Page 6 of Make Your Play

“Poe, your mom needs you to come get your shoes on.” Riley stares back at me. “Are you ready to go?”

Honestly, I’d go anywhere she asked me to go.

I climb to my feet and Posey breezes past as she runs off to find Nova and Lincoln. I walk over to Riley as she waits for me, expecting a response.

“Let’s go, mama.”

***

Riley is quiet during dinner and I don’t miss the distant look in her eyes as she seems to tune everyone out at the dinner table. After we finish eating, the men are tasked with the duty of cleaning up and I help my dad and Lincoln as we clear off the table and file into the kitchen. We create an assembly line and it doesn’t take long for us to finish.

By the time we all head into the living room, Nonna Rose, my grandmother, already has the presents divided out for everyone and she’s instructing Lincoln how to help her. I smile at the small stack for Riley. She’s been best friends with my sister for enough years that she’s practically become another part of our family. Our father always made sure he got Riley something for the holidays or her birthday.

Lincoln sets his to the side and moves down onto the floor before pulling Posey into his lap. Nova hands her the presents from our father and she starts to pull the paper, opening themup carefully. It’s not something you would expect from a toddler, but I’m not surprised with her at all.

Posey may be chaotic and a free spirit like my sister, but she has a preference for things to be neat and tidy.

We all move through our gifts, everyone taking the time to open them. Nonna got me fluffy socks and a new bed set, claiming she panic-bought me things because I’m too hard to shop for. My father got me a few new sweaters and a gift card. The last gift I open is from Riley, and I smile as I see what’s inside. I take it from the box and lift up the baseball hat, placing it backward on top of my head. I look across the room and catch Riley’s eye as she watches me with a wistful stare.

I wink at her and watch the pink tint creep across the tops of her cheekbones. She always used to give me shit about wearing the same hat when we were in high school, so she started this tradition of getting me a new one every Christmas and birthday.

Riley has already gotten through her presents, but then I see the envelope I brought for her lying unopened on the floor next to the couch. I get up from the chair and walk over, dropping down onto my knees beside her as I pick it up and hand it to her.

“You forgot one.”

She tilts her head to the side, her eyes scanning the envelope before looking back at me. “Is this from you?”

“You didn’t think I would forget you, did you?”

She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth, gnawing at it as she bites back a grin and shrugs with innocence. “I wasn’t sure.”

“I could never forget you, Riley Harris.”

Even if I fucking wanted to…

Her attention drops back down to the envelope and she slowly begins to open it. Lincoln rises up from the floor and starts to take Posey’s things out to the car. The night is quickly coming to an end and they’re getting ready to go home to get Poein bed. I watch Riley, tuning everyone out as she slowly pulls out the card tucked inside.

It’s a blank one, since none of the cards at the store felt like the right one to get her. Riley’s eyes scan the inside and she lifts the gift card up, her brow furrowing as she sees what it is.

“What is it?” Nova questions her from where she’s standing with our dad. He’s busy putting Poe’s coat on for her.

Riley’s eyes grow wet and confusion engulfs me as I watch something that resembles sadness and worry mixing in her irises. Her nostrils flare and she swallows before forcing a smile onto her face. “It’s a gift card for a prenatal massage.”

“Oh, fun!” Nova says with excitement. “They were my favorite when I was pregnant with Posey. It really helped with all the lower back pain I was having.”

Riley nods. “I love it.” She glances at me, her smile not quite reaching her eyes, leaving me filled with an anxiousness inside. “Thanks, Nash.”

Everyone falls back into separate conversations, collecting trash and their things as they move out of the living room. I turn to Riley, watching her as she moves to get up from the couch.

I can’t help but wonder if I fucked up. A spa day seemed like the perfect gift for someone who needs to be pampered and relaxed.

“Hey, Ry, is everything okay?”

Riley glances at me, her smile appearing forced again. “Everything’s fine.”

My eyebrows lower. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, yes,” she says dismissively, laughing quietly as she waves her hand. “It’s just the pregnancy hormones.”

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