Page 82 of Before We Fell

Next to her, Riley yawned, signaling how worn out she was from her weekend at the ranch. Saturday my parents had hosted a competition, one that went on for almost nine hours and Riley had dictated every.single.second of that event to both Lauren and I, halfway through the story by the time the pizza arrived.

After, she kept babbling about the horses, riding on the tractors with Papa. Baking cookies and working in the garden with Grandma.

She’d had a full weekend, and it was catching up to her.

“Okay, Squirt,” I said once Lauren finished a chapter. “I think it’s time for bed, kiddo.”

“But Uncle—”

“No buts,” I said, something Amanda always used to say to her. There were a few things I vividly remembered about the way my sister parented and that was one. Mostly because it made me chuckle like a twelve-year-old boy every time she said it.

But Amanda was adamant Riley be respectful and polite. Whining and talking back was not allowed. Ever.

Riley huffed, her face scrunched, and she turned to Lauren. “Just one more, please?”

Lauren laughed, hugged Riley to her. “Not tonight. Your uncle’s right. You need your sleep so you can write about your weekend in class tomorrow.”

She took the book and slid off the couch, face scrunched and morose in a way I caught myself fighting a smile. My niece was cute as hell, even when she didn’t get her way.

“Night Lauren,” she said, holding her book to her chest.

Lauren reached out and brushed her hand down Riley’s hair and gave the ends a playful tug. “Sleep well, sweetie.”

Riley’s lips twitched and she turned to me. I took my feet off the coffee table and sat up, widening my knees so as she walked by I could grab her and pull her in for a hug. “Go get in bed and I’ll come tuck you in, okay?”

She nodded against my chest, hands still clutching the book. “Love you, Uncle.”

“I love you too, Squirt.”

Relaxing my arms from around her, she gave one last look to Lauren, and at the last second, moved closer to her, too. She threw her arms around Lauren, banging my shoulder with her book. The pain from that was minimal compared to the ache in my chest as she snuggled close to Lauren, closer than she’d done to me.

“Love you, Lauren.”

Lauren’s breath hitched and she hugged Riley tight to her. “Oh, honey. I love you, too.”

For whatever reason, Riley didn’t relax her hold, but held on tight, head shoved into Lauren’s shoulder. I ran my hand down her back, rubbing it.

Lauren shot me a wide-eyed look and I shrugged.

She’d never been like this. Not so needy and clingy. Although I rarely saw her with my own mom so maybe it was a girl thing.

Something about it felt beautiful, watching the little girl I loved love on the woman I was falling for. But it was eerie too.

Almost reluctantly, Riley pulled back, hands pressed and curved to Lauren’s shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”

Lauren tilted her head. “Of course you will.”

“K.”

She grinned then, hesitant, and small, but she nodded once and turned to me. “Goodnight.”

“I’ll be there soon.”

We watched as she trounced down the hall, whatever weirdness she’d displayed gone, but then Lauren’s hand curled around mine and she squeezed. “What was that about?”

Shrugging, I pulled her hand into my lap and faced her. “Who knows. It was weird though, right?”

I couldn’t have imagined it if Lauren noticed too.

---