Page 30 of Rival Hearts

“Hello,” she said. “Who are you, dear?” She kept looking between Jett and Riley, as if expecting either of them to answer.

“Oh,” Jett said. “Mom, this is Riley. Riley is my…” She wasn’t sure how to describe Riley to her mom. They hadn’t labeled anything, and Jett wasn’t about to claim Riley as a fuck buddy in front of her mom.

“I’m Jett’s friend,” Riley said. “We were hanging out at my place when you called her, so I drove her to the hospital.”

“Oh, well isn’t that nice,” Jett’s mom said. “Thank you, Riley, and it’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you too, Mrs. Thompson,” Riley said.

Jett’s mom immediately cringed. “Absolutely not,” she said. “You can just call me mom. As long as you’re a close friend of one of my kids, you’re my kid too.”

Riley smiled, and Jett could tell that she was a little uncomfortable, but Jett let it be. She knew that Riley didn’t have much experience being part of a family, and Jett was more than willing to share hers with Riley.

Hell, even if the two weren’t dating and later broke whatever thing they were doing off, Jett couldn’t help but feel care for Riley.

The stories from Riley’s childhood and foster care broke her heart. She couldn’t imagine how tough that would have been for her. All Jett had ever known was a loving family, even though the loss of her father had cut deeply, and she was so grateful for the love she had always known.

* * *

The three of them waited in the waiting room for a while before Aunt Becky and Ember showed up.

“Hey,” Jett’s mom said when the two arrived, giving each of them a hug.

“Hey,” Ember said. “Josephine said she wished she could come, but we both decided it was best for her to watch Natalie right now.”

“Of course,” Jett’s mom said. “A hospital waiting room is no place for a six-year-old.”

“And I would have brought Lucinda,” Becky said, “but she is actually working in the Emergency Room as the only trauma surgeon on call right now.” Becky looked at Riley when she said that, and Jett couldn’t help but flush.

Aunt Becky was super smart, and if anyone in the family was going to figure out what was going on between Jett and Riley, it would be her.

“But she did say she would come by when she gets the chance,” Becky said. “Check on everyone and all that.”

Jett’s mom smiled, and it looked like she was about to cry. “Thank you all,” she said. “It means a lot that you’re here for us.”

Becky scoffed. “You’re family,” she said as Ember went to hug Jett’s mom. “We’ll always be here for you.”

“Besides,” Ember said, “we’re here for us too. I definitely want to see that baby when she comes out.”

“Not before I do,” Jett said, competing with her cousin.

“Hey,” Ember said, ruffling Jett’s hair, “I’m older.”

“And the baby’s my niece,” Jett said, lightly elbowing Ember, who rolled her eyes with a laugh.

The rest of the family was kind of used to their interactions, and they all laughed. However, Jett noticed that Riley was looking at them a little awkwardly, and she remembered that Riley didn’t even know her own family.

All Riley had ever known was a revolving door of different people throughout her entire life. She never got the chance to make life long connections with other people.

Suddenly, Jett felt incredibly sad. Riley had never known what it was like to tease a family member and still feel loved during. She’d never had siblings or cousins to bicker with and trust. Jett hoped that one day Riley would be able to feel the love of a family. Maybe Jett’s family would be the one?

* * *

The group waited in the waiting room for hours. Eventually, Ember and Becky convinced Jett’s mom to sit down, something that Jett wasn’t able to do. And, after an hour, Hannah’s parents finally arrived. They lived out of town and had to travel a long way to get there.

When a nurse eventually came into the waiting room, it was early in the morning, but still dark outside.

“Hannah Thompson,” the nurse called into the waiting room, and the entire group, including Riley, stood up. “The baby has been born and they are both doing well! Immediate family only please. The rest of you will be able to come back in the morning during regular visiting hours.”

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