Page 36 of Rival Hearts

“Your daughter is beautiful,” Riley said, and Hannah smiled.

“Thank you,” Hannah said. “Would you like to hold her?”

Riley was shocked that a practical stranger would entrust her to hold her baby, but she also really wanted to.

“I haven’t held a baby that tiny in so long,” Riley said, “so I should probably sit down if I do.”

“There’s an empty chair right there,” Becky said, pointing out a forest green armchair.

“You can sit right there and I’ll put Emma in your arms,” Hannah said.

“Thank you,” Riley said, her heart warming. She sat in the chair at the same time as Ember’s text tone went off and she went to check her phone.

As Ember was reading her text messages, Hannah put Emma into Riley’s arms, and Riley looked at the tiny baby that she was holding. She looked like she was half between asleep and awake, her eyes fluttering open every so often.

“So Josephine just texted me,” Ember said. “She’s going to be here in about twenty to thirty minutes, but she said it’s okay if we start eating before her.”

Becky scoffed and wrapped her arm around Lucinda’s neck. “I can wait half an hour to eat. I think we all can,” she said and then looked at Hannah, “except you, Momma. If you’re hungry you go eat.”

Hannah shook her head. “I’m good right now,” she said, pulling away from Riley and sitting at another chair.

Riley looked at Emma and smiled sweetly.

Becky pointed at Riley. “You better be careful holding that one,” she said, “or you’ll be wanting one.”

Riley shook her head and felt herself blushing. “I don’t think so,” she said, “I don’t think I’d make a good enough Mom.” And it was true. As perfect and precious as the tiny baby was, Riley would be terrified if she had one herself. She had no Mom to look up to herself as a child, so what would make her think that was something she could be to a tiny baby?

“Oh, you’ll change your mind,” Becky chuckled, good naturedly.

Sometimes she did wish that she had a sibling in the way that Jett did. Riley would love to be an aunt and a helper sometimes. Though, if she was honest, babies and children did scare her somewhat. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do, and she was terrified of the idea of being alone and something happening to the kid.

But she was definitely happy to hold Jett’s niece.

* * *

While waiting for Josephine to show up, everyone started talking about all kinds of things, and the conversation pulled into about ten directions. Riley couldn’t keep up, even though she tried to at first. She didn’t want to talk and wake up the baby or have her start crying, so she just tried to listen. But after a while she gave up on that, opting to get distracted looking at Emma.

When Dr. Josephine Mars finally arrived immaculate in dark pants and a cream colored blouse, she came into a bustling living room smiling but looking exhausted.

“Paperwork get to you?” Ember asked.

“Oh, you have no idea,” Josephine said before she went to sit in her wife’s lap and gave her a quick kiss.

Natalie looked at them like she was used to it, but then scrunched up her face.

“You know you’re going to get cooties like that,” Natalie said.

“Nuh-uh,” Ember said.

“Yuh-huh,” Natalie nodded.

“No,” Ember said, “because only boys can give you cooties.”

“That’s not true,” Natalie said. “My teacher said that anyone can give you cooties.”

Lucinda and Becky were both laughing at this interaction, but stopped when Natalie turned on them and pointed at Becky, who still had her arm around Lucinda.

“You’re going to get cooties too,” she said.

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