know that until Patricia Fisher, who I am pretty sure is the devil incarnate, told me I could never replace Persephone in Riley’s life.”

“Oh,” I could picture her face, drawn into an adorable look of surprise, “I’m sorry honey. I just assumed Fish told you. I kind of figured he owed it to you to mention why your former friend suddenly wants your head to explode. Even though I don’t understand that; Seph didn’t even want the baby.”

“What?” I was curious enough to ignore her suggestion that Fisher should have told me, “Seph didn’t want to keep Riley?”

“Nope, well none of us did. Except Fisher; he begged her to keep it and I don’t know how, but eventually he convinced her to carry the pregnancy to term and even when he was a month early she left him in the hospital with Fisher. I don’t even know if she saw him before you came to town.”

I looked down at the squirming boy in my lap. It hurt me to think he may never have existed and it hurt even more to know his mother really didn’t care. I had no problem with adoption or abortion, but I hated the thought of someone I loved not receiving his mother’s affection.

A knock at the door startled me out of my thoughts.

“Piper?” Fisher’s muffled voice asked.

“I have to go Bailey,” I whispered, shifting Riley so I could stand.

“Okay honey. Good luck!”

“Thanks Bailey, we should hang out when I get back.”

“Of course!”

We said our goodbyes as I came to stand in front of the closed door. I took a deep breath and opened it, not surprised to be met with Fisher’s face.

“I was going to tell you,” he blurted out, stepping closer to me until I backed into the bathroom and he could shut the door behind us, “It just never seemed right to mention it and I was a little scared,” he raised his hand to touch me before dropping it, defeated, “I lost a lot of friends because of Seph, because we didn’t agree on Riley and our friends chose sides. It was selfish, but I wanted you to choose my side.”

“You should have had more faith in me,” I took another step away from him, “you should have believed I would choose you, you should have known I loved Riley,” he nodded, his frown deepening.

“I’m sorry,” Riley began to fuss halfway through his apology.

“I know you are and I understand why you didn’t tell me, but I can’t pretend it didn’t sting to hear it from your mother. Your mother who happens to be besties with Seph and seems to hate me,” I shifted Riley to my other hip and started slapping palms with him.

“My mom doesn’t hate you,” I gave him a look, “okay, she doesn’t like the idea of you, but she doesn’t even know you. She just thinks she knows what is best and right now she’s preoccupied with Seph, but only because she’s Riley’s mother and because my mom doesn’t really know her either.”

I slumped against the sink, confused and hurt.

“Hey,” Fisher stepped close to me, placing an open palm on each of my cheeks, “I’m sorry. I should have told you. I should have trusted you not to leave me. I also should have stood up for you with my mother. I’m sorry. You’re the first real girlfriend I’ve ever had and I’m not so great at being a boyfriend apparently. I messed up and I probably will again, but I
trust
you to be patient with me,” he smiled at his little joke and I couldn’t help smiling back, “and I love you.”

“I forgive you,” I tipped my head back and raised my lips to meet his. I understood where he was coming from and I didn’t see it happening again. Maybe I was just a sucker for his dark good looks.

“Thank God,” he mumbled against my lips before pressing his mouth more firmly against mine, his tongue coaxing my lips to open. I enthusiastically obliged him, letting my tongue play with his as his right hand snaked around the back of my head, pulling my face more firmly toward his. I shifted Riley on my hip with one hand and used the other to wrap around his waist, slipping my fingers under the back of his shirt and pulling him closer. We couldn’t be close enough, our proximity was a sign that we were in this together, we could get through anything. I dug my fingers into the muscles of his lower back at that thought and he groaned into my mouth.

“Are you guys getting it on in there?” June’s voice came through the door, interrupting our moment.

Our faces broke apart, but our bodies stayed just as close, I could feel his chest heaving.

“If you are don’t let me stop you, but mom wants to talk to you Trav.”

Fisher pecked me on the lips one more time before stepping across the small space and yanking the door open. He took a step toward his sister, who was wearing a sly grin, then turned back to face me. “You don’t feel comfortable staying here for Thanksgiving do you?”

I didn’t want to be the one to make this decision, but I decided honesty was the best policy. I shook my head no.

“Okay,” he smiled a small smile, “Me either.”

He extended his hand toward me and I gladly placed my free hand in his, curious to see where we were going, but sure we were going together. He tugged me into his room and June watched while we packed our bags and folded up the portable crib. I checked Riley’s diaper before we carried the bags downstairs and set them by the door.

“Where’s mom?” Fisher asked June when we were finished.

“In the kitchen sulking,” she answered, looking a little sad to see we were going.

Fisher tugged me after him into the kitchen where his mother stood washing dishes.

Patricia turned at the sound of our footsteps, quickly taking in our presence and darting her eyes to our clasped hands before fixing her gaze on me, “could I please speak to my son alone?” she asked, leaving no room for argument.

I tried to pull my hand out of Fisher’s and leave, but he held onto it.

“No mom you can’t,” he squeezed my hand reassuringly, “I love Piper. She’s an amazing woman and a damn good caretaker for Riley. I can’t stay here and watch you treat her so poorly, especially when you’re constantly trying to push Persephone, the woman who tried to abort my son, your grandson, on me. I hope you can learn to treat her better before the next time we come to visit, if she is able to forgive you by then, but for now we’re leaving.”